Diptotes (الممنوع من الصرف)
Most Arabic nouns are fully declinable, meaning they can take tanween (nunation) and use all three short vowels to show case: damma (nominative), fatha (accusative), and kasra (genitive).
However, a special category of words known as diptotes (الممنوع من الصرف) behave differently. When a diptote is indefinite, it follows two strict rules:
- It NEVER takes tanween.
- In the genitive case (such as after a preposition), it takes a single fatha instead of a kasra.
The "Ultimate" Broken Plurals (صيغة منتهى الجموع)
A major group of diptote words are broken plurals that follow specific rhythmic patterns. If a broken plural has an alif (ا) in the middle, followed by two or three consonants, it is a diptote.
The first common diptote pattern is مفاعل (and similar rhythms). This includes words like مقابر (tombs), كنائس (churches), and متاحف (museums).
Let's look at what happens when these words follow a preposition like عن (about). Notice that the diptote noun ends with a fatha, but the regular adjective modifying it still takes a standard double kasra (tanween kasra):
| I searched for Pharaonic tombs in an ancient city. | بحثت عن مقابر فرعونية في مدينة عتيقة.bahathtu 'an maqâbira fir'awniyyatin fî madînatin 'atîqah |
| I knew that there are old legends about Roman churches. | عرفت أن هناك أساطير قديمة عن كنائس رومانية.'araftu anna hunâka asâtîra qadîmatan 'an kanâ'isa rûmâniyyatin. |
The Pattern مفاعيل
The second common diptote plural pattern is مفاعيل (and similar rhythms). These plurals have three letters after the middle alif, with the middle of those three being a yaa' (ي).
Examples include أساطير (legends), أساليب (styles), تفاصيل (details), and سراديب (crypts). Just like the previous pattern, these drop the tanween and take a fatha in the genitive case.
| The king built museums with different styles and beautiful details. | بنى الملك متاحف بأساليب مختلفة وتفاصيل جميلة.banâ al-maliku matâhifa bi-asâlîba mukhtalifatin wa-tafâsîla jamîlatin |
| I went down to crypts under the church before lighting lanterns. | نزلت إلى سراديب تحت الكنيسة قبل أن أشعل قناديل.nazaltu ilâ sarâdîba tahta l-kanîsati qabla an ush'ila qanâdîla |
Whenever you explore historical ruins or describe ancient landmarks, keep an eye out for these plural patterns. As long as they are indefinite, remember to use a fatha after your prepositions!
| The professor explained details about Pharaonic legends. | شرح الأستاذ تفاصيل عن أساطير فرعونية.sharaha al-ustâdhu tafâsîla 'an asâtîra fir'awniyyah |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| دفن كنزا في مقابر رومانية. | دَفَنَ كَنْزًا فِي مَقَابِرَ رُومَانِيَّةٍ. | He buried a treasure in Roman tombs. |
| بنى الملك متاحف بأساليب مختلفة وتفاصيل جميلة. | بَنَى المَلِكُ مَتَاحِفَ بِأَسَالِيبَ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ وَتَفَاصِيلَ جَمِيلَةٍ. | The king built museums with different styles and beautiful details. |
| هل هناك تفاصيل عن سراديب فرعونية في هذا الكتاب؟ | هَلْ هُنَاكَ تَفَاصِيلُ عَنْ سَرَادِيبَ فِرْعَوْنِيَّةٍ فِي هَذَا الكِتَابِ؟ | Are there details about Pharaonic crypts in this book? |
An ordinary noun takes tanween: كَنْزًا. A diptote never does. After a preposition it ends in a fatha where other nouns take a kasra: فِي مَقَابِرَ, بِأَسَالِيبَ. Its adjective is an ordinary word and keeps the normal ending: رُومَانِيَّةٍ. As a subject, the diptote takes a single damma: تَفَاصِيلُ.
