A1 Noun Gender 12 min read Easy

Arabic Noun Gender: The Circle-T (ة) Trick

Look for the circle-T (ة) at the end of a word—if you see it, the word is almost certainly Feminine.
Mark as Learned
Practice it

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Spot the 'ة' at the end of a noun to instantly identify it as feminine in Arabic.

  • Most nouns ending in ة are feminine: مدرسة (school).
  • Nouns without ة are usually masculine: كتاب (book).
  • Some words are feminine without ة, like parts of the body: عين (eye).
Noun + ة = Feminine

Overview

In Arabic, every noun possesses a grammatical gender: Masculine (مُذَكَّر - mudhakkar) or Feminine (مُؤَنَّث - mu’annath). Unlike English, which reserves gender for people and some animals, Arabic assigns gender to everything, from abstract concepts like 'love' to inanimate objects like 'table'. There is no neutral gender.

For native English speakers, this is one of the most fundamental shifts required to think in Arabic. It's not an arbitrary detail to be memorized; it is the central organizing principle of the Arabic sentence.

Understanding noun gender is non-negotiable because it dictates agreement (اَلْمُطَابَقَة). Adjectives, pronouns, and verbs must change their form to match the gender of the noun they relate to. The good news is that Arabic provides an incredibly reliable visual clue for femininity.

The vast majority of singular feminine nouns are marked by a single letter at the end of the word: the Tā’ Marbūṭa (ة). This letter acts as a 'grammatical tag'. If you see it, the noun is feminine.

If you don't, it is almost certainly masculine. Your primary task as a beginner is not to memorize the gender of every noun, but to learn how to spot this feminine marker.

How This Grammar Works

At its core, the Arabic grammatical system operates on a 'default to masculine' principle. This means a noun is considered masculine unless there is a specific reason or marker for it to be feminine. This is a powerful mental shortcut.
Instead of learning two separate lists of nouns, you learn the masculine form as the base and then learn the patterns that signal femininity. The most common signal by far is the Tā’ Marbūṭa (ة).
This system exists to create clarity and reduce ambiguity. Gender agreement acts like a web of connections within a sentence, linking a description back to what is being described. For example, in the phrase اَلسَّيَّارَةُ اَلْجَدِيدَةُ جَمِيلَةٌ (as-sayyāratu al-jadīdatu jamīlah - The new car is beautiful), the feminine endings on اَلْجَدِيدَةُ (new) and جَمِيلَةٌ (beautiful) confirm they both refer back to the feminine noun اَلسَّيَّارَةُ (car).
This grammatical 'tagging' is essential for comprehension, especially in complex sentences.
The Tā’ Marbūṭa itself has a deep history. It evolved from a more explicit ancient Semitic feminine suffix, -at. Over time, the pronunciation of this suffix softened at the end of phrases, while the 't' sound was preserved when the word was connected to another.
The Tā’ Marbūṭa is a unique orthographic solution that represents both pronunciations in a single form. Understanding this history helps you see the rule not as arbitrary, but as a logical evolution of the language.

Formation Pattern

1
Mastering noun gender begins with mastering its markers. While most nouns are masculine by default, there are two main categories of feminine nouns you must learn to recognize: those with an explicit marker and those that are feminine by convention.
2
1. The Primary Feminine Marker: The Tā’ Marbūṭa (ة)
3
The Tā’ Marbūṭa (اَلتَّاء اَلْمَرْبُوطَة), or the "tied T," is the single most important indicator of a feminine noun. Its presence at the end of a singular noun is a near-guarantee of its femininity.
4
Visual Form: It appears only at the end of a word. Its shape is ـة when connected to the preceding letter (e.g., مَدْرَسَة - madrasah) and ة when it follows a letter that doesn't connect (e.g., شَجَرَة - shajarah).
5
Pronunciation Rule 1 (When Paused): When a word ending in ة is at the end of a sentence or is said in isolation, the ة is pronounced as a soft 'ah' sound, like the 'a' in 'sofa'. For example, قَهْوَة (coffee) is pronounced qahwah. The 't' sound disappears completely.
6
Pronunciation Rule 2 (When Connected): When the same word is followed immediately by another word (e.g., in a possessive structure or when carrying a vowel case ending for flow), the ة "un-ties" and reverts to its original 't' sound. For example, قَهْوَةُ اَلصَّبَاحِ (morning coffee) is pronounced qahwatu aṣ-ṣabāḥ. Notice the ة is now a ت (t) with a vowel.
7
This pattern allows you to form feminine nouns and adjectives from their masculine counterparts:
8
| Masculine Form (مُذَكَّر) | Meaning | Feminine Form (مُؤَنَّث) | Meaning |
9
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
10
| طَبِيب (ṭabīb) | doctor (m.) | طَبِيبَة (ṭabībah) | doctor (f.) |
11
| مُدَرِّس (mudarris) | teacher (m.) | مُدَرِّسَة (mudarrisah) | teacher (f.) |
12
| كَبِير (kabīr) | big (m.) | كَبِيرَة (kabīrah) | big (f.) |
13
| لَطِيف (laṭīf) | kind (m.) | لَطِيفَة (laṭīfah) | kind (f.) |
14
2. 'Hidden' Feminine Nouns (اَلْمُؤَنَّث اَلسَّمَاعِيّ - Semantic Feminine)
15
A smaller but important category of nouns is feminine by meaning or convention (samāʿī - 'by hearing'), without displaying the Tā’ Marbūṭa. You learn these through exposure, but they fall into predictable groups:
16
Nouns for Females: Words that are inherently female are grammatically feminine. This is based on natural gender. Examples include: أُمّ (umm - mother), بِنْت (bint - daughter/girl), and أُخْت (ukht - sister).
17
Paired Body Parts: Body parts that come in pairs are treated as feminine. Examples include: عَيْن (ʿayn - eye), يَد (yad - hand), أُذُن (udhun - ear), and رِجْل (rijl - leg/foot). A single nose, أَنْف (anf), is masculine.
18
Names of Places: Most names of countries, cities, and towns are feminine. For example: مِصْر (Miṣr - Egypt), لُبْنَان (Lubnān - Lebanon), and لَنْدَن (Lundan - London). You would say مِصْرُ جَمِيلَةٌ (Miṣru jamīlah - Egypt is beautiful).
19
Conventional Nouns: A set of common, important words are feminine by convention. It's best to memorize the most frequent ones: شَمْس (shams - sun), نَفْس (nafs - self/soul), أَرْض (arḍ - earth/land), نَار (nār - fire), حَرْب (ḥarb - war), and رِيح (rīḥ - wind).
20
3. The Exception: Masculine Nouns with Tā’ Marbūṭa
21
There are a handful of masculine nouns that end in ة. These are rare exceptions and almost always refer to specific male roles or historical titles. The context makes their gender clear. Examples include خَلِيفَة (khalīfah - Caliph) and عَلَّامَة (ʿallāmah - a very learned scholar), as well as some male names like حَمْزَة (Ḥamzah) and أُسَامَة (Usāmah).

Gender & Agreement

Identifying a noun's gender is the first step. The second, more critical step is applying that knowledge to the rest of the sentence. In Arabic, agreement is pervasive.
1. Adjective Agreement
An adjective must always match the noun it describes in gender (and number). To make a masculine adjective feminine, you simply add ة to the end.
| Masculine Noun & Adjective | Feminine Noun & Adjective | Meaning |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| بَيْتٌ جَدِيدٌ (baytun jadīd) | سَيَّارَةٌ جَدِيدَةٌ (sayyāratun jadīdah) | A new house / A new car |
| وَلَدٌ طَوِيلٌ (waladun ṭawīl) | بِنْتٌ طَوِيلَةٌ (bintun ṭawīlah) | A tall boy / A tall girl |
| فِلْمٌ مُمِلٌّ (filmun mumill) | قِصَّةٌ مُمِلَّةٌ (qiṣṣatun mumillah) | A boring film / A boring story |
2. Demonstrative Pronoun (أَسْمَاءُ الْإِشَارَةِ) Agreement
The words for 'this' and 'that' change based on the gender of the noun they point to. This is a fundamental aspect of daily conversation.
  • هَذَا (hādhā) = This (for masculine nouns)
  • Example: هَذَا كِتَابٌ. (hādhā kitābun. - This is a book.)
  • هَذِهِ (hādhihi) = This (for feminine nouns)
  • Example: هَذِهِ مَدْرَسَةٌ. (hādhihi madrasatun. - This is a school.)
  • ذَلِكَ (dhālika) = That (for masculine nouns)
  • Example: ذَلِكَ رَجُلٌ. (dhālika rajulun. - That is a man.)
  • تِلْكَ (tilka) = That (for feminine nouns)
  • Example: تِلْكَ اِمْرَأَةٌ. (tilka imra’atun. - That is a woman.)
3. Pronoun Agreement
In English, we use 'it' for objects. In Arabic, you must use 'he' (هُوَ) or 'she' (هِيَ), matching the noun's grammatical gender. This is often a difficult habit for learners to build.
  • Masculine Noun: أَيْنَ اَلْقَلَمُ؟ (ayna al-qalam? - Where is the pen?) -> هُوَ عَلَى اَلطَّاوِلَةِ. (huwa ʿalā aṭ-ṭāwilah. - It is on the table.)
  • Feminine Noun: أَيْنَ اَلسَّاعَةُ؟ (ayna as-sāʿah? - Where is the watch?) -> هِيَ فِي اَلْحَقِيبَةِ. (hiya fī al-ḥaqībah. - It is in the bag.)
4. Verb Agreement (Introduction)
Verbs also conjugate differently depending on the gender of their subject. At the A1 level, you will most often see this with the third-person past tense.
  • Masculine Subject: ذَهَبَ (dhahaba - he went) -> اَلطَّالِبُ ذَهَبَ إِلَى اَلْجَامِعَةِ. (The student went to the university.)
  • Feminine Subject: ذَهَبَتْ (dhahabat - she went) -> اَلطَّالِبَةُ ذَهَبَتْ إِلَى اَلْجَامِعَةِ. (The student went to the university.)

When To Use It

Applying gender agreement is not a special circumstance; it's a constant, automatic process in spoken and written Arabic. You use it in virtually every sentence.
  • When describing any object, person, or idea. Any time you use an adjective, you must check the noun's gender. Is it شَايٌ حَارٌّ (shāyun ḥārr - hot tea) or قَهْوَةٌ حَارَّةٌ (qahwatun ḥārrah - hot coffee)?
  • When pointing to something or identifying it. At a market, you don't just point; you must use the correct demonstrative pronoun. بِكَمْ هَذَا اَلْقَمِيصُ؟ (bikam hādhā al-qamīṣ? - How much is this shirt?) versus بِكَمْ هَذِهِ اَلسَّاعَةُ؟ (bikam hādhihi as-sāʿah? - How much is this watch?).
  • When referring back to something already mentioned. If you are discussing a book (كِتَاب - masc.), you will refer to it as هُوَ (he). If you are discussing a car (سَيَّارَة - fem.), you will refer to it as هِيَ (she).
  • When asking basic questions. The adjectives in your questions must agree. To ask "Is the house new?" you must say هَلِ اَلْبَيْتُ جَدِيدٌ؟ (hal al-baytu jadīd?). To ask "Is the school new?" you must say هَلِ اَلْمَدْرَسَةُ جَدِيدَةٌ؟ (hal al-madrasatu jadīdah?).

Common Mistakes

Beginners make a number of predictable errors with gender. Recognizing them is the first step to avoiding them.
  • Mistake 1: Forgetting adjective agreement. This is the most frequent error, often caused by interference from English. A phrase like سيارة جديد (sayyārah jadīd*) is grammatically jarring to a native speaker. Correction: Always add the ة to the adjective when the noun is feminine: سَيَّارَةٌ جَدِيدَةٌ.
  • Mistake 2: Pronouncing the ة as 't' when pausing. A learner might read مَكْتَبَة (library) as maktabat instead of maktabah. This is a clear marker of a non-native speaker. Correction: Remember the 't' sound is only for when you don't stop. When a word is on its own or at the end of a sentence, ة is always an '-ah' sound.
  • Mistake 3: Treating all body parts as feminine. The rule applies only to paired body parts. A nose (أَنْف) or a mouth (فَم) is masculine. Correction: Learn the short list of paired parts (يَد, عَيْن, أُذُن, رِجْل) and assume other body parts are masculine unless they end in ة.
  • Mistake 4: Using هُوَ (he) or هَذَا (this) for all inanimate objects. English uses 'it' and a single 'this', leading learners to default to the masculine forms in Arabic. Correction: Before using a pronoun or demonstrative, consciously check the noun. If it ends in ة or is a 'hidden feminine' word, switch to هِيَ or هَذِهِ.
  • Mistake 5: Misapplying the rule for masculine exceptions. Seeing the ة on خَلِيفَة (Caliph), a learner might incorrectly describe him as اَلْخَلِيفَةُ اَلْعَادِلَةُ (al-khalīfatul-ʿādidah* - the just-FEM caliph). Correction: Remember that nouns for male-only roles are masculine regardless of their ending. The adjective must remain masculine: اَلْخَلِيفَةُ اَلْعَادِلُ.

Common Collocations

Learning common noun-adjective pairs helps internalize gender patterns naturally. Here are some you will encounter constantly.
| Common Feminine Collocation | Transliteration | Meaning |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| اَللُّغَةُ اَلْعَرَبِيَّةُ | al-lughah al-ʿarabiyyah | The Arabic language |
| اَلْمَدِينَةُ اَلْقَدِيمَةُ | al-madīnah al-qadīmah | The old city |
| مُشْكِلَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ | mushkilatun kabīrah | A big problem |
| وَجْبَةٌ لَذِيذَةٌ | wajbatun ladhīdhah | A delicious meal |
| حَيَاةٌ سَعِيدَةٌ | ḥayātun saʿīdah | A happy life |
| صُورَةٌ جَمِيلَةٌ | ṣūratun jamīlah | A beautiful picture |
| شَرِكَةٌ عَالَمِيَّةٌ | sharikatun ʿālamiyyah | A global company |

Real Conversations

Here is how gender agreement appears in natural, everyday contexts.

S

Scenario 1

Ordering coffee (in a café)

- Barista: أَهْلًا بِكَ. مَاذَا تَطْلُبُ؟ (Welcome. What would you like to order?)

- You: أُرِيدُ قَهْوَةً أَمْرِيكِيَّةً، مِنْ فَضْلِكَ. (I want an American coffee, please.)

- Barista: حَسَنًا. هَلْ تُرِيدُهَا بَارِدَةً أَمْ سَاخِنَةً؟ (Okay. Do you want it (she) cold-fem or hot-fem?)

- You: أُرِيدُهَا سَاخِنَةً جِدًّا. (I want it (she) very hot-fem.)

S

Scenario 2

Texting about a movie

- Friend 1: شَاهَدْتُ اَلنُّسْخَةَ اَلْجَدِيدَةَ مِنْ اَلْفِلْمِ. (I watched the new-fem version-fem of the movie.)

- Friend 2: وَكَيْفَ كَانَتْ؟ هَلْ هِيَ جَيِّدَةٌ؟ (And how was it (she)? Is it (she) good-fem?)

- Friend 1: لَا، كَانَتْ مُمِلَّةً قَلِيلًا. اَلنُّسْخَةُ اَلْأَصْلِيَّةُ أَفْضَلُ. (She was a little boring-fem. The original-fem version-fem is better.)

S

Scenario 3

Commenting on an Instagram photo of a city

- Post: A picture of Dubai at night.

- Comment: صُورَةٌ رَائِعَةٌ! هَذِهِ اَلْمَدِينَةُ مُذْهِلَةٌ دَائِمًا. (Amazing-fem picture-fem! This-fem city-fem is always stunning-fem.)

Quick FAQ

  • Q1: Is there really no neutral ('it') in Arabic?
  • A: Correct. There is absolutely no neutral gender. Every noun, from 'a rock' to 'freedom', is grammatically masculine or feminine, and pronouns must follow suit (هُوَ or هِيَ).
  • Q2: What happens with plural nouns? What is their gender?
  • A: The rules for plurals are different. The most important rule for a beginner is that most non-human plurals are treated as singular feminine. For example, بَيْت (house) is masculine, but بُيُوت (houses) is treated as singular feminine. You would say بُيُوتٌ كَبِيرَةٌ (buyūtun kabīrah - big houses), using the singular feminine adjective.
  • Q3: Are there other feminine endings besides ة?
  • A: Yes, though they are less frequent. The Alif Maqsūrah (ـَى), as in مُسْتَشْفَى (hospital - note this is an exception, usually it is fem) and ذِكْرَى (dhikrā - memory), and the Alif Mamdūdah (ـَاء), as in صَحْرَاء (ṣaḥrā’ - desert), can also be feminine markers. You will study these patterns in more detail at the A2/B1 level. For now, the Tā’ Marbūṭa is your main focus.
  • Q4: How can I be sure if a country name is feminine?
  • A: The overwhelming convention is that names of countries, cities, and tribes are feminine. While a few countries that sound like masculine nouns (e.g., لُبْنَان, اَلْعِرَاق) are sometimes treated as masculine by grammarians, the safest and most common approach is to treat them all as feminine. تُونِسُ جَمِيلَةٌ (Tūnisu jamīlah - Tunisia is beautiful) is always correct.
  • Q5: What's the practical difference between the regular 't' (ت) and the 'tied t' (ة)?
  • A: The ت (Tā’ Maftūḥah - 'open T') is a standard letter. It can appear anywhere in a word and is always pronounced 't'. The noun بَيْت (bayt - house) ends with an open T and is masculine. The ة (Tā’ Marbūṭah - 'tied T') appears only at the end of nouns and adjectives to mark femininity and has the special dual-pronunciation rule (sometimes 'h', sometimes 't'). This distinction is fundamental: بِنْت (bint - girl) is feminine because of its meaning, not its 't'. مَدِينَة (madīnah - city) is feminine because of its ة.

Gender Transformation

Masculine Feminine Meaning
معلم
معلمة
Teacher
طالب
طالبة
Student
كاتب
كاتبة
Writer
طبيب
طبيبة
Doctor
مهندس
مهندسة
Engineer
موظف
موظفة
Employee

Meanings

The Ta Marbuta (ة) is a suffix used to mark nouns as feminine, affecting adjective and verb agreement.

1

Feminine Marker

Indicates grammatical gender for inanimate objects and professions.

“طالبة (student-f)”

“حقيبة (bag)”

Reference Table

Reference table for Arabic Noun Gender: The Circle-T (ة) Trick
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Noun + ة
هذه قطة
Negative
ليس + Noun + ة
ليست هذه قطة
Question
هل + Noun + ة
هل هذه قطة؟
Agreement
Noun(f) + Adj(f)
قطة جميلة

Formality Spectrum

Formal
هذه مدرسة.

هذه مدرسة. (General)

Neutral
هذه مدرسة.

هذه مدرسة. (General)

Informal
دي مدرسة.

دي مدرسة. (General)

Slang
دي مدرسة.

دي مدرسة. (General)

Gender Map

Noun Gender

Masculine

  • كتاب book

Feminine

  • حقيبة bag
Sign up free to read full explanation

Examples by Level

1

هذه طاولة.

This is a table.

2

هي معلمة.

She is a teacher.

3

المدينة كبيرة.

The city is big.

4

هذه حقيبة.

This is a bag.

1

السيارة حمراء.

The car is red.

2

هل هذه قطة؟

Is this a cat?

3

أنا طالبة في الجامعة.

I am a student at the university.

4

هذه وردة جميلة.

This is a beautiful flower.

1

المكتبة مفتوحة اليوم.

The library is open today.

2

هذه الشركة عالمية.

This company is international.

3

الرحلة كانت ممتعة.

The trip was fun.

4

هل هذه فكرة جيدة؟

Is this a good idea?

1

تلك الدولة تعاني من أزمة اقتصادية.

That country is suffering from an economic crisis.

2

السياسة الخارجية تتطلب حكمة.

Foreign policy requires wisdom.

3

هذه المبادرة تدعم التعليم.

This initiative supports education.

4

النتيجة النهائية كانت مفاجئة.

The final result was surprising.

1

تلك الظاهرة اللغوية مثيرة للاهتمام.

That linguistic phenomenon is interesting.

2

المسؤولية تقع على عاتق الدولة.

Responsibility falls on the state.

3

هذه التكنولوجيا غيرت حياتنا.

This technology changed our lives.

4

الاستراتيجية المتبعة فعالة.

The followed strategy is effective.

1

تلك الحقيقة التاريخية لا تقبل الجدل.

That historical truth is indisputable.

2

المرونة هي مفتاح النجاح.

Flexibility is the key to success.

3

تلك النظرة الفلسفية عميقة.

That philosophical view is deep.

4

هذه الخصوصية الثقافية مهمة.

This cultural specificity is important.

Easily Confused

Arabic Noun Gender: The Circle-T (ة) Trick vs Ta Marbuta vs Ta Maftuha

Both are T sounds.

Common Mistakes

✗

هذا سيارة

✓

هذه سيارة

Used masculine demonstrative for feminine noun.
✗

السيارة كبير

✓

السيارة كبيرة

Adjective did not match noun gender.
✗

حمزة هي طالب

✓

حمزة هو طالب

Assumed ة makes it feminine despite being a male name.
✗

الشركات العالمي

✓

الشركات العالمية

Failed to apply feminine singular agreement to non-human plural.

Sentence Patterns

هذه ___ جميلة.

Real World Usage

Ordering food constant

أريد بيتزا.

Social media very common

هذه صورة جميلة.

Job interview common

هذه مهنتي.

Travel common

المدينة جميلة.

Texting constant

أين الحقيبة؟

Food delivery common

الطلب جاهز.

Sign up free to see all examples
💡

Look for the dots

Always look for the two dots on top of the ة.
⚠️

Check the context

Don't assume every ة is feminine.
🎯

Adjective matching

If the noun has ة, the adjective must have ة.
💬

Dialect variation

Pronunciation changes by region.

Smart Tips

Look for the ة suffix.

هذا سيارة → هذه سيارة

Don't forget the two dots.

مدرسه → مدرسة

Pause at the end.

مدرست → مدرسة

Check the adjective.

السيارة كبير → السيارة كبيرة

Pronunciation

madrasa / madrasatu

Ta Marbuta

Pronounced as 'h' at the end of a sentence, but 't' if followed by another word.

Declarative

هذه مدرسة ↘

Falling intonation for statements.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

The circle-t is a 'T' tied in a knot, holding the feminine gender tight.

Visual Association

Imagine a round 'ة' as a lady's hat. If the word wears the hat, it's a feminine word.

Rhyme

If you see the ة at the end, it's a feminine friend.

Story

Sarah (سارة) is a student (طالبة). She carries a bag (حقيبة) to school (مدرسة). Every word she uses ends in ة.

Word Web

مدرسةطالبةسيارةحقيبةمدينةقطة

Challenge

Look around your room and find 5 objects. If they end in ة, write them down!

Cultural Notes

The ة is often pronounced as a soft 'eh' sound.

Often sounds like 'a' in casual speech.

Strictly pronounced as 'ah' or 'at'.

Derived from the ancient Semitic feminine marker.

Conversation Starters

“

ما هذه؟

Journal Prompts

Describe your classroom.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Sign up free to see all tips

Test Yourself

Which is feminine? Multiple Choice

Which word is feminine?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: طالبة
Ends in ة.
Fill in the blank.

هذه ___ (car).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: سيارة
Correct feminine form.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

هذا مدرسة.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: هذه مدرسة
Demonstrative must match.
Match masculine to feminine. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: معلمة
Add ة.
Order the words. Sentence Building

جميلة / هذه / مدرسة

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: هذه مدرسة جميلة
Correct order.
Is this true? True False Rule

All words ending in ة are feminine.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Some names like Hamza are masculine.
Convert to feminine. Conjugation Drill

طبيب

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: طبيبة
Add ة.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: ما هذه؟ B: هذه ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: حقيبة
Correct noun.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Which is feminine? Multiple Choice

Which word is feminine?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: طالبة
Ends in ة.
Fill in the blank.

هذه ___ (car).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: سيارة
Correct feminine form.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

هذا مدرسة.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: هذه مدرسة
Demonstrative must match.
Match masculine to feminine. Match Pairs

معلم -> ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: معلمة
Add ة.
Order the words. Sentence Building

جميلة / هذه / مدرسة

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: هذه مدرسة جميلة
Correct order.
Is this true? True False Rule

All words ending in ة are feminine.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Some names like Hamza are masculine.
Convert to feminine. Conjugation Drill

طبيب

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: طبيبة
Add ة.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: ما هذه؟ B: هذه ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: حقيبة
Correct noun.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

13 exercises
Match the noun to its correct gender category. Match Pairs

Classify these words.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["\u0628\u0627\u0628 (Door) -> Masculine","\u0637\u0627\u0648\u0644\u0629 (Table) -> Feminine","\u064a\u062f (Hand) -> Feminine (Body Pair)","\u0642\u0644\u0645 (Pen) -> Masculine"]
Complete the phrase. Fill in the Blank

هذه مدينة ___ (This is a big city)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: كبيرة (kabeera)
Which pointer word is correct? Multiple Choice

___ رجل (This is a man)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: هذا (Hadha)
Arrange the words to form a correct sentence. Sentence Reorder

Arrange: / جميلة / . / الحقيبة

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: الحقيبة جميلة .
Find the error. Error Correction

أمي تعبان اليوم. (My mother is tired today)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: أمي تعبانة اليوم.
Translate into Arabic. Translation

A small cat (female).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: قطة صغيرة
Identify the exception. Multiple Choice

Which of these words is Feminine despite having no ة?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: شمس (Sun)
Choose the correct verb form. Fill in the Blank

هي ___ إلى المدرسة. (She goes to school)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: تذهب (tadhhab)
Match the adjective to the correct gender ending. Match Pairs

Pair the words.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["Masculine Noun -> Masculine Adjective (No \u0629)","Feminine Noun -> Feminine Adjective (With \u0629)"]
Correct the body part gender. Error Correction

هذا عين كبير. (This is a big eye)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: هذه عين كبيرة.
Select the feminine word. Multiple Choice

Which word is feminine?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: جامعة (University)
Complete the description. Fill in the Blank

التفاحة ___ (The apple is delicious)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: لذيذة (ladheedha)
Translate 'The strange man'. Translation

The strange man

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: الرجل الغريب

Score: /13

FAQ (8)

Almost all, but watch out for masculine names like 'Hamza'.

As 'h' at the end of a sentence.

Yes, verbs must agree with the feminine subject.

Yes, but pronunciation varies.

Plurals have their own rules.

Only in specific cases like 'Khalifa'.

Because it's a T that looks like a circle.

Yes, adjectives must be feminine too.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

Sign up free to practice

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Gendered nouns (o/a)

Arabic uses ة, Spanish uses a.

French moderate

Le/La

Arabic is suffix-based.

German low

Der/Die/Das

Arabic is suffix-based.

Japanese none

None

Japanese lacks gender entirely.

Chinese none

None

Chinese lacks gender.

Arabic high

Ta Marbuta

None.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Feminine Nouns: The Taa Marbuta (ة)
Next
Hidden Feminine Nouns (Words without Taa Marbuta)

Related Grammar Rules

A2

The "Internal Surgery" Plural: Fi'āl (Rijāl, Jibāl)

Overview Arabic, unlike English with its relatively straightforward pluralization via suffixes like "-s" or "-es," emplo...
A2

Arabic Plurals: The Mafā’il Pattern (Places & Things)

Overview Arabic nouns distinguish between singular and plural forms. Unlike English, which often adds `-s` or `-es`, Ara...
A1

Arabic Masculine Nouns: The Default Gender (al-Mudhakkar)

Overview In Arabic, every single noun is assigned a **grammatical gender**: it is either **masculine (`مُذَكَّر` - *mudh...
A1

Arabic Nouns: Masculine vs Feminine (The Magic of ة)

Overview In Arabic, every single noun belongs to one of two grammatical genders: **masculine** (`مُذَكَّر` - `mudhakkar`...
A1

Arabic Nunation: The 'N' Sound (Tanween)

Overview `Tanween` (`تَنْوِين`), often translated as **nunation**, is a unique feature of Arabic grammar that marks the...
Was this helpful?

Comments (0)

Login to Comment
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!