Every noun in Arabic is either masculine or feminine. The gender matters because adjectives, verbs, pronouns and words like "this" have to match it.
Spotting a feminine noun
Most feminine nouns end in ة (taa marbuuta), pronounced -a at the end of a phrase and -at inside one.
- مدرسةmadrasaschool (f)
- سيارةsayyaaracar (f)
- مدينةmadiinacity (f)
Two other feminine endings are ى (-aa) and اء (-aa2): dhikraa (memory), sa7raa2 (desert).
Feminine nouns without an ending
- female people: umm (mother), bint (girl)
- paired body parts: 3ayn (eye), yad (hand), rijl (leg), udhun (ear)
- names of most countries and cities: misr (Egypt), dimashq (Damascus)
- a few others: shams (sun), ard (earth), 7arb (war), daar (house)
Making a feminine form
People and adjectives add ة:
- مُعلّم / مُعلّمةmu3allim / mu3allimateacher (m / f)
- مصريّ / مصريّةmisriyy / misriyyaEgyptian (m / f)
- كبير / كبيرةkabiir / kabiirabig (m / f)
The ة is pronounced -at before an owner
- سيارةُ أحمدَsayyaaratu a7madaAhmed's car
- سيارتيsayyaaratiimy car
Why it matters
- الولدُ طويلٌal-waladu tawiilunThe boy is tall.
- البنتُ طويلةٌal-bintu tawiilatunThe girl is tall.