VISIBLE & INVISIBLE PRONOUNS IN ARABIC | OVERT AND COVERT PRONOUNS IN ARABIC (ضمير البارز و المستتر)

 PRONOUNS IN ARABIC LANGUAGE VISIBLE & INVISIBLE PRONOUNS

By: Yusuf Basirat Bolanle

 

Introduction

Arabic is a language whereby certain classes of subject in a sentence is mostly indicated by the verb forms

In Arabic Language, the subject pronoun is

 

 always dropped. in this case one can easily

 

 see from the formation of the verbs who is the

 

 subject in a sentence. 

 

Therefore, it is not necessary to use subject

 

 pronouns in those cases except if it is meant

 

 to emphasized. Likewise, if the sentence does

 

 not have a verb, then the subject pronoun is

 

 needed.

 

Classification of Arabic Pronouns into:

1- The Visible or Overt Pronoun which is called(الضمير الظائر) or

(الضمير الْبارز) and 

2- The Invisible or Covert Pronoun which is known as

(الضمير الْمُسْتَتِر)  

 

1.            The Visible or Overt Pronoun

 (الضمير الظائر) or (الضمير البارز) 

The visible pronouns are also known as (Overt Pronouns). They are pronouns that are stated in the sentence. They have physical existence and can be clearly seeing in the sentence.

Overt pronouns can either be written as separate words or as suffixes attached to another words. they are clearly written and pronounced in the sentence.

 

Examples are:

 

هو

 هو فى الغرفة

He is in the room

 

هي

هي فى الحمام

She is in the bathroom

 

هما

هما يأكلان

They are eating

 

هم

هذا كتابهم

This is their book

 

كم

السلام عليكم

Peace be upon you

2.   The Invisible pronoun (الضمير المستتر)

 

The Invisible Pronouns are also called

 

 (Covert Pronouns). They are in Arabic

 

 Language known as  (الضمير المستتر).

 

They are pronouns attached to the verbs,

 

 but not written nor pronounced in the

 

 sentence because they have no physical

 

 existence. Hence, they can be understood

 

 from the content of the sentence. Their

 

 meaning is included in the sentence but their

 

 existence is hidden.

 

The Invisible or Covert Pronouns (الضمائر المستترة) are associated with the following verbs:

 

-The Past or perfective verbs (فعل الماضى)

-The Present or  imperfective verbs (فعل المضارع)

-The Command or imperative verbs (فعل الأمر).

 

--When the Invisible Covert Pronouns are 

associated with The Past or Perfective

 Verbs (فعل الماضى). For examples, we have:

جلس

He sat

 

جلست

She sat

--When they are with The Present or 

imperfective verbs (فعل المضارع). They will be

determine by the letters of present tense

 that prefix them.

أجلس (أنا)

I sit

 

يجلس (هو)

He sits

 

تجلس (أنت)

 You sit

 

نجلس (نحن)

We sit

 

--When associated with The Command or

 Imperative Verb (فعل الأمر). The invisible

 pronoun here is always “You” (أنت)

 

Examples:

اجلسْ

Sit down

 

اقرأْ

Read

 

افتحْ

Open

 

Facts about the visible (overt) pronouns

- It is important to note that out of the 12

separated pronouns, only 5 of them 

are covert pronouns. these are:

 أنا

I

 

    أجلس

I am sitting

 

هو

He

 

يجلس

He is sitting

 

هي

She

 

تجلس

She is sitting

 

نحن

We

 

نجلس

We are sitting

 

أنت

You

 

تجلس

You are sitting

   

Facts About the Covert Pronouns

The following facts must be known

 about the invisible or covert pronouns:

-   The covert pronouns are the pronouns

indicated in the sentence but  not  showing or having physical appearance

-   The past tense is indicated in the covert by he and she (هو، هي)

-   In the present tense, the cover pronouns are indicated by different letters of the present tense

-   In command tense, it is always indicated by “you” (أنت)

-   The third person covert pronoun can be replaced with the name,so they are not compulsory to be in the sentences

-   The first and second person pronouns cannot be replaced with names,

    so they are compulsory to be invisible.