Arabic Grammar and Quranic Vocabulary Review

Comprehensive vocabulary and grammar flashcards based on the Arabic course notes, covering nouns, adjectives, special mudaf words, feminine categories, huroof an-nasb, pronoun rules, pointers, and Quranic lexical nuances.

Action-Translating Active Participles

Words (such as قَادِمٌ, ذَاهِبٌ, and خَارِجٌ) that translate into English as active actions (e.g., 'coming', 'going', 'leaving') although literally meaning 'one who is coming' or 'one who is going.'

امْرَأَةٌ (Plural: نِسَاءُ)

Woman / wife.

Descendants / offspring.

ذُرِّيَّة

Revelation.

تَنْزِيل

Religion / law / accounting.

دِينٌ (Plural: أَدْيَانُ)

One who acts unjustly / tyrant.

ظَالِمٌ (Plural: ظَالِمُونَ)

Furthest (masculine / feminine).

أَقْصَى / قُصْوَى

Throat.

حُلْقُوم

All, each, every.

كُلّ

Some of.

بَعْض

Any, which.

أَيّ

Other than, non.

غَيْر

The same.

نَفْس (as a special quantifier)

Like.

مِثْل

A handful of Arabic words that always appear in the grammatical form of a mudaf but do not necessarily create a relationship of belonging or possession.

Special مُضَاف (Special Mudaf)

Between (Special Mudaf).

بَيْنَ

In front of (Special Mudaf).

أَمَامَ

Right in front of (Special Mudaf).

قَدَّامَ

Far behind / beyond (Special Mudaf).

وَرَاءَ

In the presence of (Special Mudaf).

لَدَى

Especially from (Special Mudaf).

مِنْ لَدُنْ

Besides / other than / less than (Special Mudaf).

دُونَ

Singular / unique / without equal.

أَحَد

One who remains forever.

خَالِد

On the day when…

يَوْمَئِذٍ

One who is inattentive / heedless.

غَافِل

Dreary / depressing.

مَوْحِش

Body parts that naturally occur in pairs (duals) are grammatically feminine in Arabic, both in their singular and dual forms.

Body Parts in Duals Rule

Elbow (grammatically feminine because it comes in a dual).

مِرْفَق

Shoulder (grammatically feminine because it comes in a dual).

مَنْكِب

Most specific proper names of places (e.g., Makkah, Egypt, Sudan) are feminine, whereas general nouns like 'school' or 'masjid' are not.

Specific Names of Places Rule

A category of words that lack standard feminine markers or classifications but are treated as feminine solely because native Arabs conventionally treated them as such.

مُؤَنَّث سَمَاعِيّ (Feminine Because the Arabs Said So)

Ship (treated as feminine because the Arabs said so).

فُلْك

Staff (treated as feminine because the Arabs said so).

عَصَا

Bucket (treated as feminine because the Arabs said so).

دَلْو

One who does good / a righteous person.

مُحْسِن

One who is lost.

ضَالّ (Plural: ضَالُّونَ)

Staunch supporter.

نَصِير

Refuge / shelter.

مَأْوَى

Living creature.

دَابَّة (Plural: دَوَابّ)

Backside / the last part.

دُبُر

Stupid / dull-witted.

بَلِيد (Plural: أَبْلَد)

Means 'affair / matter' when the plural is أُمُور, and means 'command' when the plural is أَوَامِر.

أَمْر (Plural: أُمُور vs. أَوَامِر)

A group of particles that cause the noun following them to take the nasb (accusative) status.

حُرُوفُ النَّصْب (Huroof an-Nasb)

Certainly, no doubt (Harf an-Nasb).

إِنَّ

As though (Harf an-Nasb).

كَأَنَّ

However, but (Harf an-Nasb).

لَكِنَّ

If only (Harf an-Nasb).

لَيْتَ

So that, hopefully, maybe (Harf an-Nasb).

لَعَلَّ

The usage where Allah refers to Himself in the plural 'We' in the Quran as an expression of His majesty, while all subsequent referencing pronouns remain singular (never هُمْ).

The Royal 'We'

Pronouns that attach directly to an ism, fi'l, or harf and are restricted to appearing exclusively in either the nasb (نصب) or jarr (جر) status.

Attached Pronouns (الضَّمَائِرُ المُتَّصِلَة)

The first-person singular pronoun is the only attached pronoun that alters spelling based on status: -نِي is used for nasb, while -ي is used for jarr.

-نِي vs. -ي Attached Pronoun Rule

Third-person pronouns containing a dammah (e.g., هُ, هُمَا, هُمْ, هُنَّ) switch to a kasrah (ـهِ, ـهِمَا, ـهِمْ, ـهِنَّ) when preceded by a kasrah or a ya sakinah (يْ).

Attached Pronoun Vowel Variation Rule

The emotional heart or intellect, specifically employed in the Quran when describing a heart experiencing intense emotion or turmoil.

فُؤَاد (Quran Gem)

The steady or firm heart, used in the Quran once emotional distress has subsided or has been bound and stabilized by Allah.

قَلْب (Quran Gem)

Sick / uneasy.

سَقِيم

Safe / secure / intact.

سَالِم

Demonstrative pronouns used to point (this, that, these, those), which are grammatically always definite (معرفة).

أَسْمَاءُ الإِشَارَة (Pointers)

Relative pronouns (such as الَّذِي, الَّتِي, and الَّذِينَ) used to connect sentences or clauses.

الأَسْمَاءُ المَوْصُولَة (Connecting Words)

The noun addressed immediately following the calling particle 'يَا'; it is always grammatically definite (معرفة) and loses its tanween.

المُنَادَى (The One Being Called)