The Indefinite And Definite Nouns In Arabic (النكرة والمعرفة)

 The Indefinite And Definite Nouns In Arabic Language

(النكرة والمعرفة)

By: Yusuf Basirat Bolanle

Discussion

In Arabic language, nouns can be classified into: 

-  Indefinite (النكرة) and 

-  Definite Nouns (المعرفة). 

The indefinite noun in Arabic language is known as (النكرة). it is a noun that indicates nothing specific. indefinite noun always means that the noun being referred to or mentioned in the sentence is not actually known to the speaker or the speaker is not referring to a specific known name. Thus, any unspecified name in a sentence is known as indefinite noun which is referred to as (النكرة) in Arabic language. Indefinite noun is always preceded by article "A" or "An" in English language. examples of this are:

فى المنزل كتاب جديد

In the house, there is a new book

سقط منزل فى الشارع

A house fell in the road

رأيت رجلا فى المسجظ

I saw a man in the mosque

ضربت ولدا فى المدرسة

I beat a boy in the school

كتبت بنت الرسالة الى المدير

A girl wrote the letter to the headmaster

In the above examples, the words (كتاب), (منزل), (رجل), (ولد) and (بنت) are all indefinite nouns (نكرة) because they did not indicate particular or known nouns to the speakers.

Definite Nouns

Definite Noun in Arabic language is known as (المعرفة). It is a noun that indicates or pointing to a specific known name in a sentence. This means the speakers already familiar or known the names being referred to in the sentence. Definite Nouns are further divided into the following categories:

1- العلم (The proper Noun)

2- الضمائر (The Pronouns)

3- أسماء الموصولة (Relative Nouns)

4- أسماء الاشارة (The Demonstrative Nouns)

5- المعرف بلألف و للام (The definite with Article "The")

1- The Proper Noun (العلم)

The proper noun in Arabic language is known as (العلم). It is a noun with a known particular name of a person, animal, place or other things. It refers to a particular name given to someone or animal or place and other things. Examples are:

كتب حبيب درسه

Habeeb wrote his lesson

نيجيريا أكبر بلاد لأفرقيين

Nigeria is the biggest country for Africans 

رأيت الكلب فى الحديقة

I saw the dog in the garden

ماليزيا أشهر وطن فى قارة آسيا

Malaysia is the most prominent county in Asia

ضع القلم على المكتب

Put the pen on the table

In the above sentences, the words (حبيب), (نيجيريا), (ماليزيا), (ٱسيا) and (القلم) and others are all proper nouns. This is because they are referring to the names of a particular person, animal, place or other things. This is what makes them all to be definite.

2- The Pronouns (الضمائر)

The pronouns in Arabic language are known as (الضمائر). They are the words used instead of a noun. The pronouns in Arabic language can be joined or separated pronouns. It can also replace first, second or third person in a sentence. Examples are:

نحن فى المسجد أثناء صلاة الفجر

We are in the mosque during the prayer

أنت تريد الخبز

You want bread

جلست فى فناء المدرسة

She sat in the school's veranda

هو موجود فى الفصل

He is in the class

أنا لا أتأخر فى الدرس

I don't late for the lesson

The above sentences, the words (نحن), (أنت), (ت), (هو) and (أنا) are all pronouns. This is because they replaced particular names in the sentences. All pronouns are definite nouns because they are in place of nouns and thus, they are definite nouns.

3- The relative nouns (أسماء الموصول). 

The relative nouns is known as (العلم). These are nouns that are specifically and exclusively meant to explain a particular noun in a sentence. The relative nouns in this case explain vividly or clarifies the noun in the sentence before or after it. Examples are:

ضربت الذى ضربنى

I beat the one that beat me

أحسن الى من أحسن إليك

Be good to who is good to you

سافرت مع التى زارتنى بالأمس

I traveled with the one that visited me yesterday

دعونا للذين علمنا القرآن

We prayed for those who taught us Qur'an

لا تشرب ما لا تحب

Don't drink what you don't like

Look at the above sentences, the words (الذى), (التى), (الذين), (من) and (ما) are all relative nouns. They give or describe more about a particular nouns or pronouns in the sentences and that is what make them to be definite nouns.

4- The Demonstrative Nouns (أسماء الإشارة)

The demonstrative noun in Arabic language is known as (اسماء لإشارة). They are the nouns or pronouns used to point to a particular names either from close or far away distance. The demonstrative  nouns are : هذا، هذه، هذان، هتان، أولاء، ذالك، تلك ، أولئك and so on. Examples in sentences are:

هذا رجل كريم

This is an honourable man

هذه مجلة مفيدة

This is a useful magazine

ذلك ولد أمين

That is an honest boy

هؤلاء تجار صادقون

These are trustworthy businessmen

هذان ولدان مجتهدان

These are two striving boys

In the above examples, the words (هذا), (هذه), (أولاء), (هذان) and (ذلك) are all demonstrate nouns. They are definite because they are pointing to particular names in the sentences, thereby give more insight about the nouns in the sentences. As a result of that, they are definite.

5- The definite with article "The" (المرف بلألف واللام)

The article "The" in a sentence represented by (ا، ل) indicates that the noun is a specific or known name in the sentence. Hence, when this alif and lam is added to an indefinite noun, it makes it to be definite. Examples are:

الكتاب فى الغرفة

The book is in the room

ضرب الولد أخاه

The boy beat his brother

وقعت الكرة فى الحديقة

The ball fell into the garden

نجحت البنت فى الامتحان

The girl succeeded in the exam

انكسرت المسطرة فى الفصل

The ruler broke in the class

Let us look at the words (الكتاب), (الغرفة), (الولد), (الكرة)، (الحديقة), (البنت), (الإمتحان), (المسطرة)، and  (الفصل), they are all with article "The". The article denotes that the words are definite because they are all known before the period of talking.