Adverbs of state (الحال)

To describe the condition of someone while an action is taking place (like a thief fleeing masked, or a child running terrified), Arabic uses the Adverb of State (الحال).

Form and Function

Express this state using an adjective or a participle. This word follows three rules:

• It is always indefinite (it never takes the definite article ال).
• It is always in the accusative case (singular words usually end in ـًا for masculine, or ـةً for feminine).
• It agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes.

Masculine States

For masculine nouns, the adverb of state takes the accusative marker ـًا. Notice how it can describe either the person performing the action (the subject) or the person being observed (the object):

Feminine States

If the noun is feminine, the adverb of state must also be feminine. The accusative marker is placed directly above the ة (ـةً).

Combining Multiple States

To describe multiple conditions at once, connect the descriptive words with و (and). Both words take the indefinite accusative ending.