Quality Adjectives That Take a Following Noun
The الصفة المشبهة (Adjective-Like Participle) describes permanent traits (like 'handsome' or 'brave'). Unlike simple adjectives, it can 'govern' a following noun to specify exactly what part of the person is being described (e.g., 'pure of heart').
How It Works
The الصفة المشبهة is an adjective that denotes a fixed, inherent quality. It is derived primarily from intransitive verbs. While it can be derived from transitive verbs, those verbs must first undergo a shift in meaning or pattern to represent a permanent state. It differs from the Active Participle, which usually implies a temporary state. For non-triliteral verbs, the Active Participle form is treated as a Ṣifa Mushabbaha only when it denotes a permanent trait. If no explicit noun follows it, the adjective governs a hidden pronoun acting as the Doer (e.g., زيدٌ حسنٌ).
1. Governance (I‘māl):
The adjective governs a noun called the sababī (a noun related to the described entity). This noun must contain a pronoun (explicit or implied) linking it to the subject. Unlike the Active Participle, the governed noun cannot precede the adjective (e.g., you cannot say 'وجهُهُ حسنٌ' and treat 'وجهُهُ' as the governed Doer). The sababī can take three cases:
- Nominative (الرفع): The noun acts as the Doer. Example: هو الرجلُ الحسنُ وجهُهُ.
- Genitive (الجر): The preferred form in MSA, creating an Improper Annexation (False Idafa). Example: هو الحسنُ الوجهِ. Note: If the adjective has The Definite Article, the following noun must be definite specifically through the article 'Al' or by being annexed to a noun with 'Al'. You cannot annex a definite adjective to a noun made definite by a pronoun (e.g., الحسنُ وجهِهِ is incorrect).
- Accusative (النصب): If the noun is indefinite, it is a Clarifying Noun (e.g., حسنٌ وجهاً). If it is definite (e.g., الحسنُ الوجهَ), it is termed al-mushabbah bi-al-maf‘ūl bihi.
2. Conditions for Use:
If the adjective is indefinite, it must denote the present or future to govern. It also requires a dependency: it must follow a negation particle, an interrogation, or function as a predicate, an attribute, a circumstantial qualifier, or follow a vocative. If it has the definite article, it governs unconditionally.
Examples (5)
- المؤمنُ طاهرُ القلبِ
The believer is pure of heart.
Word by Word: The believer [is] pure [of] the heart.
This uses the genitive construction (Idafa), which is the preferred (yustahsan) way to express inherent qualities in formal Arabic.
- هذا جنديٌّ شجاعٌ نفسُهُ
This is a soldier whose soul is brave.
Word by Word: This [is] a soldier brave [is] his soul.
Here, the noun 'soul' is in the nominative case because it functions as the Doer of the adjective 'brave'.
- رأيتُ رجلاً كريماً خُلقاً
I saw a man noble in character.
Word by Word: I saw a man noble [in] character.
The noun 'character' is in the accusative case as a Specification because it is indefinite.
- الرجلُ الحسنُ الوجهَ محبوبٌ
The man with the handsome face is liked.
Word by Word: The man the handsome the face [is] liked.
When the noun following the adjective is definite and in the accusative, it is parsed as 'resembling the object' (al-mushabbah bi-al-maf'ul bihi).
- الحديقةُ جميلةٌ أزهارُها
The garden's flowers are beautiful.
Word by Word: The garden [is] beautiful [are] its flowers.
The adjective 'beautiful' governs the noun 'flowers' in the nominative case as its subject.
Common Mistakes
Retaining tanwin (nunation) in a genitive construction.
هو حَسَنٌ الوَجْهِهو حَسَنُ الوَجْهِWhen the following noun is in the genitive case (al-majrur), the adjective acts as the first part of an Improper Annexation and must drop its tanwin.
Using an action participle where a quality adjective is meant.
Different Meaningهو كاتبٌ الدرسَهو كريمٌ خُلُقُهُهو كاتبٌ الدرسَ is correct: an active participle can take an object and describes an action. A quality adjective (الصفة المشبهة) such as كريم describes a lasting trait and takes the noun it describes: هو كريمٌ خُلُقُهُ.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand how a quality adjective (الصفة المشبهة) can govern a following noun, a learner must first be familiar with the morphological forms of these adjectives. Additionally, since the governed noun often represents the specific part or aspect being described (acting like a subject or a specification), knowledge of the 'doer' (الفاعل) and the specific construction of 'unreal possession' (الإضافة غير الحقيقية) is necessary to grasp the different case endings the following noun can take.
- Lasting Qualities
The learner must first be able to recognize and form the permanent-quality adjective itself before learning how it functions grammatically to govern other nouns.
Level 4 - Adjective Phrases That Look Like Possession
This pattern is closely related to 'unreal' or 'verbal' possession, which is one of the primary ways a quality adjective relates to the noun following it.
Level 4
Related Patterns
- Doer Words That Take Objects
Both patterns involve a derived noun acting like a verb to change the case of a following noun.
Level 6 - The Clarifying Noun
The accusative case used in this pattern often functions as a specification (Tamyiz).
Level 3 - Verbs That Take an Object and Verbs That Do Not
Understanding intransitive verbs is crucial since this pattern is almost exclusively derived from them.
Level 5 - Describing a Noun Through Something Attached To It
This pattern is a primary component of the 'causal adjective' structure used to describe something related to the main noun.
Level 5
Practice Quality Adjectives That Take a Following Noun in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Arabic lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
