Lesson 10
Possessive Pronouns Attached Pronouns
الضمائر المتصلة
Arabic attached pronouns replace possessive words entirely "my," "your," "his" etc. fuse directly onto the end of the noun. This single system replaces a whole class of English words.
Attached Pronouns on Nouns
PronounSuffixWith كِتَابMeaning
I (أَنَا)ـِيكِتَابِيmy book
You m (أَنْتَ)ـَكَكِتَابُكَyour book (m)
You f (أَنْتِ)ـِكِكِتَابُكِyour book (f)
He (هُوَ)ـُهُ / ـَهُكِتَابُهُhis book
She (هِيَ)ـُهَاكِتَابُهَاher book
We (نَحْنُ)ـُنَاكِتَابُنَاour book
The Same Suffixes on Prepositions
Preposition+ me (ـِي)+ him (ـُهُ)+ her (ـُهَا)
فِيفِيَّفِيهِفِيهَا
مَعَمَعِيمَعَهُمَعَهَا
هَذَا كِتَابِي وَذَلِكَ كِتَابُكَ أَيْنَ كِتَابُهُ؟
Hādhā kitābī wa-dhālika kitābuka Ayna kitābuhu?
This is my book and that is your book. Where is his book?
الْكِتَابُ مَعَهَا هَذَا بَيْتُنَا قَلَمُكِ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ
Al-kitābu maʿahā Hādhā baytunā Qalamuki ʿalā ṭ-ṭāwila
The book is with her. This is our house. Your pen (f) is on the table.
Sample Dialogue
أ: أَيْنَ كِتَابُكَ؟ ب: كِتَابِي عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ. أ: وَكِتَابُهَا؟ ب: هِيَ مَعَهَا.
A: Ayna kitābuka? B: Kitābī ʿalā l-maktab. A: Wa-kitābuhā? B: Hiya maʿahā.
A: Where is your book? B: My book is on the desk. A: And her book? B: She has it with her.
- The ـِي suffix (my) requires the noun to take a kasra just before it: كِتَابِي.
- The ـهُ pronoun softens after long vowels: كِتَابُهُ (his book) the wāw vowel merges.
- The same 13 suffixes attach to nouns, prepositions, and verbs learn them once, use everywhere.
- كِتَابُكَ (m) vs كِتَابُكِ (f) a kasra on the كَاف distinguishes feminine "your" from masculine.
- لِي (lī = for me / mine) is the preposition لِـ + the ـِي suffix: لِي كِتَابٌ = I have a book.