English often leaves an empty position—a gap—inside a relative clause: “the colleague I spoke with ” or “the report I read .” Formal Modern Standard Arabic frequently fills that position with a pronoun referring back to the antecedent. This is a resumptive pronoun, traditionally called العائد “the returning element.”
The pronoun is normally an attached suffix: معه “with him/it,” رأيتها “I saw her/it,” or عنوانه “its title.” It does not translate as an extra English pronoun. Its job is structural: it completes the relative clause and tells the listener what role the antecedent has inside that clause. Place and time clauses with حيث، عندما، يومَ are compared separately in Relative and Linking Expressions.
First choose the relative-clause architecture
Before choosing a suffix, check whether the antecedent is definite. A definite antecedent takes an overt relative pronoun that agrees with it; an indefinite antecedent normally takes an adjectival clause directly, without الذي.
هذا التقرير الذي قرأته واضح.
hādhā t-taqrīru lladhī qaraʾtuhu wāḍiḥ.
This report that I read is clear.
وصل تقرير قرأته صباحا.
waṣala taqrīrun qaraʾtuhu ṣabāḥā.
A report that I read this morning arrived.
In the first sentence, التقرير is definite, so الذي introduces its relative clause. In the second, تقرير is indefinite, so قرأته follows directly as an adjectival clause. Both clauses contain ـه because “report” is the object of “read.”
This contrast is more fundamental than English who/which/that. English can use that or no relative word with many antecedents; Arabic first asks whether the noun is definite.
When there is no resumptive pronoun
If the antecedent itself is understood as the subject of the relative clause, the finite verb already supplies the subject relationship. Do not add a separate resumptive object.
حضر المهندس الذي صمم الجسر.
ḥaḍara l-muhandisu lladhī ṣammama l-jisr.
The engineer who designed the bridge attended.
Here المهندس is the person who designed the bridge. By contrast, in المهندس الذي قابلته “the engineer whom I met,” I is the subject of “met,” and ـه resumes the engineer as object.
The resumptive suffix agrees with the antecedent
The suffix reflects the antecedent's gender and number. Its case is determined by its position inside the relative clause: a suffix attached to a verb is accusative; one attached to a preposition or noun is genitive. The relative pronoun itself separately matches the definite antecedent.
| Antecedent | Relative pronoun | Object suffix | After مع |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | الذي | ـه | معه |
| feminine singular | التي | ـها | معها |
| masculine dual | اللذان / اللذين | ـهما | معهما |
| feminine dual | اللتان / اللتين | ـهما | معهما |
| masculine/mixed rational plural | الذين | ـهم | معهم |
| feminine rational plural | اللاتي / اللواتي | ـهن | معهن |
| non-rational plural | التي | ـها | معها |
The dual relative pronoun also marks its role in the main sentence: nominative اللذان/اللتان, but accusative or genitive اللذين/اللتين. The invariant suffix ـهما still means “the two of them.”
هاتان الطبيبتان اللتان قابلتهما تعملان هنا.
hātāni ṭ-ṭabībatāni llatāni qābaltuhumā taʿmalāni hunā.
These two doctors whom I met work here.
تحدثت مع الطالبين اللذين أرسلت إليهما الجدول.
taḥaddathtu maʿa ṭ-ṭālibayni lladhayni ʾarsaltu ʾilayhimā l-jadwal.
I spoke with the two students to whom I sent the schedule.
English who/whom does not expose this dual system. Arabic marks “two” on the antecedent, relative pronoun, resumptive suffix, and—where relevant—verb.
Direct-object resumptives: normal, but not absolutely invariable
An attached object pronoun is the clearest contemporary pattern, especially for learners and in a clause where omission could delay interpretation.
هذه هي الخطة التي ناقشناها في الاجتماع.
hādhihi hiya l-khuṭṭatu llatī nāqashnāhā fī l-ijtimāʿ.
This is the plan that we discussed at the meeting.
However, it is inaccurate to claim that every direct-object resumptive is mechanically obligatory. Formal Arabic can omit a recoverable attached object resumptive under established conditions, as in الكتاب الذي قرأت “the book that I read.” Contemporary prose also uses this pattern. Overt الكتاب الذي قرأته is generally easier to process and is the dependable productive choice at this level.
This optionality belongs specifically to some direct-object environments. It does not license English-style preposition stranding, nor does it allow a needed possessive link to disappear.
Prepositional resumptives are required
Arabic prepositions cannot normally be left without their object in the way English strands with, about, or for. Attach the matching suffix to the preposition.
هؤلاء الباحثون الذين تعاونت معهم نشروا النتائج.
hāʾulāʾi l-bāḥithūna lladhīna taʿāwantu maʿahum nasharū n-natāʾij.
These researchers whom I collaborated with published the results.
هذا هو الموضوع الذي تحدثنا عنه أمس.
hādhā huwa l-mawḍūʿu lladhī taḥaddathnā ʿanhu ʾams.
This is the topic that we spoke about yesterday.
The preposition is selected by the Arabic verb: تعاون مع “collaborate with” and تحدث عن “speak about.” Do not translate the English preposition independently and then attach a suffix; learn each verb with its Arabic complement pattern.
Possessive resumptives are also required
When the antecedent is understood as the possessor of a noun inside the clause, attach a genitive suffix to that noun. English often uses whose; Arabic builds “the person who + their noun.”
قابلت المهندسة التي أعجبني تصميمها.
qābaltu l-muhandisata llatī ʾaʿjabanī taṣmīmuhā.
I met the engineer whose design impressed me.
هذه هي الأجهزة التي انخفضت أسعارها هذا العام.
hādhihi hiya l-ʾajhizatu llatī nkhafaḍat ʾasʿāruhā hādhā l-ʿām.
These are the devices whose prices fell this year.
Because الأجهزة is a non-rational plural, the relative pronoun is feminine singular التي and the resumptive is ـها. “Plural noun” does not automatically mean الذين/ـهم; those forms normally belong to rational plural reference, especially groups of people.
Near, far, and discourse distance
Demonstratives can contrast physical choices or organize a discussion. The relative clause remains tied to the definite demonstrative phrase.
هذا التقرير الذي قرأته موجز، وذلك التقرير الذي أرسلته الوزارة أكثر تفصيلا.
hādhā t-taqrīru lladhī qaraʾtuhu mūjazun, wa-dhālika t-taqrīru lladhī ʾarsalat-hu l-wizāratu ʾaktharu tafṣīlā.
This report that I read is concise, while that report sent by the ministry is more detailed.
A whole earlier proposition can also be packaged in a definite shell noun such as الأمر. The resumptive then links that noun back into the following clause.
تأخر التمويل، وهو الأمر الذي حذرنا منه منذ البداية.
taʾakhkhara t-tamwīlu, wa-huwa l-ʾamru lladhī ḥadhdharnā minhu mundhu l-bidāya(h).
The funding was delayed, which is the very thing we had warned about from the beginning. (formal)
Common Mistakes
Confusing “this book” with “this is a book”
❌ هذا كتاب الذي قرأته مفيد.
Incorrect for “this book that I read is useful” — the noun in the demonstrative phrase must be definite.
✅ هذا الكتاب الذي قرأته مفيد.
hādhā l-kitābu lladhī qaraʾtuhu mufīd.
This book that I read is useful.
Adding الذي after an indefinite antecedent
❌ وجدت مقالا الذي يشرح المشكلة.
Incorrect — an indefinite antecedent takes a directly following adjectival clause.
✅ وجدت مقالا يشرح المشكلة.
wajadtu maqālan yashraḥu l-mushkila(h).
I found an article that explains the problem.
Copying an English gap after a preposition
❌ هذه الزميلة التي عملت مع العام الماضي.
Incorrect — maʿ cannot be stranded; it needs a feminine singular suffix.
✅ هذه الزميلة التي عملت معها العام الماضي.
hādhihi z-zamīlatu llatī ʿamiltu maʿahā l-ʿāma l-māḍī.
This is the colleague I worked with last year.
Ignoring dual agreement
❌ الطالبان الذين أرسلت إليهم الرسالة حضرا.
Incorrect — exactly two male students require dual relative and resumptive forms.
✅ الطالبان اللذان أرسلت إليهما الرسالة حضرا.
aṭ-ṭālibāni lladhāni ʾarsaltu ʾilayhimā r-risālata ḥaḍarā.
The two students to whom I sent the message attended.
Key Takeaways
- A definite antecedent takes a matching relative pronoun; an indefinite antecedent normally takes a clause directly.
- No resumptive is added when the antecedent is the relative clause's subject.
- Prepositional and possessive positions require a matching suffix; do not strand an Arabic preposition.
- An overt direct-object suffix is the safest productive pattern, although formal Arabic permits omission in some recoverable direct-object environments.
- Duals and rational versus non-rational plurals must be reflected in both the relative pronoun and the resumptive.
Now practice Arabic
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Start learning Arabic →Related Topics
- Relative Clauses with Indefinite AntecedentsA2 — Describe indefinite Arabic nouns with directly attached adjective-like clauses, without an overt relative pronoun.
- حيث، عندما، يومَ as Relative and Linking ExpressionsA2 — Express where and when with headless linkers, explicit relative clauses, and the adverbial time noun يوم.
- Near Demonstratives: هذا، هذه، هذان، هاتان، هؤلاءA1 — Choose near demonstratives by gender, number, case, and human reference, then combine them with definite nouns and relative clauses.