Lesson 39
Noun Endings Tanwīn and Case Markers Review
أحكام الأسماء
A systematic review of when tanwīn appears and when it does not, covering definite nouns, proper nouns, nouns in iḍāfa, and diptotes. This lesson resolves many common case-marking confusions.
When Tanwīn Appears / Does Not Appear
ConditionTanwīn?Example
Indefinite nounYes ✓كِتَابٌ
Definite (with الـ)No ✗الْكِتَابُ
Proper nounUsually No ✗أَحْمَدُ
First noun of iḍāfaNo ✗كِتَابُ الطَّالِب
Diptote (in genitive)No ✗مَسَاجِدَ
Case Endings Regular Nouns
CaseIndefiniteDefiniteFunction
Nominative (رَفْع)طَالِبٌالطَّالِبُSubject
Accusative (نَصْب)طَالِباًالطَّالِبَObject / predicate of كان
Genitive (جَرّ)طَالِبٍالطَّالِبِAfter preposition / 2nd of iḍāfa
جَاءَ طَالِبٌ رَأَيْتُ طَالِباً تَكَلَّمْتُ مَعَ طَالِبٍ
Jāʾa ṭālibun Raʾaytu ṭāliban Takallamtu maʿa ṭālibin
A student came. (nom) I saw a student. (acc) I spoke with a student. (gen)
زُرْتُ مَسَاجِدَ كَثِيرَةً مَرَرْتُ بِالْمَسَاجِدِ الْكَبِيرَةِ
Zurtu masājida kathīratan Marartu bi-l-masājidi l-kabīra
I visited many mosques. (diptote: fatḥa not kasra) I passed by the large mosques. (definite diptote: kasra returns)
- Tanwīn = indefinite + non-diptote + not in iḍāfa as first noun.
- First noun of iḍāfa: no tanwīn, no definite article its definiteness comes from the second noun.
- Diptote exception: WITH definite article الـ, even diptotes take normal kasra in genitive.
- Diptote triggers: broken plural patterns (فَعَالِل, فَعَائِل), words on أَفْعَل pattern for colours/defects, and non-Arabic proper nouns (إِبْرَاهِيمُ, يُوسُفُ).
- The three cases are marked by short vowels reading without harakat requires knowing the grammatical role to supply the correct vowel.