Mastering arabic case endings is the key to unlocking the true logic of Arabic grammar. Indeed, unlike English, where word order determines function, Arabic uses short vowel endings (or suffixes) on nouns and adjectives to show their exact role in the sentence. This system, called i‘rāb (الإِعْرَاب), is vital for achieving fluency in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA).
The Three Core Arabic Case Endings
Every noun and adjective in MSA can fall into one of three grammatical cases. Consequently, these case endings in arabic always appear on the final letter of the noun or adjective.
| Arabic Name | English Name | Function | Ending Sign (Singular) | Example Ending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| الْمَرْفُوع (al-marfū‘) | Nominative case | Subject, predicate, or noun after kāna. | -u or -un (Damma/Dammatain) | بَيْتُ (baytu) |
| الْمَنْصُوب (al-manṣūb) | Accusative case | Direct object, adverb, or noun after inna. | -a or -an (Fatḥa/Fatḥatain) | بَيْتًا (baytan) |
| الْمَجْرُور (al-majrūr) | Genitive case | Object of a preposition or noun in iḍāfah (genitive construct). | -i or -in (Kasra/Kasratain) | بَيْتٍ (baytin) |
Nominative case – المرفوع (al-marfū3)
The Nominative case – المرفوع (al-marfū3) is the fundamental case and typically marks the “doer” or the core subject of the sentence.
| Arabic Example | Transliteration | English Translation | Case Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| الْمُدَرِّسُ طَوِيلٌ | al-mudarrisu ṭawīlun | The teacher is tall. | Both the subject (الْمُدَرِّسُ (al−mudarrisu)) and the predicate (طَوِيلٌ (ṭawıˉlun)) take the Nominative case (Damma/Dammatain). |
| شَرِبَ الْوَلَدُ الْعَصِيرَ | shariba al-waladu al-‘aṣīra | The boy drank the juice. | The subject (الْوَلَدُ (al−waladu)) takes the Nominative case (Damma). |
Accusative case – المنصوب (al-manSūb)
Conversely, the Accusative case – المنصوب (al-manSūb) is often referred to as the object case. Therefore, you use the accusative case arabic when a word is being acted upon or serving a temporal/adverbial function.
| Arabic Example | Transliteration | English Translation | Case Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| شَرِبَ الْوَلَدُ الْعَصِيرَ | shariba al-waladu al-‘aṣīra | The boy drank the juice. | The object (الْعَصِيرَ (al−‘aṣıˉra)) takes the Accusative case (Fatḥa). |
| إِنَّ الْبَيْتَ جَمِيلٌ | inna al-bayta jamīlun | Indeed, the house is beautiful. | The noun after إِنَّ (inna) (الْبَيْتَ (al−bayta)) takes the Accusative case (Fatḥa). |
| إِنَّ الْبَيْتَ جَمِيلٌ | Qara’tu kutuban kathīratan | I read many books. | كُتُباً (kutuban) (books – Broken plurals) takes the Accusative case (Fatḥatain). |
Genitive case – المجرور (al-majrūr)
Alternatively, the Genitive case – المجرور (al-majrūr) is primarily a relational case, used when a noun follows a preposition or indicates possession.
| Arabic Example | Transliteration | English Translation | Case Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| الْقِطَّةُ عَلَى الْكُرْسِيِّ | al-qiṭṭatu ‘alā al-kursiyyi | The cat is on the chair. | The object of the preposition عَلَى (‘alaˉ) (الْكُرْسِيِّ (al−kursiyyi)) takes the Genitive case (Kasra). |
| بَابُ الْبَيْتِ | bābu al-bayti | The door of the house. | The second term of the iḍāfah (الْبَيْتِ (al−bayti)) takes the Genitive case (Kasra). |
Beyond Singular: Grammar cases of Arabic duals and Grammar cases of Arabic plurals
Moving on to plural forms, while singular nouns show case via a short final vowel, Grammar cases of Arabic duals and Grammar cases of Arabic plurals show case using long vowel or suffix changes. This is often called i‘rāb bi al-ḥurūf (case via letters). Broken plurals follow the same rules as singular nouns.
Sound Plurals and Duals
| Case | Masculine Sound Plural | Feminine Sound Plural | Dual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ـُونَ (-oon) (مُدَرِّسُونَ) | ـَاتُ (-aatu) (مُدَرِّسَاتُ) | ـَانِ (-aani) (مُدَرِّسَانِ) |
| Accusative | ـِينَ (-een) (مُدَرِّسِينَ) | ـَاتِ (-aati) (مُدَرِّسَاتِ) | ـَيْنِ (-aynıˉ) (مُدَرِّسَيْنِ) |
| Genitive | ـِينَ (-een) (مُدَرِّسِينَ) | ـَاتِ (-aati) (مُدَرِّسَاتِ) | ـَيْنِ (-aynıˉ) (مُدَرِّسَيْنِ) |
Broken Plurals
Finally, remember that Broken plurals (like كُتُب (kutub) – books) do not use the letter suffixes above. Instead, they follow the exact same Damma/Fatḥa/Kasra rules as the singular noun.
- قَرَأْتُ كُتُباً كَثِيرَةً (Qara’tu kutuban katheeratan) (I read many books.) – Accusative case via Fathatain.
- هَذِهِ كُتُبٌ جَدِيدَةٌ (Haˉdhihi kutubun jadeedatun) (These are new books.) – Nominative case via Dammatain.
Conclusion
Mastering arabic case endings is the key to unlocking the true logic of the language. Ultimately, understanding when to use the Nominative case, Accusative case, or Genitive case moves you from simply memorizing phrases to truly comprehending Arabic sentence structure. To reinforce these tricky grammar points and get the practice needed for instant recall, consider using Kaleela App. Keep practicing, and your fluency will dramatically improve!
