Arabic Subject and Predicate LESSON 1

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:

1. Take out the “is”.
2. Translate the words into Arabic
3. Give two dammahs (ضَمَّتَ يُِْ ) to both words in the sentence.

Examples:

1. Mahmood is knowledgeable.

مَُْمُوْدٌ عَُالٌُِ

2. Haamid is pious.

حَامِدٌ صَُالِحٌُ

3. Khalid is a conqueror.

خَالِدٌ فَُاتِحٌُ

4. Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) is a messenger.

مَُُمَّدٌُ )ُصَلَّى اُلله عَُلَيْوِ وَُ سَُلَّمَُ( رَُسُوْلٌُ

5. 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.

1. Haamid is a father.
2. Mahmood is a son.
3. Khalid is an uncle (paternal).
4. Zaid is an uncle (maternal).
5. Bakr is a brother.
6. Sa‘eed is a grandfather.
7. Hameed is a grandson (son’s son).
8. Haseeb is a grandson (daughter’s son)
9. The man is strong.
10. The child (M) is weak.
11. The ice is cold.
12. The water is sweet.
13. The son is wise.
14. The brother is a worshipper.
15. The father is pious.

Exercise 2: Translate into Arabic.

1. The mother is pious.
2. The daughter is a worshipper.

Lesson 1

6

3. The aunt (maternal) is intelligent.
4. The aunt (paternal) is wise.
5. The sister is beautiful.
6. The grandmother is thankful.
7. The chicken is small.
8. The sheep is fat.
9. The aunt (paternal) is pious.
10. The slave girl is wise.
11. The grandmother is pious.
12. The aunt (maternal) is a worshipper.

Exercise 3: Translate into English.

1. اَللهُ رَُ ي بُ
2. مَُُمَّدٌ )ُصَلَّى اُلله عَُلَيْوِ وَُ سَُلَّمَُ( نَُ يِ بُ
3. اَلرَّسُوْلُ صَُادِقٌُ
4. اَلصِّرَاطُ مُُسْتَقِيْمٌُ
5. اَلُِْسْلََمُ دُِيْنٌُ
6. اَلُِْنْسَانُ عَُبْدٌُ
7. خَالِدٌ قَُائِدٌُ
8. اَلَُْْخُكَُرِيْمٌُ
9. اَلسَّاعَةُ اُُٰتِيَةٌُ
10. عَمْرٌو مَُُْتَهِدٌُ
11. طَارِقٌ شُُجَاعٌُ
12. اَلْبِنْتُ مُُُؤَدَّبَةٌُ
13. اَلَْْالُ عَُاقِلٌ وَُ اُلْعَمُّ ذُكَِ ي يُ
14. اَلَْْفِيْدُ مُُؤَدَّبٌ وَُالَْْدُّ رَُحِيْمٌُ
15. اَلَُْْمَةُ ذَُاىِبَةٌُ
16. اَُلشَّاةُ اُُٰتِيَةٌُ