DAY 7 - THE NOUNS AND THEIR CASE ENDING

INTRODUCTION

In Pakistan and Urdu, we have only one word for “Book” that is Kitab or كتاب”. That is not true for the Arabic language. Here for the same word “Book”, six different words are used namely:

For Indefinite nouns;

ü    كِتَابٌ (Pronounced as Kitabun)

ü    كِتَاباً  (Pronounced as Kitaban)  

ü    كِتَابٍ (Pronounced as Kitaben)

And for definite nouns;

ü    ٲلْكِتَابُ (Pronounced as Al-Kitabu)

ü    ٲلْكِتَابَ (Pronounced as Al-Kitaba)

ü    ٲلْكِتَابِ   (Pronounced as Al-Kitabe)

Explanation

The Arabic nouns have three different endings as explained above.

They can end with Tanween (Double) Damma (Pesh), Fat’ha (Zabar) and Kasra (Zeir) or one vowel.

The Arabic nouns have two damma (pesh/Tanween) in their original form but can be modified with two Fat’ha (Zabar) or two Kasra (Zeir) or only one each.

The last vowel sign in the noun will tell the function of that noun in a sentence. What is that noun doing in the sentence?

ü    Is it coming as a subject?

ü    Is it coming as an object?

ü    Is it coming after a preposition?

ü    In its natural or original form, all nouns always end in Damma (Pesh), either double or single damma. They change when something happens to them and accordingly the meaning changes. This is shown in the next example.

Terminology

Nouns ending with Damma (Pesh) are known as “مَرْفُوْعٌ” (Nominative Case)

Nouns ending with Fat’ha (Zabar) are known as “مَنْصُوْبٌ” (Accusative Case)

Nouns ending with Kasra (Zeir) are known as “مَجْرُوُرٌ” (Genitive Case)

They are also known as “Harakat”, the vowels.

Examples

ü    غَفُوُرٌ رَحَيْمٌ ٲلْلَهُ  - The word Allah has Damma (Pesh) on the last letter (Marfoo’)

ü    غَفُوُرٌ رَحَيْمٌ ٲلْلَهَ إنَّ - The word Allah has Fat’ha (Zabar) on the last letter (Mansoob’)

ü      بِالْلَهِ أَعُوُذ  - The word Allah has Kasra (Zeir) on the last letter (Majroor)

In the first sentence as the word “Allah” is subject and at the beginning of the sentence, that why it has Damma (Pesh) on it.

In the second sentence as the word “Allah” has a modifier (also known as Nasib  – the word  إنَّ ). That word إنَّ always put a fat’ha or nasab on the following word.

In the third sentence as the word “Allah” has a modifier (also known as Harf-e-Jarr  – the letter “ب” ). The letter “ب” always put a Kasra or Zeir on the following word.