Qur'anic Arabic grammar, step by step

Before sentences, words. Arabic sorts every word in the Qur'an into three kinds, and each kind behaves differently. Learn to sort them and half of the confusion disappears.

1. Noun, verb, particle اِسْم · فِعْل · حَرْفSort any Arabic word into one of the three kinds and say why.
2. How to spot a noun عَلَامَات الاِسْمRecognise a noun from its outward signs without knowing what it means.
3. Masculine and feminine, one, two and many التَّذْكِير وَالتَّأْنِيث · الْعَدَدRead the ending of a noun to tell whether it is feminine, and whether it is one, two or many.
4. Pronouns, standing alone and attached الضَّمَائِرRead the little endings that mean my, your, his, our — and spot the standalone pronouns.

Two or three words that work as a single unit: 'the Master of the Day', 'in the name of Allah', 'this Book'. Spotting the unit is what lets you read a long āyah without losing the thread.

1. The 'of' phrase الْإِضَافَةRecognise two nouns chained together and translate them with 'of'.
2. Describing a noun الْمَوْصُوف وَالصِّفَةTell a description phrase from an 'of' phrase, using agreement.
3. Prepositions and what follows them الْجَارّ وَالْمَجْرُورSpot a preposition and know what it does to the noun after it.
4. This and that أَسْمَاء الْإِشَارَةRead hādhā, hādhihi and dhālika, and tell pointing from describing.

Arabic has two sentence shapes, one starting with a noun and one with a verb. Add emphasis and negation and you can read most short sūrahs line by line.

1. The sentence that starts with a noun الْجُمْلَة الاِسْمِيَّةSplit a nominal sentence into its subject and the statement made about it.
2. The sentence that starts with a verb الْجُمْلَة الْفِعْلِيَّةFind the doer and the thing done in a verbal sentence.
3. Inna and its sisters إِنَّ وَأَخَوَاتُهَاRecognise inna, know the emphasis it adds, and expect the ending it forces.
4. Four ways to say no أَدَوَات النَّفْيTell lā, mā, lam and lan apart and know what each one denies.

Why the same three letters give knowledge, teaching and a scholar; what the tiny endings on a word are telling you; and how a long 'when…' finally lands on its answer.

1. Done, doing, do it الْمَاضِي وَالْمُضَارِع وَالْأَمْرTell the three verb tenses apart by their shape.
2. One root, ten shapes أَوْزَان الْفِعْلSee how a root's meaning shifts when it is poured into a different pattern.
3. What the endings are telling you الْإِعْرَابRead -u, -a and -i at the end of a noun as information about its job.
4. When…, then… أُسْلُوب الشَّرْطFollow a long chain of 'when' clauses to the answer that completes them.