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### The Cognate Accusative (المفعول المطلق)

To describe exactly *how* an action is performed, Arabic uses a highly common structure called the cognate accusative (المفعول المطلق). 

Instead of using a simple adverb, you pair a verb with its own indefinite verbal noun (the *masdar*), followed by an adjective. 

For example, instead of saying "The audience clapped loudly," Arabic says "The audience clapped a loud clapping." Both the verbal noun and the adjective must take the accusative case, which typically means adding the *tanwin fatha* (-an) ending, often written with an extra alif (ا).

The structure looks like this:
Verb + [Subject/Object] + Indefinite Verbal Noun + Indefinite Adjective

Let's see this in action to describe a spectacular magic show:

{{item:1122319}}

{{item:1122323}}

Notice how English translates these phrases using adverbs like "wondrously" and "astonishingly," but the Arabic literally reads "enchanted... a wondrous enchanting" and "dazzled... an astonishing dazzling."

### Translating the Cognate Accusative

Depending on the exact verb and adjective used, this structure can translate to various descriptive English phrases, such as doing something "for a long time" or "continuously."

{{item:1122328}}

{{item:1122335}}

It can also be used to emphasize that someone "truly" did something, or did it "with great creativity."

{{item:1122326}}

{{item:1122338}}

### Building Rich Descriptions

Because the cognate accusative adds so much emphasis and detail to an action, it is perfect for writing rich, dramatic reviews. You will often see it used multiple times in longer sentences to capture the excitement of a spectacular event.

{{item:1122333}}

{{item:1122341}}

The cognate accusative (المفعول المطلق)

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
visual	بصريbasariyy
What a great visual show this is!	ما أعظم هذا العرض البصري!mâ a'ẓama hâdhâ al-'arḍu al-baṣariyy!
to enchant	سحرsahara
wondrous / amazing	عجيبajîb
The magician enchanted the audience wondrously.	سحر الساحر الجمهور سحرا عجيبا.sahara as-sâhiru al-jumhûra sihran ajîban.
to dazzle	أبهرabhara
dazzlement / dazzling	إبهارibhâr
astonishing	مذهلmudh'hil
The show dazzled the people astonishingly.	أبهر العرض الناس إبهارا مذهلا.abhara al-'ardu an-nâsa ib'hâran mudh'hilan.
to perform creatively / to excel	أبدعabda'a
creativity	إبداعibdâ'
The clown performed with astonishing creativity.	أبدع المهرج إبداعا مذهلا.abda'a al-muharriju ibdâ'an mudh'hilan.
applause / clapping	تصفيقtasfîq
The audience clapped for a long time.	صفق الجمهور تصفيقا طويلا.saffaqa al-jumhûru tasfîqan tawîlan
A hundred women watched this wondrous magic.	شاهدت مئة امرأة هذا السحر العجيب.shâhadat mi'atu mra'atin hâdha s-sihra l-'ajîba
The colors in the theater dazzled us visually.	أبهرتنا الألوان في المسرح إبهارا بصريا.abharatnâ al-alwânu fi al-masrahi ibhâran basariyyan.
The magician succeeded wondrously in the show because his creativity is great.	نجح الساحر في العرض نجاحا عجيبا لأن إبداعه كبير.najaha as-sâhiru fil 'ardi najâhan ajîban li'anna ibdâ'ahu kabîrun
The show was astonishing, and we heard loud applause.	كان العرض مذهلا وسمعنا تصفيقا عاليا.kâna al-ʿardu mudh-hilan wa sami'nâ taṣfîqan ʿâliyan
The music enchanted us astonishingly, and the team performed with beautiful creativity.	سحرتنا الموسيقى سحرا مذهلا، وقد أبدع الفريق إبداعا جميلا.saharatnâ al-mûsîqâ sihran mudh-hilan, wa qad abda'a al-farîqu ibdâ'an jamîlan.
continuous	مستمرmustamirr
The audience clapped continuously.	صفق الجمهور تصفيقا مستمرا.saffaqa al-jumhûru tasfîqan mustamirran.
The magician dazzled the people amazingly.	أبهر الساحر الناس إبهارا مذهلا.abhara s-sâhiru n-nâsa ib'hâran mudh-hilan.
real	حقيقيhaqîqî
The artist truly excelled in the show.	أبدع الفنان إبداعا حقيقيا في العرض.abda'a al-fannânu ibdâ'an haqîqiyyan fil-'ardi
Why was the child truly afraid? Because the lion disappeared in a frightening way.	لماذا خاف الطفل خوفا حقيقيا؟ لأن الأسد اختفى اختفاء مخيفا.limâdhâ khâfa at-tiflu khawfan haqîqiyyan? li'anna al-asada ikhtafâ ikhtifâ'an mukhîfan.
exciting	مثيرmuthîrun
The box exploded in an exciting way, so we clapped continuously.	انفجر الصندوق انفجارا مثيرا، فصفقنا تصفيقا مستمرا.infajara as-sundûqu infijâran muthîran, fa-saffaqnâ tasfîqan mustamirran
The magician dazzled the audience in the circus with an exciting dazzling.	أبهر الساحر الجمهور في السيرك إبهارا مثيرا.abhara s-sâhiru l-jumhûra fî s-sirki ibhâran muthîran.