The noun patterns / أَنْماط الأسْماء

There are different patterns for nouns in Arabic with the most prominent ones being:

1. The generic noun / اِسْم الجِنْس
2. The collective noun / اِسْم الجَمْع
3. The noun of time and place / اسم الزمان واسم المكان
4. The noun of instrument / اسم الآلة
5. Diminutive / التصغير
6. Verbal noun / المَصْدَر
   • The original maṣdar / المصدر الأصلي
   • The mīm maṣdar / المَصْدَر المِيمي
   • The parent maṣdar / اِسْم المصدر 
   • The maṣdar of industry / المَصْدَر الصِناعي
   • The noun of one time / اسم المرة
   • The noun of manner / اسم الهَيْئة

Because the verbal noun (المَصْدَر) has many patterns itself we won’t cover them in this lesson but in the following one, we’ve dedicated to it.

Generic noun / اِسْم الجِنْس

Not all nouns can be linked to an original verbal root, particularly those that we refer to as ‘generic nouns’ أَسْماء الجِنْس. Namely, these generic Arabic nouns don’t follow specific patterns and signify the presence of a current being or multiple objects having something in common and sharing similar attributes.

door	باب
wood	خَشَب
hair	شَعْر

Note: Biliteral roots also belong to the category.

blood	دَمْ
mouth	فَه
hand	يَد

Collective noun / اِسْمُ الجَمْع

A collective noun اِسْمُ الجَمْعِ is a word that describes a group of individuals, objects, or creatures as one unified entity. They can be singular or plural depending on the context they are used in. Such terms are used when referring to large groups while still describing them all together. 

Types of collective nouns

Collective nouns are divided into three categories:

• What indicates an entity endowed with reason (عاقِل), i.e. a human being, so the difference between the singular and the plural is only the letter ya’ ي. 

الجَمْع Plural	المُفْرَد  Singular
عَرَب Arabs	عَرَبِيّ   Arab
تُرْك Turks	تُرْكِيّ Turkish
جُنْد Soldiers	جُنْدِيّ Soldier

Note: Those nouns are often considered masculine but can also be occasionally considered feminine as well.

• What indicates an entity not endowed with reason (جامِد), (i.e. usually animals and plants) so the difference between the singular and the plural is the feminine gender with the ta’ marbūṭa ة:

الجَمْع Plural	المُفْرَد  Singular
نَمْل ants	نَمْلة   ant
شَجَر trees	شَجَرة tree
بَصَل onions	بَصَلة onion

Note: Those nouns are often considered masculine but can also be occasionally considered feminine as well.

• Some collective nouns also do not have a corresponding singular: 

اِسْمُ الجَمْع Collective Noun	جَمْعُ التَكْسِير Broken plural	المُفْرَد Singular
إِبْل  camels	جِمال  camels	جَمَل  camel
غَنَم  sheep	…شِياه/شواه/أشاوه ewes	شاة  ewe
قَوْم  people	أَقْوام  peoples	N/A
جَيْش  army	جُيُوش  armies	N/A

Collective nouns number agreement 

Certain collective nouns are always treated as singular while others are always as plurals:

• Words like قَوْم (people) are always treated as plural.

قَوْمٌ جاهِلونَ Ignorant people (plu.)

• Some words like شَعْب (people/nation) and أُمّة (community) are always treated as singular.

Believing community	أُمّةٌ مُؤْمِنةٌ
Welcoming people	شَعْبٌ راحِبٌ

• Other words like ناس (people) or عَرَب (Arabs) are most of the times considered plural but can also be considered feminine singular.

Worried people	ناسٌ قَلِقةٌ = ناسُ قَلِقُونَ
Eloquent Arabs	عَرَبٌ فَصِيحةٌ = عَرَبٌ فُصَحاءٌ

Noun of time and place / اِسْمُ الزَمان وَاسْمُ المَكان

It is a noun that denotes the place or time of the action, and they have a common formula, contextual clues help us distinguish between the two values.  They have 3 distinct patterns:

الأَمْثِلة Examples		الوَزْن Pattern	وَزْن الفعل Verbal form
مَقام entrance	مَصْنَع factory	مَفْعَل (plural مَفاعِل)	الثُلاثي المُجَرَّد – Regular simple triliteral root (form I)   – hollow verbs with alif (ا) in past tense and wāw (و) in the present (imperfect) tense – Defective roots (ناقِص) or enfolding roots (لَفيف)
مَدْرَسة school	مَكْتَبة library	مَفْعَلة (only for nouns of places)	الثُلاثي المُجَرَّد – simple triliteral root (form I)
مَوْعِد appointment	مَنْزِل house	مَفْعِل  (plural مَفاعِل)	الثُلاثي المُجَرَّد – simple assimilated triliteral root (form I) starting with واو – verbs with a kasra in imperfect tense (يَفْعِلُ)
مُفْتَرَق intersection	مُسْتَشْفى hospital	وَزْن اسم المفعول Passive participle pattern	الثُلاثي المُجَرَّد – augmented triliteral roots

Note: Few verbs with simple assimilated triliteral root (form I) starting with واو can adopt the pattern مِفْعال like وَعَدَ and وَلَدَ

مِيعاد Fixed moment

مِيلاد Time of birth

Noun of instrument / اسم الآلة

The “noun of instrument” (اسم الآلة) defines the instrument or tool used to achieve a specific action.

الأَمْثِلة Examples			الوَزْن Pattern
مِقَصّ scissors	مِقْوَد steering wheel	مِصْعَد elevator	مِفْعَل
مِنْشار saw	مِيزان balance	مِفْتاح key	مِفْعال
مِلْعَقة spoon	مِطْرَقة hammer	مِكْنَسة broom	مِفْعَلة
رَشّاشة Machine gun	سَمّاعة earphones	ثَلّاجة fridge	فَعّالة

Diminutive / التصغير

Although far less common nowadays, diminutives still exist in modern Arabic. Diminutives are typically limited to certain nouns and adjectives. They are used to suggest a sense of smallness and can be seen as either positive or negative depending on the context. When employed with an affectionate undertone, they indicate flirtation, coquetry, or endearment; conversely, if utilized negatively then contempt and belittlement may ensue. 

الأَمْثِلة Examples		الوَزْن Pattern	وَزْن الاسم Verbal form
قَبْل ← قُبَيْل little before ← before	بَحْر ← بُحَيْرة lake ← sea	فُعَيْل	الثُلاثي  3 letters noun
كِتاب ← كُتَيِّب booklet ← book	بِنْت ← بُنَيّة little girl ← girl	فُعَيِّل
فارِق ← فُوَيْرِق small diff. ← difference	مَنْزِل ← مُنَيْزِل small house ← house	فُعَيْعِل	الرُباعي 4 letters noun
قِنْدِيل ← قُنَيْدِيل little jelly fish ← jelly fish	مِفْتاح ← مُفَيْتِيح little key ← key	فُعَيْعِيل	الخُماسي 5 letters noun