Object Endings on Verbs

These pronouns are attached to the end of a conjugated verb in any tense (past, present, or imperative). They function as the direct object and are always considered to be in the accusative case (fī maḥalli naṣb).

The 12 Attached Object Pronouns:

• 1st Person: ـني (me), ـنا (us)
• 2nd Person: ـكَ (you, m.sg.), ـكِ (you, f.sg.), ـكما (you two), ـكم (you all, m.), ـكنَّ (you all, f.)
• 3rd Person: ـهُ (him/it), ـها (her/it), ـهما (them two), ـهم (them, m.), ـهنَّ (them, f.)

Key Morphological Rules:

• The Nūn of Protection (نون الوقاية): When attaching the 1st person singular ('me'), you must insert ـني (-nī) instead of just ـي. This is because verbs cannot take a kasra vowel, which is the characteristic marker of the genitive case in nouns. The nūn is inserted to carry the required kasra, protecting the verb's final vowel or mood marker. Example: ساعد (he helped) + ني = ساعدني (he helped me).
• Imperative Verbs: When the imperative ends in a sukūn, the sukūn is maintained when the nūn of protection is attached. Example: اِشْرَبْ (drink!) + ني = اِشْرَبْني (drink me).
• Interaction with the Five Verbs: For the Five Verbs in the nominative present tense, the final nūn is retained when an object pronoun is attached. Example: يكتبون (they write) + ه = يكتبونه (they write it).
• Distinguishing the First Person Plural (ـنا): In the past tense, the suffix ـنا can be either the subject ('we') or the object ('us'). You can tell them apart by the vowel on the last letter of the verb root: if the root ends in a sukūn (e.g., ضَرَبْنا), it means 'we hit'; if the root ends in a fatḥa (e.g., ضَرَبَنا), it means 'he hit us'.
• 2nd Person Masculine Plural Past Tense: When attaching a pronoun to the 'you all' form (ـتُمْ -tum), the ending changes to ـتُمو (-tumū). Example: رأيتم + ه = رأيتموه (you all saw him).
• Dropping the Silent Alif: In any verb form ending in a plural waw followed by a silent alif (such as the 3rd person masculine plural past tense, or the plural imperative), the alif is dropped when a pronoun is added. Example: كتبوا + ه = كتبوه (they wrote it).
• Vowel Harmony: The 3rd person pronouns starting with 'h' (ـهُ، ـهما، ـهم، ـهنَّ) change their vowel to a kasra (e.g., ـهِ -hi) if they are immediately preceded by a kasra or a quiescent yā’ (yā’ sākinah). If the yā’ has a fatha, the harmony does not occur.

Register: This is the standard and most common way to express objects in all forms of Modern Standard Arabic, and becoming proficient in these attachments is essential for fluid reading and writing.