Nouns and Gender in Arabic

Gender in Arabic explained [click here]

What is a noun?

A noun is the naming of "anything." You can name a thing or place.

Now do say...

What first... the good or the bad news?

The bad news is that a noun can be either masculine OR/ feminine and you need to know which.

In other words, unlike English, Arabic is gender sensitive.

The good news it's easy to figure out if a noun is masculine or feminine.

The rule is simple:

A noun is masculine if it ends in a consonant.

A noun is feminine if it ends in an… “a” sound.

It can't get simpler then that!

There are a few exceptions but who cares for now!

Take note [click here]

Take note...

Get into the habit of hearing the noun and recognizing if it is masculine or feminine by “sound.”

If you hit that consonant at the end of the word it is masculine.
And, if you hit an “a” sound at the end of the word it is feminine.

Listen and repeat [click here]

Listen and repeat as you recognize if the words are masculine or feminine.

بَدْلَةٌ
بَدْلَةْ
1 badla - suit
Ends in “a” therefore is feminine

فُسْتانٌ
فُسْتانْ
2 fostaan - dress
Ends in consonant therefore is masculine

بيتٌ
بيتْ
3 beet - house

مَدْرَسـَة ٌ
مَدْرَسـَةْ
4 madrasa - school

خَواجَة*
خَواجَـةْ
5 xawaaga - foreigner
Exception: a borrowed word that is masculine despite the feminine "a" ending.

وَلَدٌ
وَلَدْ
6 walad - boy

[09] nouns and gender