Nominal sentence (الجُمْلَةُ الاِسْمِيَّةُ)

Arabic grammar has two main types of sentences:

1. Nominal sentences (الجُمْلَةُ الاِسْمِيَّةُ)
2. Verbal sentences (الجُمْلَةُ الفِعْلِيَّةُ)

In the most cases sentence type is determined by the first word: Nominal sentences start with a noun. Verbal sentences start with a verb.

This lesson will explore the structure and components of the nominal sentence (الجُمْلَةُ الاِسْمِيَّةُ).

Structure of the nominal sentence

The nominal sentence consists of two main parts: the subject (المُبْتَدَأُ) and the predicate (الخَبَرُ).

1. Subject (المُبْتَدَأُ) is the "who" or "what" of the sentence. It can be a noun or pronoun that tells you what the sentence is about.
2. Predicate (الخَبَرُ) tells you something about the subject, such as its state, quality, or characteristic.

Together they create a meaningful and complete expression of thought.

Example of a simple nominal sentence

الـجَمَلُ صَبُورٌ The camel is patient

Definiteness and Indefiniteness in Nominal Sentences

The subject (المُبْتَدَأ) is typically definite (المَعْرِفَة), while the predicate (الخَبَرُ) is usually indefinite (النَّكِرَة).

In the sentence الجَمَــلُ صَبُورٌ, the word الجَمَلُ is definite (المَعْرِفَة), while صَبُورٌ is indefinite (النَّكِرَة).

More examples

اَلْقَلَــمُ مَكْسُوْرٌ The pen is broken

القَلمُ - الـمُبْتَدَأَمَكسُورٌ - الـخَبَر

اَلْبَابُ مَفْتُوْحٌ The door is open

اَلْبَابُ - الـمُبْتَدَأَمَفْتُوْحٌ - الـخَبَر