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Today we will see 4th property of Ism - القسم (type)

Type (القسم) is the fourth property of Ism. Understanding the type helps distinguish between Common (نَكِرة) and Proper (مَعرِفة) Ism, which is crucial for forming grammatically correct sentences. Let’s explore the distinction between these types and their implications.

Common (نَكِرة) vs Proper (مَعرِفة) ism

Common Ism (نَكِرة):

These are general words without specificity. They represent any entity without a definite context, like “a girl” or “a chair.”

Proper Ism (مَعرِفة):

These Ism refer to specific entities. For instance, “Maryam” specifies a particular person, and “the chair” refers to a particular chair, making them proper Ism. In Arabic, Ism are assumed to be Common by default. However, a Ism becomes Proper if it falls into any of the seven categories below.

Seven Categories of Proper Isms (مَعرِفة)

1. Isms with ال

Adding the prefix ال (“the”) makes a word specific. Example: “a man” (رَجُلٌ) becomes “the man” (الرَجُلُ) with ال. Note: The tanween (ـٌ,ـٍ,ـً) and ال never appear together (e.g., “الْمَسْلَمٌ” is incorrect).

2. Specific Names ( اسم علم)

Proper Isms like names of people and places are always definite. Examples: مُحَمَّدُ (Muhammad), مَكَّةُ (Mecca).

3. Pronouns (الضمائر)

pronouns inherently refer to specific entities and are thus considered Proper. Examples include هُوَ (he), هِيَ (she), نَحْنُ (we).

4. Demonstrative Pronouns (أسماء الإشارة) - pointing words

Words used for pointing, such as “this,” “that,” “those,” and “these,” are Proper Isms. Examples: هٰذا (this), هٰذِهِ (this feminine), أُولٰئِكَ (those).

أسماء الإشارة
هٰذَا هٰذَانِ هٰؤُلَاءِ
هٰذِهِ هٰتَانِ هٰؤُلَاءِ
ذٰلِكَ ذَانِكَ أُولٰئِكَ
تِلْكَ تَانِكَ أُولٰئِكَ

5. Relative Pronouns (الأسماء الموصولة)

Relative pronouns connect clauses or phrases, and in Arabic, they are Proper. Examples include: الَّذِي (who, which – masculine), الَّتِي (who, which – feminine).

الأَسْمَاءُ المَوْصُولَةُ
الَّذِي اللَّذَانِ الَّذِينَ
الَّتِي التَّانِ اللَّاتِي، اللَّائِي، اللَّوَاتِي
مَا مَنْ

6. The One Being Called (المنادى)

When calling someone directly with يا (O), the following Ism is Proper. Examples: يا وَلَدُ (O boy), يا زَيْنَبُ (O Zainab).

7. Possessive Constructs (المضاف إلى معرفة)

If a Ism is followed by a Proper Ism (as in possessive constructs), it too becomes Proper. Example: كِتَابُ مُحَمَّدٍ (the book of Muhammad) – since “Muhammad” is Proper, “book” also becomes Proper.