Lesson 9: Suffix Pronouns
A suffix pronoun is a pronoun that is attached to the end of a word. (as opposed to a prefix which
is attached to the beginning.
A suffix pronoun will be used either:
1 As an object when attached to the end of a verb (object form)
2 As Mudaaf ilayhi when attached to the end of a noun (possessive form)
When attached to the end of a noun then it
will form an Idaafa construction, being in the
position of Mudaf ilayhi, therefore will be
When attached to the end of a verb then it
will be the object, therefore will be
‫صوب‬
ُ ‫َم ْن‬
‫َم ْج ُرور‬
ie: he hit her
ie: the boy of his
Suffix pronouns
Singular
(possessive
form)
Plural
(object form)
‫منصوب‬
‫مجرور‬
(possessive
form)
(object form)
‫منصوب‬
‫مجرور‬
3M
His
ُ‫ ه‬..
Him
Their
ُ‫…هم‬
Them
3F
Her
‫…ها‬
Her
Their
ُ‫…هن‬
Them
2M
Your
ُ‫…ك‬
You
Your
ُ‫… كم‬
You
2F
Your
ُ‫…ك‬
You
Your
ُ‫… كن‬
You
1*
My
‫ني …ي‬
Me
Our
‫… نا‬
us
*The only time there is a difference between the ‫ منصوب‬and ‫مجرور‬forms is in the 1st person singular
Arabic Gems Lesson 9 page 1
Suffix preceded by kessrah or yaa
When the suffixes
ُ‫ه‬
and
ُ‫ هم‬and ُ‫ هن‬are preceded by a kasrah or a yaa’ , the dammah on the
letter haa turns into a kasrah
For example:
ُ‫ ُهُ = ُفيه‬+ ‫في‬
ُ
- in it/in him
ُ‫ ُهنُ = إلىُبيوتُهُن‬+ ُ‫ – إلى ُبيوت‬to their (fp) houses
Suffix pronouns and sukoon
We have already learnt that when two sukoons appear one after the other, then something must
be changed to avoid this, as the rule is, 2 sukoons can not appear in succession.
ُ‫ كم‬and ُ‫ هم‬which end in sukoon fall right before hamzatul-wasl
(most commonly found at the beginning ofُ
‫ ) ال‬is that the sukoon on the suffix will become a
What happens when the suffixes
dummah.
For example:
ُ‫نصرُكمُ للا‬
ُ‫ للا‬+ ُ‫نصرُكم‬
Allah helped you
he helped you
ُ‫أخذُهمُ للا‬
ُ‫ للا‬+ ُ‫أخذُهم‬
Allah seized them
he seized them
A note about Verbs and suffix pronouns
Last lesson we saw that the 3MP ( ُ‫ ) فعلوا‬in the perfect tense has an extra alif on the end to
separate the verb from the following word.
This alif is no longer needed when a suffix pronoun is attached.
ie:
Alif has been
removed from the
end
ُ‫سألُوه‬
They asked him
ُ‫سألوا‬
they asked
Arabic Gems Lesson 9 page 2
ْ‫َف َع ْل ُت ْم‬
In the 2MP (
) form, an extra letter
is added, for ease of speech.
ie:
Extra
‫ و‬is added to the end of the verb before a suffix pronoun
‫ و‬added before the
suffix pronoun
ُ‫سألُتموه‬
ُ‫سألُتم‬
You asked him
you asked
A note about prepositions with suffix pronouns
.
‫إلى‬
and
‫على‬
When we add a suffix pronoun to the end of the prepositions
alif maqsoorah will transform into a
‫إلى‬
and
‫ على‬, then the
ُ‫ي‬.
ie:
ُ‫علُيُك‬
ُ‫ ك‬+ ‫على‬
Upon you/your
‫إلُيُها‬
‫ ها‬+ ‫إلى‬
To her/it
ُ‫ل‬
The preposition
ُ‫ ل‬changes to ُ‫ل‬
ُ‫لُك‬
‫( ي‬my)
‫لُي‬
before all suffix pronouns except the 1s
To you / your (sing)
ُ‫لُكم‬
to you / your (plural)
to my
ْْ‫ ِمن‬and ْْ‫َعن‬
When adding the 1S suffix
‫ ي‬to the prepositions ْْ‫ ِمن‬and ْْ‫ َعن‬, they become ‫ ِم ّني‬and ‫َع ّني‬
‫منّي‬
‫ ي‬+ ُ‫من‬
From me
‫عنّي‬
Away from me /
concerning me
‫ ي‬+ُ‫عن‬
Arabic Gems Lesson 9 page 3
Lesson 9: Quick revision summary
Singular
(possessive
form)
Plural
(object form)
‫منصوب‬
‫مجرور‬
(possessive
form)
(object form)
‫منصوب‬
‫مجرور‬
3M
His
ُ‫ ه‬..
Him
Their
ُ‫…هم‬
Them
3F
Her
‫…ها‬
Her
Their
ُ‫…هن‬
Them
2M
Your
ُ‫…ك‬
You
Your
ُ‫… كم‬
You
2F
Your
ُ‫…ك‬
You
Your
ُ‫… كن‬
You
1*
My
‫ني …ي‬
Me
Our
‫… نا‬
us
Suffix pronoun attached to the end of a verb is the object – will be
‫صوب‬
ُ ‫َم ْن‬
Suffix pronoun attached to the end of a noun is the mudaf ilayhi – will be
Suffixes
ُ‫ ه‬/ ُ‫ هم‬/ ُ‫ هن‬preceded by kasrah or a yaa’
‫َم ْج ُرور‬
the dammah on the letter haa turns into a
kasrah
When
ُ‫ كم‬and ُ‫ هم‬appear right before hamzatul-wasl (ie at start of ُ‫ ) ال‬the sukoon on the end of
suffix will become a dummah to prevent 2 sukoons in succession.
3MP ( ُ‫ ) فعلوا‬in the perfect tense looses the alif when suffix pronoun is added
When add suffix pronoun to end of prepositions
The preposition
2MP
(
.
ُ‫ ل‬changes to ُ‫ل‬
‫ُإلى‬and ‫ – على‬the alif maqsoorah changes to ُ‫ي‬.
before all suffix pronouns except the 1s
‫( ي‬my)
ْ‫) َف َع ْل ُت ْم‬, a ‫ و‬is added to the end of verb before a suffix pronoun is added, for ease of speech.
When adding the 1S suffix
‫ ي‬to the prepositions ْْ‫ ِمن‬and ْْ‫ َعن‬, they become ‫ ِم ّني‬and ‫َع ّني‬
Arabic Gems Lesson 9 page 4