• Arabic nouns are either definite or indefinite.

 The Indefinite Noun الاسم النكرة

It is the noun which refers to a common and non-specific noun;(person, animal, thing …etc.). It can be given to any member under that category of nouns. So, when you say an indefinite noun, you really don’t mean someone or something definite.

Examples:

                      – a girl       بنت    = any girl                          – girls    بنات    = any girls

                      – a boy     ولد      = any boy                         – boys    أولاد    = any boys

                      – a student طالب    = any student             – students   طلاب  = any students

                      – a man      رجل     = any man                     – men رجال     = any men

                      – a tree   شجرة      = any tree                      – trees أشجار   = any trees

                      – an apple   تفاحة   = any apple                 – apples  تفاحات  = any apples

                      – a bird    طائر        = any bird                    – birds  طيور  = any birds

                     – a street   شارع     = any street                 – streets  شوارع  = any streets

                     – a job    وظيفة         = any job                       – jobs  وظائف   = any jobs

                     – a town   مدينة       = any town                     – towns  مدن  = any towns

                     – a country   دولة   = any country              – countries  دول  = any towns

          Sentences:   – I am looking for a job. أنا أبحث عن وظيفة.

                                      – There are lots of jobs in the paper.  توجد وظائف كثيرة فى الجريدة 

                     Here,  the nouns  وظيفة  and وظائف are indefinite; not specifying what job or jobs.

The Definite Noun الاسم المعرفة

       It is the noun that refers to a specific noun; (person, animal, thing …. etc.). So, when you say that definite noun, you really mean someone or something definite, you have that specific noun in your mind.

               Examples:

                          – Mohammad   محمد    – Mona  منى           – Suzan   سوزان     – John   جون

                         – the girl   البنت             – the girls البنات     – the boy   الولد       – the boys الأولاد 

                                – the student      الطالب                      – the man          الرجل

                                – the tree             الشجرة                     – the apple       التفاحة

                                – the bird              الطائر                     – the street      الشارع  

                                – the job              الوظيفة                     – the town          المدينة

                               – the country        الدولة 

             Sentence: I don’t like the job I am doing now. لا أحب الوظيفة التي أقوم بها الآن.

                        Here, I mean a definite job, it is in my mind.

• In English Grammar, a noun can be definite by adding the definite article (the) before it.
• In Arabic Grammar, there are SEVEN types of definite nouns.

Types of Definite Nouns أنواع المعارف    

1-  The Proper Noun اسم العلم 

2-  The Definite Noun with (AL ..)   ( الاسم المعرف بـ  (الـ 

3-  The Pronoun الضمير

4-  The Relative Nouns  الأسماء الموصولة

5-  The Demonstrative Nouns أسماء الإشارة

6-  The Indefinite Noun added before a definite noun from the above. المضاف إلى معرفة

7-  The Noun Addressed by (Yaa)   ( الاسم المنادى بـ  ( يا   

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Next time, we will continue looking at Definite Nouns in more detail

Check us back soon

Peace سلام   /Salam/