Definition
The structural arrangement of words in an Arabic sentence, primarily categorized into two types: verbal and nominal.
| Arabic | جُمْلَة |
| Translitertion | Jumla |
| Pronunciation |
Grammatical Information
- Part of Speech: Noun (اسم – Ism)
- Gender: Feminine (مُؤَنَّث – Mu’annath)
- Number: Singular (مُفْرَد – Mufrad)
- Note: The plural is جُمَل (Jumal)
Example Sentences
| Arabic | Transliteration | English Translation | Pronunciation |
| ذَهَبَ الطَّالِبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ | Dhahaba aṭ-ṭālibu ilā al-madrasati | The student went to the school. (Sentence Type – Verbal/VSO) | |
| اَلْكِتَابُ جَدِيدٌ | Al-kitābu jadīdun | The book is new. (Sentence Type – Nominal/S-P) | Compact Audio Player Error! The mp3 file URL that you entered in the "fileurl" parameter looks to be invalid. Please enter a valid URL of the audio file. |
| نَحْنُ نَتَعَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ | Naḥnu nataʿallamu al-ʿarabiyyata | We are learning Arabic. (Sentence Type – Nominal/Pronoun) | |
Related Words and Phrases
- The Two Main Types:
- Verbal Sentence (الْجُمْلَة الْفِعْلِيَّة): Begins with a verb (فِعْل) followed by a subject (فَاعِل)
- Nominal Sentence (الْجُمْلَة الاسْمِيَّة): Begins with a noun or pronoun (مُبْتَدَأ) followed by a predicate (خَبَر).
- Key Components:
- Subject: فَاعِل (Fāʿil) — The “doer” in a verbal sentence.
- Verb: فِعْل (Fiʿl) — The action.
- Predicate: خَبَر (Khabar) — The information given about the subject.
- Pronoun: ضَمِير (Ḍamīr) — Can be detached (separate) or attached (suffixes).
- Words from the Same Root:
- جَمَلَ (jamala): To collect or sum up
- إِجْمَالِيّ (ijmāliy): Total / Comprehensive
- مُجَامَلَة (mujāmalah): A courtesy or compliment (treating someone with a “complete” or “beautiful” manner)
Cultural Context
In Arabic, the choice between a verbal and a nominal sentence often carries subtle rhetorical weight. A verbal sentence emphasizes the action or the occurrence of an event, which is why it is the standard for storytelling and news reporting. A nominal sentence, however, emphasizes the subject or a permanent state of being, often used to establish facts or descriptions.