Arabic Singular, Dual, Plural 10

Arabic Singular, Dual, Plural 10

LESSON 10

 

Singular, Dual, Plural

We have seen in the previous lessons that verb forms are sometimes single, sometimes dual, and sometimes plural.3 Similarly, nouns can also be single, dual and plural. For example, مُُؤُْمُِنٌُ means ‘one believer,’ مُُؤُْمُِنَانُِ means ‘two believers,’ and مُُؤُْمُِنُ وْنَُ means ‘three or more believers.’ If for some reason مُُؤُْمُِنٌُ needs to be vowelized with a fathah, it will become مُُؤُْمُِنًُا , مُُؤُْمُِنَانُِ will become مُُؤُْمُِنَ يُِْ and مُُؤُْمُِنُ وْنَُ will become مُُؤُْمُِنِيَُْ . If for some reason مُُؤُْمُِنٌُ needs to be vowelized with a kasrah, it will become مُُؤُْمُِنٍُ . When the dual and plural of مُُؤُْمُِنٌُ are vowelized with a kasrah, they will be the same as when they are vowelized with a fathah. The same rule applies to similar nouns. For the ease of the students, a chart showing مُسْلِمٌُ and its dual and plural forms in each of the different states is given below.

Table 10.1

Singular, Dual, and Plural

Singular ( اَُلُْوَُاحُِدُُ )

Dual ( اَُلتَُّثُْنُِيَُةُُ )

Plural ( اَُلَُْْمُْعُُ )

when vowelized with a fathah

مُسْلِمًُا

مُسْلِمَيُِْ                 

مُسْلِمِيَُْ

when vowelized with a kasrah

مُسْلِمٍُ

مُسْلِمَيُِْ

مُسْلِمِيَُْ

when vowelized with a dammah

مُسْلِمٌُ

مُسْلِمَانُِ

مُسْلِمُوْنَُ

3 It should be remembered that when the verb forms are dual or plural, it is not the action that is dual or plural. The action taking place is only one. It is only the doers of the action who are two or more.

Lesson 10

68

Examples:

1. Two men went to the market.

ذَىَبَ رَُجُلََنِ إُُِلَُ اُلسُّوْقُِ

2. The scholars gave a speech in the mosque.

خَطَبَ اُلْعَالِمُوْنَ فُِِ اُلْمَسْجِدُِ

3. Nasir helped two oppressed persons.

نَصَرَ نَُاصِرٌ اُلْمَظْلُوْمَيُِْ

4. Naseer hit the oppressors.

ضَرَبَ نَُصِيْ رٌ اُلظَّالِمِيَُْ

5. I wrote with two pens.

كَتَبْتُ بُِالْقَلَمَيُِْ

6. A man came from amongst the believers.

جَآءَ رَُجُلٌ مُِّنَ اُلْمُُؤُْمُِنُِيَُْ

Word List

English

Arabic

Singular

Plural

year

سَنَةٌ، عَُامٌُ

سِنُ وْنَ، أَُُعْوَامٌُ

fish

سَََكٌُ

أَُسََْاكٌُ

a fish

سَََكَةٌُ

woe (unto you)

وَيْلٌُ )ُلَكَُ(

thief

سَارِقٌُ

سَارِقُ وْنَُ

neglectful

سَاهٍ )ُاَُلسَّاىِي(

سَاىُوْنَُ

successful; prosperous

مُفْلِحٌُ

مُفْلِحُوْنَُ

he prepared

أَُعَدَُّ

however, but

لُٰكِنُْ

jail, prison

سِجْنٌُ

سُجُوْنٌُ

master; chief

سَيِّدٌُ

سَادَةٌُ

اَلْوَاحِدُ، اَُلتَّثْنِيَةُ، اَُلَْْمْعُُ

69

English

Arabic

Singular

Plural

insulting, abusive; disgraceful

مُهِيٌُْ

(S/F) flows

تَِْرُِيُْ

below, beneath

تََْتَُ

repentant, accepting of repentance

تَ وَّابٌُ

تَ وَّاب وُْنَُ )ُتَ وَّابِيَُْ(

he forgave

غَفَرَُ

he who; who, which, that

اَلَّذُِيُْ

اَلَّذِيْنَُ

canopy

ظُلَّةٌُ

ظُلَلٌُ

preacher

وَاعِظٌُ

وَاعِظُوْنَُ

tree

شَجَرَةٌُ، شَُُجَرٌُ

شَجَرَاتٌُ، أَُُشْجَارٌُُ

female servant, maid

خَادِمَةٌُ

the one praying salah4

مُصَ لُ )ُاَلْمُصَلِّى(

مُصَّلُّوْنَُ

only

إُِنََِّا

peacemaker

مُصْلِحٌُ

مُصْلِحُوْنَُ

verily

أَُلََُ

corrupt

مُفْسِدٌُ

disbeliever, infidel

كَافِرٌُ

كَافِرُوْنَُ

garden, paradise

جَنَّةٌُ

جَنَّاتٌُ

river

ن هَْرٌُ

أَُنْ هَارٌُ

blessing, grace (of Allah, the Exalted)

صَلوٰةٌُ

صَلَوَاتٌُ

4 Here we are distinguishing between prayer and salah. Prayer is any form of praying (to Allah) whose Arabic equivalent is ( دُُعَُاءٌُ ). Salah (صَلََةٌُ ) refers to the ritual prayer that Muslims pray at least five times a day.

 

English

Arabic

Singular

Plural

umbrella

مِظَلَّةٌُ

مِظَالُُّ

peace

سَلََمٌُ

he studies

يَدْرُسُُ

messenger

مُرْسَلٌُ

مُرْسَلُوْنَُ

notebook

كُُرَّاسَةٌُ

كَرَارِيْسُُ

seal; ring

خَاتَمٌُ

خَُوَُاتِمُُ

companion

صَاحِبٌُ

أَُصْحَابٌُ

all

أَُجَْْعُُ

أَُجَْْعُوْنَُ

he loved

حَبَُّ

he gave a speech

خَطَبَُ

oppressed, wronged

مَظْلُوُْمٌُ

مَظْلُوْمُوْنَُ

oppressor

ظَالٌُِ

ظَالِمُوْنَُ

believer

مُؤْمِنٌُ

مُؤْمِنُ وُْنَُ

world

عَالٌَُ

عَالَمُوْنَُ