Possessing Characteristics (ذو / ذات)
In Arabic, to describe someone as "having" or "possessing" a specific physical trait or personality feature, we use a special characteristic marker. This translates naturally to "with" or "possessor of" in English.
Masculine: ذو
When describing a masculine person or noun, use the marker ذو. It is placed right after the person being described, and is immediately followed by the trait itself. Grammar-wise, it forms a possessive construction (idafa) with the trait that follows it.
| My friend has a beard and a mustache. | صديقي ذو لحية وشارب.sadîqî dhû lihyatin wa shâribin |
| That leader has a big heart and a smart mind. | ذلك القائد ذو قلب كبير وعقل ذكي.dhâlika al-qâ'idu dhû qalbin kabîrin wa'aqlin dhakiyyin. |
Feminine: ذات
When describing a feminine person or noun, use the feminine equivalent ذات. It functions exactly the same way, linking the feminine noun to its physical or abstract characteristics.
| She is a manager with high morals. | هي مديرة ذات أخلاق عالية.hiya mudîratun dhâtu akhlâqin 'âliyatin |
| This girl might win because she has a strong will and courage. | قد تفوز هذه الفتاة لأنها ذات إرادة قوية وشجاعة.qad tafûzu hâdhihi l-fatâtu li'annahâ dhâtu irâdatin qawiyyatin wa shajâ'ah |
Matching Definiteness
Because these characteristic phrases act like adjectives, they need to match the definiteness of the noun they describe. However, the words ذو and ذات never take the definite article ال themselves.
Instead, if you are describing a specific, definite person (like "the man"), the trait immediately following the marker must take ال to make the entire phrase definite.
| Is the man with the gray beard the new manager? | هل الرجل ذو اللحية الرمادية هو المدير الجديد؟hal ar-rajulu dhu l-lihyati r-ramâdiyyati huwa l-mudîru l-jadîd? |
Conversely, if you are describing an indefinite person (like "an actor"), the trait following the marker remains indefinite (without ال). Notice how both definite and indefinite characteristic phrases appear in the following sentence:
| The man with the black mustache is an actor with talent. | الرجل ذو الشارب الأسود ممثل ذو موهبة.ar-rajulu dhu ash-shâribi al-aswadi mumaththilun dhu mawhibah. |
