Read the bilingual lesson for Alif al-Ta'nith: Maqsurah and Mamdudah and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Another Sign of the Feminine
You have already seen تَاءٌ مَرْبُوطَةٌ at the end of many feminine words. Arabic also uses a final alif as a feminine marker in certain nouns and adjectives. فَاطِمَةُ ends in ta marbutah. كُبْرَى and حَمْرَاءُ use forms of أَلِفُ التَّأْنِيْثِ. The ending is different, but in each case it can help us recognize a feminine word.
2. Two Forms of Alif al-Ta'nith
Alif al-ta'nith is a feminine marker occurring at the end of certain words. It has two forms in this lesson. - أَلِفُ التَّأْنِيْثِ الْمَقْصُورَةُ: written as final ى, as in كُبْرَى. - أَلِفُ التَّأْنِيْثِ الْمَمْدُودَةُ: appears as final اء, as in حَمْرَاءُ. First look at the end of the word; then name the form.
3. Recognizing Alif Maqsurah
Alif maqsurah is written at the end like an undotted ya: ى. The letter immediately before it carries a fathah. Although its shape resembles an undotted ya, it is read as alif, not as ya. When it is alif of femininity, it is an added letter rather than a root letter. كُبْرَى: the final sign is ى, and رَ immediately before it has fathah. ذِكْرَى: the same final shape appears after رَ. The shape identifies final alif maqsurah. To call it specifically alif of femininity, the word must also be a feminine form; spelling alone is not enough.
4. Examples with Alif Maqsurah
These forms help us recognize the ending in different words: - حُبْلَى، كُبْرَى، رُجْعَى - مَرْضَى، كُسْلَى، دَعْوَى - سُكَارَى، ذِكْرَى All end in written ى. This ending can occur in a noun such as بُهْمَى, an adjective such as كُبْرَى, a plural such as مَرْضَى, and a verbal noun such as رُجْعَى.
5. Common Maqsurah Weights
Three weights are shown here for feminine forms ending in alif maqsurah. The changing vowels belong to the weight; the final written ى remains the identifying sign. WeightExampleWhat to noticeفُعْلَىكُبْرَىdammah on the first radicalفَعْلَىمَرْضَىfathah on the first radicalفِعْلَىذِكْرَىkasrah on the first radical The table compares the three vowel patterns; it does not claim that every word ending in ى must fit one of these examples.
6. Recognizing Alif Mamdudah
Alif mamdudah appears at the end of the word as an alif followed by hamzah: اء. حَمْرَاءُ ends in اء. صَحْرَاءُ has the same final sequence. This spelling is explained as two added alifs whose second position is represented by hamzah. Within the feminine examples taught here, the practical sign is final اء; spelling alone does not make every word ending اء feminine.
7. Examples with Alif Mamdudah
These examples all end in اء: - حَمْرَاءُ، صَفْرَاءُ، خَضْرَاءُ - عَرْجَاءُ، بَكْمَاءُ - صَحْرَاءُ They also illustrate different uses: صَحْرَاءُ is a noun, رَغْبَاءُ is a verbal noun, and زَرْقَاءُ and عَرْجَاءُ are adjectives. The shared point is the feminine mamdudah ending, not a single word class.
8. The Weight Fa'la'u
فَعْلَاءُ is the weight shown here for the illustrated mamdudah feminine forms. حَمْرَاءُ ← فَعْلَاءُ صَفْرَاءُ ← فَعْلَاءُ زَرْقَاءُ ← فَعْلَاءُ The root letters change from word to word, while the pattern retains the final اء. Focus first on recognizing the ending; detailed derivation can follow later.
9. Do Not Mix the Two Endings
Compare the two endings directly: both can mark feminine forms, but their written shapes are different. Maqsurah ends in written ى: كُبْرَى. The preceding letter has fathah. Mamdudah ends in اء: حَمْرَاءُ. An alif is followed by hamzah. Both can mark the feminine, but their written endings and listed weights are different.
10. A Reliable Recognition Method
1. First confirm that the ending functions as a feminine marker; spelling alone is not enough. 2. If such a feminine form ends in ى with fathah immediately before it, identify the maqsurah form. 3. If such a feminine form ends in اء, identify the mamdudah form. 4. Do not call every feminine word one of these two forms; فَاطِمَةُ uses ta marbutah instead. 5. Then, where required, compare the word with a listed weight such as فُعْلَى or فَعْلَاءُ. First confirm that the ending functions as a feminine marker; then name its written form.
Practice questions
Question 1
Which statement best defines أَلِفُ التَّأْنِيْثِ in this level?
- A final alif that marks the feminine in certain words.
- Every alif occurring anywhere inside a feminine word.
- A final letter that always makes a noun plural.
- A mark used only on masculine verbs.
Question 2
Match each term with its meaning.
Question 3
In كُبْرَى, the final ى is preceded by a letter carrying fathah.
Question 4
Sort the lesson examples by their final feminine-alif form.
Question 5
Which word shows alif maqsurah as the feminine marker?
- حَسْنَاءُ
- سَلْمَى
- فَاطِمَةُ
- كَاتِبٌ
Question 6
When final ى functions as alif ta'nith maqsurah, how is it classified in relation to the word's root?
- the first root letter
- the second root letter
- the final root letter
- an added feminine marker
Question 7
Which listed weight matches كُبْرَى?
- فَعْلَاءُ
- فِعْلَى
- فُعْلَى
- فَعْلَى
Question 8
Match each word with the use illustrated in the lesson.
Question 9
Which final sequence identifies alif mamdudah in this level?
Question 10
Match each mamdudah example with the use shown in the lesson.
Question 11
Which new word has the same feminine-alif form as حَمْرَاءُ?
- صُغْرَى
- فَاطِمَةُ
- مَكْتَبٌ
- بَيْضَاءُ
Question 12
Every Arabic word ending in اء contains alif of femininity mamdudah.
Question 13
Which word uses ta marbutah rather than either form of alif al-ta'nith?
- فَاطِمَةُ
- كُبْرَى
- حَمْرَاءُ
- صَفْرَاءُ
Question 14
A learner calls حَمْرَاءُ alif maqsurah merely because it is feminine. Which correction is accurate?
- It is maqsurah because every feminine word ends in ى.
- It is mamdudah because its written ending is اء.
- It has no feminine marker because hamzah cannot mark feminine.
- It uses ta marbutah because it is an adjective.
Question 15
Apply the rule to new words and sort them by the final feminine-alif form.
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