Do you want to learn Arabic grammar? Learning Arabic grammar involves understanding key rules like the classification of words into nouns, verbs, and particles, and mastering sentence structure, including nominal and verbal sentences.
To effectively learn these rules, it’s essential to start with the basics, such as recognizing the different types of Arabic nouns and understanding verb conjugation. Setting a clear, achievable study plan is crucial, and practicing through speaking, writing, and listening to Arabic can enhance your learning. With time and effort, even complex concepts like verb roots and sentence construction can be mastered.
Here is your complete guide that will shed the light on top Grammar Rules in the Arabic language. Providing in-depth understanding of various topics including, Arabic parts of speech and sentence structure.
Setting Your Plan to Learn Arabic Grammar Rules
Acquiring a new skill needs time and effort, however, it is important to remember that making a clear plan with fixed achievable goals can save you much time and effort. The same applies for learning the Arabic grammar rules.
Here comes the role of setting a plan to start with the fundamentals of Arabic grammar so that you can easily excel in your further studies. So, let us start with the basics!
What is the basic grammar of Arabic?
The basic grammar rules involve several aspects starting with the word “Kalimah” and its types (Ism, Fei’l, and Harf), Up to the sentence structure and how to construct complete meaningful Arabic sentences.
Now, let’s explore the Arabic parts of speech and the types of “kalimah”, the main building block of the Arabic language.
Arabic Parts of Speech
In the Arabic language a meaningful word is known as a “kalimah- كَلِمَة”. Arabic words are classified into three categories, which are:
- Noun (Ism- اسم)
- Verb (Fe’l – فِعْل)
- Particle, preposition or conjunction (Harf- حَرْف)
First: Arabic Nouns (الاسم)
A noun is a word that does not require another word to clarify its meaning. It can be the name of a person, place or a thing. It can also include adjective nouns.
Examples of Arabic Nouns
- The girl – الْبِنْت
- Muhammad – مُحَمَّد
- The All Knowing – الْعَلِيم
Classification of Arabic Nouns
Arabic nouns can be classified differently according to gender and number.
- Gender of nouns:
According to gender, Arabic nouns are classified into four categories as in the table below;
| Category | Definition | Examples |
| Real Gender (الجِنْس الحَقيقي) | Words related to the male sex are real masculine, while those related to female sex are feminine. | Man- رَجُلWoman – إمرأةBoy – وَلَدGirl – بِنْت |
| Formal Gender (الجنس المَجَازي) | Words that don’t follow the “pair concept” are classified according to their form. i.e words ending in round taa’ are considered feminine. | Watch – سَاعةTree – شَجَرَةCar – سَيَّارَة |
| Exceptional Cases (الجِنْس اللفظي) | Nouns that are not feminine by form, and do not follow the “pair concept” are considered exceptions and are determined by usage. | Sky – سَمَاء (feminine)Sun – شَمْس (feminine)Soul – نَفْس (feminine) |
| Common Gender (اسم الجنس) | Nouns that can be used either masculine or feminine | شَجَر- Treesسَحَاب – Cloudsذهب – Gold |
- Number of nouns:
In Arabic grammar, nouns are classified according to their number into three classes which are: single, dual, and plural. Unlike English, Arabic adjectives also come in single, dual and plural forms.
| Category | Definition | Examples |
| Mufrad (مُفْرَد) | Refers to a single noun | الْكِتَابالمُسْلِم |
| Muthana (مُثَنَّى) | Refers to two nouns | الكِتَابانالْمُسْلِمَان |
| Jama’ – Plural (جَمْع) | Denotes three or more It is further classified into “sound plural” and “broken plural” | الْكُتُبالمُسْلِمُون |
Verbal Nouns ( المصدر)
One of the most important topics to learn in Arabic grammar is Verbal nouns, which are nouns that are derived from verbs and represent the nominal form of actions or states.
Verbal nouns can either correspond to the (…ing) form or to the infinitive form of verbs in English grammar.
For example:
-أُرِيدُ الذهاب إلى الحديقة – I want to go to the park
–الذهاب إلى الحَدِيقَة ممتع- Going to the park is fun
Derived Arabic Nouns (الأسْمَاء الْمُشْتَقَّة)
Now, let us discuss in brief some types of Derived Arabic nouns, with practical examples on each:
A. Active and passive participle (اسم الفاعل/ اسم المفعول)
Active participle in Arabic refers to the doer of the action, also known as “Ism Al-Fa’il”.
See the example below of an active participle derived from the triliteral verb “كَتَبَ” – “kataba”
| Active Participle pattern | Example | Translation |
| فاعل – faa’il | كَاتِب – kaatib | writer |
Whereas, the passive participle in Arabic Grammar, “Ism Al- maf’oul”, refers to the receiver of the action.
See the example below of a passive participle derived from the triliteral verb “كَتَبَ” – “kataba”
| Passive Participle pattern | Example | Translation |
| maf’uul – مَفْعُول | مَكْتُوب – Maktoob | written |
B. Noun of place (اسم المكان)
In Arabic, nouns expressing the place or time of an action are formed following certain patterns including the following:
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
| مَفْعِلٌ | مَجْلِسٌ – Majlis | Gathering |
C. Noun of instrument (اسم الآلة)
In Arabic grammar, the noun of instrument refers to the tool by which the action is performed. It comes in different forms as in the following table:
| Form | Transliteration | Examples | Translation | Word Root |
| مِفْعَالٌ | Mifa’al | مِصْبَاح | lamp | صَبِحَ |
| مِفْعَلَةٌ | Mifa’alah | مِلْعَقَة | spoon | لَعِقَ |
| مَفْعَلٌ | Mafa’al | مِصْعَد | elevator | صَعَدَ |
| فَعَّالَة | Fa’alah | غَسَّالَة | washing machine | غَسَلَ |
| فَاعُول | Fa’oul | حَاسُوب | computer | حَسَبَ |
D. Noun of instance (اسم الْمَرَّة)
Nouns referring to actions such as “laughing”,” can be contrasted with a single occurrence of that action, such as “a short laugh”.
The generic term is usually masculine singular, while the individual instance is usually feminine singular, marked by taa’ marboota.
Example:
وَقَفَ – وَقْفَة
جَلَسَ – جَلْسَة
E. Ism al-Hay’a (اسم الهيئة – Noun of Manner):
Describes the manner or state in which the action is performed, often following the pattern فِعْلَة.
Example:
جِلْسَة (jilsa) – a sitting posture (from the verb جَلَسَ, “to sit”).
F. Ism al-Tafdhil (اسم التفضيل – Noun of Preference or Superlative):
Indicates preference or superiority, often formed on the pattern أَفْعَل.
Example:
أَكْبَر (akbar) – greater, greatest (from the root كَبُرَ, “to be great”).
Diminutive nouns (التصغير)
The diminutive noun in Arabic grammar (اسم التصغير) is a noun that is used to refer to the smaller form of certain nouns and adjectives. Diminutive nouns follow the pattern (فُعَيْل)
For example:
The diminutive form of (كتاب) is (كُتَيب)
Read more about Arabic Grammar Course
Second: Arabic Pronouns
Arabic pronouns are defined as words that can replace nouns. They are either personal, possessive, demonstrative or relative pronouns.
1. Arabic Personal Pronouns
Arabic personal pronouns can be found in two different forms. attached pronouns and detached (separate) pronouns.
2. Arabic possessive Pronouns
In Arabic grammar, possessive pronouns come in the form of suffixes that are attached to nouns to demonstrate a possession relationship or ownership. Similar to (my, your, his, her, our and their) in the English language.
3. Arabic Demonstrative Pronouns
Arabic demonstrative pronouns are used to draw attention or refer to nouns that follow them. They differ according to number (single, dual or plural) and gender (feminine, masculine). Additionally, demonstrative pronouns differ according to whether the noun we are referring to is near or far. The table below shows the usage of different Arabic demonstrative pronouns.
4. Arabic Relative Pronouns
Relative Pronouns in Arabic language serve as connectors that join two clauses. The importance of using relative pronouns is to link sentences, provide clarity and avoid unnecessary repetition.
Below is a table showing Arabic relative pronouns used in case of singular, dual, plural, masculine and feminine nouns.
Third: Arabic Verbs (الفعل)
A verb in Arabic is a word that indicates an action that is being done. The Arabic verbs include three tenses.
Arabic Verb Tenses
The Arabic language contains three tenses which are the perfect tense, the imperfect tense and the imperative tense. Let us discuss the use of each Arabic verb tense with some practical examples.
- The perfect tense (Al-madi – المَاضِي):
The perfect tense denotes an action that is complete. For example:
| Verb | Transliteration | Translation |
| كَتَبَ | kataba | He wrote |
| جَلَسَ | Jalasa | He sat down |
| لَعِبَ | La’eba | He played |
- The imperfect tense (Al modare’ – الْمُضَارِع):
The imperfect tense denotes an incomplete action that. For example:
| Verb | Transliteration | Translation |
| يَكْتُب | Yaktub | He is writing |
| يَجْلِس | Yajlis | He is sitting |
| يَلْعَب | Yala’ab | He is playing |
- The imperative tense (Fi’l Al-amr – فِعْل الْأَمْر):
Used to give orders instructions, and in supplication, for example;
| Verb | Transliteration | Translation |
| اُكتُبْ | Oktob | write (you) |
| افْعَلْ | Ifa’al | Do (you) |
| اقْرَأ | Iqraa’ | Read (you) |
Arabic Verb Roots
Most of the Arabic verbs are triliteral, which means they originate from three consonant verb roots. While a comparatively smaller number of verbs originate from a Quadriliteral radical.
Fourth: Al-harf (الحرف) – Arabic prepositions and prepositional phrases
The particle, preposition, and the conjunction are called “Harf- حَرْف” in the Arabic language. They are used with nouns or verbs in order to complete the meaning of the sentence.
What are prepositions in Arabic?
Prepositions are a subcategory of particles “Al-harf”, which can be defined as “a word that does not have a specific meaning in itself, but has a linking function for other parts of speech”.
The Arab scholar Ibn-Malek summarized Arabic prepositions in his 1000 verse poem “Al-Alfiyya”, as follows;
هَاكَ حُرُوفَ الجَرِّ وَهْيَ مِنْ إِلَى
حَتَّى خَلاَ حَاشَا عَدَا فِي عَنْ عَلَى
مُذْ مُنْذُ رُبَّ، الـلَّامُ كَـيْ وَاوٌ وَتَـا
وَالكَـافُ وَالبَـا وَلَعَــلَّ وَمَتَــــــــــــى
Classification of Arabic prepositions
1- True Prepositions (حروف الجر الأصلية)
They add a meaning to sentences in which they appear. They cannot be preceded by another preposition. Additionally, only true prepositions can combine with verbs to make a verb–preposition idiom.
2- Redundant prepositions (حروف الجر الزائدة)
They do not add a new meaning to sentences. They may be used for emphasis, and can be omitted without affecting the meaning.
3- A quasi-redundant preposition (حروف الجر شبه الزائدة)
They add a limited meaning to sentences, such as the preposition (رُبَّ) which means perhaps.
Functions of Arabic Prepositions
Arabic prepositions serve various functions, including:
- Adding a new meaning to a sentence
- Linking a verbs to the following noun
- Adding a different meaning to a verb
- Other stylistic functions (e.g emphasis)
Arabic Sentence Structure
One of the most important topics while learning Arabic grammar is to know the sentence structure. In Arabic, there are two types of sentences, Nominal sentences and verbal sentences.
1. Arabic Nominal Sentences
Arabic Nominal Sentences (Al-jomlah Al-ismiyah) start with an “Ism”,which can be a noun, pronoun, adjective, or an adverb.
Example:
الولد سعيد – The boy is happy
هي معلمة -She is a teacher
2. Arabic Verbal Sentences
Arabic Verbal Sentences start with a verb (فعل) which is followed by the subject (the doer – فاعل ) of the verb. It may also include an object (مَفْعُول به).
Example:
يذهب محمد إلى المدرسة – Muhammad goes to school
ذاكر الولد الدرس – The boy studied the lesson
What is the best way to learn Arabic grammar quickly?
The best way to learn Arabic grammar quickly is to study the Arabic sentence structure including Nominal and Verbal sentences. After that, learn the Arabic verb conjugation rules (past, present, imperative). Then, it is recommended to study how to use the different forms of Arabic nouns whether feminine or masculine, singular or plural.
Alongside learning the theoretical aspect of Arabic grammar, you should practice what you have learned by speaking to a native Arab and correcting your mistakes.
Additionally, writing short Arabic paragraphs and answering written exercises can enhance your skills.
You are also advised to listen to Arabic broadcasts and TV shows. Another way to improve your Arabic language skills is to watch Arabic cartoons since they use Fusha (modern Standard) Arabic and mostly include less complex sentences which is easier for you as a beginner.
Read more about: Does Arabic Have Grammatical Gender? Word Gender In Arabic Guide
Is Arabic Grammar Difficult?
Arabic grammar might seem a little bit tricky to learn for beginners, especially for those who are not familiar with semitic languages, which is the case for native English speakers.
However, with time and practice you could easily grasp the concepts of the Arabic grammar including verb conjugation and the root system.
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To Sum Up!
Although Arabic grammar learning is challenging, it is a fundamental aspect of learning the language; as it is key to constructing meaningful sentences.
In Arabic a word is known as a “kalimah” which is classified into three main categories: nouns, verbs and particles or conjunctions.
Arabic sentences are either nominal sentences or verbal sentences depending on the order of the subject and the verb.
Learning Arabic grammar can be easier and faster if you stick to a clear, achievable study plan starting from the fundamentals till reaching more advanced topics.
It is also advisable to seek the help of knowledgeable native Arab tutor that can guide you along your learning journey.
References
- Essentials of Arabic Grammar for Learning Quranic Language, Brig.(R) Zahoor Ahmed (M.A, M.Sc)
- A Reference Grammar of Modern Standard Arabic, Georgetown University, Karin C. Ryding 2005.
- Working with Arabic Prepositions: Structures and Functions, Book · March 2020
