بين

Between

Level 2

بين (bayna) is used to describe a position or time between two or more things. It functions like a preposition, meaning the noun after it takes the genitive case (kasra).

How It Works

1. Grammatical Status
Technically, بين is a zarf, a locative adverb. Because it is an adverb of place or time, it is usually منصوب (mansub), ending in a fat-ha (بينَ). However, if it is preceded by the preposition من, it becomes مجرور (majrur) and takes a kasra: من بينِ.

2. The Genitive Case and Plurality
Any noun following بين must be in the genitive case (majrur). While 'between' often connects two distinct entities using a dual noun or two nouns joined by و, it can also be used with a collective noun (like القوم) or a plural noun to mean 'among'. For example: بينَ المدينتينِ (between the two cities) or بينَ الناسِ (among the people).

3. The Repetition Rule
When connecting two pronouns, the standard practice in Modern Standard Arabic is to repeat the word بين. This is because pronouns cannot attach directly to the conjunction 'wa' in this context.
Example: 'Between me and you' is بيني وبينكَ (bayni wa baynaka).

4. Between, Among, and the Middle
بين expresses a relation among two or more referents. Dictionaries distinguish وَسْطَ (wasta), an adverb meaning “among/between,” as in جلس وسطَ القومِ, from وَسَط (wasaṭ), the middle or central part, as in في وسطِ الغرفةِ. The two vocalizations matter: وَسْط can overlap with بين, whereas وَسَط names the middle or central part.

Examples (5)

  1. الولدُ جالسٌ بينَ أُمِّهِ وأَبيهِ.

    The boy is sitting between his mother and his father.

    Word by Word: The boy sitting between mother-his and father-his.

    Notice how both 'mother' and 'father' are in the genitive case because they follow 'between'.

  2. تقعُ القريةُ بينَ المدينتينِ.

    The village is located between the two cities.

    Word by Word: Located the village between the two cities.

    This example uses the dual form (muthannā) in the genitive case, ending in -ayn.

  3. هذا سرٌّ بيني وبينَكِ.

    This is a secret between me and you (f.).

    Word by Word: This secret between-me and between-you.

    This demonstrates the repetition rule: 'bayna' is repeated before the second pronoun.

  4. هو يعيشُ بينَ الناسِ.

    He lives among the people.

    Word by Word: He lives between the people.

    In this context, 'bayna' functions as 'among' rather than 'between'.

  5. سَأَزُورُكَ بَيْنَ السَّاعَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ وَالرَّابِعَةِ.

    I will visit you between three and four o’clock.

    Word by Word: I will visit you between the hour third and fourth.

    بين sets a time interval here. الساعة and the coordinated time expressions are genitive within the phrase.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the repetition of 'bayna' when using pronouns.

    بيني وأنت
    بيني وبينك

    In Modern Standard Arabic, you cannot attach a pronoun to 'and' after 'bayna'; you must repeat the word 'bayna' itself.

  • Using the nominative case for the noun following 'bayna'.

    بينَ البيتُ والمدرسةُ
    بينَ البيتِ والمدرسةِ

    Nouns following 'bayna' must be genitive (ending in kasra) because 'bayna' acts as the first part of an Idafa-like structure.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

بينLevel 2Between

Learn This First

To use 'بين' (between) correctly, you need to know how to link two nouns using 'and' (و) and understand that nouns following spatial particles take the genitive case ending.

Words in This Pattern

بين