نحن / أنتم / هم
Personal Pronouns (Plural)
Arabic uses specific independent pronouns for plural subjects: نحن (we), أنتم (you masculine/mixed), and هم (they masculine/mixed).
How It Works
In Modern Standard Arabic, these words are known as Independent Subject Pronouns (al-dama'ir al-munfasila). While English uses 'you' for one, two, or many people, Arabic uses specific forms to distinguish between one person (singular), two people (dual), and three or more (plural).
1. نحن (Nahnu - We):
This pronoun is used for both the dual ('we two') and the plural ('we all'). It is used by any group, whether all-male, all-female, or mixed.
2. The Second Person (You):
• أنتما (Antuma): The dual form used when speaking to exactly two people. This pronoun is identical for two men, two women, or a mixed pair. A helpful feature is that the past tense verb following it (e.g., ذهبتما) also remains the same regardless of gender.
• أنتم (Antum): The masculine plural used for three or more men, or a mixed group. For an all-female group of three or more, أنتنّ is used.
3. The Third Person (They):
• هما (Huma): The dual form used when talking about exactly two people. Like the second person, this pronoun is identical for two men, two women, or a mixed pair. However, the verb that follows it must show gender (e.g., ذهبا for two men vs. ذهبتا for two women). For a mixed pair, the masculine verb form is the standard choice.
• هم (Hum): The masculine plural used for three or more men, or a mixed group. For an all-female group of three or more, هنّ is used.
4. Non-Human Plurals:
A unique rule in Arabic is that non-human plurals (like 'the houses' or 'the dogs') are treated as a feminine singular entity. Therefore, you use هي (she/it) to refer to them, never هم or هنّ.
Phonological Note:
When أنتم or هم is followed by a word starting with همزة الوصل (like the definite article الـ), the silent mim at the end takes a damma to aid pronunciation, for example: humu l-mu'allimun (They are the teachers).
Examples (5)
- نحن طلاب في هذه الجامعة.
We are students at this university.
Word by Word: We students in this the-university.
نحن is used here as the subject of a nominal sentence. It is gender-neutral.
- هل أنتم مدرسون؟
Are you [all] teachers?
Word by Word: [Question] you teachers?
أنتم addresses a group of people. If the group includes at least one male, this masculine plural form is used.
- هم في المكتبة الآن.
They are in the library now.
Word by Word: They in the-library now.
هم refers to a third-person plural group (masculine or mixed).
- نحن مهندسان.
We are two engineers.
Word by Word: We engineers (dual).
This shows that نحن is also used for the dual (two people), unlike the 2nd and 3rd person which have specific dual forms.
- هم المعلمون.
They are the teachers.
Word by Word: They the-teachers.
In speech, the final 'm' of هم would carry a damma (humu) to connect to the following 'al-'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'hum' or 'hunna' for non-human plural objects.
الكتب هم على الطاولة.الكتب هي على الطاولة.In Modern Standard Arabic, masculine plural pronouns like 'hum' are only for human beings. For non-human plurals (like books, cars, or animals), the usual pronoun is the feminine singular 'hiya' (she/it).
Using 'hum' or 'antum' for a group of only women.
هم طالبات مجتهدات.هنّ طالبات مجتهدات.While masculine plurals are used for mixed groups, you must use the specific feminine plural pronouns (هنّ / أنتنّ) if the entire group is female.
Using 'hum' to refer to exactly two people.
هم طالبان.هما طالبان.Arabic has a mandatory dual category. For two people, you must use 'humā' (هما) instead of the plural 'hum'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand plural personal pronouns, a learner needs to be familiar with the basic concept of pronouns from their singular forms, understand the grammatical distinction between singular and plural numbers, and know how these pronouns function as subjects within a basic nominal sentence.
- أنا / أنت / هوPersonal Pronouns (Singular)
Understanding singular personal pronouns provides the conceptual foundation for how pronouns function as subjects in Arabic sentences.
Level 1 - One Two and Many
The concept of grammatical number (singular vs. plural) is necessary to understand why different pronouns are used for groups.
Foundations - Subject and Comment
Personal pronouns often function as the subject (Mubtada') in nominal sentences, so understanding the subject-predicate relationship is essential for usage.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Possessive Endings on Nouns
These are the attached versions of pronouns used for possession (e.g., 'our', 'your', 'their').
Level 1 - ـانTwo of Something
The dual form is used for two people, which contrasts with the plural pronouns used for three or more.
Level 1 - The Vanishing Hamza
The 'connecting hamza' triggers a vowel change at the end of 'antum' and 'hum' for smoother pronunciation.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice نحن / أنتم / هم in Bubblegum
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