{"id":17187,"date":"2020-02-28T13:48:29","date_gmt":"2020-02-28T13:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/?p=17187"},"modified":"2020-02-28T18:26:56","modified_gmt":"2020-02-28T18:26:56","slug":"17187-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/17187-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Relative pronouns in Spoken Arabic, 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this post, we\u2019re going to look at a subtle aspect of Arabic grammar that can be confusing for some learners of Spoken Arabic, even advanced ones. This aspect is that of relative pronouns<\/em> \u0636\u0645\u0627\u0626\u0631 \u0627\u0644\u0648\u0635\u0644<\/p>\n

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that follows a noun in order to add extra information about it, in which case they are called determiners<\/strong>. The use of relative pronouns of this type is not widely taught or tends to be overlooked and that\u2019s why we\u2019re focusing on it in today\u2019s blog as well as the next one.<\/p>\n

\"mosque\"<\/a>

Image by Omar Elsharawy on Unsplash.com<\/p><\/div>\n

In English, relative pronouns, such as which<\/em> and that<\/em> in this sentence \u201cThe book that\/which I gave you\u201d are used to give more information about the book<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

1-<\/strong> In standard Arabic, this translates to the relative pronoun \u0627\u0644\u0630\u064a Allathi<\/em> and \u0627\u0644\u0644\u064a \u00a0Elli <\/em>in spoken Arabic. While Allazi<\/em> in standard Arabic has a feminine version, that is \u0627\u0644\u062a\u064a \u00a0Allati<\/em>, everyday Arabic does not have such a feature and only the masculine version Elli<\/em> \u0627\u0644\u0644\u064a\u00a0 is the one used whether the noun under discussion is masculine or feminine.<\/p>\n

So, the previous sentence in Arabic can be said as follows in Fusha:<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u0627\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0627\u0628 \u0627\u0644\u0630\u064a<\/strong> \u0623\u0639\u0637\u064a\u062a\u0647 \u0644\u0643<\/p>\n

Al-kitaab\u00a0\u00a0 allathi<\/strong> \u00a0 2a\u0295Taytu-hu\u00a0\u00a0 lak<\/p>\n

and as follows in Levantine Arabic1<\/a><\/sup>Levantine Arabic is only used an example here. “Elli” is also used similarly in other Arabic varieties too.<\/span>:<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u0627\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0627\u0628 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u064a<\/strong> \u0639\u0637\u064a\u062a\u0643 \u0625\u064a\u0627\u0647<\/p>\n

El-ktaab\u00a0\u00a0 elli<\/strong>\u00a0 \u0295aTeet-ak\u00a0 iyyaah<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the case of a feminine name, a sentence such as \u201cthe table that\/which<\/strong> is in the middle\u201d can be said as follows in Fusha:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u0662. \u0627\u0644\u0637\u0627\u0648\u0644\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u062a\u064a<\/strong> \u0641\u064a \u0627\u0644\u0646\u0635\u0641<\/p>\n

ATTawel-ah\u00a0\u00a0 allati<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 fi\u00a0\u00a0 an-niSf<\/p>\n

and as follows in Levantine Arabic:<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u0637\u0627\u0648\u0644\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u064a<\/strong> \u0628\u0627\u0644\u0646\u0635<\/p>\n

ETTaawl-e\u00a0\u00a0 elli<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 bin-nuS<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As mentioned above, elli<\/em> is used – in the second sentence in the case of Levantine Arabic – \u00a0even though the noun being elaborated on is feminine in Arabic – \u0637\u0627\u0648\u0644\u0629<\/strong> Taawle<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

2-<\/strong> Interestingly, in spoken Arabic, only one relative pronoun is used<\/u> \u0627\u0644\u0644\u064a whether the noun under discussion is singular or plural! This is not the case in MSA2<\/a><\/sup>Modern Standard Arabic<\/span> where a distinction between a singular and a plural noun is marked by the use of different relative pronouns, such as \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0630\u0627\u0646 \u00a0for the dual noun (masculine) and \u0627\u0644\u0630\u064a\u0646 \u00a0for the plural noun (masculine).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In order to illustrate this point further, let\u2019s look at this example below from Levantine Arabic:<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0627\u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u064a<\/strong> \u0642\u0644\u062a\u064a\u0644\u064a \u0639\u0644\u064a\u0647\u0645<\/p>\n

(The two books that<\/strong>\/which<\/strong> you told me about)<\/p>\n

il-ktaabe:n\u00a0 elli<\/strong>\u00a0 2ulteel-i\u00a0 \u0295ale:hom<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In spoken Arabic, Elli<\/em> is used to describe a dual noun (two books). Notice here that its grammatical form does not change from the previous example where it was used to elaborate on a singular noun \u0627\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0627\u0628 \u00a0il-ktaab<\/em>. In MSA, however, the relative pronoun \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0630\u0627\u0646 \u00a0allathaan <\/strong>must be used to match the dual noun which is also a masculine one \u2013 as follows:<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0627\u0628\u0627\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0630\u0627\u0646<\/strong> \u0623\u062e\u0628\u0631\u062a\u0646\u064a \u0639\u0646\u0647\u0645\u0627<\/p>\n

(The books that<\/strong>\/which<\/strong> you told me about)<\/p>\n

Al-kitaabaan\u00a0\u00a0 allathaan<\/strong>i \u00a0 axbar-ti-ni\u00a0 \u0295anhum-a<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the next blog, I\u2019m going to continue discussing other ways in which the relative pronoun Elli<\/em> in spoken Arabic can be used.<\/p>\n

So, stay tuned <\/em>\ud83d\ude42<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n