(1) إِضَافَةُ التَّعْرِيف Annexation of definiteness |
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(أ) |
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بَطَلُ أَثِينَا |
The hero of Athens |
In simple terms, idafa (also idaafa) is adding a noun to another. The first is always related to the second, so the second limits and specifies the first.The idafa (also idaafa) الإِضَافَة in Arabic is translated as annexation or genitive construction. In Arabic grammar books, it is called the real or proper annexation (i.e. الإِضَافَةُ الحَقِيقِيَّة), the logical annexation (الإِضَافَةُ المَعْنَوِيَّة), or the pure annexation (i.e. الإِضَافَةُ المَحْضَة).The annexation of definiteness (i.e. إِضَافَةُ التَّعْرِيف) is a real / proper annexation. It is composed of two nouns. The first noun is always indefinite (i.e. نَكِرَة), while the second noun must be definite (i.e. مَعْرِفَة); that is, it must be a proper noun (i.e. اِسْمُ عَلَمٍ), an attached pronoun (i.e. ضَمِيرٌ مُتَّصِل), or a noun defined with the Arabic definite article (i.e. ال).Unlike the annexation of specification (see below), the first noun of the annexation of definiteness becomes definite by reason of being added to a definite noun (اِسِمُ مَعْرِفَة).Grammatically, the first noun of the idafa is called مُضَاف (i.e. added), while the second noun is called مُضَافُ إِلَيْهِ (i.e. added to it).In (أ), the idafa is a simple one because it composed of two nouns, that is indefinite noun اِسمُ نَكِرَة + definite noun اِسْمُ مَعْرِفَة.In the phrases قَصْرِ العِجْلِ, مَكَانَ العِجْلِ, صَوْتَ العِجْلِ, رَأْسَ العِجْلِ, the first nouns are indefinite (نَكِرَة), while the second noun (العِجْل) is definite, defined by the definite article ال.In the phrases, أُمِّهِ, ابْنِهَا, وَلَدِهِ, أَبُوكَ, اِبْنُهُ, and فَمِهِ the first noun is indefinite (نَكِرَة). The second noun is definite (مَعْرِفَة), namely an attached pronoun.
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أُمِّهِ |
His mother |
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اِبْنَهَا |
Her son |
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وَلَدِهِ |
His son |
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أَبُوكَ |
You father |
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مَلِكُ أَثِينَا |
The king of Athens |
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عِدَّةُ السَّفَرِ |
The travel outfits |
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كُلَّ الأَشْرَارِ |
All the evils people |
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اِبْنُ المَلِكِ |
The king’s son |
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اِبْنُهُ |
His son |
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خُطَّةِ السَّاحِرَةِ |
The sorceress’s plan |
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فَمِهِ |
His mouth |
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أَصْوَاتِ البُكَاءِ |
The voices of crying |
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يَوْمُ الحِدَادِ |
The day of mourning |
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عِجْلِ مِيْنُو |
The calf of Mieno |
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قَصْرِ العِجْلِ |
The palace of the calf |
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بَابَ القَصْرِ |
The palace door |
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مَكَانَ العِجْلِ |
The place of the calf |
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صَوْتَ العِجْلِ |
The voice of the calf |
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رَأْسَ العِجْلِ |
The head of the calf |
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أَشْرَعَةِ السَّفِينَةِ |
The sails of the ships |
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مُنْتَصَفِ اللَّيْلِ |
The mid night |
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(ب) |
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مَدِيْنَةِ أَبِيهِ |
His father’s city |
Like in (أ), the idafa in (ب) is an annexation of definiteness (i.e. إِضَافَةُ التَّعْرِيف). However, it is a complex one because it is an embedded idafa. That is, an idafa is placed inside another idafa.In the phrase سَيْفَ بَطَلِ أَثِينَا, there are two idafas. The first one (the root idafa) is بَطَلِ أَثِينَا. The first noun بَطَل is indefinite (i.e. نَكِرَة), and it is the مُضَاف (i.e. the added). The second noun أَثِينَا is definite (i.e. مَعْرِفَة, namely a proper noun), and it is the مُضَافُ إِلَيْهِ (i.e. the added to it).The second idafa (the outer idafa) is سَيْفَ بَطَلِ أَثِينَا. The first noun سَيْفَ is indefinite (i.e. نَكِرَة), and it is the مُضَاف (i.e. the added). The second and third nouns constitute a single definite unit (i.e. noun), and it is the مُضَافُ إِلَيْهِ (i.e. the added to it). |
أَبْنَاءُ عَمِّهِ |
His uncle’s sons |
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سَيْفَ بَطَلِ أَثِينَا |
Athens hero’s sword |
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قَصْرِ أَبِيهِ |
His father’s palace |
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كَلَامِ أَبِيهِ |
His father speech |
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لَوْنُ أَشْرَعَةِ السَّفِينَةِ |
The ship sails’ color |
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شَجَاعَةُ بَطَلِ أَثِينَا |
Athens hero’s courage |
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سِجْنَ بَطَلِ أَثِينَا |
The prison of the hereo of Athens |
(2) إِضَافَةُ التَّخْصِيص Annexation of Specification |
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سَفْحِ جَبَلٍ |
A foot of a mountain |
This type of idafa is called the annexation of specification إِضَافَةُ التَّخْصِيص. It is a real / proper annexation, and it is composed of two nouns. Both the first noun and the second noun are indefinite (i.e. نَكِرَة). The first noun is called مُضَاف (i.e. added), and the second noun is called مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ (i.e. added to). The first noun acquires specification from the second noun, not definiteness, because the second noun is basically indefinite. |
أَصْوَاتَ بُكَاءٍ |
Voices of crying |
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سَبْعَةَ فِتْيَانٍ |
Seven young men |
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سَبْعَ فَتَيَاتٍ |
Seven young women |
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قِمَّةِ جَبَلٍ |
A beak of a mountain |
مَدِينَةٍ يُونَانِيَّةٍ |
A Greek city |
Unlike English, the adjective (الصِّفَة) in Arabic follows the noun (الاِسْم). It must agree with the noun in gender, number, definiteness, and case marking.In the phrase مَدِينَةٍ يُوْنَانِيَّة, both the noun (مَدِينَةٍ) and the adjective (يُونَانِيَّةٍ) are feminine, singular, indefinite, and in the genitive case (i.e. the last letter is assigned kasra, namely tanween because the two words are indefinite (نَكِرَة).In الصَّخْرَةَ العِمْلَاقَةَ, both the noun (الصَّخْرَةَ) and the adjective (العِمْلَاقَةَ) are feminine, singular, definite, and in the accusative case (i.e. the last letter is assigned fatha). |
الصَّخْرَةَ العِمْلَاقَةَ |
The huge rock |
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سَيْفٌ ذَهَبِيٌّ |
A golden sword |
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سَاحِرَةٌ شِرِّيرَةٌ |
An evil sorceress |
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مُفَاجَأَةً جِمِيلَةً |
A nice surprise |
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شُهُورٍ طَوِيلَةٍ |
Long months |
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سِجْنٍ مُظْلِمٍ |
Dark prison |
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الأَشْرِعَةَ السَّوْدَاءَ |
The black sails |
حَكَىَ لِـ |
Narrated to |
حَكَى الأُسْتَاذُ لِطُلَّابِهِ قِصَّةً. |
The teacher narrated a story to his students. |
اِعْتَنَى بِـ |
Took care of |
اِعْتَنَى الطَّبِيْبُ بِالمَرِيضِ. |
The doctor took care of the patient. |
اِهْتَمَّ بِـ |
Took care of |
اِهْتَمَّ الأَبُ بِأَطْفَالِهِ. |
The father took care of his children. |
وَافَقَ ….. عَلَى |
Agree on / to |
وَافَقَ الأُسْتَاذُ عَلَى طَلَبِي. |
The teacher agreed to my request. |
حَزِنَ …. عَلَى |
Was sad about |
حَزِنَ المَلِكُ عَلَى اِبْنِهِ. |
The king was sad about his son. |
مَاتَ مِنْ |
Died of |
مَاتَ الأَمِيرُ مِنَ الجُوعِ. |
The prince died of hunger. |
بَكَى عَلَى |
Cried about |
بَكَى الطِّفْلُ عَلَى لُعْبَتِهِ. |
The child cried about his toy. |