• In this lesson we will learn about the Demonstrative Pronouns (اسْماء الإشَارة) and Relative Pronouns (الاسْماء الْموصولة) in detail. In previous lessons we have learnt the basics of the Demonstrative Pronouns (see Lesson_001, Lesson_002, Lesson_006, Lesson_007, Lesson_013A, & Lesson_017) and Relative Pronouns in (Lesson_009, & Lesson_012).

• "A Demonstrative Pronoun is a pronoun that represents the near or the distant object.

  • We know that in English "This" is used to point to the near singular object and "That" is used for the distant object and "These" is used to point towards the near Plural Objects and "Those" is used for  the Distant Objects. However no different pronouns are used for the Dual and there is no difference of gender i.e., the same pronouns are used for the masculine as well the feminine.
     

  • In Arabic however, different Demonstrative Pronouns are used for singular, dual and plural objects. Similarly different Pronouns are used for the masculine as well as the feminine.
     

  English	Transliteration	Gender/Number	Arabic	Demonstrative Pronouns
  This	Hadha	Masculine/Singular	هَذَا	اسْمَاءُ الإشارة (لِلْقَرِيْبِ)
  	Hadhihi	Feminine/Singular	هَذِهِ
  These two	Hadhani	Masculine/Dual	هَذَانِ
  	Hatani	Feminine/Dual	هَاتَانِ
  These all	Hau'laei	Masculine & Feminine/ Plural	هَؤُلاَءِ
  That	Dhalika	Masculine/Singular	ذَلِكَ	اسْمَاءُ الإشارة (لِلْبَعِيْدِ)
  	Tilka	Feminine/Singular	تِلْكَ
  Those two	Dhanika	Masculine/Dual	ذَانِكَ
  	Tanika	Feminine/Dual	تَانِكَ
  Those all	U'ulaeeka	Masculine & Feminine/ Plural	أُؤلَئِكَ

• Following are the examples for the Demonstrative Pronouns:

Picture	English	Arabic
	This is a book	هَذَا كِتَابٌ
	This is a notebook	هَذِهِ كُرَّاسَةٌ
	That is a cow	تِلْكَ بَقَرَةٌ
	These are two books	هَذانِ كِتَابَانِ
	These are two cows	هَاتَانِ بَقَرَتَانِ
	These are men	هَؤُلاَءِ رِجَالٌ
	Those are guests	أُوْلَئِكَ ضُيُوفٌ

• "A Relative Pronoun is a pronoun which refers or relates to some noun preceding it".

• The Arabic Relative Pronouns have different forms for singular, dual and plural as well as for masculine and the feminine.

  English	Transliteration	Gender/Number	Arabic	Relative Pronouns
  Who/That	Al-Ladhi	Masculine/Singular	الَّذِي	الاسْمَاء الْمَوْصُولة
  	Al-Lati	Feminine/Singular	الَّتِي
  Those two/Who two	Al-Dhani	Masculine/Dual	الْلَّذَانِ
  	Al-Taani	Feminine/Dual	الْلَتَانِ
  Those all/Who all	Al-Dheena	Masculine/ Plural	الَّذِيْنَ
  	Al-Laa'ee	Feminine/Plural	الَّلائِيْ

 

• Lets take some examples of the Relative Pronouns:

  • This is Muhammad who has passed  هَذَا مُحَمَّدٌ الَّذِي نَجَحَ

  • This is a door which is in front of the mosque  هَذَا بَابٌ الَّذِي أمَامَ الْمَسْجِدِ ,

  • That is a cat that has sat  هَذَا قِطٌّ الَّذِي جَلَسَ
     

  • Those are the brothers who went to the University
     أُوْلَئِكَ الإِخْوَةُ الَّذِيْنَ ذَهَبُوْا إلَى الْجَامِعَةِ