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### 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*):

{{item:1133612}}

{{item:1133616}}

### 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.

{{item:1133619}}

{{item:1133622}}

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!

{{item:1133623}}

### 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**.

Diptote broken plurals (مفاعل / مفاعيل)

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
tomb	مقبرةmaqbara
Pharaonic	فرعونيfir'awniyy
ancient	عتيقatîq
I searched for Pharaonic tombs in an ancient city.	بحثت عن مقابر فرعونية في مدينة عتيقة.bahathtu 'an maqâbira fir'awniyyatin fî madînatin 'atîqah
legend	أسطورةustûra
church	كنيسةkanîsa
Roman	رومانيrûmâni
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.
style	أسلوبuslûb
detail	تفصيلtafsîl
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
crypt	سردابsirdâb
lantern	قنديلqindîl
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
The professor explained details about Pharaonic legends.	شرح الأستاذ تفاصيل عن أساطير فرعونية.sharaha al-ustâdhu tafâsîla 'an asâtîra fir'awniyyah
Is this crypt older than Pharaonic tombs?	هل هذا السرداب أقدم من مقابر فرعونية؟hal hâdhâ as-sirdâbu aqdamu min maqâbira fir'awniyyah?
She drew the statues with ancient styles.	رسمت التماثيل بأساليب عتيقة.rasamat it-tamâthîla bi'asâlîba atîqatin
The man walked to Roman churches and ancient museums.	مشى الرجل إلى كنائس رومانية ومتاحف عتيقة.masha arrajulu ila kana'isa rumâniyyatin wa matâhifa 'atîqatin
I read an article about ancient churches and Roman temples.	قرأت مقالا عن كنائس عتيقة ومعابد رومانية.qara'tu maqâlan 'an kanâ'isa 'atîqatin wa ma'âbida rûmâniyyatin.
Are there details about Pharaonic crypts in this book?	هل هناك تفاصيل عن سراديب فرعونية في هذا الكتاب؟hal hunâka tafâsîlu 'an sarâdîba fir'awniyyatin fî hâdhâ al-kitâb?
He buried a treasure in Roman tombs.	دفن كنزا في مقابر رومانية.dafana kanzan fî maqâbira rûmâniyyatin
I found a crypt without lanterns.	وجدت سردابا بدون قناديل.wajadtu sirdâban bidûni qanâdîl

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