In any language, pronouns ضمائر
play a really important role in putting sentences together and getting messages across smoothly. Unlike English, Arabic pronouns often attach to other words, with variations in spelling and pronunciation across regions, making it challenging to use them correctly. Let’s take a look at their different shapes and uses.
Varieties of pronouns in Levantine Arabic
Pronouns in Levantine Arabic can be broadly classified into four categories: subject pronouns, object pronouns, possessive pronouns, and reflexive pronouns.
Subject pronouns
Subject pronouns signify the performer of the action, i.e., the subject of the sentence. Although often omitted due to verb conjugation implying the subject, subject pronouns are utilized for emphasis or clarity. The following are subject pronouns in Arabic:
I ( أنا
)
أنا رايح على السوق
I’m going to the market.
You (singular) ( أنتِ
أنتَ
)
أنت رايح عند احمد بكرا؟
Are you (male) going to Ahmed’s tomorrow?
أنتِ عاملة أكل زاكي
You (female) are cooking delicious food.
A Lebanese clip from Playaling. Can you find the subject pronouns?
He ( هوِّ
هوَّ
)
هوَّ جاي من الشغل
(Palestinian & Jordanian)
هوِّ جاي من الشغل
(Lebanese & Syrian)
He is coming from work.
A Syrian explaining the benefits of travel and getting to know foreign cultures. Check out the subject pronouns.
She ( هيَّ
هيِّ
)
هيَّ مهتمة بالفنون
(Palestinian & Jordanian)
هيِّ مهتمة بالفنون
(Lebanese & Syrian)
She is interested in arts.
We ( نحنا
احنا
)
نحنا منحب نسهر مع بعض
We like staying up late together.
In Palestinian and Jordanian dialects, احنا
is used:
احنا بنحب نسهر مع بعض
A Syrian couple talks about their personal life. Look out for the subject pronouns!
You all ( انتو
انتم
)
انتو شو بدكو تعملوا اليوم؟
انتم شو بدكم تعملوا اليوم؟
What do you all plan to do today?
From Alwan, a Lebanese TV show for children. What subject pronouns does she use?
They ( همّا
هنِّ
هنّن
)
هنِّ عاملات مشروبات باردة
They (female) are making cold drinks.
خمسين طبيب وطبيبة شغالين هون، هنن الكادر الطبي بعيادتنا الخاصة
Fifty male and female doctors are working here. They (masculine) are the medical staff in our private clinic.
همّا عم يلعبوا بالطابة
They are playing soccer.
In Arabic, when a group consists of both males and females, even if there are ten males and only one female, the group is treated as masculine plural.
Object pronouns
Object pronouns point to the recipient of the action, either directly or indirectly. They attach to verbs, signifying who or what is impacted by the action.
Me ( ني
لي
)
عطيتني هدية
اعطيتلي هدية
You gave me a gift.
You (singular) ( ك
)
شفتك عالتليفون
I saw you on the phone.
For males: شفتك
For females: شفتك
Him ( ه
و
)
شفته/و بالكافي
(Palestinian & Jordanian)
شفته/و بالكَافِي
(Lebanese & Syrian)
I saw him at the cafe.
Her ( ا
ها
)
أعطيتها كتاب جديد
I gave her a new book.
In some Lebanese and Syrian dialects: عطيتا كتاب جديد
or عطيتها كتاب جديد
A video in Jordanian dialect. Where does use object pronouns?
Us ( نا
)
جبتلنا بيتزا
You brought us pizza.
You all ( كو
كم
)
شفتكو بالمدرسة
شفتكم بالمدرسة
(Palestinian & Jordanian)
شفتكو بالمدرسة
شفتكم بالمدرسة
(Lebanese & Syrian)
I saw you all at school.
You all (Lebanese & Syrian) ( كن
)
عطيتكن هدايا
I gave you all gifts.
Tips about how to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic in Lebanese dialect. Check out the object pronouns.
Them ( هم
هِن
هُن
ن
)
شفتهن بالمنتزه
(Palestinian & Jordanian)
I saw them at the park.
شفتن بالمنتزه
شفتهن بالمنتزه
(Lebanese & Syrian)
I saw them at the park.
شفتهم بالمسرح
(Palestinian & Jordanian)
شفتهم بالمسرح
(Lebanese & Syrian)
I saw them at the theater.
Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns indicate ownership or possession and attach to nouns, reflecting the owner of the noun.
Mine ( ي
)
انت ماسك كتابي الجديد
You are holding my new book.
Your (singular) ( ك
)
سيارتك شغالة اليوم؟
Is your car working today?
For males: سيارتك
For females: سيارتك
His ( و
ه
)
سيارته لونها احمر
His car is red.
Her ( ا
ها
)
سندس شغفها بالفن كبير
Sondos has a great passion for art.
In some Lebanese and Syrian dialects: سندس شغفا بالفن كبير
Our ( نا
)
سيارتنا كبيرة وواسعة
Our car is big and spacious.
Try identifying the possessive pronouns in this Lebanese clip in Lebanese.
Your (plural) ( كن
كم
كو
)
سيارتكن حلوة كتير
سيارتكم حلوة كتير
سيارتكو حلوة كتير
Your (plural) car is really nice.
عندكن مشروع ممتع
You all have an interesting project.
A song in the Palestinian dialect about a child refusing to go to sleep. Where do you find possessive pronouns?
Their ( هُن
هِن
ن
)
ابتسامتهن كتير حلوة
ابتسامتن كتير حلوة
(Lebanese & Syrian)
Their smile is really nice.
ابتسامتهن كتير حلوة
(Palestinian & Jordanian)
Their smile is really nice.
Find the pronouns in this clip of Syrian children answering simple questions.
Reflexive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object of the verb are the same entity, indicating actions performed upon oneself.
Myself (لحالي
)
لما صار الحادث كنت لحالي بالسيارة
When the accident occurred, I was by myself in the car.
A Syrian girl tells her mother why she’s sad. Can you find the reflexive pronouns?
Himself (لحاله/و
)
عمل كل شي لحالو
He did everything by himself.
Herself (لحالا
لحالها
)
لحالها عملت كل هادا الأكل
(Palestinian & Jordanian & Syrian)
لحالها عملت كل هيدا الأكل
(Lebanese)
She made all this food by herself.
Themselves (لحالن
لحالهم
لحالهن
)
تامر وآية طلعوا برا لحالهم
تامر وآية طلعوا برا لحالهن
تامر وآية طلعوا برا لحالن
Tamer and Aya went out by themselves.
Pronouns are essential for creating sentences. They act as puzzle pieces that indicate who’s performing an action, who it’s happening to, who owns something, or even when someone is acting on themselves. Once you master them, you’ll take your language skills to the next level. To dive deeper into related topics, check out Rise and Shine: Greet like a Local in Levantine Arabic to explore greetings in Arabic, and Ten ways to say “how are you?” in Levantine Arabic for conversational expressions in the Levantine dialect.
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