I'rab · i'rabDefinitenesscore term
Also written: Ma'rifah and Nakirah · Definite and indefinite · Marifah · Definiteness · Definite noun
In one line
A definite noun — one pointing to something specific.
Classical definition
المَعْرِفَةُ مَا دَلَّ عَلَى مُعَيَّنٍ، كَالعَلَمِ وَالمُعَرَّفِ بِأَلْ وَالضَّمِيرِ.
“The definite is that which points to a specified thing — such as the proper name, the noun carrying al-, and the pronoun.”
(بتصرف من شذا العرف)
Key words in the Arabic
مُعَيَّنa specified, known thing
الْمُعَرَّف بِأَلْthe noun made definite by al-
Understand it
Definiteness is the first property of every Arabic noun, and it works much as in English: a word points either to a specific, known thing or to any member of its kind. The definite family has a fixed set of members: pronouns, proper names, demonstratives, relative nouns, nouns carrying الْ, the mudaf to any of these (رَسُولُ اللهِ is definite with no ال), and the one being addressed. The distinction is the hinge on which the nominal sentence turns: the mubtada wants to be definite, the khabar usually is not.
How to spot it
Recognition test
Names, words with ال, pronouns and demonstratives are definite.
In the Qur'an
وَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ يَسْعَىٰ
Al-Qasas 28:20 — “And a man came running from the farthest part of the city”
رَجُلٌ carries tanwin — indefinite: “a man”, unknown to the story so far. الْمَدِينَةِ carries ال — definite: “the city” already in view.
Related terms
▶ Watch the lessons
From the free course The Language of Quran — Easier than English (Book 1) (LoQ1), taught by Ustad Muhammad Arjan Ali.
Common questions
Is every word with ال definite?
Every noun with ال is definite, but not every definite noun has ال — pronouns, names, demonstratives, relative nouns and mudaf constructions are all definite without it.
Domain: I'rab · Category: Definiteness · Frequency in the Qur'an: 0 · Source: بتصرف من شذا العرف, cross-checked against the Quranic corpus · Reviewed by Ustad M. Arjan Ali