Nisba adjectives from plurals

Nisba adjectives are formed by adding the suffix ي (for masculine) or ية (for feminine) to a noun to mean "related to" or "characteristic of" that noun. While most Nisba adjectives are formed from singular nouns, formal Arabic—especially in diplomacy, politics, and law—often forms them directly from broken plural nouns.

The Plural Nisba

When a concept is inherently collective or refers to an institution based on a plural word, the Nisba suffix attaches directly to the broken plural form.

For example, the United Nations is الأمم المتحدة (literally "the united nations"). To say "UN-related" or "international," you add the Nisba suffix to the plural word أمم (nations), creating the adjective أممي.

Here are common examples used in international relations:

• أمم (nations) becomes أممي (UN-related)
• حقوق (rights) becomes حقوقي (rights-related)
• أخلاق (morals) becomes أخلاقي (moral)

Like all adjectives, these words must agree with the nouns they modify in gender, definiteness, and case.

Describing Movements and Ideologies

This pattern applies to a wide variety of broken plural forms, allowing you to create precise descriptive terms for political movements, ideologies, and demographics.

• عقائد (ideologies/beliefs) becomes عقائدي (ideological)
• جماهير (masses) becomes جماهيري (mass)
• عمال (workers) becomes عمالي (labor)

Summary of Plural Origins

Here is a quick reference showing how the singular base nouns become broken plurals, which then take the Nisba suffix to form these formal adjectives: