The Broken Plural (Part One)

Read the bilingual lesson for The Broken Plural (Part One) and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. What Will We Learn in This Level?

● In this section, we will begin studying the second major type of plural: the broken plural. ● We will learn why there is no single mathematical rule for forming it. ● We will memorize the broken plurals and meanings of twenty-six commonly used Arabic nouns.

2. The Idea of the Broken Plural

● What is a broken plural? ● The word 'broken' means that the original pattern changes. ● It is a plural in which the arrangement of the singular noun's letters or their vowel marks changes. ● A broken plural has no single fixed change; the commonly used plural of each word is learned separately. In this level's comparison, مُؤْمِنُونَ and مُؤْمِنَاتٌ are sound plurals, while أَعْمَالٌ and كِلَابٌ are broken plurals.

3. Important Broken Plurals (Group One)

● Memorize the broken plurals and English meanings of these nouns: Singular Meaning Broken plural Meaning قَلَمٌ pen أَقْلَامٌ pens ذِكْرٌ remembrance/mention أَذْكَارٌ remembrances وَقْتٌ time أَوْقَاتٌ times شِعْرٌ poetry/verse أَشْعَارٌ poems/verses فِعْلٌ action أَفْعَالٌ actions وَلَدٌ boy أَوْلَادٌ boys/children

4. Important Broken Plurals (Group Two)

● Memorize the broken plurals and English meanings of these nouns: Singular Meaning Broken plural Meaning مَالٌ wealth/property أَمْوَالٌ wealths/properties شَخْصٌ person أَشْخَاصٌ people/persons بَابٌ door أَبْوَابٌ doors سَبَبٌ reason/cause أَسْبَابٌ reasons/causes عَمَلٌ deed/action أَعْمَالٌ deeds/actions وَزْنٌ pattern/weight أَوْزَانٌ patterns/weights

5. Important Broken Plurals (Group Three)

● Memorize the broken plurals and English meanings of these nouns: Singular Meaning Broken plural Meaning اِسْمٌ name أَسْمَاءٌ names مَرَضٌ illness أَمْرَاضٌ illnesses صَوْتٌ sound/voice أَصْوَاتٌ sounds/voices طِفْلٌ child أَطْفَالٌ children جَبَلٌ mountain جِبَالٌ mountains بَحْرٌ sea بِحَارٌ seas

6. Important Broken Plurals (Group Four)

● Memorize the broken plurals and English meanings of these nouns: Singular Meaning Broken plural Meaning كَلْبٌ dog كِلَابٌ dogs عَبْدٌ servant عِبَادٌ servants/worshippers رَجُلٌ man رِجَالٌ men غَلِيظٌ harsh/thick غِلَاظٌ harsh/thick ones كَرِيمٌ generous/honorable كِرَامٌ generous/honorable people شَدِيدٌ severe/strong شِدَادٌ severe/strong ones طَوِيلٌ tall/long طِوَالٌ tall/long ones شَرِيفٌ noble/honorable شُرَفَاءُ noble/honorable people

7. Level Summary

● A broken plural is a plural in which the pattern of the singular noun's letters changes. ● There is no single grammar formula for forming it; it is learned from established Arabic usage. ● We memorized the broken plurals and meanings of twenty-six important nouns, such as رَجُلٌ → رِجَالٌ and شَرِيفٌ → شُرَفَاءُ.

Practice questions

Question 1

Arabic grammar has one fixed mathematical formula for forming every broken plural, just as it does for sound plurals.

  • True
  • False

Question 2

Match the following singular nouns with their correct broken plurals:

Question 3

Select the correct broken plural of اِسْمٌ (name).

  • أَسْمَاءٌ
  • اِسْمُونَ
  • اِسْمَانِ

Question 4

Sort the following words into the grammar categories of broken plural and sound plural:

Question 5

What is the singular of the broken plural شُرَفَاءُ?

  • شَرِيفٌ
  • شَرَفٌ
  • أَشْرَفُ

Open the interactive quiz