Learning Arabic relative pronouns is an essential part of mastering the Arabic language. Though it may seem challenging for non-native speakers, renewing the intention to understand the Quran and Sunnah, while exploring the function and usage of each relative pronoun, will make the journey more engaging. By supporting learning with applicable examples from the Quran and Hadith, learners will find this process both interesting and enriching.
This article introduces Arabic learners to the various Arabic relative pronouns, supported by definitions, usage, and illustrative examples—primarily from the Quran. Comparisons are provided to help clarify the differences and make them easier to understand. Additionally, the article highlights the objectives of using these pronouns in Arabic speech, allowing learners to appreciate the beauty, uniqueness, and variety of the language. Keep reading for deeper insights and understanding!
What Are Arabic Relative Pronouns?
Relative pronouns in Arabic are so named because they relate one part of a sentence to another, connecting it to a following phrase that completes its meaning and forms a relative clause. For example, if you say (رأيتُ الذي – I saw the one who), it is incomplete and lacks meaning. However, when you add a descriptive phrase to create a relative clause, such as (رأيتُ الذي فاز بالجائزة – I saw the one who won the prize), the sentence becomes meaningful.
Types Of Relative Pronouns In Arabic
Arabic relative pronouns are divided into specific and common relative pronouns. Each group has its definition and categories. Specific relative pronouns depend on the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular, dual, or plural) of the noun they modify.
Examples include الذي (the one who, masculine singular), التي (the one who, feminine singular), اللذان/اللذين (the two who, masculine dual), and اللاتي/اللائي (those who, feminine plural). These pronouns are essential for creating relative clauses and change based on case or gender.
Common relative pronouns are versatile and do not change with gender or number. They include مَن (who), used for rational beings, and ما (what), applied to non-rational nouns or rational beings metaphorically. Other pronouns like أي (any), ذا (what/who), and أل (the one who) serve various contexts. These forms simplify linking clauses and provide flexibility in expressing relationships between ideas.
Let’s discuss each one of them in detail:
Specific Relative Pronouns الاسم المَوْصُول الخاص:
Specific relative pronouns in Arabic are used based on the number (singular, dual, or plural) and gender (masculine or feminine) of the subject within the context. These pronouns include:
- الذي (al-ladhī) – the one (male) who
- اللذان / اللذين (al-ladhān/al-ladhayn) – the two (males) who
- الذين (al-ladhīn) – those (males) who
- الألى (al-ulā) – those who
- التي (al-latī) – the one (female) who
- اللتان / اللتين (al-latān/al-latayn) – the two (females) who
- اللائي / اللاتي / اللواتي (al-lā’ī/al-lātī/al-lawātī) – those (females) who
Below is a detailed presentation of each specific relative pronoun, accompanied by illustrative examples.
1. الذي (Al-Ladhī) – The One (Male) Who
The relative pronoun الذي (al-ladhī) is used to modify a definite singular masculine noun, whether this noun is:
- Rational nouns: (e.g., Allah’s saying: “وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّىٰ” – Abraham, who ˹perfectly˺ fulfilled ˹his covenant.) Here, the definite singular masculine rational noun “Abraham” is modified by a relative clause starting with the relative pronoun الذي (al-ladhī) “who”.
- Non-rational nouns: (e.g., Allah’s saying: “لِيُكَفِّرَ ٱللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ أَسْوَأَ ٱلَّذِى عَمِلُوا۟” – Allah will absolve them of ˹even˺ the worst of what they did.) Here, “their deed” is a singular masculine non-rational noun related to using the relative pronoun الذي (al-ladhī), translated as “what” since it refers to a non-rational-being noun.
The relative pronoun الذي (al-ladhī) has a fixed structure in all grammatical cases since it is an indeclinable noun that maintains the same form in nominative, accusative, and genitive cases.
2. اللذان / اللذين (Al-Ladhān/Al-Ladhayn) – The Two (Males) Who
The relative pronoun اللذان (al-ladhān) is used for dual masculine nouns and changes based on the grammatical case:
- اللذان (al-ladhān): If the noun is in the nominative case, the relative pronoun used will be اللذان (al-ladhān). For example, in Allah’s saying: “وَٱلَّذَانِ يَأْتِيَـٰنِهَا مِنكُمْ فَـَٔاذُوهُمَا” – the two who commit this sin among you—discipline them.
- اللذين (al-ladhayn): If the noun is in the accusative or genitive case, the relative pronoun used will be اللذين (al-ladhayn). For instance, in Allah’s saying: “رَبَّنَآ أَرِنَا ٱلَّذَيْنِ أَضَلَّانَا مِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ” – Our Lord, show us those jinn and men who misled us. Here, اللذين (al-ladhayn) is used as an object, taking the accusative form.
The dual form of relative pronouns is unique among specific relative pronouns in being declinable, which is why its form changes based on grammatical case.
3. الذين (Al-Ladhīn) – Those (Males) Who
The relative pronoun الذين (al-ladhīn) is used for the plural form of rational nouns. For example, “إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟” – those who believed. Occasionally, الذين (al-ladhīn) can also refer to non-rational nouns when they are described in a way that implies animation. For example, “قُلْ إِنِّى نُهِيتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ” – I have been forbidden to worship those ˹idols˺ you worship besides Allah. Here, idols are described as rational because they are falsely worshipped.
4. الألى (Al-Ulā) – Those (Males/Females) Who
The relative pronoun الألى (al-ulā) is used for all forms of plural nouns, whether masculine or feminine, rational or non-rational. For example, it is correct to say:
- Feminine plural: For example, (رأيتُ الفتيات الألى فزن بالجائزة) – The girls who won the prize came.
- Masculine plural: For example, (رأيتُ الرجال الألى فازوا بالجائزة) – The men who won the prize came. However, this usage is not common in Arabic.
Here is a comparison of these four relative pronouns:
| Relative pronoun | Translation | Characteristics | Function – Usage | Exercises |
| الذي (al-ladhī) | the one (male) who / what | Definitive masculine singular noun (rational or non-rational) | One form in all grammatical cases of nominative, accusative, or genitive. | “مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًۭا” – Their example is that of one who kindles a fire. (rational) “أتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ الَّذِي هو أدْنى بِالَّذِي هو خَيْرٌ” – Would you exchange what is better for what is less? (non-rational) |
| اللذان – اللذَيْن(al-ladhān/al-ladhayn) | the two (males) who | masculine dual (rational or non-rational) | If it’s nominative, it’s used as اللذان. If it’s accusative or genitive, it’s used as اللذَيْن. | جاء الرجلان اللذان فازا بالجائزةThe two men who won the prize came. (subject = nominative)رأيتُ الرجلين اللذين فازا بالجائزةI saw the two men who won the prize. (object = accusative) |
| الذين (al-ladhīn) | those (males) who | masculine plural (rational only) | One form in all grammatical cases | “كَذَٰلِكَ يُؤْفَكُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ”This is how those who used to reject Allah’s signs were ˹also˺ deluded. |
| الألى (al-ulā) | Those (males/females) who | masculine or feminine plural (rational or non-rational) | One form in all grammatical cases | جاء الرجال / النساء الألى يحفظون القرآن.The women/men who memorize the Quran came. |
5. التي (al-latī) – the one (female) who
The Arabic relative pronoun التي (al-latī) is used mainly for singular female nouns. Still, there are many uses for this relative pronoun as follows:
- rational feminine singular: “قَدْ سَمِعَ ٱللَّهُ قَوْلَ ٱلَّتِى تُجَـٰدِلُكَ فِى زَوْجِهَا” – Allah has heard the argument of the woman who pleaded with you. Here, the relative pronoun is used for the singular rational female “the woman,” which is mentioned indirectly through the relative pronoun for a rhetorical purpose.
- non-rational feminine singular: It’s used to modify non-rational singular nouns. For example, Almighty Allah says: “وَسْـَٔلِ ٱلْقَرْيَةَ ٱلَّتِى كُنَّا فِيهَا” – Ask ˹the people of˺ the land where we were. Here, “ٱلْقَرْيَةَ” (the land) is a non-rational noun modified by the relative pronoun التي (al-latī).
- Non-rational plural: The relative pronoun التي (al-latī) is used to relate to non-rational plural nouns. For example, Allah Almighty says: “مَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلتَّمَاثِيلُ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَـٰكِفُونَ” – “What are these statues to which you are so devoted?” Here, the word “ٱلتَّمَاثِيلُ” (the statues) is a non-rational plural noun modified by التي (al-latī).
6. اللتان / اللتين (al-latān/al-latayn) – the two (females) who
The Arabic relative pronoun اللتان (al-latān) is used for the dual form of feminine nouns. It has two grammatical forms as follows:
- اللتان (al-latān): If the noun is in the nominative case, the relative pronoun used will be اللتان (al-latān). For example, “أقبلت الفتاتان اللتان فازتا بالجائزة” – The two ladies who won the prize came. Here, since the noun “الفتاتان” (the two ladies) is in the nominative case, the relative pronoun اللتان (al-latān) is used.
- اللتين (al-latayn): If the noun is in the accusative or genitive case, the relative pronoun used will be اللتين (al-latayn). For instance, “رأيتُ المرأتين اللتين حفظتا القرآن” – I saw the two women who memorized the Quran. Here, since the noun “المرأتين” (the two women) is in the accusative case (as an object), the relative pronoun اللتين (al-latayn) is used.
Again, similar to the masculine dual form, the feminine dual form of relative pronouns is unique among specific relative pronouns in being declinable, which is why its form changes based on grammatical case.
Below is a comparison of these two relative pronouns:
| Relative pronoun | Translation | Characteristics | Function – Usage | Exercises |
| التي (al-latī) | the one (female) who | Used with feminine singular (rational or non-rational) and non-rational plural | One form in all grammatical cases of nominative, accusative, or genitive. | رأيتُ الفتاة التي تتعلم العربية – I saw the girl who learns Arabic. (rational singular)“جَنَّـٰتِ عَدْنٍ ٱلَّتِى” – gardens of perpetual residence which (non-rational plural) |
| اللتان / اللتين (al-latān/al-latayn) | the two (females) who | feminine dual | If it’s nominative, it’s used as اللتان. If it’s accusative or genitive, it’s used as اللتَيْن. | جاءت الفتاتان اللتان تتعلمان العربية – The two girls who learn Arabic came. (nominative)سلمتُ على الفتاتين اللتين حضرتا – I greeted the two girls who attended. (genitive) |
7. اللائي / اللاتي (al-lā’ī/al-lātī) – those who
These two relative pronouns have the same usage for feminine plural nouns, whether rational or non-rational. However, there is a slight difference between them:
- اللاتي (al-lātī): This form is more commonly used than اللائي (al-lā’ī) and is exclusively used for feminine nouns. For example, in the verse: “يَتَـٰمَى ٱلنِّسَآءِ ٱلَّـٰتِى لَا تُؤْتُونَهُنَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُنَّ” – the orphan women [whom] you deprive of their due rights. Here, “يَتَـٰمَى ٱلنِّسَآءِ” (orphan women) is modified by the relative pronoun ٱلَّـٰتِى.
- اللائي (al-lā’ī): This form can be used for both feminine and masculine plural nouns, although its usage with masculine nouns is infrequent. Additionally, اللائي (al-lā’ī) is less common than اللاتي (al-lātī). For example, حضر النساء / الرجال اللائي يحفظون القرآن – The women/men who memorize the Quran came. Here, the relative pronoun (al-lā’ī) is used with both masculine and feminine nouns of (men and women) in the example.
Below is a comparison of these two relative pronouns:
| Relative pronoun | Translation | Characteristics | Function – Usage | Exercises |
| اللاتي (al-lātī) | those (females) who | More common in Arabic usageOnly for feminine plural nouns | One form in all grammatical cases of nominative, accusative, or genitive. | “ وَرَبَـٰٓئِبُكُمُ ٱلَّـٰتِى فِى حُجُورِكُم” – your step-daughters [who are] under your guardianship. |
| اللائي (al-lā’ī) | those (females/males) who | Less commonFeminine and masculine plural nouns | One form in all grammatical cases. | حضر النساء / الرجال اللائي يتعلمون العربية – The women/men who learn Arabic came. |
To sum up, the specific section of Arabic relative pronouns includes different forms for singular, dual, and plural nouns, as well as masculine and feminine variations, as illustrated above with numerous examples.
Common relative pronouns in Arabic الأسماء الموصولة المشتركة:
Relative pronouns in Arabic have forms that remain consistent across singular, dual, plural, masculine, and feminine contexts. They may also have additional uses beyond serving as relative pronouns. Here are the most common ones:
1. مَن (man) – who
The pronoun “man” functions as a relative pronoun and has other uses based on the context. When used as a relative pronoun, it refers to rational nouns or non-rational ones treated as rational. For instance, Allah Almighty says:
“أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ”
“[Do you not see that Allah is glorified by all those in the heavens and the earth].”
Here, “man” is used for both rational and non-rational beings together.
2. ما (mā) – what
The pronoun “mā” serves various roles, including that of a relative pronoun.
- Non-rational nouns: It is primarily used with non-rational nouns, as in:
“وَأَلْقِ مَا فِى يَمِينِكَ”
“[Cast what is in your right hand].”
This refers to the staff in Prophet Moses’s hand. - Description of rational nouns: “mā” can also describe rational beings. For example:
“وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تُقْسِطُوا۟ فِى ٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ فَٱنكِحُوا۟ مَا طَابَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ”
“[And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women].”
Here, it refers to the description of permissible women to marry which is partially detailed in the verse.
3. أي (Ay) – that
The pronoun “ay” is consistently annexed to a definite noun in any of its usages. When functioning as a relative pronoun, it is attached to a definite noun. For example:
“ثُمَّ لَنَنزِعَنَّ مِن كُلِّ شِيعَةٍ أَيُّهُمْ أَشَدُّ عَلَى ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ عِتِيًّۭا”
“[Then We will draw aside from each party those who were most rebellious against the Most Compassionate].”
Here, the relative pronoun “أيـ” is attached to the definitive pronoun (ـهم) and refers to a rational plural noun.
4. ذا (Dhā) – who/what
“Dhā” can act as a relative pronoun following the interrogative pronouns “ما” and “من,” such as in:
“ماذا فعلت؟” – [What did you do?]
“من ذا قابلت؟” – [Who did you meet?]
5. أل (Al) – the one who
Arabic linguists have differing opinions regarding the use of “أل (Al)” as a relative pronoun.
- Relative pronoun usage: Most linguists accept “أل (Al)” as a relative pronoun when it accompanies an active or passive participle, as in:
“القادم خالد” – [The one who comes is Khalid]. - Definitive article: Some scholars argue that in such instances, “أل (Al)” is simply a definitive article.
6. ذو (Dhū) – the one who
Used as a relative pronoun in the dialect of the Tay’ tribe only, for example:
“هذا ذو قال ذاك” – [This is the one who said that].
This usage of Dhū as a relative pronoun is not common among other Arabic dialects.
In summary, common relative pronouns, regardless of the noun’s gender or number, include agreed-upon forms such as “مَن (man),” “ما (mā),” “أي (Ay),” and “ذا (Dhā).” The pronouns “ذو (Dhū)” and “أل (Al)” remain subjects of debate among scholars.
Objectives Of Using Relative Pronouns In Arabic
The use of relative pronouns in Arabic—across their various forms—serves multiple purposes, determined by context. Here are the main objectives of using them:
1. The Listener’s Ignorance:
One objective is when the listener knows nothing about the one being described except what is mentioned after the relative clause. For example: الذي كان معنا بالأمس رجل نبيل – “The one who was with us yesterday is a nobleman.” The listener only knows that the person was present the day before.
2. Hiding Information:
Sometimes, the speaker may wish to conceal the identity or specific details from the listeners, mentioning it with a descriptor known only to the addressed individual and not others. For instance: سافر الذي كان معنا أمس – “The one who was with us yesterday has traveled.”
3. Unpleasant Nature of the Name:
Using terms like “the one who” followed by an unpleasant action or saying is common in Arabic. For example, one might say: “So-and-so did what he did,” avoiding the act’s specifics due to its unpleasant nature.
4. Glorification:
Relative pronouns can refer to someone with a majestic descriptor, as in Allah’s Saying: “تَنزِيلًۭا مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ ٱلْعُلَى”
“[It is] a revelation from He who created the earth and highest heavens.” [Quran, 20:4]
5. Conciseness:
Relative pronouns can make speech more precise. For instance, in Allah’s Saying: “لَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاذَوْا۟ مُوسَى”
“Be not like those who abused Moses.” [Quran, 33:69]
Mentioning the names would have made the sentence unnecessarily long.
6. Intending Generality:
Relative pronouns can refer to a general category of people matching a given description, as in Allah’s Saying: “إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَقَـٰمُوا۟”
“Indeed, those who have said, ‘Our Lord is Allah’ and then remain steadfast.” [Quran, 41:30]
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Conclusion
In conclusion, the topic of Arabic relative pronouns is important for non-native Arabic learners, as it applies to nearly every conversation or written Arabic text. Mastering these pronouns also brings learners closer to understanding the language of the Quran, as many examples of these relative pronouns can be found in both the Quran and the Prophetic traditions. Also, it’s interesting to know that renewing one’s intention in learning these Arabic topics opens the gate for reward, as Arabic is the language of the Quran. Don’t hesitate to begin your Arabic learning journey today!
Reference:
Al-Samarrai, F. Kitab Ma’ani al-Nahu [The Book of Syntax Meanings]. Dar Al-Fikr.
