Special characters: ā ḥ ṣ ī

Grammar

Pronouns

| Word | Pronunciation | Translation | Number | Person | Gender | |------|---------------|-------------|--------|--------|--------| | أنا | 'ana | I | Singular | 1st | — | | نحن | naḥnu | We | Plural | 1st | Either | | أنت | anta | You | Singular | 2nd | Masculine | | أنت | anti | You | Singular | 2nd | Feminine | | أنتما | antumā | You two | Dual | 2nd | Either | | أنتم | antum | You all | Plural | 2nd | Masculine | | أنتنّ | antunna | You all | Plural | 2nd | Feminine | | هو | huwa | He | Singular | 3rd | Masculine | | هي | hiya | She | Singular | 3rd | Feminine | | هما | humā | They two | Dual | 3rd | Either | | هم | hum | They | Plural | 3rd | Masculine | | هنّ | hunna | They | Plural | 3rd | Feminine |

Nouns and adjectives

• Gender and number
  • Feminine → end in ta marbuta ة (generally not pronounced); female names; many nature words
  • Masculine singular → feminine singular: + "ata" (short 'a' and ta marbuta ة)
  • Singular → dual: + "an" (ان) — pronounce ة when adding dual ending to feminine nouns
  • Masculine singular → masculine plural: + ūn (ون)
  • Masculine singular → feminine plural: + āt (ات)

Verbs

• Each verb defined by three root consonants
• Tenses adjusted by prefixes and vowels; + prefix/suffixes depending on person, number, and gender
• When adding a suffix, remove the normal vowel first

Present tense by person/gender/number, for root X:

| | Singular | Dual | Plural | |---|---|---|---| | 1st | a-X | (same as plural) | na-X | | 2nd (M) | ta-X | ta-X-aan | ta-X-uuna | | 2nd (F) | ta-X-iina | ta-X-aan | ta-X-nna | | 3rd (M) | ya-X | ya-X-aan | ya-X-uuna | | 3rd (F) | ta-X | ta-X-aan | ya-X-nna |