At a glance · Level 3
Plural demonstratives
One word for masculine and feminine
Near or far?
Near
- هَؤُلَاءِthese
- هَؤُلَاءِ طُلَّابٌThese are students.
Far
- أُولَئِكَthose
- أُولَئِكَ مُعَلِّمُونَThose are teachers.
They (people only)
- هُمْthey (m.)
- هُنَّthey (f.)
Indefinite or definite?
No ال = predicate
- هَذَا رَجُلٌThis is a man.
With ال = apposition
- هَذَا الرَّجُلُ مَرِيضٌThis man is sick.
Reading the sentence
- 1
subject
هَذَا - 2
apposition
الرَّجُلُ - 3
predicate
مَرِيضٌ
Adjective and noun match: both with ال or both without.
Dal or Dhaad?
Listen closely: one sound changes the word.
- دَلَّ / ضَلَّ
- رَدِيَ / رَضِيَ
- دُرُوسٌ / ضُرُوسٌ
Plural demonstratives هَؤُلَاءِ and أُولَئِكَ
Level 2 taught the singular demonstratives هَذَا, هَذِهِ, ذَلِكَ and تِلْكَ. This unit adds the plural: هَؤُلَاءِ (these) for near and أُولَئِكَ (those) for far, each used for both masculine and feminine. You also meet the plural pronouns هُمْ and هُنَّ, and learn what changes when a demonstrative is followed by an indefinite or a definite noun.
Practice
Build sentences with هَؤُلَاءِ and أُولَئِكَ
Tap the words in the right order. Watch for an extra word that does not belong: the wrong demonstrative or a wrong ال.
1 of 6
These are students and those are teachers.
You will be able to
- You can point to people near and far with هَؤُلَاءِ and أُولَئِكَ.
- You can use هُمْ and هُنَّ for groups of people.
- You can tell a predicate from an apposition after a demonstrative.
- You can add an adjective that agrees in definiteness.
Key points
- 1
Near and far plural
هَؤُلَاءِ (these) points to near people, أُولَئِكَ (those) to far people. Each one works for masculine and feminine plurals: هَؤُلَاءِ طُلَّابٌ وَأُولَئِكَ مُعَلِّمُونَ.
- 2
Reading and spelling
Both words hide a long ā: after هـ in هَؤُلَاءِ (hāʾulāʾi) and after لـ in أُولَئِكَ (ʾulāʾika). In أُولَئِكَ the و after the hamza is written but not pronounced.
- 3
Pronouns هُمْ and هُنَّ
هُمْ (they) is for a masculine plural, هُنَّ (they) for a feminine plural. Both are used only for rational beings (people such as students or doctors), not for things like books or pens.
- 4
Demonstrative + indefinite noun
If an indefinite noun follows the demonstrative, it is the predicate: هَذَا رَجُلٌ (This is a man) is a full nominal sentence — subject + predicate.
- 5
Demonstrative + definite noun
If the noun has ال, it is not the predicate but an apposition (badal), and the predicate comes after it: هَذَا الرَّجُلُ مَرِيضٌ (This man is sick) — subject, apposition, predicate.
- 6
Adding an adjective
An adjective matches its noun: both indefinite (هَذَا بَيْتٌ كَبِيرٌ, This is a big house) or both definite (هَذَا الْبَيْتُ الْجَدِيدُ كَبِيرٌ, This new house is big).
- 7
Sounds: د and ض
The unit ends by contrasting Dal and Dhaad. Listen and repeat pairs such as دَلَّ / ضَلَّ, رَدِيَ / رَضِيَ and دُرُوسٌ / ضُرُوسٌ.
Vocabulary
- هَؤُلَاءِ
these (near, m. and f. plural)
hāʾulāʾi
- أُولَئِكَ
those (far, m. and f. plural)
ʾulāʾika
- هُمْ
they (masculine, people)
hum
- هُنَّ
they (feminine, people)
hunna
- حَارِسٌ – حُرَّاسٌ
guard – guards
ḥārisun – ḥurrāsun
- مُعَلِّمٌ – مُعَلِّمُونَ
teacher – teachers
muʿallimun – muʿallimūna
- زَمِيلٌ – زُمَلَاءُ
classmate, colleague – classmates
zamīlun – zumalāʾu
- زَمِيلَاتٌ
female classmates
zamīlātun
- رَجُلٌ – رِجَالٌ
man – men
rajulun – rijālun
- طَالِبٌ – طُلَّابٌ
student – students
ṭālibun – ṭullābun
- طَوِيلٌ – طِوَالٌ
tall (sing. – plural)
ṭawīlun – ṭiwālun
- قَوِيٌّ – أَقْوِيَاءُ
strong (sing. – plural)
qawiyyun – ʾaqwiyāʾu
- جَدِيدٌ – جُدُدٌ
new (sing. – plural)
jadīdun – jududun
- مُبْتَدَأٌ
subject (of a nominal sentence)
mubtadaʾun
- بَدَلٌ
apposition
badalun
- خَبَرٌ
predicate
khabarun
| Arabic | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| هَؤُلَاءِ | hāʾulāʾi | these (near, m. and f. plural) |
| أُولَئِكَ | ʾulāʾika | those (far, m. and f. plural) |
| هُمْ | hum | they (masculine, people) |
| هُنَّ | hunna | they (feminine, people) |
| حَارِسٌ – حُرَّاسٌ | ḥārisun – ḥurrāsun | guard – guards |
| مُعَلِّمٌ – مُعَلِّمُونَ | muʿallimun – muʿallimūna | teacher – teachers |
| زَمِيلٌ – زُمَلَاءُ | zamīlun – zumalāʾu | classmate, colleague – classmates |
| زَمِيلَاتٌ | zamīlātun | female classmates |
| رَجُلٌ – رِجَالٌ | rajulun – rijālun | man – men |
| طَالِبٌ – طُلَّابٌ | ṭālibun – ṭullābun | student – students |
| طَوِيلٌ – طِوَالٌ | ṭawīlun – ṭiwālun | tall (sing. – plural) |
| قَوِيٌّ – أَقْوِيَاءُ | qawiyyun – ʾaqwiyāʾu | strong (sing. – plural) |
| جَدِيدٌ – جُدُدٌ | jadīdun – jududun | new (sing. – plural) |
| مُبْتَدَأٌ | mubtadaʾun | subject (of a nominal sentence) |
| بَدَلٌ | badalun | apposition |
| خَبَرٌ | khabarun | predicate |
Examples
- هَذَا رَجُلٌ
hādhā rajulun
This is a man.
Subject + predicate
- هَذَا الرَّجُلُ مَرِيضٌ
hādhā r-rajulu marīḍun
This man is sick.
Subject + apposition + predicate
- هَذَا الْقَلَمُ مَكْسُورٌ
hādhā l-qalamu maksūrun
This pen is broken.
- هَذِهِ الْبِئْرُ مَمْلُوءَةٌ
hādhihi l-biʾru mamlūʾatun
This well is full.
- هَذَا بَيْتٌ كَبِيرٌ
hādhā baytun kabīrun
This is a big house.
Subject + predicate + adjective
- هَذَا الْبَيْتُ الْجَدِيدُ كَبِيرٌ
hādhā l-baytu l-jadīdu kabīrun
This new house is big.
- هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الطَّوِيلُ قَوِيٌّ
hādhā r-rajulu ṭ-ṭawīlu qawiyyun
This tall man is strong.
- هَؤُلَاءِ طُلَّابٌ جُدُدٌ
hāʾulāʾi ṭullābun jududun
These are new students.
- هَؤُلَاءِ الطُّلَّابُ الْجُدُدُ أَذْكِيَاءُ
hāʾulāʾi ṭ-ṭullābu l-jududu ʾadhkiyāʾu
These new students are smart.
- أُولَئِكَ الرِّجَالُ أَقْوِيَاءُ
ʾulāʾika r-rijālu ʾaqwiyāʾu
Those men are strong.
Watch out
- هَذَا طُلَّابٌ جُدُدٌ is wrong: طُلَّابٌ is plural, so say هَؤُلَاءِ طُلَّابٌ جُدُدٌ.
- With an indefinite noun the adjective is indefinite too: هَؤُلَاءِ مُهَنْدِسُونَ طِوَالٌ, not ... الطِّوَالُ.
- The predicate has no ال: أُولَئِكَ الرِّجَالُ أَقْوِيَاءُ (Those men are strong).
- تِلْكَ is feminine. For masculine nouns like مُزَارِعٌ or جَزَّارٌ use ذَلِكَ.
- Do not use هُمْ or هُنَّ for things: they are only for rational beings.