1A Lesson 5 FAQs:
1.) Do all four aspects of GEND have to be satisfied for an adjectival phrase to stand?
Yes, all four aspects of GEND (Gender, Ending, Number, and Definiteness) must be satisfied for an adjectival phrase to exist (one exception is the non-human plural rule, see below). If even one of these conditions is broken, then we no longer have an adjectival phrase. Instead, we get a different nominal construct (which will be discussed in later lessons of 1A).
2.) Why does a plural word like جِبَالٌ get a singular feminine adjective, such as صَغِيرَةٌ?
The adjective (صِفَة) must agree in all four aspects of GEND (Gender, Ending, Number, and Definiteness) with their مَوصُوف (that which is being described). However, non-human plurals are an exception to this. Non-human plurals agree with their adjectives in all aspects of GEND except in number and gender. Therefore, non-human plurals take a feminine singular adjective. Hence why صَغِيرَةٌ would be the correct adjective (and not صَغِيرَاتٌ) for جِبَالٌ.
3.) Does the non-human plural rule apply to non-human duals?
No, the non-human plural rule does not apply to non-human duals. This special rule (details in #2 above) only applies to non-human plurals. Therefore, all duals would agree with their adjective in all four aspects of GEND.
4.) Does the GEND rule apply to words that do not have any outward sign of femininity, but are nonetheless feminine by Arab convention?
Yes, the GEND rule also applies to words that are feminine by Arab convention. The adjective would be feminine. For example, if we wanted to say “the big sun,” we would say الشَّمْسُ الكَبِيرَةُ. Note here that the adjective (صِفَة) is feminine, just as the word being described (مَوصُوف) is feminine due to Arab convention.
5.) Is the second-person masculine singular conjugation (تَدْرُسُ) the same as the third-person feminine singular conjugation (تَدْرُسُ)?
Yes. This is often confusing for students because the same exact spelling is used for both conjugations. The only way to distinguish between these two is by context of the sentence, which will often make it clear which one is intended.