Adjectives come after the noun and match it in gender, number, "the" and case.
Matching gender
- ولدٌ كبيرٌwaladun kabiiruna big boy
- بنتٌ كبيرةٌbintun kabiiratuna big girl
Matching "the": description vs sentence
If the noun has al-, the adjective takes al- too. Leave it off and you've made a sentence instead:
- الولدُ الكبيرُal-waladu al-kabiiruthe big boy
- الولدُ كبيرٌal-waladu kabiirunThe boy is big.
Matching number
People take plural adjectives:
- أولادٌ كبارٌawlaadun kibaarunbig boys
- مُهندسون ماهرونmuhandisuuna maahiruunaskilled engineers
Plurals of things take the feminine singular:
- سياراتٌ جديدةٌsayyaaraatun jadiidatunnew cars
- كتبٌ مفيدةٌkutubun mufiidatunuseful books
Matching case
The adjective copies the noun's case ending:
- في البيتِ الكبيرِfii al-bayti al-kabiiriin the big house
Nationality adjectives (nisba)
Add -iyy to a place name; the feminine is -iyya:
- مصريّ / مصريّة / مصريّونmisriyy / misriyya / misriyyuunEgyptian (m / f / pl)
Colours
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| أحمر a7mar | حمراء 7amraa2 | حُمر 7umr | red |
| أزرق azraq | زرقاء zarqaa2 | زُرق zurq | blue |
| أبيض abyad | بيضاء baydaa2 | بيض biid | white |
| أسود aswad | سوداء sawdaa2 | سود suud | black |