Noun Phrases (NPs) in Arabic
Object NP | Subject NP |
I found my book wajadtu kitaab-ee وَجَدتُ كِتابي | This book is good haadhaa al-kitaab jayyid هذا الكِتاب جَيِّد |
Let’s learn different noun phrase structures with the word “kitaab - كِتاب”
NP with single Noun | A book (Indefinite) kitaab كِتاب | The book (Definite) al-kitaab الكِتاب |
NP With adjective | A new book (Indefinite) kitaab jadeed كِتاب جَديد | The old book (Definite) al-kitaab al-qadeem الكِتاب القَديم |
NP with demonstrative | This book haadhaa al-kitaab هَذا الكِتاب | This old book haadhaa al-kitaab al-qadeem هَذا الكِتاب القَديم |
NP with possessive | His book kitaab-uh كِتابـُه | My book kitaab-ee كِتابي |
NP with genitive | The name of the book ism al-kitaab اِسم الكِتاب | The boy’s book kitaab al-walad كِتاب الوَلَد |
Now let’s try with different words!
Pen qalam قَلَم | Hotel funduq فُندُق | House bayt بَيت | Restaurant maT3am مَطعَم |
NP with single Noun | A X (Indefinite) X X | The X (Definite) al- X الـ X |
NP With adjective | A new X (Indefinite) X jadeed X جَديد | The old X (Definite) al- X al-qadeem الـ X القَديم |
NP with demonstrative | This X haadhaa al- X هَذا الـ X | This old X haadhaa al- X al-qadeem هَذا الـ X القَديم |
NP with possessive | His X X -uh X ـُه | My X X -ee X ـي |
NP with genitive | The name of the X ism al- X اِسم الـ X | The boy’s X X al-walad X الوَلَد |
Noun Phrases with a feminine word “fikrah - فِكرَة”
NP with single Noun | An idea (Indefinite) fikrah فِكرَة | The idea (Definite) al-fikrah الفِكرَة |
NP With adjective | A new idea (Indefinite) fikrah jadeedah فِكرَة جَديدة | The old idea (Definite) al-fikrah al-qadeemah الفِكرَة القَديمة |
NP with demonstrative | This idea haadhihi al-fikrah هَذه الفِكرَة | This old idea haadhihi al-fikrah al-qadeemah هَذه الفِكرَة القَديمة |
NP with possessive * | His idea fikrat-uh فِكرَتـُه | My idea fikrat-ee فِكرَتي |
NP with genitive * | The description of the idea waSf al-fikrah وَصف الفِكرَة | The boy’s idea fikrat al-walad فِكرَة الوَلَد |
* If a word ends with taa2 marbootah (ة ـة), this ending changes to normal taa2 (ت ـت) for genitives and possessives | ||
Now let’s try with different feminine words!
Car sayyaarah سَيَّارة | room ghurfah غُرفة | Problem moshkilah مُشكِلة | Song ughniyah أُغنِية |
NP with single Noun | A X (Indefinite) X X | The X (Definite) al- X الـ X |
NP With adjective | A new X (Indefinite) X jadeedah X جَديدة | The old X (Definite) al- X al-qadeemah الـ X القَديمة |
NP with demonstrative | This X haadhihi al- X هَذه الـ X | This old X haadhihi al- X al-qadeemah هَذه الـ X القَديمة |
NP with possessive | His X X(t) -uh X(ت) ـُه | My X X (t)-ee X (ت)ـي |
NP with genitive | The description of the X waSf al- X وَصف الـ X | The boy’s X X(t) al-walad X الوَلَد |
Tips To Learn Better:
For the Interactive lesson, go to:
http://champolu.com/ebooks/msa-np-basic/
