Arabic Relative Pronouns: The 'Who' and 'Which' (الذي, التي)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Relative pronouns like 'الذي' (who/which) connect a noun to a descriptive clause, agreeing in gender, number, and definiteness.
- Use 'الذي' for masculine singular nouns: 'الرجل الذي رأيته' (The man whom I saw).
- Use 'التي' for feminine singular nouns: 'المرأة التي رأيتها' (The woman whom I saw).
- The pronoun must match the noun it describes in gender and number.
Overview
Arabic relative pronouns, known as الأسماء الموصولة (al-asmā’ al-mawsūlah), are essential grammatical tools that allow you to connect a descriptive clause to a preceding noun, known as the antecedent. They function much like “who,” “which,” or “that” in English, enabling the formation of complex, nuanced sentences. However, the application of relative pronouns in Arabic is governed by a fundamental principle: the definiteness of the antecedent noun.
This rule is crucial for maintaining precision and avoiding ambiguity, as Arabic grammar relies heavily on the distinction between definite and indefinite entities.
A key difference from English is that an Arabic relative pronoun is only used when the noun it describes is definite. A noun is definite if it begins with the definite article الـ (al-), is a proper noun (like مصر – Egypt or علي – Ali), or is in an إضافة (iḍāfah) construction (e.g., كتابُ الطالبِ – the student’s book). If the antecedent noun is indefinite, the relative pronoun is omitted entirely, and the descriptive clause directly follows the noun, providing its specification.
This absence of a pronoun for indefinite nouns is a defining characteristic of Arabic relative clauses.
Furthermore, Arabic relative clauses incorporate a return pronoun, or العائد (al-ʿā’id), a grammatical tether that refers back to the antecedent noun. This العائد ensures syntactic cohesion, making it clear which part of the main clause the relative clause is modifying. While often seemingly redundant from an English perspective, its presence is mandatory for grammatical correctness and semantic clarity in Arabic.
Mastering this interplay between definiteness, the relative pronoun, and the العائد is fundamental for B2 learners aiming for sophisticated expression.
For example, to say “The man who came,” you would use الرجلُ الذي جاءَ. (الرجلُ is definite, so الذي is used). But for “A man who came,” it becomes رجلٌ جاءَ., with no relative pronoun, as رجلٌ is indefinite. This distinction underlies the entire system.
How This Grammar Works
العائد, the essential pronoun within the relative clause that refers back to the antecedent.الكتاب (the book), you use الذي. If the noun is feminine singular, like القصة (the story), you use التي. This immediate gender and number matching is your first step.الجمع غير العاقل). In Arabic, indefinite non-human plural nouns are treated as feminine singular for purposes of verbal and adjectival agreement. This rule extends to relative pronouns: any definite non-human plural antecedent (e.g., البيوت – the houses) will take the feminine singular relative pronoun التي.العائد, the return pronoun. Its function is to complete the grammatical relationship between the relative clause and its antecedent. The العائد will be either an attached suffix pronoun (e.g., ـهُ, ـهَا, ـهُم, ـهنّ) or, less overtly, implicitly embedded in the verb's conjugation within the relative clause if the antecedent is the subject of that clause.العائد will be an object pronoun. If the action is done with or for the antecedent, the العائد will typically be attached to a preposition.الرجلُ الذي رأيتُهُ (The man whom I saw), the ـهُ is the العائد acting as the direct object of رأيتُ and refers back to الرجلُ. Similarly, in المدينةُ التي ذهبتُ إليها (The city which I went to), the ـهَا attached to إلى is the العائد, agreeing with المدينةُ.العائد is critical because its omission results in an incomplete and ungrammatical sentence. It’s the final link that ensures the relative clause is properly tethered to the noun it modifies, making the sentence grammatically sound and semantically unambiguous. Without it, the descriptive clause would float unconnected, causing confusion.Formation Pattern
العائد Example |
الذي (al-ladhī) | Masculine Singular | - | For definite masculine singular nouns/referents. | المعلمُ الذي شرحَ الدرسَ. (The teacher who explained the lesson.) | الكتابُ الذي قرأتُهُ. (The book which I read.) |
التي (al-latī) | Feminine Singular | - | For definite feminine singular nouns/referents. Also for definite non-human plurals. | الطالبةُ التي نجحتْ. (The student who succeeded.) الجامعاتُ التي زرتُها. (The universities which I visited.) | الهديةُ التي اشتريتُها. (The gift which I bought.) |
اللذانِ (al-ladhānī) | Masculine Dual | Nominative | For definite masculine dual nouns/referents in the nominative case. | الولدانِ اللذانِ لعبا. (The two boys who played.) | الصديقانِ اللذانِ قابلتُهما. (The two friends whom I met.) |
اللذينِ (al-ladhaynī) | Masculine Dual | Accusative/Genitive | For definite masculine dual nouns/referents in the accusative or genitive case. | الرجلينِ اللذينِ رأيتُهما. (The two men whom I saw.) | الرجلينِ اللذينِ مررتُ بهما. (The two men by whom I passed.) |
اللتانِ (al-latānī) | Feminine Dual | Nominative | For definite feminine dual nouns/referents in the nominative case. | البنتانِ اللتانِ درسَتا. (The two girls who studied.) | القصتانِ اللتانِ قرأتُهما. (The two stories which I read.) |
اللتينِ (al-lataynī) | Feminine Dual | Accusative/Genitive | For definite feminine dual nouns/referents in the accusative or genitive case. | المرأتينِ اللتينِ شاهدتُهما. (The two women whom I watched.) | المجلتينِ اللتينِ بحثتُ عنهما. (The two magazines which I searched for.) |
الذينَ (al-ladhīna) | Masculine Plural | - | For definite human masculine plural nouns/referents. (Note: In all cases, it remains الذينَ.) | الطلابُ الذينَ سافروا. (The students who traveled.) | الأساتذةُ الذينَ سألناهم. (The professors whom we asked.) |
اللاتي (al-lātī) / اللواتي (al-lawātī) / اللائي (al-lā’ī) | Feminine Plural | - | For definite human feminine plural nouns/referents. (اللاتي is the most commonly used form in modern standard Arabic.) | المعلماتُ اللاتي شرحنَ. (The female teachers who explained.) | المهندساتُ اللاتي عملتُ معهنَّ. (The female engineers with whom I worked.) |
ـانِ and the accusative/genitive ends in ـينِ. This declension is crucial for grammatical correctness in formal contexts. The plural الذينَ is indeclinable, meaning its form does not change with grammatical case. While مَنْ and ما can also introduce relative clauses, they differ fundamentally by not requiring a definite antecedent and are indeclinable; they function more like general
Relative Pronoun Agreement Table
| Gender | Singular | Dual | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Masculine
|
الذي
|
اللذان
|
الذين
|
|
Feminine
|
التي
|
اللتان
|
اللاتي/اللواتي
|
Meanings
Relative pronouns are used to link a noun to a relative clause, providing more information about that specific noun.
Masculine Singular
Used for masculine singular nouns.
“الولد الذي يلعب”
“البيت الذي بنيناه”
Feminine Singular
Used for feminine singular nouns.
“البنت التي تدرس”
“السيارة التي اشتريتها”
Plural/Dual Variations
Used for non-singular nouns.
“الطلاب الذين نجحوا”
“الطالبات اللواتي حضرن”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Noun + Pronoun + Verb
|
الرجل الذي ذهب
|
|
Negative
|
Noun + Pronoun + Negative + Verb
|
الرجل الذي لم يذهب
|
|
Question
|
Noun + Pronoun + Verb + ?
|
هل هذا هو الرجل الذي ذهب؟
|
|
Dual
|
Noun + Dual Pronoun + Verb
|
الرجلان اللذان ذهبا
|
|
Plural
|
Noun + Plural Pronoun + Verb
|
الرجال الذين ذهبوا
|
|
Feminine
|
Noun + Feminine Pronoun + Verb
|
المرأة التي ذهبت
|
Formality Spectrum
الرجل الذي ساعدني. (Daily interaction)
الرجل الذي ساعدني. (Daily interaction)
الزلمة اللي ساعدني. (Daily interaction)
اللي ساعدني. (Daily interaction)
Relative Pronoun Tree
Masculine
- الذي who/which (m.s.)
Feminine
- التي who/which (f.s.)
Examples by Level
الولد الذي يلعب
The boy who is playing
البنت التي تدرس
The girl who is studying
البيت الذي كبير
The house that is big
السيارة التي حمراء
The car that is red
هذا هو الكتاب الذي قرأته
This is the book that I read
أين القلم الذي اشتريته؟
Where is the pen that I bought?
هذه هي الغرفة التي أنام فيها
This is the room that I sleep in
أحب القهوة التي تشربها
I like the coffee that you drink
الطلاب الذين نجحوا في الامتحان
The students who passed the exam
الطالبات اللواتي حضرن الاجتماع
The students (f) who attended the meeting
الرجلان اللذان سافرا أمس
The two men who traveled yesterday
الشركات التي تقدم خدمات جيدة
The companies that offer good services
المشروع الذي أدرته كان ناجحاً
The project that I managed was successful
السياسات التي وضعتها الحكومة
The policies that the government set
المدير الذي قابلته في المؤتمر
The manager whom I met at the conference
النتائج التي حصلنا عليها مذهلة
The results that we obtained are amazing
الكاتب الذي أثرت أعماله في الأدب
The writer whose works influenced literature
القيم التي نؤمن بها هي الأساس
The values that we believe in are the foundation
العلماء الذين ساهموا في هذا الاكتشاف
The scientists who contributed to this discovery
الفرص التي تتاح لنا نادرة
The opportunities that are available to us are rare
الذين يظنون أنهم يعرفون كل شيء
Those who think they know everything
التي كانت يوماً ما عاصمة البلاد
That which was once the capital of the country
اللذان اتفقا على إنهاء النزاع
The two who agreed to end the conflict
اللواتي كافحن من أجل حقوقهن
Those (f) who fought for their rights
Easily Confused
Learners think they are interchangeable.
Both translate to 'who'.
Learners use 'اللي' in formal writing.
Common Mistakes
رجل الذي
الرجل الذي
المرأة الذي
المرأة التي
الولد الذي ذهبت
الولد الذي ذهب
الذي ولد
الولد الذي
الرجال الذي
الرجال الذين
السيارات الذي
السيارات التي
الذي رأيته في البيت
الرجل الذي رأيته في البيت
الرجلان اللذين
الرجلان اللذان
النساء اللواتي ذهبوا
النساء اللواتي ذهبن
الذي هو ذهب
الذي ذهب
الذي نثق به
الذي نثق فيه
الذي لا أستطيع أن أقوله
الذي لا أستطيع قوله
الذي كان قد ذهب
الذي ذهب
Sentence Patterns
هذا هو ___ الذي ___.
أحب ___ التي ___.
الطلاب الذين ___ هم ___.
الشركات التي ___ هي ___.
Real World Usage
الصورة التي نشرتها جميلة.
الفيلم اللي شفته.
المشروع الذي أدرته.
الفندق الذي حجزته.
الطلب الذي وصلني.
النتائج التي توصلنا إليها.
Check Gender
Definiteness
Plurals
Dialect vs MSA
Smart Tips
Check the noun's gender first.
Avoid 'اللي' and use 'الذي/التي'.
Treat it as feminine singular.
Look at the noun's article.
Pronunciation
Emphasis
The 'al-' is always pronounced clearly.
Rising
الذي...?
Questioning the identity.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'الذي' is for the 'He' (masculine) and 'التي' is for the 'She' (feminine).
Visual Association
Imagine a bridge with 'الذي' written on it for a man crossing, and 'التي' for a woman crossing.
Rhyme
الذي للذكر، والتي للأنثى، في الجملة هما كالمثنى.
Story
Ahmed (الذي) walked into the shop. Sarah (التي) followed him. They both bought the items that (التي) were on sale.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences describing objects in your room using 'الذي' or 'التي'.
Cultural Notes
They use 'اللي' for everything.
Also use 'اللي' consistently.
Strict adherence to gender/number.
Derived from classical Arabic roots for connection.
Conversation Starters
ما هو الكتاب الذي تقرأه الآن؟
من هو الشخص الذي يلهمك؟
ما هي المدينة التي تحب زيارتها؟
ما هي المهارة التي تريد تعلمها؟
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
الرجل ___ ذهب.
المرأة ___ درست.
Find and fix the mistake:
الرجل التي ذهب.
الرجل الذي ذهب.
أين الكتاب؟ - هو الكتاب ___ اشتريته.
الذي / رأيته / الرجل
الذي vs التي
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesالرجل ___ ذهب.
المرأة ___ درست.
Find and fix the mistake:
الرجل التي ذهب.
الرجل الذي ذهب.
أين الكتاب؟ - هو الكتاب ___ اشتريته.
الذي / رأيته / الرجل
الذي vs التي
السيارة -> ?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesأين المفاتيح ___ كانت على الطاولة؟
الرسالة التي كتبت رائعة.
التي - هي - القهوة - أشربها - هذه
The students (masc) who study hard will succeed.
The women who teach at the school.
Match noun and pronoun:
هذان هما الطالبان ___ فازا بالمركز الأول.
قابلت صديق الذي يسكن في لندن.
تعجبني - التي - القصص - نهايتها - سعيدة
In 'البيت الذي سكنته'، which part is the return pronoun?
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
No, you must use 'التي'.
Use 'التي' (feminine singular).
Yes, the noun must be definite.
That is the dialectal form.
No, it is required in Arabic.
It depends on the grammatical role.
Yes, it is essential.
'من' is for questions.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
que
Arabic requires gender agreement.
qui/que
Arabic uses gender agreement.
der/die/das
German has more cases.
no
Arabic uses post-noun connectors.
de
Arabic is gender-specific.
اللي
MSA requires gender/number agreement.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Grammar Rules
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