The literal meaning of ​Nahwa is direction.

ُ ‫َﺤ َﻮ ا‬
Example: ​I came in the direction of the teacher.‫ﻻ ْﺳَﺘ ِﺎذ‬ ْ ‫ﺟ ْى ُﺖ ﻧ‬.
ِ

However, the Nahwa being referred to is the Science that

deals with the changing of the ​I’raab ​on the last letter of
the Arabic word.

Examples: ‫ﺎء َز ْﯾ ٌﺪ‬

َ ‫ﺟ‬.
َ
‫رَأْﯾ ُﺖ َزْﯾ ًﺪ‬.
َ
‫ﻣ َﺮ ْر ُت ِﺑ َﺰْﯾ ٍﺪ‬.
َ

Nahwa in speech is like the salt in the food. ‫اﻟﻜَﻼم‬

َ ‫اﻟﻨﱠ ْﺤ ُﻮ ِﻓﻲ‬
‫ﻛْﻠ ِﻤْﻠﺢ ِﻓﻲ ﱠ‬. 
َ ِ
‫اﻟﻄﻌﺎم‬ ِ
ِ

Every word in Arabic is called ‫ِﻤ ُﺔ‬ َ

َ ‫اﻟﻜﻠ‬
‫ِﻤ ُﺔ‬ َ is of three types:
َ ‫اﻟﻜﻠ‬

• ‫ا ِﻻ ْﺳ ُﻢ‬is a word which gives an independent meaning

which is not attached to one of the three tenses. Example:
‫َﻗَﻠ ٌﻢ‬
• ‫ِﻌ ُﻞ‬
ْ ‫ اﻟﻔ‬is a word which gives an independent meaning
which is attached to one of the three tenses. Example: ‫َﺟَﻠ َﺲ‬
•‫ف‬ ُ ‫اﻟﺤ ْﺮ‬
َ is a word which is not independent and its
meaning cannot be understood without attaching another
word to it.
 ُ‫​اﻟﻤ ْﻌ ِﺮَﻓﺔ َو اﻟﻨﱠ ِﻜ َﺮة‬
َ

An ​ism​ is either ​ma’rifa o ​ r ​nakira.

‫اﻟﻤ ْﻌ ِﺮَﻓ ُﺔ‬
َ ​- The definite.
The general sign of ​ma’rifa ​is ‫ال‬
Example: ‫اﻟ َﻮَﻟ ُﺪ‬
ُ‫​ اﻟﻨﱠ ِﻜ َﺮة‬- The indefinite.
The sign of ​nakira ​is t​ anween. ًٌٍ))
Example: ‫وﻟ ٌﺪ‬

• A word cannot have an ‫ ال‬and ​tanween​ together.

• ​Ma’rifa ​and ​Nakira is specific to Ism.

‫اﻟﺤ َﺎﻻت‬
َ ‫ا ِﻻ ْﻋ َﺮاب َو‬

‫ﺟﻤﻊ‬ ‫​ﺗﺜﻨﯿﺔ‬ ‫​واﺣﺪ‬ ‫اﻋﺮاب‬

‫ْاو َن‬ ‫ٰن‬
ِ‫ا‬ ٌُ ‫اﻟﺮ ْﻓ ُﻊ‬
‫ﱠ‬
e.g‫ُﻣ ْﺴِﻠ ُﻤ ْﻮ َن‬ e.g‫ﺎن‬
ِ ‫ِﻤ‬
َ ‫ُﻣ ْﺴﻠ‬ e.g‫ﻣﺴِﻠ ٌﻢ‬
ْ

‫ِا ْﯾ َﻦ‬ ‫َا ْﯾ ِﻦ‬ ًَ ْ ‫اﻟﻨﱠ‬

‫ﺼ ُﺐ‬
e.g‫ﻣﺴ ِﻠﻤ ْﯿ َﻦ‬
ْ e.g‫ِﻤ ْﯿ ِﻦ‬
َ ‫ُﻣ ْﺴﻠ‬

‫ِا ْﯾ َﻦ‬ ‫َا ْﯾ ِﻦ‬ ٍِ ‫اﻟﺠ ﱡﺮ‬

َ
e.g‫ﻣﺴﻠﻤ ْﯿ َﻦ‬
ِ e.g‫ﺴﻠﻤ ْﯿ ِﻦ‬
َ ‫ُﻣ‬
 ّ
‫اﻟﺠﺎرة‬ ‫ﺣﺮوف‬

with ‫ﺑﺎ ُء‬

by the ‫ﻗﺴﻢ ﺗﺎ ُء‬
like ُ
‫ﻛﺎف‬
for ‫ﻻم‬
by Allah (‫واو‬
ُ (‫ﻗﺴﻢ‬
since ‫ُﻣ ْﻨ ُﺬ‬
since ‫ُﻣ ْﺬ‬
besides َ ‫َﺧ‬
‫ﻼ‬
occasionally ‫ُر ﱠب‬
besides ‫ﺣﺎش‬َ
from ‫ِﻣ ْﻦ‬
besides ‫َﻋ َﺪا‬
in ‫ﻓِﻲ‬
regarding, from ‫َﻋ ْﻦ‬
upon ‫َﻋﻠﻰ‬
to, until ‫َﺣﱠﺘﻰ‬
towards ‫اِﻟﻰ‬

Harfe Jarr will enter on an ism and the ism will be in ‫ﺣﺎﻟﺔ ﺟﺮ‬.
The ism will be called a ‫ﻣ ْﺠ ُﺮ ْور‬.
َ Example: ‫اﻟﻤﯿﺪان‬
ِ ‫ﻓﻲ‬
‫ﻓﻲ – ﺣﺮف ﺟﺮ‬
‫اﻟﻤﯿﺪان – ﻣﺠﺮور‬
ِ
 َ ‫اﻟﻤ ْﺒَﺘ َﺪِأ َو‬
‫اﻟﺨَﺒ ُﺮ‬ ُ

‘Mubtada’ comes from the word ‫ َﺑ َﺪَأ‬which means ‘to

begin’. Mubtada begins your sentence. It will generally be
‫ ﻣﻌﺮﻓﺔ‬and in ‫ﺣﺎﻟﺔ رﻓﻊ‬. Example: ‫ﺻﻐﯿﺮ‬
ٌ ‫اﻟﻮﻟ ُﺪ‬
‘Khabar’ is information about the mubtada. Khabar will
generally be ‫ ﻧﻜﺮة‬and in ‫ﺣﺎﻟﺔ رﻓﻊ‬. Example: ‫ﻐﯿﺮ‬
ٌ ‫ﺻ‬َ ‫اﻟﻮﻟ ُﺪ‬
Mubtada and Khabar will coincide in number and gender.

‫اﻷﺳﻤﺎء اﻹﺷﺎرة‬

This (masc.). َ ‫ﻫـ‬

‫ٰذا‬
These 2 (masc.) ‫ٰذان‬
ِ ‫ﻫـ‬
These 2 (masc.) ‫ﻫـﺬ ْﯾ ِﻦ‬
These many ‫ٰؤ َﻻ ِء‬
ُ ‫ﻫـ‬
This (fem.) ‫ﻫـﺬ ِه‬
ِ
These 2 (fem.) ‫ﺎن‬ ِ ‫َٰﺗ‬‫ﻫـ‬
These 2 (fem.) ‫َٰﺗ ْﯿ ِﻦ‬
‫ﻫـ‬
These many ‫ٰؤ َﻻ ِء‬
ُ ‫ﻫـ‬

That (masc.) َ ‫ٰﻟ‬

‫ِﻚ‬ ‫ذ‬
Those 2 (masc.) ‫ِﻚ‬َ ‫ٰﻧ‬ ‫ذ‬
Those 2 (masc.) َ ‫َذ ْﯾﻨ‬
‫ِﻚ‬
Those many ‫أُ ْوﻻﺋﻚ‬
That (fem.) ‫ﺗِْﻠ َﻚ‬
Those 2 (fem.) ‫ِﻚ‬َ ‫َﺗﺎﻧ‬
Those 2 (fem.) َ ‫َﺗ ْﯿﻨ‬
‫ِﻚ‬
Those many َ ‫اُ ْوﻻﺋ‬
‫ِﻚ‬

Nouns used to point out or indicate something – ‫اﺳﻤﺎء اﻹﺷﺎرة‬

ٌ ‫ُﻣ َﺸ‬
Object being pointed out – ‫ﺎر إﻟﯿﻪ‬

‫ ﻣﺸﺎر إﻟﯿﻪ‬- ُ ‫ٰذا اﻟ ﱡﺮ‬

will always be ‫ﻣﻌﺮﻓﺔ‬. Example: ‫ﺟﻞ‬ َ ‫ﻫـ‬
- The gender and number of the ‫ اﺳﻢ اﻹﺷﺎرة‬will depend on
the ‫ﻣﺸﺎر إﻟﯿﻪ‬.
Examples : ‫ﺟﻼن‬ ِ ‫اﻟﺮ‬‫ٰذان ﱡ‬
ِ ‫ﻫـ‬،
ُ ‫اﻟﺮ‬
‫ﺟﺎل‬ ‫ٰؤﻻء ﱢ‬ ُ ‫ﻫـ‬
- The ‫ إﻋﺮاب‬of the ‫ اﺳﻢ اﻹﺷﺎرة‬and ‫ ﻣﺸﺎر إﻟﯿﻪ‬will depend on
what position it holds in the sentence.
Examples: ‫ٰذا اﻟَﻘَﻠ ِﻢ‬ َ ‫ﺑﻬـ‬،
ِ
ٌ‫اﻟﺒْﻨ ُﺖ َﺟﻤْﯿﻠﺔ‬
ِ ‫ﻫـﺬ ِه‬.

ِ ‫اﻟﻤْﻨ‬
‫ﻔﺼﻠﺔ‬ ُ ‫اﻟﻀﻤﺎﺋﺮ‬

He ‫ُﻫ َﻮ‬
They 2 ‫ُﻫﻤﺎ‬
They ​many​ (masc.) ‫ُﻫ ْﻢ‬
She ‫ِﻫ َﻲ‬
They 2 ‫ﻫﻤﺎ‬
They ​many (​ fem.) ‫ُﻫ ﱠﻦ‬

You (masc.) ‫َأْﻧ َﺖ‬

You ​2 ‫اﻧُﺘﻤﺎ‬
You ​many ​ (masc.)‫َأ‬ ‫َأْﻧُﺘ ْﻢ‬
You (fem.) ‫َأْﻧ ِﺖ‬
You ​2 ‫اﻧُﺘﻤﺎ‬
You ​many ​(fem.) ‫اﻧُﺘ ﱠﻦ‬
I ‫أﻧﺎ‬
We ‫َﻧ ْﺤ ُﻦ‬

‫اﻟﻤﱠﺘ ِﺼَﻠﺔ‬
ُ ‫اﻟﻀﻤﺎﺋﺮ‬

His ‫ُه‬
Their ​(2) ‫ُﻫﻤﺎ‬
Their ​pl. (masc.) ‫ُﻫ ْﻢ‬
Her ‫َﻫﺎ‬
Their ​(2) ‫ُﻫ َﻤﺎ‬
Their ​pl. (fem.) ‫ُﻫ ﱠﻦ‬

Your ​(masc.) ‫َك‬

Your ​2 ‫ُﻛﻤﺎ‬
Your ​pl. (masc.)​ ‫ُﻛ ْﻢ‬
Your ​(fem.) ‫ِك‬
Your ​2 ​ ‫ُﻛ َﻤﺎ‬
Your ​pl. (fem.) ‫ُﻛ ﱠﻦ‬

My ‫ْي‬
Our ‫َﻧﺎ‬

‫( اﻟﻀﻤﺎﺋﺮ اﻟﻤّﺘﺼﻠﺔ‬attached pronouns) cannot be pronounced

alone – it’s always attached to another word.
When ‫ اﻟﻀﻤﯿﺮ اﻟﻤﺘﺼﻞ‬is joined to an ​ism,​ it shows possession.
Example: ​My book – ‫ِﻛَﺘ ِﺎﺑ ْﻲ‬
‫اﻟﻤﻀﺎف و اﻟﻤﻀﺎف إﻟﯿﻪ‬
ُ

That which is being possessed – ‫ُﻣﻀﺎف‬

The possessor – ‫ُﻣ َﻀﺎف إَِﻟْﯿﻪ‬
Example: ‫ﺎن‬ َ ْ‫اﻟﺸﯿ‬
‫ات ﱠ‬ ُ ‫ُﺧ‬
ِ‫ﻄ‬ ِ َ‫ﻄﻮ‬
‫ ﻣﻀﺎف‬will never get an ‫ ال‬or tanween.
‫ ﻣﻀﺎف اﻟﯿﻪ‬will be in ‫ﺣﺎﻟﺔ ﺟﺮ‬
‫ ﻣﻀﺎف‬will get an ‫ أﻋﺮاب‬dependant on what position it holds in
the sentence.

*‫ اﺳﻢ اﻹﺷﺎرة‬and ‫ ﻣﺸﺎر إﻟﯿﻪ‬can be a ‫ﻣﻀﺎف إﻟﯿﻪ‬.

Example: ‫ٰذَا اﻟﻤُﺪَ ﱢر ِس‬
‫ﻗﻠﻢُ ﻫـ‬

‫​ﻇﺮف اﻟﺰﻣﺎن و ﻇﺮف اﻟﻤﻜﺎن‬

ْ

‫ َﻇ ْﺮف ﱠ‬explains the time in which a ‫ ﻓﻌﻞ‬occurred in.

‫اﻟﺰ َﻣﺎن‬
Example:
The heat is intense in ​summer – ‫ﺻﯿْﻔًﺎ‬ ‫َﯾ ْﺸَﺘ ﱡﺪ ﱡ‬.
َ ‫اﻟﺤﺮ‬
‫اﻟﻤ َﻜﺎن‬
َ ‫ ﻇﺮف‬explains the place in which a ‫ ﻓﻌﻞ‬occurred in.
Example:
The boy sat ​behind the tree - ‫ﺠ َﺮِة‬ ‫اﻟﻮَﻟ ُﺪ َو َراء ﱠ‬
َ ‫اﻟﺸ‬ َ ‫َﺟَﻠ َﺲ‬

*‫ ﻇﺮف‬will be in ‫ﺣﺎﻟﺔ ﻧﺼﺐ‬.

 ‫​ﺣﺮوف اﻟﻌﺎﻃﻔﺔ‬

And ‫َو‬
Thus, therefore ‫َف‬
Then ‫ُﺛ ﱠﻢ‬
Or ‫َأ ْو‬
In fact ‫َﺑ ْﻞ‬
But ‫ٰﻛ ْﻦ‬
ِ‫ل‬
Or ‫َأ ْم‬
Nor َ
‫ﻻ‬
Until ‫َﺣﱠﺘﻰ‬

‫ﻣﻮﺻﻮف و ﺻﻔﺔ‬

Word being described – ‫ﺻ ْﻮف‬

ُ ‫َﻣ ْﻮ‬
Description – ‫ِﺻَﻔﺔ‬

There are four things in which ‫ ﻣﻮﺻﻮف‬and ‫ ﺻﻔﺔ‬need to

coincide:
- ‫ﻣﻌﺮﻓﺔ و ﻧﻜﺮة‬
- Number (‫ ﺟﻤﻊ‬،‫ ﺗﺜﻨﯿﺔ‬،‫)واﺣﺪ‬
- Gender ( ‫) ﻣﺬﻛﺮ وﻣﺌﻨﺚ‬
- ‫إﻋﺮاب‬

Examples: ‫ﯿﺮ‬ ُ ‫اﻟﺼ ِﻐ‬ ‫ﱢ‬

‫اﻟﻄْﻔ ُﻞ ﱠ‬،
‫اﻟﺼﻐﯿﺮان‬
ِ ‫اﻟﻄﻔﻼن‬،
ِ
ُ ْ َ
‫اﻷﻃَﻔﺎل ﱢ‬
ُ ‫اﻟﺼ َﻐ‬
‫ﺎر‬
 ‫​ﺣﺮوف اﻻﺳﺘﻔﻬﺎم‬ ​

What ‫َﻣ َﺎذا‬

How many ‫َﻛ ْﻢ‬
What ‫ﻣﺎ‬
Who ‫َﻣ ْﻦ‬
Which ‫َأ ﱡي‬
Which ‫َأْﯾ ْﺶ‬
Where ‫َأْﯾ َﻦ‬
When ‫ٰى‬ ‫َﻣﺖ‬
How ‫َﻛْﯿ َﻒ‬
Is/are/did/what ‫َأ‬
Is/are/did/what ‫َﻫ ْﻞ‬
Why ‫ﻟ َِﻢ‬

‫اﻓﻌﺎل اﻟﻨﺎﻗﺼﺔ‬

Was ‫ﺎن‬َ ‫َﻛ‬

Became ‫َﺻﺎر‬
To happen in the morning ‫َأ ْﺻَﺒ َﺢ‬
To happen at noon ‫ٰى‬‫َأ ْﺿﺢ‬
To happen in the evening ‫ٰى‬ ‫َأ ْﻣﺲ‬
To happen during the day ‫َﻇ ﱠﻞ‬
To happen during the night َ ‫َﺑ‬
‫ﺎت‬
As long as ‫َﻣﺎ َد َام‬
Always, forever, at all times ‫ﻣﺎ َزال‬
Always, forever, at all times ‫ﻣﺎ َﺑ ِﺮ َح‬
Always, forever, at all times ‫ﻣﺎ أْﻧَﻔ ﱠﻚ‬
 َ ‫ﻣﺎ َﻓﺘ‬
Always, forever, at all times ‫ِﺊ‬
Not ‫َﻟْﯿ َﺲ‬

These ‫ اﻓﻌﺎل‬enter on a ‫ ﻣﺒﺘﺪا‬and ‫ﺧﺒﺮ‬. It gives the ‫ ﻣﺒﺘﺪا‬a ‫ رﻓﻊ‬and

the ‫ ﺧﺒﺮ‬a ‫ﻧﺼﺐ‬. The ‫ ﻣﺒﺘﺪا‬will be called an ‫اﺳﻢ‬.
Example: ​The girl was intelligent – ‫اﻟﺒْﻨ ُﺖ َذ ِﻛﱠﯿ ًﺔ‬
ِ ‫َﻛﺎَﻧ ْﺖ‬

ْ ‫اﻟﻤ َﺸﱠﺒ َﻬﺔ ِﺑﺎﻟﻔ‬

‫ِﻌ ِﻞ‬ ُ ‫ﺣﺮوف‬

Surely ‫أن‬‫ ﱠ‬،‫إن‬ ‫ﱠ‬

As if ‫َﻛَﺄ ﱠن‬
But, however ‫ٰﻛ ﱠﻦ‬
ِ‫ل‬
Hoping ‫َﻟْﯿ َﺖ‬
Maybe, perhaps ‫َﻟ َﻌ ﱠﻞ‬

‫ ﺣﺮف اﻟﻤﺸﺒﻬﺔ‬enters on a ‫ ﻣﺒﺘﺪا‬and ‫ﺧﺒﺮ‬. The ‫ ﻣﺒﺘﺪا‬will be called

​ he ‫ اﺳﻢ‬will get a ‫ ﻧﺼﺐ‬and the ‫ ﺧﺒﺮ‬will get a ‫رﻓﻊ‬.
an ‫اﺳﻢ‬. T
Example: ‫اﻟﺠ َﻤ َﻞ َﺻُﺒ ْﻮ ٌر‬
َ ‫إن‬‫ﱠ‬

ِ ‫ﺣﺮوف اﻟﱠﻨ‬
‫ﺎﺻَﺒﺔ‬

ْ
‫أن‬
‫َﻟ ْﻦ‬
‫َﻛ ْﻲ‬
‫ًإذا‬
‫ﻛﻲ‬
ْ ‫ﻻم‬
ْ

‫ ﺣﺮوف اﻟﻨﺎﺻﺒﺔ‬enters on ‫ اﻟﻔﻌﻞ اﻟﻤﻀﺎرع‬and gives it a ‫ﻧﺼﺐ‬.

‫ﻏﯿﺮ ُﻣْﻨ َﺼ ِﺮف‬

‫ ﻏﯿﺮ ﻣﻨﺼﺮف‬is such an ‫ اﺳﻢ‬which cannot accept a ‫ ﻛﺴﺮة‬or

‫ﺗْﻨ ِﻮْﯾﻦ‬.
There are nine reasons in Arabic which can render an ‫ اﺳﻢ‬a​ s
‫ﻏﯿﺮ ﻣﻨﺼﺮف‬. The ‫ اﺳﻢ‬must possess two of the nine reasons or
one reason that stands in place of two.

1) Proper noun. ‫َﻋَﻠ ِﻤﱠﯿﺔ‬

Example: ‫ﻓﺎﻃﻤﺔ‬
2) Feminine. ‫َﺗﺄِﻧْﯿﺚ‬
3) Non-Arab. ‫أﻋ َﺠ ِﻤﱠﯿﺔ‬
ْ
4) ‫ ا‬and ‫ ن‬at the end. ‫اﻷﻟﻒ و اﻟﱡﻨﻮن زاﺋﺪﺗﺎن‬
Example: ‫ُﻋْﺜ َﻤﺎن‬
5) A word with a combination of 2 words – ‫َﺗ ْﺮ ِﻛْﯿﺐ‬
Example: New York
6) Adjective ‫َو ْﺻﻒ‬
7) A noun in the form of a verb. ‫َو ْز ُن اﻟﻔﻌﻞ‬
Example: ‫أﺣ َﻤﺪ‬ْ
8) Plural (​Stands in place of 2 reasons) ‫اﻟﺠ ْﻤﻊ‬
َ
​Example: ​ ‫أﺻ ِﺪَﻗﺎ ُء‬
ْ
9) Changing of a word from its original pattern without
changing its meaning. ‫َﻋ ْﺪل‬
There are two types of ‫ ﻋﺪل‬:
ْ (verifiable) ​Example: three by three – ‫ث‬
- ‫ﺗﺤِﻘْﯿﻘﻲ‬ َ َ‫ﺛُﻼ‬
- ‫( ْﺗﻘ ِﺪْﯾﺮي‬estimated) ​Example: ‫ﻋُﻤَﺮ‬