Feminine Gender

Feminine Gender (‫ﺚ‬ ‫ ﹸ‬‫ﺆﻧ‬ ‫)ﺍ ﹸﳌ‬ a) The usual feminine ending, as said in the first lesson, is

‫ﺓ‬

( closed

Ta – ‫ﻮ ﹶﻃ ﹸﺔ‬‫ﺮﺑ‬ ‫ ) ﺍﻟﺘﺎ ُﺀ ﺍ ﹶﳌ‬, e.g. ‫ﻤ ﹸﺔ‬ ‫ﻃ‬ ‫ ﻓﹶﺎ‬, ‫ﺮ ﹲﺓ‬ ‫ﺑ ﹶﻘ‬ a cow, ‫ﻳ ﹲﺔ‬‫ﺮ‬ ‫ ﹶﻗ‬a village, ‫ﻣ ﹲﺔ‬ ‫ﻼ‬ ‫ﺳ ﹶ‬ safety. However, two feminine nouns have a long

‫( ﺕ‬open Ta – ُ‫ﺔ‬‫ﻮﺣ‬‫) ﺍﻟﺘﺎ ُﺀ ﺍﹶﳌ ﹾﻔﺘ‬

at the end. They are: ‫ﺖ‬  ‫ﺧ‬ ‫ ﹸﺃ‬sister, ‫ﺖ‬  ‫ﻨ‬ ‫ ﹺﺑ‬daughter. b) The second feminine ending is known as alif maqşũrah ( ‫ﻮﺭﺓ‬‫ﻣ ﹾﻘﺼ‬ ‫ﻒ‬‫) ﺃﻟ‬ short alif which is ‫ ﻯ‬pronounced as ã , e.g. ‫ﻴﻠﹶﻰ‬ ‫ ﹶﻟ‬, ‫ﻰ‬‫ﺳ ﹾﻠﻤ‬ ( names of women ), ‫ﻯ‬‫ﻐﺮ‬ ‫ﺻ‬  ( smaller,f. ), ‫ﻯ‬‫ﺒﺮ‬ ‫ ( ﹸﻛ‬greater,f. ). c) The third feminine ending is called alif mamdũdah ( ‫ﺓ‬‫ﻭﺩ‬‫ﻤﺪ‬ ‫ﻣ‬ ‫ﻒ‬‫ ) ﺃﻟ‬, long alif which is hamzah preceded by alif, e.g. ‫ﺎ ُﺀ‬‫ﺳﻤ‬ ‫ ( ﺃ‬name of a  ‫ﺣ‬ ( beautiful woman ). woman ), ‫ﺎ ُﺀ‬‫ﻤﻴ‬ ‫ﻋ‬ ( blind woman ), ُ‫ﺎﺀ‬‫ﺴﻨ‬ d) There are, however, feminine nouns that do not have any of these endings. They may be classified in the following categories: 1. Names of women, e.g. ‫ﻢ‬ ‫ﻳ‬‫ﺮ‬ ‫ﻣ‬ ، ‫ﺪ‬ ‫ﻨ‬‫ﻫ‬ ، ‫ﺐ‬  ‫ﻨ‬‫ﻳ‬‫ﺯ‬ 2. Females, e.g. ‫ﻡ‬ ‫ ﹸﺍ‬mother, ‫ﺱ‬  ‫ﻭ‬‫ﻋﺮ‬ bride, ‫ﺎ ﹲﻥ‬‫ ﹶﺍﺗ‬she ass. 3. Parts of the body that are double, e.g. ‫ﻦ‬ ‫ﻴ‬ ‫ﻋ‬ eye, ‫ﺪ‬ ‫ﻳ‬ hand, ‫ ﹸﺍ ﹸﺫ ﹲﻥ‬ear, ‫ﻉ‬  ‫ﺭﺍ‬‫ ﺫ‬arm, ‫ﺟ ﹲﻞ‬ ‫ ﹺﺭ‬foot, leg ‫ﻕ‬  ‫ﺎ‬‫ ﺳ‬shank. 4. Names of towns and countries, e.g. ‫ﺮ‬ ‫ﺼ‬  ‫ﻣ‬ Egypt, ‫ﺎ‬‫ﻮ ﹺﺭﻳ‬‫ ﺳ‬Syria, ‫ﺪ‬ ‫ﻨ‬ ‫ﳍ‬ ‫ ﺍ‬India. 5. Some everyday words, e.g. ‫ﺭ‬ ‫ ﺩﺍ‬house, ‫ﺭ‬ ‫ﺎ‬‫ ﻧ‬fire, ‫ﺢ‬  ‫ﻳ‬‫ ﹺﺭ‬wind, ‫ﺎ ٌﺀ‬‫ﺳﻤ‬ sky,

‫ﺲ‬  ‫ﻤ‬ ‫ﺷ‬ sun,

‫ﺏ‬  ‫ﺮ‬ ‫ﺣ‬ war,

‫ﺽ‬  ‫ﺭ‬ ‫ ﹶﺍ‬earth,

‫ﺲ‬  ‫ﻧ ﹾﻔ‬ soul,

‫ﻖ‬ ‫ﻳ‬‫ ﹶﻃ ﹺﺮ‬way,path.

All the nouns that do not fall in these categories are masculine. You may also say that all nouns are masculine except those that belong to these categories. Feminine Gender.doc

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