Demonstratives, Relatives & Adverbs

اِسْمُ الإِشَارَة · اِسْمُ الْمَوْصُول · الظُّرُوف — Lesson 3 study tool
Inshirah Academy · 40 Lessons of Quranic Arabic

اِسْمُ الإِشَارَة — Demonstrative Pronouns

Words used to point to something near (this/these) or far (that/those). They are definite (مَعْرِفَة) by nature.

Very frequent in Qur'an
Common
ArabicTranslit.MeaningUsed for
هَذَاHādhāThisMasculine, singular, near
هَذِهِHādhihiThisFeminine, singular, near
هَؤُلَاءِHā'ulā'iThesePlural (m. or f.), near
ذَلِكَDhālikaThatMasculine, singular, far
تِلْكَTilkaThatFeminine, singular, far
أُولَئِكَUlā'ikaThosePlural (m. or f.), far
Key takeaway: اِسْمُ الإِشَارَة is مَعْرِفَة (definite) — it doesn't need ال. Compare: هَذَا كِتَابٌ = "this is a book" vs هَذَا الْكِتَابُ = "this book".

اِسْمُ الْمَوْصُول — Relative Pronouns

A noun that refers back to a preceding noun. Translated "who" for people, "which / that" for non-humans. Always followed by صِلَة الْمَوْصُول (the descriptive clause).

ArabicTranslit.MeaningUsed for
الَّذِيAlladhīWho / that / whichMasculine singular
الَّتِيAllatīWho / that / whichFeminine singular & non-human plural
الَّذِينَAlladhīnaThose whoMasculine plural (humans)
اللَّاتِيAllātīThose who (f.)Feminine plural (humans)
مَنْManWho, the one whoRational beings (humans, jinn, angels)
مَاWhat, that whichNon-rational (things, animals, plants)
Formula: اِسْمُ الْمَوْصُول + صِلَة الْمَوْصُول. Example: اللهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ — "Allah, who created mankind."
Like demonstratives, relative pronouns are also definite (مَعْرِفَة).

الظُّرُوف — Adverbs of Time & Place

A ظَرْف is a noun that denotes the time or place of an action. Literally "a container" — the time/place where the action is contained. By default they are mansūb (accusative).

ArabicTranslit.MeaningNotes
فَوْقَFawqaAbove, overPlace
تَحْتَTaḥtaUnder, beneathPlace
أَمَامَAmāmaIn front ofPlace
خَلْفَKhalfaBehind, afterPlace / time
بَيْنَBaynaBetweenPlace
قَبْلَQablaBeforeTime
بَعْدَBa'daAfterTime
عِنْدَ'IndaNear, with, atPlace / possession
مَعَMa'aWithCompanionship
دُونَDūnaBesides, other thanExclusion
Note: Because ظُرُوف are nouns, they decline (i.e. change endings). Their default ending is fatha (mansūb): فَوْقَ, تَحْتَ, بَيْنَ.

ظَرْف + الضَّمَائِر الْمُتَّصِلَة — Adverb with Attached Pronoun

When an attached pronoun joins an adverb, the adverb keeps its fatha and the pronoun suffix is added. Example: عِنْدَ + هُ → عِنْدَهُ ("with him / near him").

PronounMeaning عِنْدَ
near
مَعَ
with
فَوْقَ
above
تَحْتَ
under
قَبْلَ
before
بَعْدَ
after
بَيْنَ
between
ـهُhimعِنْدَهُمَعَهُفَوْقَهُتَحْتَهُقَبْلَهُبَعْدَهُبَيْنَهُ
ـهَاherعِنْدَهَامَعَهَافَوْقَهَاتَحْتَهَاقَبْلَهَابَعْدَهَابَيْنَهَا
ـهُمْthem (m.)عِنْدَهُمْمَعَهُمْفَوْقَهُمْتَحْتَهُمْقَبْلَهُمْبَعْدَهُمْبَيْنَهُمْ
ـهُنَّthem (f.)عِنْدَهُنَّمَعَهُنَّفَوْقَهُنَّتَحْتَهُنَّقَبْلَهُنَّبَعْدَهُنَّبَيْنَهُنَّ
ـكَyou (m.)عِنْدَكَمَعَكَفَوْقَكَتَحْتَكَقَبْلَكَبَعْدَكَبَيْنَكَ
ـكِyou (f.)عِنْدَكِمَعَكِفَوْقَكِتَحْتَكِقَبْلَكِبَعْدَكِبَيْنَكِ
ـكُمْyou (pl.)عِنْدَكُمْمَعَكُمْفَوْقَكُمْتَحْتَكُمْقَبْلَكُمْبَعْدَكُمْبَيْنَكُمْ
ـي / ـنِيmeعِنْدِيمَعِيفَوْقِيتَحْتِيقَبْلِيبَعْدِيبَيْنِي
ـنَاusعِنْدَنَامَعَنَافَوْقَنَاتَحْتَنَاقَبْلَنَابَعْدَنَابَيْنَنَا
Note on "me": with the first-person singular, the adverb ending changes to kasra and the ي is added: عِنْدَ → عِنْدِي ("with me"). Same for مَعِي, فَوْقِي, etc.
Note on بَيْنَ: "between us" / "between them" naturally implies more than one — بَيْنَنَا = "between us", بَيْنَهُمْ = "between them".
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Qur'an Frequency Analysis — القرآن الكريم

Occurrence counts across all 6,236 verses. Includes standalone forms and prefixed forms (و / ف / ب / ل).