THE NUMBER OF NOUNS عدد ألاسماء
Unlike English, Arabic has three numbers: singular is termed wahid (واحد) or Mufrad (مفرد) the dual or two of anything is termed tathniyah (تثنية) and more than two is plural called Jam (جمع). Learning useful arabic words for everyday conversations can significantly enhance your communication skills in Arabic-speaking environments. Mastering these basic words will help you navigate daily interactions more comfortably. Additionally, incorporating these phrases into your routine can make your learning process more engaging and effective.
1-Wahid (واحد) or Mufrad (مفرد)
Examples: (الكتب) (القلم) (الساعة) (رجل) (يد) (بيت) (المسلم) (الكافر).
2-Tathniyah (تثنية)
The dual form ends in aani:(ان) Like (القلمان) (الكتابان) (رجلان) (طالبان) (أمراتان) (المسلمان) (الكافران).
3- The Plurals of Nouns and Adjectives:
In English, adjectives have no plural form. We say “good man” and “good men”. But in Arabic even adjectives have dual and plural form.
In English there are two types of plural :
- Sound Plural: In sound plural the word retains its original form, e.g. book – books, pen – pens.
- Broken Plural: The original form of the word is changed to a great extent, e.g. Man – men, woman – women.
In Arabic too, we have these two kinds of plural forms; Sound and Broken.
Sound Plural in Arabic ( الجمع السالم )
The masculine plural of nouns are formed by adding (ون) to the singular form (مسلم – مسلمون) (مومن – مومنون) ( سارق – سارقون) (جاهل – جاهلون)
The feminine plural of nouns which end in (ة) are formed by changing (ة) to (ات), As (مسلمة – مسلمات) (كافرة – كافرات) (ساعة – ساعات) (مدرسة – مدراسات) (كلمة – كلمات)
The plural of nouns which do not end in (ة) are also formed by adding (ات) to singular as (مريم – مريمات) (سماء – سموات).
The Broken Plural (جمع التكسير )
Unlike English, the broken plural is very widely used in Arabic. It is formed from the singular by the addition or elision of consonants, As ( رجل – رجال) (رسول – رسل)
There are many patterns of the broken plural. The following are commonly used patterns:
