Lesson 36
Detached Pronouns All Persons
الضمائر المنفصلة
The complete table of Arabic independent (detached) pronouns the free-standing forms used as subjects, for emphasis, and in equational sentences.
Complete Detached Pronoun Table
PersonArabicTransliterationUsage example
1st sgأَنَاanāأَنَا طَالِبٌ
1st plنَحْنُnaḥnuنَحْنُ مُسْلِمُونَ
2nd m sgأَنْتَantaأَنْتَ مُجْتَهِدٌ
2nd f sgأَنْتِantiأَنْتِ مُجْتَهِدَةٌ
2nd m plأَنْتُمْantumأَنْتُمْ طُلَّابٌ
2nd f plأَنْتُنَّantunnaأَنْتُنَّ طَالِبَاتٌ
3rd m sgهُوَhuwaهُوَ الْأُسْتَاذُ
3rd f sgهِيَhiyaهِيَ الطَّالِبَةُ
3rd m plهُمْhumهُمُ الْعُلَمَاءُ
3rd f plهُنَّhunnaهُنَّ الطَّالِبَاتُ
Dual (m/f)هُمَا / أَنْتُمَاhumā / antumāهُمَا أَخَوَانِ
أَنَا طَالِبٌ وَهُوَ أُسْتَاذٌ نَحْنُ نَدْرُسُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ مَعاً
Anā ṭālibun wa-huwa ustādhun Naḥnu nadrusa l-ʿarabiyyata maʿan
I am a student and he is a teacher. We are studying Arabic together.
زَيْدٌ هُوَ الْعَالِمُ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
Zaydun huwa l-ʿālimu Iyyāka naʿbudu wa-iyyāka nastaʿīn
Zayd is the scholar. You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help. (1:5)
- Detached pronouns are used as subjects (مُبْتَدَأ) in nominal sentences: هُوَ طَالِبٌ مُجْتَهِد.
- They are also used for emphasis: أَنَا كَتَبْتُهُ = "It is I who wrote it."
- The ضَمِير الْفَصْل (separation pronoun): هُوَ inserted between subject and predicate for clarity زَيْدٌ هُوَ الْعَالِم (Zayd is the scholar).
- The feminine plural أَنْتُنَّ and هُنَّ are rarely heard in colloquial Arabic but essential for Quranic and formal text comprehension.
- Dual pronouns هُمَا and أَنْتُمَا are used for exactly two persons Arabic distinguishes two from many more strictly than English.