1
LESSON 1
Subject and Predicate
Consider the following sentences: ‘Mahmood is knowledgeable,’ ‘Haamid is pious,’ ‘Khalid is a conqueror.’ These sentences and other sentences of the same pattern are called mubtada ( مُُبُْتَُدَُأٌُ ) and khabar (خَبَ رٌُ ). The subject of the sentence is called mubtada and it comes at the beginning of the sentence. The predicate of the sentence is called khabar and it is the second part of the sentence. For example, in ‘Mahmood is knowledgeable,’ Mahmood is the subject and the information about him being knowledgeable is the predicate. Therefore, ‘Mahmood’ is mubtada and ‘knowledgeable’ُ
is khabar.
To translate a sentence of this type into Arabic, follow these steps:
- Take out the “is”.
- Translate the words into Arabic
- Give two dammahs (ضَمَّتَ يُِْ ) to both words in the sentence.
Examples:
- Mahmood is knowledgeable.
مَُْمُوْدٌ عَُالٌُِ
- Haamid is pious.
حَامِدٌ صَُالِحٌُ
- Khalid is a conqueror.
خَالِدٌ فَُاتِحٌُ
- Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) is a messenger.
مَُُمَّدٌُ )ُصَلَّى اُلله عَُلَيْوِ وَُ سَُلَّمَُ( رَُسُوْلٌُ
- Naasir is a friend.
نَاصِرٌ صَُدِيْقٌُ
Lesson 1
2
In the above examples, the mubtada is a definite noun.1 However, if it is a common noun, an alif-laam will be added to the beginning of the word. For example, if the first sentence was ‘the man is knowledgeable,’ it would be translated as اَلرَّجُلُ عَُالٌُِ .
It is important to note here that whenever alif-laam comes before a word, the tanween becomes a single fathah (فَ تْحَةٌُ ), kasrah (كَسْرَةٌُ ) or dammah (ضَمَّةٌُ ), eg. رَجُلٌُ to اَلرَُّجُلُُ . Alif-laam is mainly used in place of the definite article “the.” It gives distinction to a word. For example, ‘a man’ is any man and ‘the man’ is a specific man. Sometimes alif-laam is used for the meaning of ‘a whole category/class.’ For example, اَلُِْنْسَانُُ means ‘mankind’ and اَلَْْمْدُُ
means ‘all praise.’
If the mubtada is feminine, then the khabar will also have to be feminine. To change a word to its feminine form, add the round taa (ة) to the end of the word. For example, ‘the man is pious’ is written as اَلرَّجُلُ صَُالِحٌُ . Now if you want to say ‘the woman is pious,’ you will say اَلْمَرْأَةُ صَُالَِْةٌُ . Similarly, ‘the girl is knowledgeable’ will be written as اَلْبِنْتُ عَُالِمَةٌُ .
Word List
English
Arabic
Singular
Plural
father
أَُبٌُ
اُٰبَاءُُ
mother
أُُميُ
أُُمَّهَاتٌُ
son
اِبْنٌُ
أَُبْ نَاءُُ
daughter, girl
بِنْتٌُ
ب نََاتٌُ
paternal uncle
عَميُ
أَُعْمَامٌُ
1In Arabic, a definite noun is called ma‘rifah (مَعْرِفَةٌُ ) and a common noun is called nakirah (نَكِرَةٌُ ).
مُُبُْتَُدَُأٌ وَُ خَُبَ رٌُ
3
English
Arabic
Singular
Plural
paternal aunt
عَمَّةٌُ
عَمَّاةٌ ,ُ عَُمَّاتٌُ
maternal uncle
خَالٌُ
أَُخْوَالٌُ
maternal aunt
خَالَةٌُ
خَالََتٌُ
brother
أَُخٌُ
إُِخْوَانٌ، إُُِخْوَةٌُ
sister
أُُخْتٌُ
أَُخَوَاتٌُ
grandfather
جَيدُ
أَُجْدَادٌُ
grandmother
جَدَّةٌُ
جَدَّاتٌُ
grandson (son’s son)
حَفِيْدٌُ
أَُحْفَادٌ، حَُفَدَةٌُ
grandson (daughter’s son)
سِبْطٌُ
أَُسْبَاطٌُ
man
رَجُلٌُ
رِجَالٌُ
woman
اِمْرَأَةٌُ
نِسَُاءٌُ
male child, boy
طِفْلٌُ
أَُطْفَالٌُ
strong
قَوِ ي يُ
أَُقْوِيَاءُُ
weak
ضَعِيْفٌُ
ضُعَفَاءُُ
ice, snow
ث لَْجٌُ
cold
بَارِدٌُ
water
مَاءٌُ
مِيَاهٌُ
sweet
عَذْبٌُ
pious
صَالِحٌُ
صُلَحَاءُُ
worshipper
عَابِدٌُ
عُبَّادٌُ
chicken
دَجَاجَةٌُ
دُجُجٌ، دَُُجَاجٌُ
sheep; goat
شَاةٌُ
شِيَاهٌُ
intelligent
ذكَِ ي يُ
أَُذكِْيَاءُُ
wise
عَاقِلٌُ
عُقَلََءُُ
Lesson 1
4
English
Arabic
Singular
Plural
thankful, grateful
شَاكِرٌُ
شَاكِرُوُْنَُ
slave girl
أَُمَةٌُ
إُِمَاءُُ
جَارِيَةٌُ
جَوَارٍُ
truthful
صَادِقٌُ
صَادِقُ وْنَُ
generous
كَرِيْمٌُ
كِرَامٌُ
path
صِرَاطٌُ
straight
مُسْتَقِيْمٌُ
ritual prayer (salah)
صَلوٰةٌ، صَُلََةٌُ
صَلَوَاتٌُ
standing (F)
قَائِمَةٌُ
slave
عَبْدٌُ
عِبَادٌُ
brave
شُجَاعٌُ
شُجْعَانٌُ
leader, commander
قَائِدٌُ
قُ وَّادٌ، قَُادَةٌُ
the hour; day of resurrection
اَلسَّاعَةُُ
coming (F)
اُٰتِيَةٌُ
respectful (F)
مُؤَدَّبَةٌُ
going (F)
ذَاىِبَةٌُ
small (F)
صَغِيْ رَةٌُ
fat (F)
سََِيْ نَةٌُ
hardworking
مَُْتَهِدٌُ
مَُْتَهِدُوْنَُ
religion, deen; judgment
دِيْنٌُ
أَُدْيَانٌُ
merciful
رَحِيْمٌُ
beautiful
جَِْيْلٌُ
Lord
رَ ي بُ
مُُبُْتَُدَُأٌ وَُ خَُبَ رٌُ
5
English
Arabic
Singular
Plural
prophet
نَبِيُ
أَُنْبِيَاءُُ
messenger
رَسُوْلٌُ
رُسُلٌُ
knowledgeable; scholar
عَالٌُِ
عُلَمَاءُُ
conqueror
فَاتِحٌُ
friend
صَدِيْقٌُ
أَُصْدِقَاءُُ
mankind, the person, someone
اَلُِْنْسَانُُ
all praise
اَلَْْمْدُُ
and
وَُُ
Exercise 1: Translate into Arabic.
- Haamid is a father.
- Mahmood is a son.
- Khalid is an uncle (paternal).
- Zaid is an uncle (maternal).
- Bakr is a brother.
- Sa‘eed is a grandfather.
- Hameed is a grandson (son’s son).
- Haseeb is a grandson (daughter’s son)
- The man is strong.
- The child (M) is weak.
- The ice is cold.
- The water is sweet.
- The son is wise.
- The brother is a worshipper.
- The father is pious.
Exercise 2: Translate into Arabic.
- The mother is pious.
- The daughter is a worshipper.
Lesson 1
6
- The aunt (maternal) is intelligent.
- The aunt (paternal) is wise.
- The sister is beautiful.
- The grandmother is thankful.
- The chicken is small.
- The sheep is fat.
- The aunt (paternal) is pious.
- The slave girl is wise.
- The grandmother is pious.
- The aunt (maternal) is a worshipper.
Exercise 3: Translate into English.
- اَللهُ رَُ ي بُ
- مَُُمَّدٌ )ُصَلَّى اُلله عَُلَيْوِ وَُ سَُلَّمَُ( نَُ يِ بُ
- اَلرَّسُوْلُ صَُادِقٌُ
- اَلصِّرَاطُ مُُسْتَقِيْمٌُ
- اَلُِْسْلََمُ دُِيْنٌُ
- اَلُِْنْسَانُ عَُبْدٌُ
- خَالِدٌ قَُائِدٌُ
- اَلَُْْخُكَُرِيْمٌُ
- اَلسَّاعَةُ اُُٰتِيَةٌُ
- عَمْرٌو مَُُْتَهِدٌُ
- طَارِقٌ شُُجَاعٌُ
- اَلْبِنْتُ مُُُؤَدَّبَةٌُ
- اَلَْْالُ عَُاقِلٌ وَُ اُلْعَمُّ ذُكَِ ي يُ
- اَلَْْفِيْدُ مُُؤَدَّبٌ وَُالَْْدُّ رَُحِيْمٌُ
- اَلَُْْمَةُ ذَُاىِبَةٌُ
- اَُلشَّاةُ اُُٰتِيَةٌُ