ـون

Regular Masculine Plural

Level 1

The Regular Masculine Plural (جمع المذكر السالم) is used for groups of three or more human males (or mixed-gender groups). It keeps the singular word intact and adds a suffix: -ūna (ـونَ) or -īna (ـينَ).

How It Works

In Modern Standard Arabic, the Regular Masculine Plural is used for specific categories:

  • Proper Names: Names of rational males (e.g., Muhammad). Note that compound names like 'Abd Allah typically use a Broken Plural for the first part.
  • Adjectives and Participles: Words describing rational males (e.g., 'teachers'). Note: Adjectives on the patterns أَفْعَل (colors/defects) or فَعْلان (states) are excluded and use Broken Plurals.
  • Mixed Groups: A group containing both men and women is grammatically treated as masculine plural.
  • Exceptions (Mulhaq): Certain words are 'annexed' to this pattern, including Tens From Twenty to Ninety, as well as words like أُولُو (possessors), أَهْلُونَ (families), and عَالَمُونَ (worlds).

Important Constraints:
1. Words ending in Tā’ Marbūta (ة) are excluded from this pattern, even if they refer to males (e.g., خَلِيفَة).
2. Adjectives that are shared between genders (e.g., صَبُور 'patient' or قَتِيل 'slain') do not use this pattern and must use Broken Plurals.

Case Endings:
1. Nominative: Use the suffix ـُونَ (-ūna).
2. Accusative/Genitive: Use the suffix ـِينَ (-īna).

The Construct State:
When a regular masculine plural is the first word in an Idafa, the final ن is dropped (e.g., مُعَلِّمُو المَدْرَسَة). Crucially, no Alif is added after the Wāw in this case, unlike with verbs.

Examples (5)

  1. المُهَنْدِسُونَ في المَكْتَبِ.

    The engineers are in the office.

    Word by Word: The-engineers in the-office.

    Here, 'engineers' is the subject (nominative), so it ends in -ūna.

  2. رَأَيْتُ المُعَلِّمِينَ في المَدْرَسَةِ.

    I saw the teachers in the school.

    Word by Word: I-saw the-teachers in the-school.

    Since 'teachers' is the direct object (accusative), the ending changes to -īna.

  3. سَلَّمْتُ عَلَى المُدَرِّسِينَ.

    I greeted the teachers.

    Word by Word: I-greeted on the-teachers.

    After the preposition على, the noun is in the genitive case and takes the -īna ending.

  4. هُمْ لَاعِبُو الفَرِيقِ.

    They are the players of the team.

    Word by Word: They players (of) the-team.

    The 'n' is dropped from 'players' because it is the first part of an Idafa structure.

  5. المُسْلِمُونَ صَائِمُونَ.

    The Muslims are fasting.

    Word by Word: The-Muslims fasting.

    Both the noun and the adjective/participle take the -ūna ending to match in number and gender.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding an extra Alif after the Wāw when the Nūn is dropped in an Idafa.

    مُعَلِّمُوا المَدْرَسَةِ
    مُعَلِّمُو المَدْرَسَةِ

    Unlike plural verbs in the past tense, nouns in the Idafa construction do not take an extra Alif after the Wāw when the Nūn is dropped. This is a common spelling error for learners becoming proficient in writing.

  • Applying the regular plural to adjectives of color or physical states.

    أَحْمَرُون
    حُمْر

    Adjectives on the pattern أَفْعَل (like colors or defects) and those on the pattern فَعْلان (like 'thirsty') cannot take the sound masculine plural suffix. They must use a Broken Plural instead.

  • Attempting to use the regular masculine plural suffix for compound names like 'Abd Allah.

    عَبْدُ اللهُون
    عَبِيدُ الله

    For compound names starting with 'Abd (Servant of), the first part is pluralized using a Broken Plural (like عَبِيد), while the second part remains in the genitive case as part of an Idafa.

How It Connects

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ـونLevel 1Regular Masculine Plural

Learn This First

To understand the regular masculine plural, you first need to grasp how Arabic distinguishes between singular and plural nouns, how to identify masculine words, and how long vowels like 'wāw' function in suffixes.

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ون