Day 6 - THE DEFINITE NOUN AND ITS TYPES

1.                 Definite or Proper Noun (إسم مَعْرِفه)

Definite Noun (مَعْرِفه إسم) is that noun which is spoken for a specific thing or person. As for the word ألْرَجُلُ (the man) is one special person or it is understood to whom the speaker is pointing out.

Examples:

ü    زَيْدٌ  (Zaid, name of a specific person)

ü    مَكّةُ (Makkah, a specific city)     

ü    ألْرَجُلُ (a specific man)

Main identifier:

ü    Only one vowel (Damma, Fatha or Kasra) on the last letter of the word.

ü    Exceptions: some male names such as  زَيْدٌ………..

ü    Addition of “أل” before the noun

2.                  The Definite Nouns and its Seven Types (إسم مَعْرِفه)

According to Arabic grammar, there are seven types of definite nouns (إسم مَعْرِفه) namely:

1.                 عَلَمْ إسم   

A noun that shows the name of a person.  Examples:

ü    زَيْدٌ 

ü    حَامِدٌ

2.                 ضَمِيرْ  إسم   

A noun that describes a person in his place and also known as “Pronoun ضَمِيرْ  إسم ” to avoid repetition;

Examples:

ü    هُوَ (He)

ü    ٲنْتَ (You – Masculine)

ü    ٲنَا (I – Masculine and Feminine both)

3.                 إشَاره إسم    (Demonstrative Noun)

A noun to pointing something (human or non-human both).

Examples:

ü    هٰذَاَ  (This)

ü    ذٰلِكَ  (That)

ü    ٲنَا (I – Masculine and Feminine both)

4.                 مَوصُوُلْ  إسم    

A noun to connect on sentence showing relation

Examples:

ü    ألّذي (One that a man)

ü    ألَّتِي (One that a woman)

5.                 مُنَادِي  إسم    

A noun that is used for calling someone;

Examples:

ü    يَارَجُلُ - (O’ man)

ü    وَلَدُ  يَا  (O’ Boy)

6.                 إسم (للام بِا  مُعَّرفْ )

That noun in which “Lam Tafreef” has been used;

Examples:

ü    ألْرَجُلُ - (The man or a specific person)

ü     ألْفَرْسُ   (The horse or a special horse)

7.                 إسم ( as a part of “Idafi compound words ٳضافي  مركبِ)

This is an important chapter in Arabic grammar and will be explained as separate Module.

The noun which is first part of “Compound combination” such as

Examples:

ü    ألْرَجُلِ كِتَابُ - (The book of the person)   

ü      زَيْدٍ كِتَابُ (The book of Mr. Zaid)

In the above examples the word book “كِتَابُ” is definite (Ma’arfa) even it has no “Al  ٲلْ”.

Important Note: All nouns other than as explained above in seven types are common or indefinite nouns (نَكرة إسم).