Simple sentences

You have seen it: Arabic has no verb "to be" in the present. A simple sentence is made with two words: what you are talking about, then what you say about it.

• الْمَسْجِدُ كَبِيرٌ (al-masjidu kabiir): the mosque is big. • الْبَيْتُ قَرِيبٌ (al-baytu qariib): the house is near. • الْإِمَامُ هُنَا (al-imaamu hunaa): the imam is here.

The first word carries the article الْ (al-): it is the mosque we are talking about. The second has no article: it is what we say about it. Compare: • الْمَسْجِدُ كَبِيرٌ: the mosque is big (a sentence). • الْمَسْجِدُ الْكَبِيرُ: the big mosque (not a sentence, just a group of words). The article changes everything!

Feminine agreement. The adjective follows the gender of the noun: add ـَةٌ. • الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ: the house is big (بَيْت is masculine). • الْمَدْرَسَةُ كَبِيرَةٌ (al-madrasatu kabiira): the school is big (مَدْرَسَة is feminine). • الْقِبْلَةُ هُنَاكَ (al-qiblatu hunaaka): the qibla is over there.

Some useful adjectives: • كَبِيرٌ / كَبِيرَةٌ (kabiir / kabiira): big • صَغِيرٌ / صَغِيرَةٌ (ṣaghiir / ṣaghiira): small • جَمِيلٌ / جَمِيلَةٌ (jamiil / jamiila): beautiful • قَرِيبٌ / قَرِيبَةٌ (qariib / qariiba): near • بَعِيدٌ / بَعِيدَةٌ (ba'iid / ba'iida): far

And with pronouns: أَنَا مُسْلِمٌ (anaa muslim): I am a Muslim (m.); أَنَا مُسْلِمَةٌ (anaa muslima): I am a Muslim (f.); هِيَ مُعَلِّمَةٌ (hiya mu'allima): she is a teacher.

Exercise: make three sentences about your mosque or your neighbourhood with the adjectives above.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The nominal sentence has two parts: the subject (al-mubtada'), usually made definite with ال, and what is said about it (al-khabar), often indefinite. This contrast between "definite" and "indefinite" is what makes the sentence. If both words carry ال, you get a noun followed by its adjective: "the big mosque", not "the mosque is big".

You already use nominal sentences without knowing it: اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ("Allah is greater") is a nominal sentence, Allah then what is said of Him, with no verb. Likewise الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ("praise belongs to Allah", 1:2). The Qur'an also often says وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ, "Allah is Forgiving and Merciful", for example at the end of verse 3:31. [À VÉRIFIER: reference]

Gender agreement follows a simple logic: the adjective "follows" the noun. If the noun is feminine (often with ـَةٌ), the adjective takes ـَةٌ. Note: some nouns are feminine without ـَةٌ, for example شَمْسٌ (the sun); you will meet them later.

Common mistakes: putting ال on the adjective when you mean "is"; forgetting feminine agreement; adding a word for "is"; saying كَبِير with a ق.

Lessons to draw • Describe what is around you in simple sentences: the house, the street, the mosque. • Watch for ال in each sentence: it often shows where the idea begins and ends. • Spot nominal sentences in the formulas of the prayer and dhikr. • Learn a little at a time, but well, asking Allah: "My Lord, increase me in knowledge" (20:114).

Key points • Nominal sentence: الْمَسْجِدُ كَبِيرٌ (the mosque is big), with no verb "to be". • With ال on both words: الْمَسْجِدُ الْكَبِيرُ (the big mosque), not a sentence. • The adjective agrees: كَبِيرٌ / كَبِيرَةٌ.

The main message With two well-placed words you already say a complete sentence in Arabic, just as in "Allaahu akbar", which you repeat in every prayer.