What is a Resumptive Pronoun?
When you describe a noun using a relative clause where that noun is the object of the action, English usually drops the pronoun. We simply say, "the bracelet that I returned."
Arabic, however, requires a resumptive pronoun (الضمير العائد) to refer back to the noun. Literally, Arabic phrasing translates to "the bracelet that I returned it." This pronoun attaches directly to the verb inside the relative clause as an object suffix.
The resumptive pronoun must match the noun it refers to in gender and number. For a masculine singular noun, attach ـه.
| The bracelet that I returned to you is not mine, but rather it is his. | السوار الذي أرجعته إليك ليس لي، بل هو له.as-siwâru alladhî arja'tuhu ilayka laysa lî, bal huwa lahu. |
For a feminine singular noun, attach ـها.
| How beautiful is the valuable necklace that you bought! | ما أجمل القلادة الثمينة التي اشتريتها!mâ ajmala l-qilâdata th-thamînata allatî ishtaraytahâ! |
Non-Human Plurals and Dual Nouns
Recall that non-human plurals—such as belongings (ممتلكات) or jewelry (مجوهرات)—are grammatically treated as feminine singular. Therefore, they use the feminine singular relative pronoun التي and take the feminine singular resumptive pronoun ـها.
| The police recovered all the belongings and jewelry that the thief stole. | استرجعت الشرطة جميع الممتلكات والمجوهرات التي سرقها اللص.istarjaʿati ash-shurtatu jameeʿa al-mumtalakâti wa-al-mujawharâti allatee saraqahâ al-lissu. |
When the relative clause describes a dual noun, the resumptive pronoun must also be dual. You will attach the standard dual object suffix ـهما to the verb.
| Both bags that I left in the train contain valuable jewelry. | كلتا الحقيبتين اللتين تركتهما في القطار فيهما مجوهرات ثمينة.kiltâ al-haqîbatayni allatayni taraktuhumâ fî al-qitâri fîhimâ mujawharâtun thamînah |
Resumptive Pronouns with Prepositions
Sometimes, the verb in the relative clause requires a preposition to connect to its object. For example, in English you "search for" something.
In Arabic, when the relative clause contains a preposition, the resumptive pronoun attaches to the preposition instead of the verb. "The bracelet that I searched for" becomes "the bracelet that I searched for it" (عن + ـه).
| I found the black bracelet that you searched for under the couch. | وجدت السوار الأسود الذي بحثت عنه تحت الأريكة.wajadtu as-siwâra al-aswada alladhî bahathta anhu tahta al-arîkati |
