Two nouns, no word for "of"
To say "the door of the house", Arabic puts the two nouns side by side, possessed first, owner second:
- بَابُ الْبَيْتِ (bābu l-bayti) — the door of the house
- كِتَابُ الطَّالِبِ (kitābu ṭ-ṭālibi) — the student's book
- مُدِيرُ الْمَدْرَسَةِ (mudīru l-madrasati) — the principal of the school
This construction is called إِضَافَة. The first noun is الْمُضَاف, the second الْمُضَاف إِلَيْهِ.
The rules
The first noun takes no ال and no tanween. Whether it is definite depends on the noun that follows.
The second noun is always genitive: ـِ if definite, ـٍ if indefinite.
The first noun keeps the case the sentence gives it.
| Sentence | First noun | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| بَابُ الْبَيْتِ كَبِيرٌ. | nominative ـُ | The door of the house is big. |
| فَتَحْتُ بَابَ الْبَيْتِ. | accusative ـَ | I opened the door of the house. |
| وَقَفْتُ عِنْدَ بَابِ الْبَيْتِ. | genitive ـِ | I stood at the door of the house. |
A final ة is pronounced t in the first noun: مَدِينَةُ دِمَشْقَ (madīnatu Dimashqa), the city of Damascus; سَيَّارَةُ الْمُعَلِّمِ (sayyāratu l-muʿallimi), the teacher's car.
Definite or indefinite
Only the last noun decides:
| Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| بَابُ الْبَيْتِ | the door of the house |
| بَابُ بَيْتٍ | a door of a house |
| غُرْفَةُ الطُّلَّابِ | the students' room |
| غُرْفَةُ طُلَّابٍ | a room of students |
Chains can be longer: بَابُ غُرْفَةِ الْمُدِيرِ — the door of the principal's room. Every noun except the first is genitive.
Adjectives come after the whole chain
You cannot break an iḍāfa. The adjective waits until the end, and its ending shows which noun it describes:
- بَابُ الْبَيْتِ الْكَبِيرُ — the big door of the house (ـُ matches بَابُ)
- بَابُ الْبَيْتِ الْكَبِيرِ — the door of the big house (ـِ matches الْبَيْتِ)
Watch out as an English speaker
- There is no word for "of". ✗ بَابٌ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ / ✓ بَابُ الْبَيْتِ.
- Never put ال on the first noun. ✗ الْبَابُ الْبَيْتِ / ✓ بَابُ الْبَيْتِ.
- Never leave tanween on the first noun. ✗ بَابٌ الْبَيْتِ / ✓ بَابُ الْبَيْتِ.
- The order is the opposite of "the house's door": the thing owned comes first.
- Pronounce the hidden t. ✗ madīna Dimashq / ✓ madīnatu Dimashqa.
Example dialogue
هَذَا بَيْتُ أَحْمَدَ. — This is Ahmad's house.
وَأَيْنَ غُرْفَةُ الطَّعَامِ؟ — And where is the dining room?
بَابُ غُرْفَةِ الطَّعَامِ عَلَى الْيَمِينِ. — The door of the dining room is on the right.
هَلْ سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ أَمَامَ الْبَيْتِ؟ — Is the manager's car in front of the house?
نَعَمْ، الْمُدِيرُ صَدِيقُ أَحْمَدَ، وَهُوَ هُنَا الْيَوْمَ. — Yes, the manager is Ahmad's friend, and he is here today.