Nouns: Plurals (الجمع) #
Arabic plurals fall into two main types:
Sound (regular) plurals and Broken (irregular) plurals.
Sound Plurals (الجمع السالم) #
A sound plural keeps the singular word intact and adds a regular ending.
The root structure does not change.
1. Masculine Sound Plural (جمع المذكر السالم) #
Formed by adding:
- ونَ in the nominative (مرفوع)
- ينَ in the accusative/genitive (منصوب / مجرور)
| Singular | Plural (Nom.) | Plural (Acc./Gen.) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| مُعَلِّم | مُعَلِّمُونَ | مُعَلِّمِينَ | teacher(s) |
| مُهَنْدِس | مُهَنْدِسُونَ | مُهَنْدِسِينَ | engineer(s) |
| مُسْلِم | مُسْلِمُونَ | مُسْلِمِينَ | Muslim(s) |
2. Feminine Sound Plural (جمع المؤنث السالم) #
Formed by changing ة → ات or adding ات.
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| مُعَلِّمَة | مُعَلِّمَات | female teachers |
| طَالِبَة | طَالِبَات | female students |
| سَيَّارَة | سَيَّارَات | cars |
Mermaid Visual Summary #
flowchart LR
A[Sound Plurals<br>الجمع السالم] --> B[Masculine<br>ونَ / ينَ]
A --> C[Feminine<br>ات]
B --> D[Example:<br>مُعَلِّم → مُعَلِّمُونَ]
C --> E[Example:<br>مُعَلِّمَة → مُعَلِّمَات]
Broken Plurals (جمع التكسير) #
A broken plural changes the internal structure (pattern) of the singular word.
The word looks “broken apart” because letters or vowel patterns shift.
Common Broken Plural Patterns (أوزان جمع التكسير) #
Arabic broken plurals follow specific patterns (أوزان).
Below are 15 of the most common patterns with examples.
| Pattern (الوزن) | Singular Example | Plural Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| أَفْعَال | وَلَد | أَوْلَاد | boys |
| فِعَال | رَجُل | رِجَال | men |
| فُعُل | كِتَاب | كُتُب | books |
| فُعُول | بَيْت | بُيُوت | houses |
| فَعَلَة | صَنْع | صَنَعَة | tradesmen / craftsmen |
| فِعْلَة | طِفْل | طِفْلَة | small children (collective) |
| فُعَلاء | كَرِيم | كُرَمَاء | generous people |
| فِعْلان | ثَوْب | ثِوْبَان | garments |
| فُعْلان | قَلْب | قُلْبَان | hearts (rare/collective) |
| فُعَل | ذِئْب | ذِئَاب | wolves |
| فِعَل | جَبَل | جِبَال | mountains |
| أَفَاعِل | مَسْجِد | مَسَاجِد | mosques |
| أَفْعِلَة | كِتَاب | أَكْتِبَة | books (rare plural) |
| فُعَلَة | صَبِيّ | صِبْيَة | boys |
| مَفَاعِل | مَكْتَب | مَكَاتِب | offices |
Notes:
- Some singular nouns take multiple broken plurals (e.g. كِتَاب → كُتُب / أَكْتِبَة).
Key Differences: Sound vs. Broken Plurals #
| Feature | Sound Plural | Broken Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Structure of singular | Stays intact | Changes internally |
| Predictability | Highly regular | Many patterns |
| Masculine/Feminine endings | ونَ / ينَ — ات | No specific ending |
| Examples | مُسْلِم → مُسْلِمُونَ | كِتَاب → كُتُب |
Plural System Overview #
flowchart TB
START[Arabic Plurals<br>الجمع] --> SP[Sound Plurals<br>الجمع السالم]
START --> BP[Broken Plurals<br>جمع التكسير]
SP --> MSP[Masculine: ونَ / ينَ]
SP --> FSP[Feminine: ات]
BP --> P1[أَفْعَال]
BP --> P2[فِعَال]
BP --> P3[فُعُل]
BP --> P4[فُعُول]
MSP --> EX1[مُسْلِم → مُسْلِمُونَ]
FSP --> EX2[مُعَلِّمَة → مُعَلِّمَات]
P1 --> EX3[وَلَد → أَوْلَاد]
P3 --> EX4[كِتَاب → كُتُب]
Notes #
- Many profession nouns follow sound plurals.
- Many objects, places, body parts, and common nouns follow broken plurals.
- There is no single rule to predict broken plurals; they are learned through patterns.