Grammar term · I'rab · i'rab
تَاء التَّأْنِيث
ta' al-ta'nith
Feminine ta
I'rab · i'rabI'rab marker (alama)advanced term
In one line
The silent ta' on a madi verb — the sign that its doer is feminine: قَالَتْ.
Classical definition
تَاءُ التَّأْنِيثِ السَّاكِنَةُ تَلْحَقُ آخِرَ الفِعْلِ المَاضِي لِلدَّلَالَةِ عَلَى أَنَّ فَاعِلَهُ مُؤَنَّثٌ.
“The unvowelled ta' of femininity attaches to the end of the past verb to show that its doer is feminine.”
(بتصرف من شذا العرف)
Key words in the Arabic
تَلْحَقُit attaches to
فَاعِلُهُits doer
Understand it
قَالَتْ، جَاءَتْ، آمَنَتْ — the closing ت announces a feminine doer before you even meet her. It is also one of the four verb-signs of the Ajurrumiyya: only verbs take this silent ta', so any word carrying it has declared itself a fi'l.
How to spot it
Recognition test
A final unvowelled ـتْ on a past verb — feminine doer follows (or is implied).
Don't confuse it with
The ة (ta' marbuta) marks feminine nouns; this silent ـتْ marks a feminine doer on verbs. Same idea, different word types.
Related terms