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In Arabic, when you want to describe a specific feature of a noun, you use an advanced structure called the **Causal Adjective (النعت السببي)**. In English, this is often expressed using "whose," as in "a meal whose taste is authentic."

### Agreement Rules

Unlike standard adjectives that agree completely with the noun they follow, the causal adjective acts as a bridge between two nouns: the main noun before it, and the specific feature after it.

It follows strict agreement rules:
- **Definiteness and Case:** Matches the noun *before* it (the main noun).
- **Gender:** Matches the noun *after* it (the specific feature).
- **Number:** Remains **singular**, regardless of whether the surrounding nouns are plural.

Additionally, the second noun (the feature) always has a pronoun suffix attached to it that refers back to the first noun.

### Indefinite Causal Adjectives

In the sentence below, "meal" (وجبة) is feminine, but its "taste" (مذاق) is masculine. The causal adjective "authentic" (أصيل) is masculine to match the second noun, but remains indefinite to match the first noun.

{{item:1162767}}

### Definite Causal Adjectives

If the main noun is definite, the causal adjective must also be definite. Notice how "dazzling" (الباهر) takes **الـ** to match "the restaurant" (المطعم), but remains masculine to match "decor" (ديكور).

{{item:1162770}}

### Plural Nouns

The causal adjective stubbornly remains singular even if the noun it describes is plural. Here, "restaurants" (المطاعم) is plural, but the adjective "appetizing" (الشهي) stays singular.

{{item:1162773}}

### Feminine Features

If the feature you are describing is feminine—or a non-human plural, which Arabic treats as feminine singular—the causal adjective will be feminine. Here, "meals" (وجبات) is a non-human plural, so the adjective "varied" (متنوعة) takes the feminine marker (ة).

{{item:1162777}}

### Case Agreement

Because the causal adjective takes the grammatical case of the noun *before* it, its ending changes depending on that noun's role in the sentence. In this example, "dessert" (حلوى) is the direct object (accusative case). Therefore, the causal adjective "rich" (دسما) takes the accusative marker (ا), even though "cheese" (جبنها) is nominative.

{{item:1162781}}

### 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 usually something you hear in the audio but cannot see in the drills. Here are some of them with every vowel written out:

| as written | fully vocalized | case |
|---|---|---|
| هذه وجبة أصيل مذاقها. | هَذِهِ وَجْبَةٌ أَصِيلٌ مَذَاقُهَا. | nominative |
| قد جربنا الحساء المتنوعة توابله. | قَدْ جَرَّبْنَا الحَسَاءَ المُتَنَوِّعَةَ تَوَابِلُهُ. | accusative (object) |
| وافقت المديرة على المطعم المتنوعة وجباته. | وَافَقَتِ المُدِيرَةُ عَلَى المَطْعَمِ المُتَنَوِّعَةِ وَجَبَاتُهُ. | genitive (after على) |

The adjective copies the case of the noun before it: **وَجْبَةٌ أَصِيلٌ**, **الحَسَاءَ المُتَنَوِّعَةَ**, **المَطْعَمِ المُتَنَوِّعَةِ**. The noun after it is always nominative: **مَذَاقُهَا**, **تَوَابِلُهُ**, **وَجَبَاتُهُ**. In these drills, only an indefinite masculine accusative lets you see the case, as the alif of دسما.

Causal adjectives (النعت السببي)

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
authentic	أصيلasîl
taste	مذاقmadhâq
This is a meal whose taste is authentic.	هذه وجبة أصيل مذاقها.hâdhihi wajbatun asîlun madhâquhâ.
dazzling (adjective)	باهرbâhir
decor	ديكورdikôr
It is as if the restaurant whose decor is dazzling is a palace.	كأن المطعم الباهر ديكوره قصر.ka'anna al-mat'ama al-bâhira dîkûruhu qasrun
appetizing	شهيshahiyy
presentation; providing, offering	تقديمtaqdîm
I prefer the restaurants whose presentation is appetizing.	أفضل المطاعم الشهي تقديمها.ufaddilu al-mataaima ash-shahiyya taqdiimuhaa.
varied	متنوعmutanawwi'
spices	توابلtawâbil
We have tried the soup whose spices are varied.	قد جربنا الحساء المتنوعة توابله.qad jarrabnâ al-hasâ'a al-mutanawwi'ata tawâbiluhu.
The manager approved the restaurant whose meals are varied.	وافقت المديرة على المطعم المتنوعة وجباته.wâfaqati almudîratu 'alâ almat'ami almutanawwi'ati wajabâtuhu.
rich (food, fatty)	دسمdasim
recommendation	توصيةtawsiya
The chef said that the cake whose taste is rich is his recommendation.	قال الطباخ إن الكعكة الدسم مذاقها هي توصيته.qâla at-tabbâkhu inna al-kakata ad-dasima madhâquhâ hiya tawsiyatuhu
We ordered a dessert whose cheese is rich.	طلبنا حلوى دسما جبنها.talabnâ halwâ dasiman jubnuhâ
The waitress brought a soup whose taste is dazzling.	أحضرت النادلة حساء باهرا مذاقه.ahDarati n-nâdilatu hisâ'an bâhiran madhâquhu
In the cafe whose decor is brown, there is coffee whose taste is delicious.	في المقهى البني ديكوره قهوة لذيذ مذاقها.fi al-maqhâ al-bunniyyi dikuruhu qahwatun ladhidhun madhâquhâ
The dazzling presentation makes the food delicious.	التقديم الباهر يجعل الطعام لذيذا.at-taqdeemu al-bâhiru yaj'alu at-ta'âma ladheedhan
It is as if the appetizing meal is a masterpiece.	كأن الوجبة الشهية تحفة.ka'anna al-wajbata ash-shahiyyata tuhfatun
The authentic recommendation from the chef is excellent.	التوصية الأصيلة من الطباخة ممتازة.at-tawsiyatu al-asîlatu mina at-tabbâkhati mumtâzah
I like the two dishes which contain authentic spices.	أحب الطبقين اللذين فيهما توابل أصيلة.uhibbu at-tabaqayni alladhayni fihima tawabilu asila
The waitress's recommendation is a varied menu.	توصية النادلة هي قائمة متنوعة.tawsiyatu n-nâdilati hiya qâ'imatun mutanawwi'ah
This is the authentic, authentic taste.	هذا هو المذاق الأصيل الأصيل.hâdhâ huwa al-madhâqu al-asîlu al-asîlu

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