in this section we will learn the plural form of two more pronouns In-Shā’-Allâh (God willing). We have already learnt the plural form of two of the detached and two possessive pronouns in
Example | English | Transliteration | Arabic | Singular/ Plural (Arabic) | Masculine (Arabic) | Grammatical Term |
أَنْتَ وَلَدٌ You are a boy | You (Singular) | /Anta/ | أَنْتَ | اَلْمُفْرَدُ | اَلْمُذَكَّرُ | اَلضَّمِيرُ الْمُنْفَصِلُ |
أَنْتُمْ أَوْلادٌ You are boys | You (Plural) | /Antum/ | أَنْتُمْ | اَلْجَمْعُ | ||
كِتَابُكَ Your book | Your (Singular) | /Ka/ | كَ | اَلْمُفْردُ | اَلضَّمِيرُ الْمُتَّصِلُ | |
كِتَابُكُمْ Your (pl) book | Your (Plural) | /Kum/ | كُمْ | اَلْجَمْعُ |
- If we use أَنْتَfor a singular noun then we use أَنْتُمْfor the plural nouns.
- The same rule is applied for the possessive pronoun i.e., if we say قَلَمُكَ (Your pen) for the singular noun, we will then say قَلَمُكُمْ (Your pen) for the plural nouns – i.e. the pen belonging to a group of people in the case of plural.
- It must however be remembered that the personal pronouns are indeclinable i.e., they do not change their vowel ending with the change of case. So أَنْتُمْ will have the same sukūn on its last letter whether it is appearing in the nominative case or accusative case or the genitive case.
- Let’s take some more examples for better understanding of the rule:
English | Transliteration | Arabic | Pronoun |
Who are you? (masculine- singular) I am a student | /Man Anta/? /Anā ŧâlibun/ | مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ أَنَا طَالِبٌ | أَنْتَ |
Where are you from? (masculine – plural) We are from China | /Min Aina Antum/? /Naħnu Minaŝ ŝīn/ | مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتُمْ؟ نَحْنُ مِنَ الصِّينِ | أَنْتُمْ |
Where is your book? My book is in the bag | /Aina kitābuka/? /Kitābi fil ħaqība/ | أَيْنَ كِتَابُكَ؟ كِتَابِي فِي الْحَقِيبَةِ | كَ |
What is your language? Our language is Chinese | /Ma lughatukum/ /Lughatunā Aŝ ŝīniyyah/ | مَا لُغَتُكُمْ؟ لُغَتُنَا الصِّينِيَّةُ | كُمْ |