Lesson 3

In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful.

Assalamu'alaikum and greetings to all.


LESSON 3 NOMINALS : GENDER

1. With regard to gender, Arabic nominals are divided into two categories : masculine ,مذكر ( muzakkar ) and feminine , مؤنث ( muannath ).
2. It is very important to know the gender of all nouns as the adjectives and verbs should agree with the nouns in respect of gender. Kindly see Table 3 below:

TABLE 3 AGREEMENT OF THE VERB WITH GENDER

NO	EXAMPLE	TRANSLITERATION	MEANING
i	كَتَبَ رَجُلٌ	kataba rajulun	A man wrote.
ii	كَتَبَتْ اَلْبِنْتُ	katabat albintu	The girl wrote.



3. Masculine nouns do not require any sign to signify their gender.
4. Feminine nouns usually ( but not always ) end in three specific ways. Kindly see Table 4 below .

TABLE 4 ENDING OF FEMININE NOUNS

NO	ENDING	EXAMPLE	TRANSLITERATION	MEANING
i	With the knotted ta, ة ( ta marbutah )	قُدْرَةٌ	qudratun	power
ii	With the shortened alif , ى ( alif maqshurah)	بُشْرَى	bushra	good news
iii	With the stretched alif, آء ( alif mamdudah )	صَحْرآء	sohra’	desert



5. Feminines are of two types. Kindly see Table 5 below.

TABLE 5 REAL / UNREAL FEMININES

NO	TYPES	EXAMPLE	TRANSLITERATION	MEANING
i	Natural or real feminines which denote females	أُمٌّ	ummun	mother
ii	Unreal or supposed feminines which are as follows :
a)	parts of the body which are in pairs ( except eyebrow )	عَيْنٌ	‘ ainun	eye
b)	the names of countries, cities and tribes	مِصْرِيٌّ	misriyyun	Egyptian
c)	some natural objects, by mere usage	أَرْضٌ	ardun	earth.

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