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.