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Nouns
Gender of Nouns
Feminines without markers
Although feminine markers identify most of the feminine nouns, there will still be few feminine nouns that do not have any of these markers. We will cover here most of these.
►Some nouns that refer to female humans do not have feminine markers.
| Mother | ʔumm |
أُمّ |
| Daughter | bint |
بِنْت* |
| Sister | ʔuxt |
أُخْت* |
|
Wife in classical Arabic |
zawǵ |
زَوْج |
| Bride | ʕarȗs |
عَرُوْس |
*The open tȃʔ ت is not recognized as a feminine marker in traditional Arabic grammar.
►Some nouns that refer to female animals.
|
Female scorpion also male |
ʕaqrab | عَقْرَب |
| Female spider | ʕankabȗt | عَنْكَبُوْت |
|
Female horse also male |
faras | فَرَس |
| Female donkey | ʔatȃn | أَتَاْن |
►All town and country names are feminine except for some Arab countries that are named after geographical features (such as mountains, seas, rivers, etc.). Those are namely Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and Morocco.
Examples:
| Aleppo (fem.) |
Ħalab |
حَلَب |
| Baghdad (fem.) |
Baɣdȃd |
بَغْدَاْد |
| Damascus (fem.) |
Dimašq |
دِمَشْق |
| Egypt (fem.) | Miṣr |
مِصْر |
| India (fem.) | ʔ·Al‑Hind |
اَلْهِنْد |
| China (fem.) | ʔ·Aṣ‑Ṣȋn |
اَلْصِّيْن |
| Greece (fem.) |
ʔ·Al‑Yȏnȃn |
اَلْيونَاْن |
| Iraq (masc.) |
ʔ·Al‑ʕIrȃq |
اَلْعِرَاْق |
| Jordan (masc.) | ʔ·Al‑ʔUrdun |
اَلأُرْدُن |
►For names of body parts that do not have feminine markers, a general rule is that all the parts of which there are more than one are feminine and the rest are masculine.
In more detail:
-
In the head, all the parts are masculine barring the eye, ear, and tooth.
-
In the trunk, all the parts are masculine.
-
In the limbs, all the parts are feminine barring the elbow and the forearm.
-
All the internal organs are masculine barring the liver.
This is, of course, for parts that do not have feminine markers in their names.
Examples:
| Eye (fem.) | ʕayn |
عَيْن |
| Ear (fem.) | ʔuðun |
أُذُن |
| Hand (fem.) | yad |
يَد |
| Foot (fem.) | qadam |
قَدَم |
| Liver (fem.) | kabid | كَبِد |
| Head (masc.) | raʔs | رَأْس |
| Back (masc.) | ð̣ahr | ظَهْر |
►The following list contains nearly all the singular feminine nouns without feminine markers which have not been mentioned above.
| Land/earth (fem.) | ʔarḍ |
أَرْض |
| Heaven (fem.) | samȃʔ | سَمَاْء |
| Sun (fem.) | šams |
شَمْس |
| Fire (fem.) | naar |
نَاْر |
| Residence (fem.) | daar |
دَاْر |
| Route/way (fem.) | ṭarȋq |
طَرِيْق |
| Market (fem.) | suwq | سُوْق |
| Wine (fem.) | xamr |
خَمْر |
| Well (fem.) | biʔr |
بِئْر |
| Millstone (fem.) | raħa·y |
رَحَىْ |
| Stick/cane (fem.) | ʕaṣaa |
عَصَاْ |
| War (fem.) | ħarb |
حَرْب |
| Axe (fem.) | faʔs |
فَأْس |
| Knife (fem.) | sikkȋn |
سِكِّيْن |
| Pot (fem.) | qidr |
قِدْر |
| Cup (fem.) | kaʔs |
كَأْس |
| Wind (fem.) | riyħ | رِيْح |
| Soul/spirit (fem.) | ruwħ |
رُوْح |
| Soul/being (fem.) | nafs | نَفْس |
| State (fem.) | ħaal |
حَاْل |
| Ship (Ark) (fem.) | fulk |
فُلْك |
| Hell (fem.) | ǵahannam |
جَهَنَّم |
Exercise
Can you guess the gender of the following singular nouns?
|
Court |
مَحْكَمَة |
|
Largest |
كُبْرَىْ |
|
Death |
مَوْت |
|
White |
بَيْضَاْء |
|
Sad |
حَزِيْن |
|
Germany |
أَلْمَاْنْيَاْ |
|
Peas |
بَاْزِلاَّء |
|
Constructing |
إِنْشَاْء |
|
Paper |
وَرَقَة |
|
Sea |
بَحْر |
|
Evening |
مَسَاْء |
|
Female personal name |
مَيْسَاْء |
|
Helping (help) |
مُسَاْعَدَة |
|
Thirsty |
عَطْشَىْ |
|
The Nile |
اَلْنِّيْل |
|
Turkey |
تُرْكْيَاْ |
|
Leg |
سَاْق |
| Drunk |
سَكْرَاْن |
|
Pen |
قَلَم |
|
Knife |
سِكِّيْن |
Answers
|
Court (fem.) |
مَحْكَمَة |
|
Largest (fem. adj.) |
كُبْرَىْ |
|
Death(masc.) |
مَوْت |
|
White (fem. adj.) |
بَيْضَاْء |
|
Sad(masc. adj.) |
حَزِيْن |
|
Germany (fem.) |
أَلْمَاْنْيَاْ |
|
Peas (fem.) |
بَاْزِلاَّء |
|
Constructing (construction) (masc.) |
إِنْشَاْء |
|
Paper (fem.) |
وَرَقَة |
|
Sea(masc.) |
بَحْر |
|
Evening (masc.) |
مَسَاْء |
|
Female proper name (fem.) |
مَيْسَاْء |
|
Helping (help) (fem.) |
مُسَاْعَدَة |
|
Thirsty (fem. adj.) |
عَطْشَىْ |
|
Nile (masc.) |
اَلْنِّيْل |
|
Turkey (fem.) |
تُرْكْيَاْ |
|
Leg (fem.) |
سَاْق |
| Drunk (masc. adj.) |
سَكْرَاْن |
|
Pen (masc.) |
قَلَم |
|
Knife (fem.) |
سِكِّيْن |
الراصد العربي 