DAY 9 - THE GENDER OF NOUNS (MASCULINE AND FEMININE NOUNS)

INTRODUCTION

In English language, nouns are masculine, feminine and also neutral. The same is true for Urdu (Pakistani) and Spanish (Espaniole).  However, in Arabic language there are only two forms of Gender. Things are either masculine (مُذَكَّرْ) or feminine (مُوْنَّثْ). There is no neutral gender.

COMMON FEMALE NOUNS (مُوْنَّثْ)

The basic concept of Arabic Grammar; all nouns are masculine (مُذَكَّرْ) except the following:

·                    All nouns which have “ ة” (Ta-e-Marboota or Gole tay) at the end are feminine. Examples are:

إِبْنةٌ      

حَسَنةٌ   

مَلِكَةٌ

There are two exceptions:  خَلِيْفَةٌ (Caliph) and عَلَّامَةٌ (Islamic scholar) which are masculine.

·                    All nouns which have Alif Maqsoora  (ىٰ ) in the end are feminine. Examples are:

حُسْنىٰ - Very Beautiful woman

·                    All nouns which have Alif Mamdooda (اء ) in the end are feminine. Examples are:

زَهْرَاءْ – Glittering woman

·                    Those nouns which are spoken for women such as:

ٲُمٌّ  - Mother

ٲَخْتٌ – Sister

عُرُوْسٌ - Bride

·                    All names of the countries are feminine such as

ٲَلْبَاكِسْتَان  - Pakistan
ٲَلْسَّعُوْدِيَّة  - Saudi Arabia

مِصْر - Egypt

·                    All names of cities are feminine such as

كَرَاتْشِي – Karachi

آبَاد إِسْلَامَ – Islamabad

لَاهَوْرْ - Lahore    

·                    All names of tribes are also feminine such as

ٲَلْقُرَيْش  - The tribe of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) “ Qureish”

·                    The human organs which are in pairs are feminine. When we refer to one of them then we use it as feminine noun. Such as:

يَدٌ   - hand
رِجُلٌ – Foot

ٲُذُنٌ – Ear

عَيْنٌ – Eye

·                    Most of the heavenly bodies are feminine. Such as:

ٲَلْشَّمْسُ – The Sun
ٲَلْٲَرْضُ – The Earth
ٲَلْسَّمَاءُ – The Sky

However,  the Moon ( ٲلْقَمَرُ ) is masculine as obvious in Surah Yaseen. Why it is so? This is the way Arabs speak!!!!

·                     All letters of Alphabets such as Alif, Ba, Ta, Tha… are feminine.

·                     Some other nouns are also spoken as feminine which Arabs use. Such as:

حَربٌ – War
دَارٌ  - House
رِيْحٌ – Wind
نَارٌ – Fire

سُوْقٌ  - Market or Bazar
نَفْسٌ – Soul

خَمْرٌ - Wine

·                    The nations’ names such as Thamud and A’ad as mentioned in Quran are also feminine;

·                     Most of the words used for Paradise are feminine;

·                    Most of the words used for Hell are also feminine;

·                    Most of the words used for The Day of Judgment are feminine;

Some Good Examples of feminine nouns from Quran:

·                    ٲَلْفَرِيضَةُ  ٲَلْصَّلٰوةُ -   Obligatory Prayer

·                    نَارٌموْقَدَةٌ – Kindled Fire

·                     ٲَلْمُطْمَٮٔنَّةُ ٲَنَّفْسُ    - Satisfied or contented Soul

·                    غَفُوْرٌ رَبَّ وَ طَيَّبَةٌ  بَلْدَةٌ  - Nice country and Lord, forgiver

FORMATION OF FEMININE NOUNS FROM MASCULINE NOUNS

In general, a feminine noun (مُوْنَّثْ) is made by adding “ ة” (Ta-e-Marboota or Gole tay) at the end of a masculine (مُذَكَّرْ) noun .

Examples are:

·                    From masculine (مُذَكَّرْ) noun “إِبْنٌ”  (Son) - feminine noun (مُوْنَّثْ) “إِبْنةٌ” (daughter)

·                    From masculine (مُذَكَّرْ) noun “ حَسَنٌ”  (Good) - feminine noun (مُوْنَّثْ) “حَسَنةٌ”(Good)

·                    From masculine (مُذَكَّرْ) noun “مَلِكٌ”  (King) - feminine noun (مُوْنَّثْ) “مَلِكَةٌ” (Queen)

This is the most common style of making feminine noun (مُوْنَّثْ) from masculine (مُذَكَّرْ) noun

The numerals have masculine as well as feminine form.