Demonstrative and relative pronouns in standard and Egyptian Arabic
- Demonstrative pronouns - اسم الاشارة (ism al-išaara)
- Relative pronouns - الاسم الموصول (al-ism al-mawSuul)
Demonstrative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) point to and identify a noun or pronoun. In standard Arabic, the demonstrative pronoun comes before the noun it refers to; in 3ammiyya, it follows the noun. While fuSHa has specific words for "that" and "those" (as opposed to "this" and "these"), 3ammiyya does not.
| Standard Arabic | Egyptian Arabic | |
| I like this book. | أحب هذا الكتاب (uHibbu haada l-kitaab) | بحب الكتاب ده (baHebb il-kitaab da) |
| Did you see that girl? | رأيت تلك البنت؟ (ra'eita tilka l-bint?) | شفت البنت دى؟ (šoft il-bint di?) |
Here are all the demonstrative pronouns in Arabic:
| Standard Arabic | Egyptian Arabic | |
| this (masc.) | هذا (haada) | ده (da) |
| this man | هذا الرجل (haada r-rajul) | الراجل ده (ir-raagil da) |
| this lesson | هذا الدرس (haada d-dars) | الدرس ده (id-dars da) |
| this (fem.)* | هذه (haadihi) | دى (di) |
| * Note that all plural non-human nouns are grammatially treated as feminine, and this applies to demonstrative pronouns (as well as other things like adjectives). | ||
| this girl | هذه البنت (haadihi l-bint) | البنت دى (il-bint di) |
| this pillow | هذه المخدة (haadihi l-mixadda) | المخدة دى (il-mixadda di) |
| These books are long | هذه الكتب طويلة (haadihi l-kutub Tawiila) | الكتب دى طويلة (il-kutub di Tawiila) |
| These cars are new | هذه السيارات جديدة (haadihi s-sayaraat jadiida) | العربيات دى جديدة (il-3arabiyyaat di gediida) |
| that (masc.) | ذلك (daalika) | |
| that man | ذلك الرجل (daalika r-rajul) | |
| that (fem.) | تلك (tilka) | |
| that girl | تلك البنت (tilka l-bint) | |
| these (masc. dual) | هذان | هذين (haadaani/haadeini)* | دول (dool) |
| * هذان is used with nouns in the nominative case (المرفوع); هذين is used with nouns in the genitive and accusative cases (المجرور والمنصوب). | ||
| These (two) boys are Egyptian | هذان الولدان مصريان (haadaani l-waladaan miSriyaan) | الولدين دول مصريين (il-waladein dool maSriyiin) |
| I saw these (two) boys | رأيت هذين الولدين (ra'eitu haadeini l-waladein) | شفت الولدين دول (šoft il-waladein dool) |
| these (fem. dual) | هتان | هتين (haataani/haateini)* | دول (dool) |
| * هتان is used with nouns in the nominative case (المرفوع); هتين is used with nouns in the genitive and accusative cases (المجرور والمنصوب). | ||
| these (two) girls | هتان البنتان (haataani l-bintaan) | البنتين دول (il-bintein dool) |
| I saw these (two) girls | رأيت هتين الولدين (ra'eitu haateini l-bintein) | شفت البنتين دول (šoft il-bintein dool) |
| these (masc. and fem. pl.) | هؤلا (haa'ulaa) | دول (dool) |
| these men | هؤلا الرجال (haa'ulaa r-rijaal) | الرجالة دول (ir-riggaala dool) |
| these girls | هؤلا البنات (haa'ulaa l-banaat) | البنات دول (il-banaat dool) |
| those (masc. and fem. pl.) | أولائك (uulaa'ika) | |
| those men | أولائك الرجل (uulaa'ika r-rijaal) | |
| those girls | أولائك البنات (uulaa'ika l-banaat) | |
Relative pronouns
Relative pronouns (such as "that, which, who") begin relative clauses, which act like adjectives and describe the noun they follow. In Arabic, if the relative pronoun is referring back to a noun that is a direct object or the object of a preposition (like "the book [that] I read," "the girl [whom] I wrote to"), a pronoun suffix referring to this noun must be added to the relative pronoun.
the book that I read - lit. "the book that I read it"
البنت التي كتبت لها (al-bint allati katabtu laha)
the girl whom I wrote to - lit. "the girl whom I wrote to her"
If you are referring to a noun that is indefinite, you do not use a relative pronoun.
I have a colleague who speaks six languages. - Note that although English still uses the relative pronoun "who," there's no corresponding pronoun in Arabic.
These two rules hold for both standard and Egyptian Arabic.
Relative pronouns in standard and Egyptian Arabic
The Egyptian dialect has only one relative pronoun:
اللي (illi) - used in reference to all nouns, regardless of gender/number.
Standard Arabic, on the other hand, has a whole bunch of relative pronouns:
| Standard Arabic | Egyptian Arabic | |
| used in reference to a masculine singular noun | الذي (alladi) | اللي (illi) |
| the man who went to the US | الرجل الذي ذهب إلى أمريكا (ar-rajul alladi dahab ila amriika) | الراجل اللي راح أمريكا (ir-raagil illi raaH amriika) |
| the book (that) I read | الكتاب الذي قرأته (al-kitaab alladi qara'tuhu) | الكتاب اللي قريته (il-kitaab illi 'areitu) |
| used in reference to a feminine singular noun | التي (allati) | اللي (illi) |
| * Again, remember that all plural non-human nouns are grammatially treated as feminine singular. | ||
| the girl who studied Arabic | البنت التي درست العربية (al-bint allati darasit al-3arabiyya) | البنت اللي درست عربي (il-bint illi darsit 3arabi) |
| the movies (that) I saw | الأفلام التي رأيتها (al-aflaam allati ra'eituha) | الأفلام اللي شفتها (il-aflaam illi šoftaha) |
| used in reference to a masculine dual noun | اللذان | اللذين (alladaani/alladeini) | اللي (illi) |
| * اللذان is used with nouns in the nominative case (المرفوع); اللذين is used with nouns in the genitive and accusative cases (المجرور والمنصوب). | ||
| the two teams who reached the finals | الفريقان الذان وصلا الى النهائي (al-fariiqaan alladaani waSalaa ila n-nihaa'i) | الفريقين اللي وصلوا النهائي (il-farii'ein illi waSalu n-nihaa'i) |
| used in reference to a feminine dual noun | اللتان | اللتين (allataani/allateini) | اللي (illi) |
| * اللتان is used with nouns in the nominative case (المرفوع); اللتين is used with nouns in the genitive and accusative cases (المجرور والمنصوب). | ||
| the two women who stayed in the village | الامرأتان اللتان بقيتا في القرية (al-imra'ataan allataani baqiyataa fi l-qaria) | |
| I gave the present to the two girls who wanted it | أعطيت الهدية للبنتين اللتين أراداتها (a3Teitu l-hadiyya lil-bintein allateini araadaataha) | |
| used in reference to a masculine plural noun | الذين (alladiina) | اللي (illi) |
| the Egyptians who work in the Gulf | المصريون الذين يعملون في الخليج (al-maSriyyuun alladiina ya3maluun fil-xaliij) | المصريين اللي بيشتغلوا في الخليج (il-maSriyyiin illi bištaġalu fil-xaliig) |
| used in reference to a feminine plural noun | اللاتي | اللواتي (allaati/allawaati) | اللي (illi) |
| the women who work in the field of engineering | النساء اللواتي يعملن في مجال الهندسة (an-nisaa' allawaati ya3milna fi majaal al-handasa) | الستات اللي بيشتغلوا في مجال الهندسة (is-sittaat illi bištaġalu fi magaal il-handasa) |
Note: Relative pronouns are only used to refer to a definite noun. If you are not referring to a definite noun, you would not use a relative pronoun. See these examples:
| Standard Arabic | Egyptian Arabic | |
| I talked to the Egyptians who work in the Gulf | تكلمت مع المصريين الذين يعملون في الخليج (takallamtu ma3a l-maSriyyiin alladiina ya3maluun fil-xaliij) | كلمت المصريين اللي بيشتغلوا في الخليج (kallimt il-maSriyyiin illi bištaġalu fil-xaliig) |
| I talked with Egyptians who work in the Gulf | تكلمت مع مصريين يعملون في الخليج (takallamtu ma3a maSriyyiin ya3maluun fil-xaliij) | كلمت مصريين بيشتغلوا في الخليج (kallimte maSriyyiin bištaġalu fil-xaliig) |
Note: Egyptian Arabic also has the pronouns اهو (aho), اهي (ahe), and اهم (ahom). When pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable (áho, áhe, áhom), these words introduce a word/phrase with a "there it is" meaning.
There she comes.
When these words are pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable (ahó, ahé, ahóm), they follow a noun and act as demonstrative pronouns drawing attention to the noun.
Where's the teacher? - The teacher's right over there.
معاك المقتاح؟ - المفتاح معايا اهو (ma3aak il-muftaaH? - il-muftaaH ma3aaya ahó)
Do you have the key (with you)? - I have the key (with me) right here.
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