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In Arabic, when you use a comparative adjective with the word "than" (like **أكبر من**), the adjective stays in its default masculine singular form. However, when you add the definite article **أل** to create a superlative meaning "the most" or "the -est", it acts as a normal adjective and **must agree** with the noun it describes in gender and number.

### Feminine Definite Superlatives

To make a superlative agree with a feminine noun, you cannot simply add the feminine ending **ة**. Instead, feminine superlatives follow a completely different pattern: **الفُعْلى**.

For example, "the biggest" becomes **الكبرى**, "the smallest" becomes **الصغرى**, and "the highest" becomes **العليا**.

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### Masculine Definite Superlatives

When describing a masculine noun, the superlative follows the standard **الأَفْعَل** pattern. Notice how the word endings adapt slightly depending on the root letters, such as **الأعلى** (the highest) and **الأغلى** (the most expensive).

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### Non-Human Plurals

Remember the golden rule of Arabic grammar: non-human plurals are treated grammatically as feminine singular. Because definite superlatives must agree with the noun they modify, a non-human plural noun will take the feminine singular **الفُعْلى** pattern.

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Definite superlatives (أل + أفعل)

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
buyer	مشتريmushtari
biggest	كبرىkubrâ
The buyer bought the biggest villa in the city.	اشترى المشتري الفيلا الكبرى في المدينة.ishtarâ al-mushtari al-fîlâ al-kubrâ fi al-madînah
The engineer said that she prefers the biggest apartment.	قالت المهندسة إنها تفضل الشقة الكبرى.qâlati l-muhandisatu innahâ tufaddilu sh-shaqqata l-kubrâ
smallest	صغرىsughrâ
view (overlooking)	إطلالةitlâla
The smallest garden has a beautiful view.	الحديقة الصغرى لها إطلالة جميلة.al-hadîqatu s-sughrâ lahâ itlâlatun jamîlatun
The smallest room is not bad.	ما الغرفة الصغرى بسيئة.ma al-ghurfatu as-sughra bisayyi'atin
highest / upper	عليا'ulyâ
to overlook	أطل علىatalla 'alâ
The highest balcony overlooks the sea.	الشرفة العليا تطل على البحر.ash-shurfatul-'ulyâ tutillu 'alâ al-bahr
I wanted to rent the highest floor.	أردت أن أستأجر الطابق الأعلى.aradtu an asta'jira at-tâbiqa al-a'lâ
most expensive / more expensive	أغلىaghlâ
This is the most expensive palace in the market.	هذا هو القصر الأغلى في السوق.hâdhâ huwa al-qasru al-aghlâ fî as-sûq
swimming pool	مسبحmasbah
The biggest pool is more expensive than the smallest pool.	المسبح الأكبر أغلى من المسبح الأصغر.al-masbah al-akbar aghlâ min al-masbah al-asghar
panoramic	بانوراميbânûrâmî
I liked the panoramic view from this room.	أعجبتني الإطلالة البانورامية من هذه الغرفة.a'jabatnî al-itlâlatu al-bânûrâmiyyatu min hâdhihi al-ghurfah
courtyard	فناءfinâ'
Did you see the pool in the courtyard?	هل رأيت المسبح في الفناء؟hal ra'ayta al-masbaha fi al-fina'
The widest courtyard contains a large pool.	الفناء الأوسع يحتوي على مسبح كبير.al-finâ'u al-awsa'u yahtawî 'alâ masbahin kabîrin
The oldest house overlooks the river.	المنزل الأقدم يطل على النهر.al-manzilu al-aqdamu yutillu 'alâ an-nahri
The largest windows give a wonderful panoramic view.	النوافذ الكبرى تعطي إطلالة بانورامية رائعة.an-nawâfidhu l-kubrâ tu'tî itlâlatan bânûrâmiyyatan râ'i'atan
Is the price of the most expensive palace only a thousand dollars?	هل ثمن القصر الأغلى ألف دولار فقط؟hal thamanu alqasri alaghlâ alfu dûlârin faqat?
Buying the most expensive property is not impossible.	ما شراء العقار الأغلى بمستحيل.ma shira'u al-'aqari al-aghla bi-mustaheel.
The highest apartment has a beautiful view.	الشقة العليا لها إطلالة جميلة.ash-shuqqatu l-'ulyâ lahâ iṭlâlatun jamîlah
The buyer preferred the biggest villa because of the panoramic view.	فضل المشتري الفيلا الكبرى بسبب الإطلالة البانورامية.faddala al-mushtari al-fila al-kubra bisababi al-itlalati al-banuramiyyah

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