The noun patterns / أَنْماط الأسْماء

There are different patterns for nouns in Arabic with the most prominent ones being:
- The generic noun / اِسْم الجِنْس
- The collective noun / اِسْم الجَمْع
- The noun of time and place / اسم الزمان واسم المكان
- The noun of instrument / اسم الآلة
- Diminutive / التصغير
- 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
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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 momentمِيلاد
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 |
The noun patterns

Learn about the different noun patterns in Arabic grammar and how they are used to form and modify nouns. Improve your language skills and comprehension with this comprehensive guide.
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