{"id":13306,"date":"2023-07-13T11:37:22","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T11:37:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kaleela.com\/en\/blog\/how-to-use-relative-pronouns-in-arabic\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T13:11:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T13:11:01","slug":"how-to-use-relative-pronouns-in-arabic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kaleela.com\/en\/blog\/how-to-use-relative-pronouns-in-arabic\/","title":{"rendered":"Mastering Relative Pronouns in Arabic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mastering relative pronouns in arabic is essential for building complex, flowing sentences. These pronouns act as the “glue” that connects a descriptive clause (a phrase that gives extra detail) back to a specific person or thing (relative pronouns arabic).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, this guide will break down the essential relative pronouns in arabic in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), their different forms, and how they simplify in spoken dialects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Common Relative Pronouns in Arabic (MSA)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Arabic, the relative pronouns in arabic (\u0627\u064e\u0644\u0652\u0627\u0650\u0633\u0652\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0652\u0645\u064e\u0648\u0652\u0635\u064f\u0648\u0644 – al-ism al-maw\u1e63\u016bl) must agree with the noun they refer to in gender and number. Specifically, they fall into two main categories: specific (which change form) and common (which stay the same).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Specific Relative Pronouns (The Changing Forms)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First and foremost, these pronouns are essential. They change form based on the noun’s gender, number, and grammatical case (the Dual forms change endings).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Form (Agreement)<\/th>Arabic Pronoun<\/th>Transliteration<\/th>Case Usage<\/th>Example Sentence<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Masculine Singular<\/strong><\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0630\u0650\u064a<\/td>al-ladh\u012b<\/td>Invariable<\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0631\u064e\u0651\u062c\u064f\u0644\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0630\u0650\u064a \u064a\u064e\u0643\u0652\u062a\u064f\u0628\u064f. (The man who is writing.)<\/td><\/tr>
Feminine Singular<\/strong><\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u062a\u0650\u064a<\/td>al-lat\u012b<\/td>Invariable<\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0645\u064e\u0631\u0652\u0623\u064e\u0629\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u062a\u0650\u064a \u0633\u064e\u0627\u0641\u064e\u0631\u064e\u062a\u0652. (The woman who traveled.)<\/td><\/tr>
Masculine Dual<\/strong><\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0630\u064e\u0627\u0646\u0650 \/ \u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0630\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0646\u0650<\/td>al-ladh\u0101n\u012b \/ al-ladhayn\u012b<\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0630\u064e\u0627\u0646\u0650 (Nominative) \/ \u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0630\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0646\u0650 (Accusative\/Genitive)<\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0637\u064e\u0651\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628\u064e\u0627\u0646\u0650 \u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0630\u064e\u0627\u0646\u0650 \u062f\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0633\u064e\u0627. (The two students who studied.)<\/td><\/tr>
Feminine Dual<\/strong><\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0644\u062a\u064e\u0627\u0646\u0650 \/ \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0651\u064e\u062a\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0646\u0650<\/td>al-lat\u0101n\u012b \/ al-latayn\u012b<\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0644\u0651\u064e\u062a\u064e\u0627\u0646\u0650 (Nominative) \/ \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0651\u064e\u062a\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0646\u0650 (Accusative\/Genitive)<\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0633\u0651\u064e\u064a\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0631\u064e\u062a\u064e\u0627\u0646\u0650 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u062a\u064e\u0627\u0646\u0650 \u0648\u064e\u0635\u064e\u0644\u064e\u062a\u064e\u0627. (The two cars that arrived.)<\/td><\/tr>
Masculine Plural<\/strong><\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0630\u0650\u064a\u0646\u064e<\/td>al-ladh\u012bna<\/td>Invariable<\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0645\u064f\u0647\u064e\u0646\u0652\u062f\u0650\u0633\u064f\u0648\u0646\u064e \u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0630\u0650\u064a\u0646\u064e \u064a\u064e\u0639\u0652\u0645\u064e\u0644\u064f\u0648\u0646\u064e. (The engineers who work.)<\/td><\/tr>
Feminine Plural<\/strong><\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0644\u0627\u062a\u0650\u064a \/ \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0648\u0627\u062a\u0650\u064a<\/td>al-l\u0101t\u012b \/ al-law\u0101t\u012b<\/td>Invariable<\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0646\u0650\u0651\u0633\u064e\u0627\u0621\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0644\u0627\u062a\u0650\u064a \u0641\u064e\u0632\u0652\u0646\u064e. (The women who won.)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Common Relative Pronouns (The Invariable Forms)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, these pronouns do not change their form based on gender, number, or case. Thus, they are much easier to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Pronoun<\/th>Usage<\/th>Transliteration<\/th>Example Sentence<\/th>English Meaning<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
\u0645\u064e\u0646\u0652<\/strong><\/td>For People (Who\/Whoever)<\/td>man<\/td>\u0623\u064e\u062d\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0631\u0650\u0645\u064f \u0645\u064e\u0646\u0652 \u064a\u064e\u0642\u064f\u0648\u0644\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0652\u062d\u064e\u0642\u0651\u064e<\/td>I respect whoever speaks the truth.<\/td><\/tr>
<\/td><\/td><\/td>\u0645\u064e\u0646\u0652 \u0633\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u062f\u064e\u0646\u0650\u064a \u0641\u064e\u0647\u064f\u0648\u064e \u0635\u064e\u062f\u0650\u064a\u0642\u0650\u064a<\/td>The one who helped me is my friend.<\/td><\/tr>
\u0645\u064e\u0627<\/strong><\/td>For Things\/Concepts (What\/That which)<\/td>m\u0101<\/td>\u0642\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0623\u0652\u062a\u064f \u0645\u064e\u0627 \u0641\u0650\u064a \u0627\u0644\u0652\u0643\u0650\u062a\u064e\u0627\u0628\u0650<\/td>I read what is in the book.<\/td><\/tr>
<\/td><\/td><\/td>\u0644\u064e\u0627 \u0623\u064e\u0639\u0652\u0631\u0650\u0641\u064f \u0645\u064e\u0627 \u064a\u064f\u0641\u064e\u0643\u0650\u0651\u0631\u064f \u0641\u0650\u064a\u0647\u0650<\/td>I don\u2019t know what he is thinking about.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Usage and Examples of Relative Pronouns in Arabic Sentences<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Arabic Relative Pronouns Function primarily as connectors. Therefore, the phrase that follows the pronoun is called the relative clause (\u062c\u064f\u0645\u0652\u0644\u064e\u0629\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0635\u0650\u0651\u0644\u064e\u0629 – jumlat a\u1e63-\u1e63ilah).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Essential Rule: The Returning Pronoun (\u0636\u064e\u0645\u0650\u064a\u0631\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0652\u0639\u064e\u0627\u0626\u0650\u062f)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most important rule for relative pronouns in arabic is the requirement of the Returning Pronoun (\u1e0dam\u012br al-‘\u0101’id). In essence, this is a small suffix (like \u0640\u0647\u064f (-hu) or \u0640\u0647\u064e\u0627 (-haa)) inside the relative clause that refers back to the noun being described.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sentence Structure<\/th>Arabic Sentence<\/th>Returning Pronoun (\u0640\u0647\u064f\/\u0640\u0647\u064e\u0627)<\/th>English Translation<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Object of the Verb<\/strong><\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0643\u0650\u062a\u064e\u0627\u0628\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0630\u0650\u064a \u0642\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0623\u0652\u062a\u064f\u0647\u064f<\/td>\u0640\u0647\u064f (refers to the masculine singular “book”)<\/td>The book that I read it.<\/td><\/tr>
Object of a Preposition<\/strong><\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0645\u064e\u0631\u0652\u0623\u064e\u0629\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u062a\u0650\u064a \u0630\u064e\u0647\u064e\u0628\u0652\u062a\u064f \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0647\u064e\u0627<\/td>\u0640\u0647\u064e\u0627 (refers to the feminine singular “woman”)<\/td>The woman whom I went to her.<\/td><\/tr>
Subject of the Clause<\/strong><\/td>\u0627\u0644\u0637\u064e\u0651\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0630\u0650\u064a \u0647\u064f\u0648\u064e \u0641\u0650\u064a \u0627\u0644\u0635\u0651\u064e\u0641\u0651\u0650<\/td>\u0647\u064f\u0648\u064e (explicit pronoun subject)<\/td>The student who he is in the class.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Important Note:<\/strong> In contrast, when you refer to an indefinite noun (a noun that lacks \u0627\u0644 (al\u2212)), you do not use a relative pronoun. The verb simply follows the noun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n