Elementary Arabic Syntax 1

Genitive Cases of a Noun

  1. How many genitive cases of a noun are there?
    A noun is put into the genitive case in two cases:
    • If it comes after a preposition.

• If it is a word after a prefixed noun.

  1. How many prepositions are there?
    There are eleven prepositions:

مِن إلی عَن عَلَی في رُبّ الباءُ الکافُ اللامُ واوالقَسَم و تاءُالقَسَم

For example: ذَهَبتُ مِنَ البیتِ إلی المدینَةِ (I went from the house to the city.)

  1. What is the compliment to a prefixed noun?
    The word before a prefixed noun is a compliment to a prefixed noun. For example: خادِمُ الامیر (the general's maid)

  2. What is the ruling of a prefixed noun?
    If the prefixed noun has nunation it must be erased. For example سورُ المدینَةِ (the city's wall) takes the place of سورٌ المدینَةِ. If the prefixed noun is in the dual form or the masculine sound plural form, the nūn must be erased. For example: یدا الرّجُلِ (the man's two hands) takes the place of یدانِ الرّجُلِ.