Elementary Arabic Morphology 2
Definite and Indefinite Nouns
What is an indefinite noun?
What is a definite noun?
How many types of definite nouns are there?
How is an indefinite noun made definite?
An indefinite noun is a noun that is common amongst a certain species, not specific to any one of the instances. For example: قَلَمٌ (pen) and بُستانٌ (garden).
A definite noun is a noun that indicates a specific instance from a species. For example: القَلَمُ (the pen) and البُستانُ
There are six forms of definite nouns:
• Proper nouns: سلیمان (Solomon)
• Pronouns: أنا (I)
• Demonstrative pronouns: هذا (this)
• conjuncts: الذي (he who)
• Made definite by a alif-lām: الرجل (the man)
• Compliment of a prefixed noun : کتابُ الرجل (The man's book)
- A common noun is made definite in the following ways:
• if an alif-lām is added to it (and the nunation is erased if it was nunated). For example: کتابٌ (a book) becomes الکتابُ (the book).
• if it is contracted with a definite noun (and the nunation is erased if it was nunated). For example: کتابي (my book).