Describing Definite Nouns with Relative Pronouns
In Arabic, when you add a descriptive clause to a definite noun (like "the player who won" or "the prize that I received"), you use a relative pronoun.
The relative pronoun must agree in gender with the noun it describes and is only used after definite nouns (usually starting with الـ).
The Masculine Relative Pronoun: الذي
For masculine nouns, use the relative pronoun الذي (who / which / that).
| The player who won the prize is happy. | اللاعب الذي فاز بالجائزة سعيد.al-lâ'ibu alladhî fâza bil-jâ'izati sa'îd |
| Where is the actor who got the best prize? | أين الممثل الذي حصل على أفضل جائزة؟ayna al-mumaththilu alladhî hasala alâ afdali jâ'izah |
| Our team is the team that won the cup. | فريقنا هو الفريق الذي فاز بالكأس.farîquna huwa alfarîqu alladhî fâza bilka'si |
The Feminine Relative Pronoun: التي
For feminine nouns, use the relative pronoun التي. This applies to both female people and grammatically feminine objects, which frequently end with a tied taa (ة).
| The girl who won the competition is a champion. | البنت التي فازت بالمسابقة بطلة.albintu allatî fâzat bilmusâbaqati baṭalatun |
| I saw the actress who got the medal. | رأيت الممثلة التي حصلت على الميدالية.ra'aytu al-mumaththilata allati hasalat ala al-mîdâliyati |
Linking Objects: The Return Pronoun
In English, we say "The prize that the actor won." In Arabic, when the relative pronoun acts as the object of the descriptive clause, you must include a "return pronoun" attached to a verb or preposition inside the clause. It points back to the original noun. Think of it literally as saying: "The prize that the actor won it."
If the described noun is feminine, like جائزة (prize) or ميدالية (medal), you will see the feminine attached pronoun (ـها) used with the verb or preposition, such as in بها (with it).
| The prize that the actor won is large. | الجائزة التي فاز بها الممثل كبيرة.al-jâ'izatu allatî fâza bihâ al-mumaththilu kabîratun |
| The medal that I won is the best medal. | الميدالية التي فزت بها هي أفضل ميدالية.al-mîdâliyatu allatî fuztu bihâ hiya afdalu mîdâliyah |
Similarly, if the clause describes the location or context of the event, attach a return pronoun to the preposition, like فيها (in it).
| Did you watch the competition in which the actor won a medal? | هل شاهدت المسابقة التي فاز فيها الممثل بميدالية؟hal shâhadta al-musâbaqata allatî fâza fîhâ al-mumaththilu bimîdâliyatin? |