Comprehensive Arabic Grammar Study Guide

The definite article in Arabic is $al$ (اداة التعريف). - It is categorized into two types based on the letters that follow it: - Solar Letters ( $حروف الشمسية$ ) - Lunar Letters ( $حروف القمرية$ )
When a preposition is placed before a noun, the noun changes from the nominative case to the genitive case. - A noun that comes after a preposition is called $majrur$ ( $مجرور$ ).
Interrogative articles ( $أداة استفهام$ ) are used for questioning: - $mā$ (ما): What - $ayna$ (اين): Where - $man$ (من): Who - $limādhā$ (لماذا): Why - $matā$ (متى): When - $kayfa$ (كيف): How - $hal$ (هل): Is / Are
When an interrogative article comes before a noun in the nominative case, the last letter of the noun will be changed to a single damma ( $9$ ) or will remain a single damma ( $9$ ). - When an interrogative article comes before a noun without a definitive article, it will take a double damma ( $99$ / tanween).
If an interrogative article precedes a preposition, the preposition remains the same.
In Arabic, gender is divided into $al-mudhakkar$ ( $المُذكَرُ$ - Masculine) and $al-mu'annath$ ( $المُؤَنث$ - Feminine). - There are three symbols which change a masculine word into a feminine word when added at the end: 1. Tā' Marbūṭa ( $ة$ ): 2. Alif Maqṣūrah ( $ى$ ): 3. Alif Mamdūdah ( $اء$ ): - The penultimate (second to last) letter of a female word will always take a fatha ( $7$ ).
Nominal Sentence ( $الجملة الاسمية$ ): - These sentences start (mostly) with a noun. - They consist of two parts: - Part 1: Subject ( $mubtada'$ - مبتدا): This is always a noun or a pronoun, though not necessarily. - Part 2: Predicate ( $khabar$ - خبر): This is always a noun or pronoun that describes the subject. - The subject part ( $mubtada'$ ) is mostly a noun or pronoun. - A diptote ( $ghayr ext{ } manṣarif$ / غير منصرف) will never take tanween.
Verbal Sentence ( $الجملة الفعلية$ ): - These sentences start (mostly) with a verb. - They consist of three parts: 1. Verb ( $fiʿl$ - فعل): Describes the action. Tenses include Past ( $māḍī$ - ماضي), Present ( $muḍāriʿ$ - مضارع), and Future ( $mustaqbil$ - مستقبل). 2. Subject ( $fāʿil$ - فاعل): The entity doing the action. 3. Object ( $mafʿūl$ - مفعول): The entity on which the action is done.
Case Changes and Prepositions - Despite the fact that $al-bayt$ is a noun with a definite article, it has a kasra ( $2$ ) because a preposition ( $ilā$ / الى) precedes it. Therefore, it takes the genitive case.
Known as $Al-Iḍāfah$ ( $الإضافة$ ). - It involves adding one noun to another to form a relationship of possession or belonging (one noun being owned or belonging to the other). - Elements of Iḍāfah: - Possessed noun ( $muḍāf$ - مضاف): It will not take a definite article or tanween, but its possession is implied. - Possessor ( $muḍāf ext{ } ilayh$ - مضاف اليه): This noun can be definite or indefinite. It is always in the genitive case (taking a kasra).
Hamza tul Wasl ( $همزة الوصل$ ): - This form of Alif ( $ا$ ) appears at the beginning of a word. - If it is preceded by another word or letter, it is written but not pronounced. - Hamza tul Qat ( $همزة القطع$ ):- This type of Alif is always pronounced irrespective of what precedes it. The letter is never merged.
Known as $al-kalimāt ext{ } al-mabniyyah$ ( $الكلمات المبنية$ ). - While most words change their last letter case based on their function, indeclinable words do not change their case or vowel ending regardless of their function in a sentence. - Categories of Indeclinable Words: - Directives (Demonstrative Pronouns): $hādhā$ (هذا), $dhālika$ (ذالك), $hādhihi$ (هذه). - Interrogative Articles: $mādhā$ (ماذا), $limādhā$ (لماذا), $ayna$ (اين), $matā$ (متى). - Prepositions ( $ḥurūf ext{ } al-jarr$ ): $fī$ (في), $min$ (من), $ilā$ (الى). - Pronouns: $anta$ (انت), $ana$ (انا).
Known as $An-Nidā'$ ( $النداء$ ). - The word used for calling someone is the vocative particle ( $ḥarf ext{ } an-nidā'$ ), while the person being called is the $munādā$ ( $العنادى$ ). - Common particle: $yā$ (يا). - The $munādā$ mostly takes the nominative case. However, regardless of whether the noun is definite or indefinite, it will only take a single damma ( $9$ ), not a tanween ( $99$ ).
Demonstrative Pronouns: - $hādhihi$ (هذه): - Means "this" (feminine). - The noun or object following it must also be feminine. - The noun preceded by this demonstrative pronoun takes the nominative case. - $hādhā$ (هذا): - Used for masculine nouns.
Arabic female names do not have tanween on the last letter. - Arabic male names that end with a $ة$ (Tā' Marbūṭa) also do not take tanween.
Particles: $lā$ (لا) and $mā$ (ما).
Known as $Al-Fiʿl ext{ } al-Muḍāriʿ$ ( $الفعل المضارع$ ).
Singular: Relates to a single noun. - Dual ( $muthannā$ ): Indicates two of something. - Plural: Indicates more than two. - Converting Singular to Dual (Nominative): - Masculine: Replace last vowel with fatha and add suffix $-āni$ ( $ان$ ). - Feminine: Change $ة$ to a regular "t", add fatha, then add $-āni$ . - Converting Singular to Dual (Genitive & Accusative):- Masculine: Use suffix $-ayni$ ( $ين$ ). - Feminine: Use suffix $-tayni$ .
Demonstrative Duals:- Masc: $hādhā$ -> $hādhāni$ (هذان). - Fem: $hādhihi$ -> $hātāni$ (هاتان).
The noun following $kam$ is mostly a singular, indefinite noun in the accusative case with a tanween fatha. - Masculine indefinite nouns take an Alif ( $ا$ ) at the end; feminine nouns ending in $ة$ do not.