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Most Arabic nouns are fully flexible: they can take *tanween* (the doubled vowel at the end of indefinite words) and use a *kasra* in the genitive case (such as after a preposition).

However, a special category of words known as **diptotes** (الممنوع من الصرف) breaks these rules in two ways:

- They **never** take *tanween*.
- In the genitive case, they take a **fatha** instead of a **kasra**.

### Foreign Names and Cities

Names of non-Arabic origin and almost all names of cities, countries, and towns are diptotes. Following a preposition like إلى (to) or من (from), they take a *fatha* instead of a *kasra*.

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Notice how cities like باريس and دمشق, as well as the name إبراهيم, do not take *tanween*. In addition, the cities end with a *fatha* despite following prepositions.

### Feminine Names and Specific Patterns

All feminine personal names are diptotes, whether they end in a *taa marbuta* (like فاطمة) or not (like مريم).

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Some Arabic male names also belong to this category if they mimic the shape of a verb (like أحمد). Many historical names (like يوسف) are also diptotes due to their foreign origin.

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Basic diptotes

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

interrogative

noun

numeral

particle

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The definite article and locatives (الـ)

Basic noun gender (ة)

Sun and moon letters

Singular subject pronouns (أنا، أنت، هو، هي)

Indefinite nouns and nominal sentences (ـٌ)

Demonstrative pronouns for 'this' (هذا / هذه)

Separate prepositions (في، من، إلى، على)

Attributive adjectives

Predicative adjectives

Yes/No questions (هل، أ)

Basic questions (من، ما، أين)

Singular possessive pronouns (ـي، ـك، ـه، ـها)

Plural subject pronouns (نحن، أنتم، هم)

Plural possessive pronouns (ـنا، ـكم، ـهم)

Noun possession

Attached prepositions (بـ، لـ، كـ)

Pronouns with prepositions

Having and possessing (عند، لـ، مع)

Regular plural nouns (ـون، ـين، ـات)

Broken plurals

Dual nouns (ـان / ـين)

Plural and distant demonstratives (هؤلاء، ذلك، تلك)

Non-human plural agreement

Present tense singular verbs

Verbal sentences (VSO)

Present tense plural verbs

Topicalized sentences (SVO)

The indefinite accusative case (ـاً)

Verb object pronouns (-ني، -ك، -ه)

Present tense negation (لا)

Question words with verbs (متى، كيف...)

Adverbs of time and place

The future tense (سـ / سوف)

Intentions and desires (أن)

Negating states and possession (ليس)

Past tense singular suffixes

Past tense plural suffixes

Negating past events (ما)

Singular commands

Numbers 1 to 10

Number agreement for 1 and 2 (واحد، اثنان)

Asking how many (كم)

Numbers 3 to 10 (ثلاثة إلى عشرة)

Ordinal numbers 1 to 10 (الأول، الثاني)

Basic conjunctions (فـ، أو، لكن)

Ordering at a café (واحد، اثنان)

Food and drink with conjunctions (و، ف، أو، لكن)

There is and there are (هناك / ليس هناك)

Direct address (يا)

Giving reasons (لأنّ)

Relative pronouns (الذي / التي)

Quantifiers (كل / بعض)

The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

Past possession

Numbers 11 to 19 and tens to 80

Telling time (الساعة)

This book vs this is a book (هذا الكتاب، هذا كتاب)

Greetings (مرحبا، السلام عليكم)

How are you? and goodbye (كيف حالك، مع السلامة)

Nationalities (مصري، مصرية)

Roots and patterns (كتب، كتاب، مكتب)

Politeness (من فضلك، آسف)

Complex possession chains

Colors and traits (أفعل / فعلاء)

Plural colors and traits (فُعْل)

Comparative adjectives (أفعل من)

Superlative adjectives (أفعل)

Adverbs of manner (ـاً)

The nominative case (ـُ)

The genitive case (ـِ)

The accusative case (ـَ)

Dual noun cases (ـان / ـين)

Masculine plurals and 'the best of' (أفضل النجارين)

Emphasizing sentences (إنّ)

Connecting clauses (أنّ)

Reporting speech (قال إنّ)

Expressing contrast (لكنّ)

Comparison and probability (كأنّ, لعلّ)

Distant plural pointing (أولئك)

Plural relative pronouns (الذين, اللواتي)

Past habits (كان + present)

Ongoing actions (ما زال)

Masculine plurals online (مبرمجون، مؤثرون)

Perfective past (قد)

Probability (قد)

The subjunctive mood (أن)

Question	Answer
Ibrahim	إبراهيمibrâhîm
Paris	باريسbârîs
Ibrahim traveled to Paris.	سافر إبراهيم إلى باريس.sâfara ibrâhîmu ilâ bârîs
Fatima	فاطمةfâtima
London	لندنlandan
Fatima was a nurse in London.	كانت فاطمة ممرضة في لندن.kânat fâtimatu mumarridatan fî landana.
Damascus	دمشقdimashq
Baghdad	بغدادbaghdâd
They returned from Damascus to Baghdad.	رجعوا من دمشق إلى بغداد.rajaʿū min dimashqa ilâ baghdâda
Yusuf	يوسفyûsuf
Yusuf is the first student from Paris.	يوسف أول طالب من باريس.yûsufu awwalu tâlibin min bârîsa
Ahmad	أحمدahmad
Mecca	مكةmakkah
Ahmad was happy in Mecca.	كان أحمد سعيدا في مكة.kâna aḥmadu sa'îdan fî makkata
Maryam	مريمmaryam
Maryam and Fatima went to London.	ذهبت مريم وفاطمة إلى لندن.dhahabat maryamu wa fâtimatu ilâ landana.
When did Yusuf return to Baghdad?	متى رجع يوسف إلى بغداد؟mata raja'a yousufu ila baghdâd?
Ibrahim lived in Damascus for a year.	عاش إبراهيم في دمشق سنة.'âsha ibrâhîmu fî dimashqa sanatan
The second trip is to Mecca.	الرحلة الثانية إلى مكة.ar-rihlatu th-thâniyatu ilâ makkah.
Yusuf and Ahmad traveled to Paris.	سافر يوسف وأحمد إلى باريس.sâfara yûsufu wa ahmadu ilâ bârîsa
Yusuf was a famous doctor in Baghdad.	كان يوسف طبيبا مشهورا في بغداد.kâna yûsufu tabîban mashhûran fî baghdâda
Fatima traveled to Damascus and Mecca.	سافرت فاطمة إلى دمشق ومكة.sâfarat fâtimatu ilâ dimashqa wa makkata.
Yousef traveled with Maryam to Damascus.	سافر يوسف مع مريم إلى دمشق.sâfara yûsufu ma'a maryama ilâ dimashqa