Indefinite relative clauses

The Golden Rule of Indefinite Nouns

When we describe a noun in English, we use words like "that", "which", or "who" (e.g., "the bird that sings"), whether the noun is definite or indefinite. Arabic does this for definite nouns using relative pronouns like الذي and التي.

However, when the noun you are describing is indefinite (meaning it does not have ال, like "a bird" or "a pet"), Arabic completely drops the relative pronoun. The descriptive sentence simply follows the noun directly.

In the sentence above, حيوانا أليفا (a pet) is indefinite, so the verb phrase لا ينبح كثيرا (does not bark a lot) attaches immediately after it with no connecting pronoun.

Nominal Sentences as Relative Clauses

This rule applies whether the descriptive phrase is a verb (as seen above) or a complete nominal sentence (a phrase starting with a noun).

For example, to say "a rabbit that has soft fur," Arabic literally phrases it as "a rabbit, its fur is soft" (أرنب فروه ناعم). Because the head noun is indefinite, the descriptive sentence attaches directly to it without a relative pronoun.

Putting It Together

As long as the noun you are modifying is indefinite, any following relative clauses will omit the relative pronoun. This applies even if you add adjectives before the clause, or string multiple descriptive verbs together.