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Possessive Case (Mudaf and Mudaf Ilayh)
By ArabicTree | November 10, 2007
The possessive case is when you have something or someone that owns/has something else. For example, “the book of Allah”–Allah is the possessor, and the book is the possessed. Or, in “her pen,” she (someone) is the possessor, and the pen is the possessed.
In Arabic, the possessor is called the mudaf ilayh, and the possessed is called the mudaf. What rules of grammar apply to them? The mudaf is definite (without alif-lam), and the mudaf ilayh is majruwr.
Let’s work through some examples:
- كِتَابُاللهِ (kitaabullahi): “The book of Allah” or “Allah’s book” –kitaabu is the possessed (it’s definite–single dumma) and Allah is the possessor (it takes kasra)
- هَاذَا قَلَمُ مُدِيرِ (haadhaa qalamu mudiyri): “This is the pen of a headmaster” — qalam is the possessed (definite, single dumma) and mudiyr (headmaster) it’s the possessor (it takes kasra)
- تِلكَ ثَمَرَةُ شَجَرَةٍ (tilka thamaratu shajaratin): “That is the fruit of a tree” — thamarah is the possessed (definite, single dumma) and shajarah is the possessor (it takes kasra) — note that here, unlike the other examples, the possessor is not definite! But that’s ok!
- تِلكَ مِن نِعمَةِ الله (tilka min ni’matillah): “That is from the blessings of Allah” — ni’mah is the possessed (definite, single kasra) and Allah is the possessor.
November 11th, 2007 at 6:02 am
Masha Allah, very informative posts.
Just a small query: I’ve always been under the impression that the mudaf derives its idefiniteness or definiteness from the mudaf ilayh. So if the latter is indefinite the mudaf is indefinite, and if the latter is definite the mudaf is also definite?
Otherwise, continue posting.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:23 am
Allahu ‘alim, the mudaf is always definite. Always. Even if the mudaf ilayh is not definite. Why? Because it’s a PARTICULAR object you’re talking about–Ahmed’s book. Or the house of a man–it’s a particular house, even if the house of a man who we don’t know anything about.
November 11th, 2007 at 9:21 am
So how would we say: “this is a door of a house and that is a door of a car”? Also, if you say: “this is the headmaster’s pen” for هذا قلم مدير then you’ve made “headmaster” definite by saying “the headmaster” when it is not definite in the sentence. Would it not be better to translate it as: “this is a headmaster’s pen or a pen of a headmaster”?
November 11th, 2007 at 9:56 am
That’s actually a typo–it should be “the pen of a headmaster.” You are correct, that IS a more accurate translation!
“This is a door of a house” is “haadha baabu baytin”, and “that is a door of a car” is “haadhaa baabu sayaaratin.”
Sorry for the confusion!
November 11th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Your effort is much appreciated. May Allah reward you for it, and grant you more in terms of knowledge of the Arabic language.