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ARABIC · READ & PRACTISE

Arabic adjective agreement: describe a noun

“The new bag” names something; “The bag is new” tells you something. Start with this contrast, then make the adjective follow its noun.

Try it yourself ↓

01Put the description after the noun

This lesson practises ordinary singular nouns and adjectives that directly describe them. The Arabic adjective follows its noun.

بَيْتٌ كَبِيرٌ
a big house

بَيْتٌ = a house; كَبِيرٌ = big. Both are masculine singular and indefinite.

حَقِيبَةٌ جَدِيدَةٌ
a new bag

حَقِيبَةٌ = a bag; جَدِيدَةٌ = new. Both are feminine singular. The final ة is visible on both.

02Match definiteness; keep the meaning

Add الْـ to both words to name a particular described thing. In the simple sentence pattern below, the indefinite adjective instead supplies the comment.

الْحَقِيبَةُ الْجَدِيدَةُ
the new bag

Both words are definite. This phrase names the bag.

الْحَقِيبَةُ جَدِيدَةٌ
The bag is new.

جَدِيدَةٌ is the predicate here, not an adjective inside the definite noun phrase.

03The case follows too

When a preposition makes the noun genitive, its adjective follows. With the ordinary singular words used here, both endings become kasra.

فِي الْبَيْتِ الْكَبِيرِ
in the big house

فِي = in. The noun and its adjective both end in ـِ.

فِي حَقِيبَةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ
in a new bag

Both words are indefinite and genitive, so both carry double kasra.

04A quick check before you answer

Find the noun. Then check its adjective: singular masculine or feminine? Definite or indefinite? Which case? The adjective must match these ordinary singular nouns.

Number also matters beyond this lesson, but do not assume every plural takes a plural adjective: non-human plurals commonly take a feminine singular adjective. Start with the singular pattern here; learn plural patterns separately.

The Arabic noun’s grammatical gender controls the agreement, not the gender or shape of its English translation. Case endings are shown to expose the pattern; a final short case ending is often omitted at a pause.

Try it yourself

Choose one answer for each question. You can retry as often as you like.

1. Complete “a new bag”: حَقِيبَةٌ
2. Choose the phrase “the big house”, rather than a statement about it.
3. Complete “in the big house”: فِي الْبَيْتِ

Answers and explanations
  1. جَدِيدَةٌ

    حَقِيبَةٌ is feminine singular. جَدِيدَةٌ matches it; جَدِيدٌ is masculine.

  2. الْبَيْتُ الْكَبِيرُ

    الْبَيْتُ الْكَبِيرُ has two definite words and names the big house. الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ means “The house is big”.

  3. الْكَبِيرِ

    The noun الْبَيْتِ is genitive after فِي. The describing adjective follows its case: الْكَبِيرِ, not الْكَبِيرُ.

Grammar references