Clarifying Comparisons with the Accusative of Specification
When comparing two things in Arabic using words like أكثر (more) or أقل (less), you often need to clarify: "More" of what?
To specify the basis of comparison, Arabic uses the Accusative of Specification (التمييز). Simply take the noun you want to specify, make it indefinite, and put it in the accusative case (usually ending with fathatan ـاً or ـةً) immediately after the comparative word.
While English often translates these as single adjectives ("sweeter", "tastier"), Arabic literally phrases them as "more in sweetness" or "tastier in taste".
| The grapes are sweeter than the lemons. | العنب أكثر حلاوة من الليمون.al-'inabu aktharu halâwatan mina l-laymûni |
| This fish is tastier than the chicken. | هذا السمك ألذ طعما من الدجاج.hâdhâ as-samaku aladhdhu taaman mina ad-dajâj |
This structure works with any comparative adjective. To say something is "lower" or "less" in a certain quality, use أقل followed by the specifying noun.
| The fast food is lower in nutritional value. | الوجبة السريعة أقل قيمة غذائية.al-wajbatu s-sarî'atu aqallu qîmatan ghidhâ'iyyatan |
| The grapes are lighter in weight than the lemons. | العنب أقل وزنا من الليمون.al-'inabu aqallu waznan mina l-laymûni |
You can also use this pattern to build compound descriptions and compare multiple aspects of a subject at once.
| This healthy food is tastier and lower in fat. | هذا الطعام الصحي ألذ طعما وأقل دهنا.hâdhâ at-ta'âmu as-sihhiyyu aladhdhu ta'man wa-aqallu duhnan |
Seeing the endings
This course writes Arabic the way books and newspapers print it, without the short-vowel marks, so the ending this lesson is about is something you hear in the audio but never see in the drills. Here are some of them with every vowel written out:
| as written | fully vocalized | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| هذا السمك ألذ طعما من الدجاج. | هَذَا السَّمَكُ أَلَذُّ طَعْمًا مِنَ الدَّجَاجِ. | This fish is tastier than the chicken. |
| العنب أكثر حلاوة من الليمون. | العِنَبُ أَكْثَرُ حَلَاوَةً مِنَ اللَّيْمُونِ. | The grapes are sweeter than the lemons. |
| هذا الجبن أقل ملوحة. | هَذَا الجُبْنُ أَقَلُّ مُلُوحَةً. | This cheese is less salty. |
The word that says in what way is indefinite and accusative. On طَعْمًا the ending shows as a written alif. On a word ending in ة it is only heard: حَلَاوَةً, مُلُوحَةً.
