Pointing to "These Two"
When pointing out exactly two specific things or people, Arabic uses dual demonstrative pronouns. These pronouns must agree with the noun they modify in both gender and grammatical case.
For the nominative case (used when the noun is the subject of a sentence), the dual forms end in the suffix ان:
- Masculine: هذان
- Feminine: هاتان
| These two economic options are excellent, and there is no difference between them. | هذان الخياران الاقتصاديان ممتازان، وليس هناك فرق بينهما.hadhâni al-khiyârâni al-iqtisâdiyyâni mumtâzâni, wa laysa hunâka farqun baynahumâ |
Demonstratives with Idafa Constructions
Usually, a demonstrative comes right before a definite noun. However, an Idafa (possessive construction) is a tightly bound unit that cannot be interrupted. If you need to point to a pair in an Idafa, such as "these two airlines," the demonstrative must be placed after the entire phrase.
| These two airlines have an excellent reputation, but the average price is very high. | شركتا الطيران هاتان لهما سمعة ممتازة، لكن متوسط السعر عال جدا.sharikata attayarani hatani lahuma sum'atun mumtazatun, lakin mutawassitu assi'ri 'alin jiddan |
Accusative and Genitive Cases
Dual demonstratives decline just like regular dual nouns. When they follow a preposition (genitive case) or serve as the direct object of a verb (accusative case), the suffix changes from ان to ين.
The masculine dual form becomes هذين.
| I compared these two routes, and the difference in customer satisfaction is clear. | قارنت بين هذين المسارين، والفرق في رضا الزبائن واضح.qârantu bayna hâdhayni al-masârayni, wal-farqu fî ridâ az-zabâ'ini wâdihun |
The feminine dual form becomes هاتين.
| We traveled on these two economic flights before, and the cold beverages were free. | سافرنا في هاتين الرحلتين الاقتصاديتين من قبل، وكانت المشروبات الباردة مجانية.sâfarnâ fî hâtayni ar-rihlatayni al-iqtisâdiyyatayni min qablu, wa kânati al-mashrûbâtu al-bâridatu majjâniyyatan. |
| I asked these two female employees about the difference in the price. | سألت هاتين الموظفتين عن الفرق في السعر.sa'altu hâtayni al-muwazzafatayni 'ani al-farqi fî as-si'ri |