Cases of the Broken Plural and Changes When ال Is Added

Read the bilingual lesson for Cases of the Broken Plural and Changes When ال Is Added and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. What Will We Learn in This Level?

● In this section, we will study the grammatical cases of the broken plural in detail. ● We will learn how a broken plural shows case through vowel marks like a singular noun. ● We will study the case and spelling changes that occur when ال is added to an indefinite noun. ● We will learn the important rule that tanwīn is removed when an indefinite noun becomes definite, while a case-ending nūn remains. ● We will work through fifteen broken-plural and fifteen definite-with-al examples.

2. Case-Ending Rule for the Broken Plural

● A broken plural shows its grammatical case through tanwīn vowel marks, just like a singular noun: ○ nominative: two ḍammahs (ٌ) on the final letter, as in رِجَالٌ (many men). ○ accusative: two fatḥahs (ً) with an added alif, as in رِجَالًا. ○ genitive: two kasrahs (ٍ) beneath the final letter, as in رِجَالٍ. ● Note: A broken plural ending in round tāʾ, such as أَلْسِنَةٌ, does not take a final alif in the accusative.

3. Case Chart for Broken Plurals (Part One)

● Learn the nominative, accusative, and genitive forms of these broken plurals: Nominative Accusative Genitive أَوْلَادٌ أَوْلَادًا أَوْلَادٍ كُتُبٌ كُتُبًا كُتُبٍ رُسُلٌ رُسُلًا رُسُلٍ قُلُوبٌ قُلُوبًا قُلُوبٍ وُجُوهٌ وُجُوهًا وُجُوهٍ أَقْلَامٌ أَقْلَامًا أَقْلَامٍ آذَانٌ (ears) آذَانًا آذَانٍ أَعْيُنٌ (eyes) أَعْيُنًا أَعْيُنٍ

4. Case Chart for Broken Plurals (Part Two)

● Learn the nominative, accusative, and genitive forms of these broken plurals: Nominative Accusative Genitive عُيُونٌ عُيُونًا عُيُونٍ أَلْسِنَةٌ (tongues) أَلْسِنَةً أَلْسِنَةٍ أَمْرَاضٌ أَمْرَاضًا أَمْرَاضٍ بُيُوتٌ بُيُوتًا بُيُوتٍ أَذْكَارٌ أَذْكَارًا أَذْكَارٍ أَبْوَابٌ أَبْوَابًا أَبْوَابٍ حُرُوفٌ حُرُوفًا حُرُوفٍ

5. Case Changes When ال Is Added

● When ال is added to an indefinite noun to make it definite, its case endings are affected as follows: ○ Removing tanwīn: Tanwīn is removed from singular nouns, broken plurals, and feminine sound plurals, leaving one vowel mark: ḍammah, fatḥah, or kasrah. Example: رَجُلٌ → اَلرَّجُلُ. ○ Effect on dual nouns and masculine plurals: Dual nouns and masculine sound plurals end in a case-ending nūn (ـَانِ / ـَيْنِ and ـُونَ / ـِينَ) rather than tanwīn. Therefore, adding ال does not change their final letters or sounds, as in مُسْلِمُونَ → اَلْمُسْلِمُونَ.

6. Case Chart After Adding ال (Part One)

● Learn the three grammatical cases after adding ال: Base/meaning Nominative Accusative Genitive وَلَدٌ اَلْوَلَدُ اَلْوَلَدَ اَلْوَلَدِ بِنْتٌ اَلْبِنْتُ اَلْبِنْتَ اَلْبِنْتِ كِتَابٌ اَلْكِتَابُ اَلْكِتَابَ اَلْكِتَابِ قَلَمٌ اَلْقَلَمُ اَلْقَلَمَ اَلْقَلَمِ كُتُبٌ اَلْكُتُبُ اَلْكُتُبَ اَلْكُتُبِ رُسُلٌ اَلرُّسُلُ اَلرُّسُلَ اَلرُّسُلِ مُسْلِمَاتٌ اَلْمُسْلِمَاتُ اَلْمُسْلِمَاتِ اَلْمُسْلِمَاتِ سَمَوَاتٌ اَلسَّمَوَاتُ اَلسَّمَوَاتِ اَلسَّمَوَاتِ

7. Case Chart After Adding ال (Part Two)

● Learn the three grammatical cases after adding ال: Base/meaning Nominative Accusative Genitive آيَاتٌ اَلْآيَاتُ اَلْآيَاتِ اَلْآيَاتِ جَنَّاتٌ اَلْجَنَّاتُ اَلْجَنَّاتِ اَلْجَنَّاتِ بَنَاتٌ اَلْبَنَاتُ اَلْبَنَاتِ اَلْبَنَاتِ صَادِقَاتٌ اَلصَّادِقَاتُ اَلصَّادِقَاتِ اَلصَّادِقَاتِ قُلُوبٌ اَلْقُلُوبُ اَلْقُلُوبَ اَلْقُلُوبِ كُفَّارٌ اَلْكُفَّارُ اَلْكُفَّارَ اَلْكُفَّارِ طُلَّابٌ اَلطُّلَّابُ اَلطُّلَّابَ اَلطُّلَّابِ

8. Level Summary

● Like singular nouns, a broken plural shows its case through two ḍammahs, two fatḥahs, or two kasrahs. ● Adding ال to a noun removes the tanwīn from its final letter, leaving one vowel mark. ● Dual nouns and masculine sound plurals do not end in tanwīn, so adding ال does not affect their case-ending sounds.

Practice questions

Question 1

How does a broken plural show grammatical case in Arabic?

  • By tanwīn vowel marks (ٌ, ً, ٍ), like a singular noun
  • By ـُونَ and ـِينَ, like the masculine sound plural
  • By ـَانِ and ـَيْنِ, like the dual

Question 2

What basic grammar rule applies when ال is added to a noun to make it definite?

  • Tanwīn is completely removed from the final letter, leaving one vowel mark
  • The final letter always becomes sākin
  • A case-ending nūn is added at the end

Question 3

Adding ال to the beginning of a dual noun or masculine sound plural completely changes its final letters and sounds.

  • True
  • False

Question 4

Match the following indefinite nouns with their correct forms made definite with ال:

Question 5

Classify the following nouns made definite with ال by their correct grammatical case:

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