‫النكرة و المعرفة‬
SH MUHAMMAD ISSA
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In lesson one, we saw that in Arabic there are
no “copula” or particles (a or an) as in English
but they are implied while reading.
So ‫ هذا كتاب‬is literally translated as “This book”
but it actually means “This is a book”.
However, there is a provision for a definite
article (Ma’rifah) and indefinite article
(Nakirah) with nouns.
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In Arabic, the basic situation for a noun is its being
in an indefinite form i.e. Nakirah.
This is mostly formed by the double nunnation
(Tanween) added at the end of the noun indicated by
the presence of “two dhwammah vowels”
(Dhwammataani or dhwammatayn)
Examples:
‫ بَيْت‬A house (any, one house)
‫ ِكتَاب‬A book (any, one book)
‫ قَلَم‬A pen (any, one pen)
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Contrary to English language, in Arabic there are more than one way of
making a noun definite in Arabic.
At this stage, we will begin with the most common one which is
“making a noun definite by entering ‘Alif and laam’ at the beginning of an
indefinite noun”.
This changes the status of a noun from being “indefinite” to “definite”.
‫ْالبَيْت‬
‫بَيْت‬
The House (Ma’rifah)
A house (Nakirah)
DEFINITE
INDEFINITE
Note that, the double nunnation is dropped by dropping one
dhwammah at the end of the “Nakirah” noun.
‫ْال َم ْس ِجد‬
‫ َم ْسج ٌد‬1
ٌ ‫ارة‬
‫ارة‬
َّ ‫ال‬
َ 2
َ َّ‫سي‬
َ َّ‫سي‬
‫ْالقَلَم‬
‫ قَلَ ٌم‬3
ٌ‫ ز َجا َجة‬4
‫ال ُّز َجا َجة‬
Note that: in 2 and 4 above, the
‘Laam’ has no vowel (Saknah) as in 1 and 3.
ٌ‫م ْعرفة‬
ٌ‫ن ِكرة‬
DEFINITE
INDEFINITE
Don’t have double Has double nunnation
at its end
nunnation at its end
Mostly begins
“Alif and laam”
with Doesn’t begin
“Alif and laam”
with
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Now that we know the difference between
Nakirah and ma’rifah, we will learn types of
definiteness of a noun.
The form of a ‘Ma’rifah’ (definite) noun is
indicated by the type of ‘Laam ma’rifah the
beginning of a noun.
There are two types of ‘Laam’ signifying the
definiteness of a noun as follows;-
1st – ‫ ََلم ْالقَ َم ِريَّة‬in English ‘The Moon Laam’
ْ on it
This is the ‘Laam’ with a Saknah (ْ)
and is pronounced in reading.
 Examples.
‫ْال ِكتَاب‬
‫ْالبَاب‬
‫ْالقَلَم‬
‫ْال َم ْس ِجد‬
This is the easier of the two
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ًّ ‫ ََلم ال‬in English ‘The Sun Laam’.
2nd – ‫ش ْم ِسيَّة‬
This is the ‘Laam ma’rifah’ written without
the “Saknah”.
Examples:
The Car ‫َّارة‬
َّ ‫ال‬
َ ‫سي‬
ُّ
The Bottle (glass) ‫الز َجا َجة‬
The garment ‫الث َّ ْوب‬
َّ ‫ال‬
The Sun ‫ش ْمس‬
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Note:
 All nouns with ‘Laam As-shamsiyyah” ;1. The ‘Laam’ has no vowel on it.
2. The ‘Laam’ is therefore not pronounced.
3.
3.
The letter following this ‘Laam’ must have a
shaddah (strong repetition of a sound) on it.
The ‘Alif’ at the beginning of a ‘Ma’rifah’ noun is
pronounced ONLY when the noun is not preceded
by another word. However, it remains in writing.
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Following the presence of ‘Laam Alqamariyyah and Laam As-shamsiyyah’
Arabic alphabets are divided into two
types;

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Letters of Al-qamaraiyyah
Letters of As-shamsiyyah
The letters of Qamariyyah are preceded by a
‘Laam’ that has Saknah on it and the ‘Laam’
is pronounced in reading.
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Letters of ‘Shamsiyyah’, on the other hand,
they are preceded by a ‘Laam’ without a
‘Saknah’ on it the letter after it must have a
Shaddah on it.
The most important point to understand
with this rule is that it governs the spoken
(pronunciation) and not the written word.
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Of the 28 Arabic letters, 14 letters are called
Solar (Sun) Letters, and the other 14 are
called Lunar Letters.
In the articulation (speaking) of the Solar
letters, the tip or blade of the tongue is
involved as in t, n, r, s, etc.
The tip or blade of the tongue does not play
any part in the articulation of the Lunar
Letters as in b, w, m, k etc.
The Sun Letter
The Moon Letters
‫ْالحر ْوف ْالقَ َم ِريَّة ْالحر ْوف‬
َّ ‫ال‬
‫ش ْم ِسيَّة‬
The
businessman - ‫ت‬
The father
‫ ْاْلَب‬- ‫ا‬
‫اجر‬
ِ َّ ‫الت‬
The cloth/garment
The door - ‫ب‬
The Sun Letter
The Moon Letters
‫ْالحر ْوف ْالقَ َم ِريَّة ْالحر ْوف‬
َّ ‫ال‬
‫ش ْم ِسيَّة‬
The flower - ‫ز‬
The eye
‫ ْالعَيْن‬-
‫ع‬
َّ
‫الز ْه َرة‬
The fish - ‫ س‬The unseen - ‫غ‬
‫س َمك‬
‫ْالغَيْب‬
َّ ‫ال‬
The Sun Letter
The Moon Letters
‫ْالحر ْوف ْالقَ َم ِريَّة ْالحر ْوف‬
َّ ‫ال‬
‫ش ْم ِسيَّة‬
The male student
‫ط‬
َ ‫ ال‬‫طا ِلب‬
The afternoon - ‫ظ‬
ُّ
‫الظ ْهر‬
The water
‫ ْال َماء‬-
‫م‬
The boy ‫ ْال َولَد‬- ‫و‬