Idafa construction (الإضافة) is a construction of 2 nouns. The first noun is indefinite, e.g. (كتاب) “book”, and the second noun is usually definite, e.g. (الطالب) “the student”. The meaning of both words become related with the relationship of ‘of’, i.e. the first noun is presented as one that belongs to or that is specific to the second one, .e.g. (كتاب الطالب) is the “the book of the student”. As a result, the first noun of idafa becomes definite, as it refers to a specific thing. In some cases, the second noun in idafa is indefinite, e.g. (كتاب طالب) “a student’s book”. Possessive pronouns at the end of nouns make a special kind of idafa can be created with the use of one noun and a possessive pronoun, e.g. (كتابه) “his book”.
More than one Idafa construction can be used together in what is called a complex idafa, e.g. (كتاب طالب الجامعة)“the book of the university student”. In this case, only the last noun can be definite, and all the ones that come before it are indefinite.
Can you identify the idafa constructions in the following sentences?
يحب أصدقائي طلابجامعة بيروت مذاكرة دروسه وهم يشاهدون برامج التلفزيون
أمي تخرجت من الكلية العلوم وخالتي تخرجت من الكلية الآداب.
Scroll down to see the sentences with the idafa constructions underlined!
يحب أصدقائيمنطلابجامعة بيروتمذاكرة دروسهم وهم يشاهدون برامج التلفزيون
“My friends, from the students of the Beirut University, like to study their lessons as they watch television programs.
أمي تخرجت من كلية العلوم وخالتي تخرجت من كلية الآداب.
My mother graduated from the Faculty of Science, and my aunt graduated from the Faculty of Arts.”
Comments:
James Janega:
Hey, this is helpful! Thanks for doing this.
Aziza:
You are most welcome! Glad you found it helpful!
asadullah:
Thanks for giving valuable information about arabic grammer.There are many thing new for me in this lesson.
Asadullah
Mark:
The second not-underlined sentence should begin with ummy (my mother) and not ummaty….isn’t it ?
In any case this blog is very useful
MARCO
Aziza:
شكراً ماركو
Sentence updated!
سلام، عزيزة
Mark:
I think you have updated the wright sentence and now,as far I know, both sentences are wrong….
my mother ٲهّي
and not أهّتي
Aziza:
شكراً ماركو
Sentence updated again!
سلام، عزيزة
usman:
salaam muhtarma!mudhaf is always definite in idafa construction.Am i wrong? You give your precious time to this work,great of u!
Aziza:
Ahlan Usma,
Thank you for all the great comments! Mudaf (first word in idafa, e.g. kitaab in the first example) is always indefinite in form, but it is definite in meaning and function when it part of an idafa construction, as it refers to a particular object. e.g. the book of the student.
I hope this helps!
Salam, Aziza
Mark:
I cannot understand the meaning of the word «mudhaakirah» in the sentence above.
هذاكرة
Aziza:
مذاكرة means studying, and it is different from دراسة in that the former is studying you do in your own time, while the later is more like formal study that you do at school or university. The later (دراسة) can be used in both senses.
bailey:
This is really helpful. I’m a first semester Arabic language student and the Idafa has given me trouble lately. This helped clear up my confusion.
Thanks!
Aziza:
Shukran Bailey
Peter:
I study arabic just for the fun of it and this sure is helpful. Where would ther world be without people as you and google? 🙂
Thanks a lot!
aziza:
@Peter Thank you very much Peter!
Aziza
Mohamed A.:
I’m studying Idaufa, Joomla Ismeea, and Ism w Sifa, and so it’s vital that I learn the difference between the three.
Is it like this?
(Second Word) (First Word)
Joomla Ismeea- (No AL)(AL)
Idaufa- (AL)(No AL)
Ism w Sifa- (AL)(AL) or…
(No AL)(No AL)
aziza:
@Mohamed A. Thank you and good luck with your efforts.
Joomla Ismeea- (No AL)(AL). This is not accurate. The subject of the nominal sentence is usually definite – the first word, and the predicate indefinite, for example:
الشجرة عالية
الجو جميل
Mohamed A.:
The first word is definite (AL), and the second word indefinite (No AL)?
oz:
thanx man it is really helpful…
camilla:
Slm, I noticed that the first sentence is spelled wrong or something is missing. For example you forgot the “min” and the spelling to “program” (barnamij” is spelled wrong.
Irfan khalid:
Thankyou very much..thus helped in my 10th standard final exam