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How to Emphasize Nouns in Arabic Using the “Pronoun of Separation” – ضَمِير الْفَصْل

Arabic uses ضَمِير الْفَصْل (the pronoun of separation) to emphasize a noun. This article explains how adding a corresponding personal pronoun after the noun you want to highlight provides emphasis, effectively separating the subject from the predicate and adding clarity or focus to the sentence.
byGerald Drißner
May 14, 2016
One comment
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Last updated 1 year ago.

In Arabic, you can effectively emphasize a noun by strategically placing a corresponding personal pronoun after the noun you wish to highlight.

This grammatical device is known as ضَمِير الْفَصْل (damir al-fasl), or the pronoun of separation, serving to create a clear distinction between the subject and the predicate while providing added focus within the sentence.

Let us look at some examples.

It is Khalid who sits there.خالِد هُوَ الْجالِسُ هُناكَ
The engineers were the ones responsible for the success of the project.كانَ الْمُهَنْدِسُونَ هُم الْمَسْؤُولِينَ عَنْ نَجاحِ الْمَشْرُوعِ
I have done my duty.قُمْتُ أَنا بالْواجِبِ
He wrote the lesson himself.كَتَبَ هُوَ الدَّرْسَ

Do you know how to use personal pronoun as direct objects – in the accusative case? They do look different.

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Wanna cite this article?

Drißner, G. (2016, May 14). How to Emphasize Nouns in Arabic Using the “Pronoun of Separation” – ضَمِير الْفَصْل. Arabic for Nerds. https://arabic-for-nerds.com/grammar/damir-fasl-arabic/

Published: May 14, 2016

Please check the citation before use, especially if your style guide has local requirements.

Publication ISSN: 3055-1730

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This post was published on May 14, 2016 and is over 10 years old. It was last updated 1 year ago. If you find outdated information, please let us know.

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Gerald Drißner
Gerald Drißner (Drissner) has lived in Arab and Islamic countries for more than a decade. He is the founder of Arabic for Nerds.
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1 Comment
Shazia Lakhani
Shazia Lakhani
10 months ago

Does the iraab have to match the subject?

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