As you know, in English there are two cases for demonstrative pronouns:



to point to the near object

  • "This" is used to point to the near (singular) object.
  • "These" is used to point towards the near (plural) objects.



to point to the distant object

  • "That" is used for the distant (singular) object.
  • "Those" is used for the distant (plural) objects.



And in Arabic, demonstrative pronouns (ŰŁŰłÙ’Ù…Ű§ŰĄÙ Ű§Ù„Ű„ŰŽŰ§Ű±ÙŽŰ©) are used in the same way as English demonstratives.



However, Arabic has many more demonstratives than English due to the masculine (Ű§Ù„Ù…ÙŰ°ÙŽÙƒÙŽÙ‘Ű±) and feminine (Ű§Ù„Ù…ÙŰ€Ù†ÙŽÙ‘Ű«) differentiation, and due to the dual case.



And it is very important in Arabic to make sure that the demonstrative pronoun agrees with the noun it refers to in number, gender and case.



So, in Arabic we find 10 demonstrative pronouns, compared to only 4 in English.



Here are all the demonstrative pronouns in Arabic:



Secondly Demonstrative pronouns (near)    (ŰŁÙŽŰłÙ’Ù…ÙŽŰ§ŰĄÙ Ű§Ù„Ű„ÙŰŽÙŽŰ§Ű±ÙŽŰ©Ù (Ù„ÙÙ„Ù’Ù‚ÙŽŰ±ÙÙŠŰš





Arabic

Gender

Number

English

1

Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙŽŰ§

Masculine

Singular

This



Examples:

This is a man.    .Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙŽŰ§ Ű±ÙŽŰŹÙÙ„ÙŒ

This is my friend.  .Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙŽŰ§ Ű”ÙŽŰŻÙÙŠÙ‚ÙŠ

This is the book.   .Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙŽŰ§ هُو Ű§Ù„ÙƒÙŰȘÙŽŰ§ŰšÙ





Arabic

Gender

Number

English

2

Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙÙ‡Ù

Feminine

Singular

This



Examples:

This is my mom.  .Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙÙ‡Ù ŰŁÙÙ…ÙÙ‘ÙŠ

This is the new car.   . Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙÙ‡Ù هِيَ Ű§Ù„ŰłÙŽÙ‘ÙŠÙŽÙ‘Ű§Ű±ÙŽŰ©Ù Ű§Ù„ŰŹÙŽŰŻÙÙŠŰŻÙŽŰ©Ù

This is the girl.   .Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙÙ‡Ù هِيَ Ű§Ù„ŰšÙÙ‘Ù†ŰȘُ  





Arabic

Gender

Number

English

3

Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙŽŰ§Ù†Ù / Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙŽÙŠÙ†Ù

Masculine

Dual

These two



Examples:

These are two Muslims.      .Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙŽŰ§Ù†Ù Ù…ÙŰłÙ’Ù„ÙÙ…ÙŽŰ§Ù†  

These are two boys.   .Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙŽŰ§Ù†Ù ÙˆÙŽÙ„ÙŽŰŻÙŽŰ§Ù†

I read these two books.   .Ù‚ÙŽŰ±ÙŽŰŁÙ’ŰȘُ Ù‡ÙŽŰ°ÙŽÙŠÙ†Ù Ű§Ù„ÙƒÙŰȘÙŽŰ§ŰšÙŽÙŠÙ’Ù†





    Arabic

Gender

Number

English

4

 Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ű§ŰȘÙŽŰ§Ù†Ù /  Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ű§ŰȘَينِ

Feminine

Dual

These two



Examples:

These are two Muslims.    .Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ű§ŰȘÙŽŰ§Ù†Ù Ù…ÙŰłÙ’Ù„ÙÙ…ÙŽŰȘÙŽŰ§Ù†

These are two teachers.  .Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ű§ŰȘÙŽŰ§Ù†Ù مُŰčَلِّمَŰȘÙŽŰ§Ù†Ù

This milk from these two cows.    .Ù‡ÙŽŰ°ÙŽŰ§ Ű§Ù„Ű­ÙŽÙ„ÙÙŠŰšÙ مِن Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ű§ŰȘَينِ Ű§Ù„ŰšÙŽÙ‚Ù’Ű±ÙŽŰȘَينِ





Arabic

Gender

Number

English

5

Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű€ÙÙ„Ű§ŰĄÙ

Masculine / Feminine

Plural

These



Examples:

These are men.   . Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű€ÙÙ„Ű§ŰĄÙ Ű±ÙŰŹÙŽŰ§Ù„ÙŒ

These are my children.   .Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű€ÙÙ„Ű§ŰĄÙ ŰŁÙˆÙ’Ù„ÙŽŰ§ŰŻÙÙŠ

These students are in the school.   .Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű€ÙÙ„Ű§ŰĄÙ Ű§Ù„Ű·ÙÙ‘Ù„ÙŽÙ‘Ű§ŰšÙ فِي Ű§Ù„Ù…ÙŽŰŻÙ’Ű±ÙŽŰłÙŽŰ©



But with the plural of irrational nouns (masculine and feminine), we must use ‘this’ (Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű°ÙÙ‡Ù), instead of ‘these’ (Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű€ÙÙ„Ű§ŰĄÙ).



Examples:

Those are dogs.  .Ù‡ÙŽŰ°ÙÙ‡Ù ÙƒÙÙ„Ű§ŰšÙŒ

These are my books.  .Ù‡ÙŽŰ°ÙÙ‡Ù كُŰȘÙŰšÙÙŠ

Do you like those flowers?   Ù‡ÙŽÙ„Ù’ ŰȘÙŰ­ÙŰšÙÙ‘ Ù‡ÙŽŰ°ÙÙ‡Ù Ű§Ù„ŰČÙÙ‡ÙÙˆŰ±ŰŸ

  • (Ù‡ÙŽÙ€Ù°Ű€ÙÙ„Ű§ŰĄÙ) is likewise allowed for irrational (nouns), but this is rare.




Secondly Demonstrative pronouns (distant )    (ŰŁÙŽŰłÙ’Ù…ÙŽŰ§ŰĄÙ Ű§Ù„Ű„ÙŰŽÙŽŰ§Ű±ÙŽŰ©Ù (Ù„ÙÙ„Ù’ŰšÙŽŰčÙÙŠŰŻÙ



 

Arabic

Gender

Number

English

6

Ű°ÙŽÙ„ÙÙƒÙŽ

Masculine

Singular

That



Examples:

That shirt looks great.  .Ű°ÙŽÙ„ÙÙƒÙŽ Ű§Ù„Ù‚ÙŽÙ…ÙÙŠŰ”Ù ÙŠÙŽŰšÙ’ŰŻÙÙˆ ŰŹÙŽÙ…ÙÙŠÙ„Ù‹Ű§

I don't like that movie.   .Ù„Ű§ ŰŁÙŰ­ÙŰšÙÙ‘ Ű°ÙŽÙ„ÙÙƒÙŽ Ű§Ù„ÙÙÙ„Ù’Ù…





Arabic

Gender

Number

English

7

ŰȘِلْكَ

Feminine

Singular

That



Examples:

That is a ship.  .ŰȘِلْكَ ŰłÙŽÙÙÙŠÙ†ÙŽŰ©ÙŒ

That is a fast car.  .ŰȘِلْكَ ŰłÙŽÙŠÙŽÙ‘Ű§Ű±ÙŽŰ©ÙŒ ŰłÙŽŰ±ÙÙŠŰčÙŽŰ©ÙŒ





Arabic

Gender

Number

English

8

Ű°ÙŽŰ§Ù†ÙÙƒÙŽ

Masculine

Dual

Those two



Examples:

Those are two stars.   .Ű°ÙŽŰ§Ù†ÙÙƒÙŽ Ù†ÙŽŰŹÙ’Ù…ÙŽŰ§Ù†

Those two books are good.  .Ű°ÙŽŰ§Ù†ÙÙƒÙŽ Ű§Ù„ÙƒÙŰȘÙŽŰ§ŰšÙŽŰ§Ù†Ù ŰŹÙŽÙŠÙÙ‘ŰŻÙŽŰ§Ù†





Arabic

Gender

Number

English

9

ŰȘÙŽŰ§Ù†ÙÙƒÙŽ

Feminine

Dual

Those two



Examples:

Those are two planes.  .ŰȘÙŽŰ§Ù†ÙÙƒÙŽ Ű·ÙŽŰ§ŰŠÙŰ±ÙŽŰȘÙŽŰ§Ù†

Those are two mountains.   .ŰȘÙŽŰ§Ù†ÙÙƒÙŽ ŰŹÙŽŰšÙŽÙ„Ű§Ù†



 

Arabic

Gender

Number

English

10

ŰŁÙŰ€Ù„ÙŽÙ€Ù°ŰŠÙÙƒÙŽ

Masculine / Feminine

Plural

Those



Examples:

Those are the guests.  .ŰŁÙÙˆÙ’Ù„ÙŽÙ€Ù°ŰŠÙÙƒÙŽ Ű§Ù„Ű¶ÙÙ‘ÙŠÙÙˆÙÙ

Those are smart students.  .ŰŁÙÙˆÙ’Ù„ÙŽÙ€Ù°ŰŠÙÙƒÙŽ Ű·ÙÙ„ÙŽÙ‘Ű§ŰšÙŒ ŰŁŰ°Ù’ÙƒÙÙŠŰ§ŰĄÙŒ



But with the plural of irrational nouns (masculine and feminine), we must use ‘that’ (ŰȘِلْكَ) instead of ‘those’ (ŰŁÙŰ€Ù„ÙŽÙ€Ù°ŰŠÙÙƒÙŽ).

Those trees.  .ŰȘِلْكَ Ű§Ù„ŰŁŰŽÙ’ŰŹÙŽŰ§Ű±

Those books. .ŰȘِلْكَ Ű§Ù„ÙƒÙŰȘÙŰš

(ŰȘِلْكَ) is likewise allowed for plural rational nouns, as we can see in the Qur'an (ŰȘِلكَ Ű§Ù„Ű±ÙÙ‘ŰłÙÙ„Ù those messengers), but this is rare.



If you have questions, feel free to write it to me or in the comments section!



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