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### 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.

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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.

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### 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.

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### 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.

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Indefinite relative clauses

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
to adopt	تبنىtabannâ
tame / pet	أليفalîf
to bark	نبحnabaha
My brother wants to adopt a pet that does not bark a lot.	يريد أخي أن يتبنى حيوانا أليفا لا ينبح كثيرا.yurîdu akhî an yatabannâ hayawânan alîfan lâ yanbahu kathîran
rabbit	أرنبarnab
fur	فروfarw
soft	ناعمnâ'im
My sister will adopt a rabbit that has soft fur.	سوف تتبنى أختي أرنبا فروه ناعم.sawfa tatabannâ ukhtî arnaban farwuhu nâimun
sparrow (small bird)	عصفور'usfûr
cage	قفصqafas
Where do I find a bird that sings inside a cage?	أين أجد عصفورا يغني داخل قفص؟ayna ajidu 'usfûran yughannî dâkhila qafasin?
to bite	عض'adda
I do not want to adopt a pet dog that bites children.	لا أريد أن أتبنى كلبا أليفا يعض الأطفال.lâ urîdu an atabannâ kalban alîfan yaaddu al-atfâla.
My friend bought a bird that sleeps inside a large cage.	اشترت صديقتي عصفورا ينام داخل قفص كبير.ishtarat sadîqatî 'usfûran yanâmu dâkhila qafasin kabîrin
to accompany	رافقrâfaqa
My mother is looking for a soft cat that accompanies her to the park.	تبحث أمي عن قطة ناعمة ترافقها إلى الحديقة.tabhathu ummî 'an qittatin nâ'imatin turâfiquhâ ilâ al-hadîqa.
Have you seen a rabbit that bites a cat?	هل رأيت أرنبا يعض قطة؟hal ra'ayta arnaban ya'addu qittatan
I will look for a dog that accompanies me and does not bark in the night.	سأبحث عن كلب يرافقني ولا ينبح في الليل.sa'abhathu 'an kalbin yurâfiquni walâ yanbahu fil-layli
This is a pet that has very clean fur.	هذا حيوان أليف فروه نظيف جدا.hâdhâ hayawânun alîfun farwuhu nazîfun jiddan
We will adopt a dog that accompanies us and does not bite our guests.	سوف نتبنى كلبا يرافقنا ولا يعض ضيوفنا.sawfa natabannaa kalban yuraafiqunaa wa laa ya'uddu duyoofanaa
My father will buy a large cage in which a rabbit lives.	سيشتري والدي قفصا كبيرا يسكن فيه أرنب.sayashtarî wâlidî qafaṣan kabîran yaskunu fîhi arnabun.
I heard a dog barking at a cat that has soft fur.	سمعت كلبا ينبح على قطة فروها ناعم.sami'tu kalban yanbahu 'alâ qittatin farwuhâ nâ'imun

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