Arabic says "my", "your", "his" and so on with short endings attached to the noun. The same endings also mark the object of a verb ("saw me") and follow prepositions ("with me").
Possessive endings
| Ending | Example | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| my | ـي -i | كتابي ktaabi | my book |
| your (m) | ـك -ak | كتابك ktaabak | your book |
| your (f) | ـك -ik | كتابك ktaabik | your book |
| his | ـه -o | كتابه ktaabo | his book |
| her | ـها -ha | كتابها ktaaba | her book |
| our | ـنا -na | كتابنا ktaabna | our book |
| your (pl) | ـكن -kon | كتابكن ktaabkon | your book |
| their | ـهن -hon | كتابهن ktaabon | their book |
Some things to notice:
- -ak and -ik are both written ـك. Only the vowel tells you who you're talking to.
- ـه is said -o (in Palestine and Jordan, -u).
- The h of -ha and -hon is often dropped after a consonant: ktaaba, ktaabon.
- After a vowel, "my" is -yi: abuuyi (my father).
- Feminine -a/-e becomes -it/-t: sayyaarti (my car).
The same endings as objects
After a verb, the endings mean "me, you, him…". "Me" is -ni.
- شافنيshaafnihe saw me
- شافكshaafakhe saw you (m)
- شافهاshaafahe saw her
- شافهنshaafonhe saw them
After prepositions
- معيma3iwith me
- إلكilakfor you (m)
- عليه3aleion him
- منهاminnafrom her
"To have" is a preposition
Levantine has no verb "to have". It uses 3and ("at") plus an ending, or ma3 ("with") for things you have on you.
- عندي سيارة3andi sayyaaraI have a car.
- معك مصاري؟ma3ak masaari?Do you (m) have money on you?
- ما عنّا وقتma 3anna wa2tWe don't have time.