Rules and Practical Exercises for Demonstrative Phrases

Read the bilingual lesson for Rules and Practical Exercises for Demonstrative Phrases and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. Definition and Written Distinction of the Demonstrative Phrase

● In this section, we will study the second important kind of incomplete phrase: the demonstrative phrase.
● We will learn how a demonstrative joined with the noun it points to forms an incomplete expression.
● We will compare the written and semantic differences between a demonstrative phrase and a nominal sentence.
● We will study the effect of adding al- to the noun pointed to and solve more than fifteen practical exercises.

2. Definition and Parts of a Demonstrative Phrase

● Definition of a demonstrative phrase:
○ An incomplete phrase that uses a demonstrative to point to a noun is called a demonstrative phrase.
● It has two basic parts:
1. Demonstrative: The word used to point, such as هٰذَا.
2. Noun pointed to: The noun being pointed to, such as الْوَلَدُ.
● Basic rule: In a demonstrative phrase, the noun pointed to is definite with al-:
○ Arabic order = demonstrative + noun pointed to (with al-)
○ For example: هٰذَا الْوَلَدُ (this boy)

3. The Fine Difference between a Demonstrative Phrase and a Complete Nominal Sentence

● Adding or omitting al- on the noun pointed to creates an important difference in meaning:
1. Demonstrative phrase (incomplete): When the noun pointed to has al-, the meaning remains incomplete:
■ هٰذَا الْوَلَدُ -> this boy (an incomplete expression).
■ تِلْكَ الْبِنْتُ -> that girl.
2. Nominal sentence (complete): When al- is absent and the predicate is indefinite, it becomes a complete sentence:
■ هٰذَا وَلَدٌ -> This is a boy.
■ تِلْكَ بِنْتٌ -> That is a girl.

4. Practical Arabic Translation Exercise

● Study the spelling and case endings of the following phrases. Every noun pointed to has al-:
○ This man: -> هٰذَا الرَّجُلُ (الرَّجُلُ is the noun pointed to and has al-.)
○ That boy: -> ذٰلِكَ الْوَلَدُ | That girl: -> تِلْكَ الْبِنْتُ.
○ These two male teachers: -> هٰذَانِ الْمُعَلِّمَانِ | Those two female teachers: -> تَانِكَ الْمُعَلِّمَتَانِ.
○ These boys: -> هٰؤُلَاءِ الْأَوْلَادُ | Those women: -> أُولٰئِكَ النِّسَاءُ.
○ This book: -> هٰذَا الْكِتَابُ | Those windows: -> تِلْكَ النَّوَافِذُ (non-rational plural).
○ These books: -> هٰذِهِ الْكُتُبُ (feminine singular demonstrative for a non-rational plural).
○ This city: -> هٰذَا الْبَلَدُ.
○ That righteous boy: -> ذٰلِكَ الْوَلَدُ الصَّالِحُ (الصَّالِحُ is the adjective of the noun pointed to.)
○ Those high mountains: -> تِلْكَ الْجِبَالُ الْعَالِيَةُ (الْجِبَالُ is a non-rational plural.)
○ This secure city: -> هٰذَا الْبَلَدُ الْأَمِينُ | This worldly life: -> هٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا.

5. Practice with Near Demonstratives

● Practise placing the suitable near demonstrative, هٰذَا, هٰذِهِ, هٰذَانِ, هَاتَانِ, or هٰؤُلَاءِ, in each blank:
1. __________ اَلْجِدَارُ (wall) -> هٰذَا اَلْجِدَارُ (masculine singular).
2. __________ اَلْكَلْبُ (dog) -> هٰذَا اَلْكَلْبُ.
3. __________ اَلسَّيَّارَةُ (car) -> هٰذِهِ اَلسَّيَّارَةُ (feminine singular).
4. __________ اَلْغُرْفَتَانِ (two rooms) -> هَاتَانِ اَلْغُرْفَتَانِ (feminine dual).
5. __________ اَلسُّرُرُ (beds) -> هٰذِهِ اَلسُّرُرُ (near feminine singular demonstrative for a non-rational plural).
6. __________ اَلْمُسْلِمُونَ (Muslims) -> هٰؤُلَاءِ اَلْمُسْلِمُونَ (rational plural).
7. __________ اَلْأَبْوَابُ (doors) -> هٰذِهِ اَلْأَبْوَابُ (non-rational plural).
8. __________ اَلْبَنَاتُ (girls) -> هٰؤُلَاءِ اَلْبَنَاتُ (rational plural).
9. __________ اَلْبَلَدُ الْأَمِينُ -> هٰذَا اَلْبَلَدُ الْأَمِينُ.

6. Practice with Far Demonstratives

● Practise placing the suitable far demonstrative, ذٰلِكَ, تِلْكَ, ذَانِكَ, تَانِكَ, or أُولٰئِكَ, in each blank:
1. __________ اَلنُّجُومُ (stars) -> تِلْكَ اَلنُّجُومُ (far demonstrative for a non-rational plural).
2. __________ اَلسَّيَّارَتَانِ (two cars) -> تَانِكَ اَلسَّيَّارَتَانِ (feminine dual).
3. __________ اَلْمُدَرِّسَاتُ (female teachers) -> أُولٰئِكَ اَلْمُدَرِّسَاتُ (rational plural).
4. __________ اَلدَّارُ (house) -> تِلْكَ اَلدَّارُ (دَارٌ is feminine by established Arabic usage, so تِلْكَ is used.)
5. __________ اَلْبُيُوتُ (houses) -> تِلْكَ اَلْبُيُوتُ (non-rational plural).
6. __________ اَلطَّالِبُ -> ذٰلِكَ اَلطَّالِبُ | __________ اَلطُّلَّابُ -> أُولٰئِكَ اَلطُّلَّابُ.
7. __________ اَلْمَسْجِدُ -> ذٰلِكَ اَلْمَسْجِدُ | __________ اَلْمَدْرَسَةُ -> تِلْكَ اَلْمَدْرَسَةُ.
8. __________ اَلْبِنْتُ -> تِلْكَ اَلْبِنْتُ.

Practice questions

Question 1

What is the main written and semantic difference between the Arabic phrase هٰذَا الرَّجُلُ and the sentence هٰذَا رَجُلٌ?

The first is incomplete because al- is present, while the second is a complete sentence because al- is absent
Both are exactly the same incomplete phrase
The first is a complete sentence, and the second is an incomplete phrase

Question 2

The Arabic noun اَلدَّارُ, 'the house,' is feminine by established usage. Which far demonstrative is suitable for it?

تِلْكَ
ذٰلِكَ
أُولٰئِكَ

Question 3

The most suitable near demonstrative for the non-rational plural noun pointed to اَلْأَبْوَابُ, 'the doors,' is هٰذِهِ.

True
False

Question 4

Match the following incomplete demonstrative phrases with their correct English translations:

Question 5

Sort the following items by structure into incomplete demonstrative phrases and complete nominal sentences:

Question 6

Translate "those high mountains" into Arabic, knowing that الْجِبَالُ, 'the mountains,' is a non-rational plural:

تِلْكَ الْجِبَالُ الْعَالِيَةُ
أُولٰئِكَ الْجِبَالُ الْعَالِيَةُ
تِلْكَ الْجِبَالُ الْعَالِيُّ

Question 7

Sort the words in the demonstrative phrase هٰذَا الْبَلَدُ, 'this city,' into their correct grammatical categories:

Question 8

Match the following rational and non-rational nouns pointed to with their correct near demonstratives:

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