The Relative Pronouns الأَسْمَاءُ الْمَوْصُولَةُ in Arabic Grammar

Understanding "Al-Asmā’ al-Mawṣūlah" (Relative Pronouns) in Arabic

In Arabic grammar, الأَسْمَاءُ الْمَوْصُولَةُ (al-asmā’ al-mawṣūlah) refers to relative pronouns—words that link a noun to a descriptive clause that comes after it. Just like English uses "who," "which," or "that" to describe a noun more specifically, Arabic has its own unique and gender-specific set of relative pronouns.

These pronouns help us connect two parts of a sentence: the noun (antecedent) and a phrase or sentence that provides more information about it. Understanding how these pronouns function is essential for both reading classical texts and constructing expressive Arabic sentences.

Common Relative Pronouns in Arabic

Arabic relative pronouns vary based on gender, number, and sometimes case. Here are the most commonly used ones:

1. الَّذِي – allaḏī (Who / That – Masculine Singular)

Arabic: الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي قَدِمَ أَمْسِ
Transliteration: ar-rajulu allaḏī qadima amsi
Meaning: The man who arrived yesterday.

2. الَّتِي – allatī (Who / That – Feminine Singular)

Arabic: الْمَرْأَةُ الَّتِي تَكَلَّمَتْ
Transliteration: al-mar’atu allatī takallamat
Meaning: The woman who spoke.

3. اللَّذَانِ – allaḏāni (Who / That – Masculine Dual – nominative case)

Arabic: الطَّالِبَانِ اللَّذَانِ نَجَحَا
Transliteration: aṭ-ṭālibāni allaḏāni najaḥā
Meaning: The two students who passed.

4. اللَّتَانِ – allatāni (Who / That – Feminine Dual – nominative case)

Arabic: الْبِنْتَانِ اللَّتَانِ قَرَأَتَا الكِتَابَ
Transliteration: al-bintāni allatāni qara’atā al-kitāba
Meaning: The two girls who read the book.

5. الَّذِينَ – allaḏīna (Who / Those who – Masculine Plural)

Arabic: الرِّجَالُ الَّذِينَ سَافَرُوا
Transliteration: ar-rijālu allaḏīna sāfarū
Meaning: The men who traveled.

6. اللَّاتِي / اللَّوَاتِي / اللَّائِي – allātī / allawātī / allā’ī (Who – Feminine Plural)

These three forms are used interchangeably depending on the region or context.

Arabic: النِّسَاءُ اللَّاتِي ذَهَبْنَ إِلَى السُّوقِ
Transliteration: an-nisā’u allātī dhahabna ilā as-sūqi
Meaning: The women who went to the market.

How Relative Pronouns Work

Relative pronouns are always followed by a clause that describes or identifies the noun that comes before them. Unlike English, Arabic does not always use commas to separate the clause, because the relative pronoun itself signals the beginning of the description.

Here’s a breakdown example:

Arabic: الطَّالِبُ الَّذِي دَرَسَ نَجَحَ
Transliteration: aṭ-ṭālibu allaḏī darasa najaḥa
Meaning: The student who studied succeeded.

Here, the relative pronoun الَّذِي introduces the clause "دَرَسَ" (studied), which tells us more about "الطَّالِبُ" (the student).

Points to Remember

• Relative pronouns agree with the noun they refer to in gender and number.
• They are often definite and always introduce a subordinate clause.
• In formal and classical Arabic, using the correct form—especially in dual and plural—is essential for clarity and grammatical correctness.

Arabic Relative Pronouns Table

Number	Gender	Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning	Notes
Singular	Masculine	الَّذِي	allaḏī	who / that (m.s.)	Used for masculine singular nouns
Singular	Feminine	الَّتِي	allatī	who / that (f.s.)	Used for feminine singular nouns
Dual (Nom.)	Masculine	اللَّذَانِ	allaḏāni	who / those two (m.d.)	Nominative case
Dual (Acc./Gen.)	Masculine	اللَّذَيْنِ	allaḏaynī	who / those two (m.d.)	Accusative and genitive case
Dual (Nom.)	Feminine	اللَّتَانِ	allatāni	who / those two (f.d.)	Nominative case
Dual (Acc./Gen.)	Feminine	اللَّتَيْنِ	allataynī	who / those two (f.d.)	Accusative and genitive case
Plural	Masculine	الَّذِينَ	allaḏīna	who / those who (m.p.)	Common in formal Arabic
Plural	Feminine	اللَّاتِي / اللَّوَاتِي / اللَّائِي	allātī / allawātī / allā’ī	who / those who (f.p.)	Variations exist depending on dialect and formality

Final Thoughts

Learning الأَسْمَاءُ الْمَوْصُولَةُ unlocks the door to more expressive and meaningful Arabic sentences. Whether you're reading a Qur'anic verse, a classical poem, or writing a simple descriptive sentence, relative pronouns help you tie ideas together with elegance and precision.

So, the next time you want to describe a person or object in more detail, reach for الَّذِي, الَّتِي, or one of their companions—and watch your Arabic grow richer and more fluent.