After the noun, matching in four ways
An Arabic adjective comes after the noun and copies four features from it:
- gender: masculine or feminine
- number: singular, dual or plural
- case: the same ending as the noun (-u, -a, -i)
- definiteness: ال on the noun means ال on the adjective
| Arabic | Meaning | What agrees |
|---|---|---|
| بَيْتٌ كَبِيرٌ | a big house | masculine, indefinite |
| الْبَيْتُ الْكَبِيرُ | the big house | masculine, definite |
| سَيَّارَةٌ جَدِيدَةٌ | a new car | feminine, indefinite |
| السَّيَّارَةُ الْجَدِيدَةُ | the new car | feminine, definite |
| مُهَنْدِسُونَ مَاهِرُونَ | skilled engineers | masculine plural (people) |
| طَالِبَاتٌ مُجْتَهِدَاتٌ | hardworking students (women) | feminine plural (people) |
Case agreement
When the noun changes its ending, the adjective changes with it:
- هَذَا بَيْتٌ كَبِيرٌ. — This is a big house. (-un)
- رَأَيْتُ بَيْتًا كَبِيرًا. — I saw a big house. (-an)
- أَسْكُنُ فِي بَيْتٍ كَبِيرٍ. — I live in a big house. (-in)
Plurals of things: feminine singular
For people, the adjective is plural: الطُّلَّابُ الْمُجْتَهِدُونَ (the hardworking students). For things, animals and ideas, modern Arabic uses the feminine singular adjective, whatever the gender of the singular noun:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| كِتَابٌ جَدِيدٌ (a new book) | كُتُبٌ جَدِيدَةٌ (new books) |
| سَيَّارَةٌ صَغِيرَةٌ (a small car) | سَيَّارَاتٌ صَغِيرَةٌ (small cars) |
| الْبَيْتُ الْقَدِيمُ (the old house) | الْبُيُوتُ الْقَدِيمَةُ (the old houses) |
More than one adjective, and special forms
Several adjectives simply follow one another, each agreeing: بَيْتٌ كَبِيرٌ جَمِيلٌ (a big, beautiful house), الْمَدِينَةُ الْكَبِيرَةُ الْجَمِيلَةُ.
Adjectives of origin end in ـِيٌّ, feminine ـِيَّةٌ: طَعَامٌ عَرَبِيٌّ (Arabic food), اللُّغَةُ الْعَرَبِيَّةُ (the Arabic language).
Colours have their own feminine pattern without tanween: قَمِيصٌ أَحْمَرُ (a red shirt), سَيَّارَةٌ حَمْرَاءُ (a red car), الْبَابُ الْأَبْيَضُ / السَّيَّارَةُ الْبَيْضَاءُ (white).
Watch out as an English speaker
- English puts the adjective first. ✗ جَدِيدٌ بَيْتٌ / ✓ بَيْتٌ جَدِيدٌ (a new house).
- English adjectives never change; Arabic ones do. ✗ بِنْتٌ طَوِيلٌ / ✓ بِنْتٌ طَوِيلَةٌ (a tall girl).
- "The" goes on both words. ✗ الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ for "the big house" (that means "The house is big") / ✓ الْبَيْتُ الْكَبِيرُ.
- Plurals of things are feminine singular, even when the singular is masculine. ✗ كُتُبٌ جَدِيدٌ / ✓ كُتُبٌ جَدِيدَةٌ.
Example dialogue
هَلْ عِنْدَكَ سَيَّارَةٌ جَدِيدَةٌ؟ — Do you have a new car?
نَعَمْ، سَيَّارَتِي الْجَدِيدَةُ هُنَاكَ. — Yes, my new car is over there.
السَّيَّارَةُ الْحَمْرَاءُ؟ — The red car?
لَا، السَّيَّارَةُ الْبَيْضَاءُ الصَّغِيرَةُ. — No, the small white car.
وَالسَّيَّارَاتُ الْأُخْرَى؟ — And the other cars?
هِيَ سَيَّارَاتُ الْجِيرَانِ. — They are the neighbours' cars.