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
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Examples:
- Two men went to the market.
ذَىَبَ رَُجُلََنِ إُُِلَُ اُلسُّوْقُِ
- The scholars gave a speech in the mosque.
خَطَبَ اُلْعَالِمُوْنَ فُِِ اُلْمَسْجِدُِ
- Nasir helped two oppressed persons.
نَصَرَ نَُاصِرٌ اُلْمَظْلُوْمَيُِْ
- Naseer hit the oppressors.
ضَرَبَ نَُصِيْ رٌ اُلظَّالِمِيَُْ
- I wrote with two pens.
كَتَبْتُ بُِالْقَلَمَيُِْ
- 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