الذي / التي

Which and Who

Level 3

الذي (masculine) and التي (feminine) are the Arabic equivalents of 'who', 'which', or 'that'. They are used only after definite nouns to start a descriptive sentence.

How It Works

The relative pronouns الذي (al-ladhī) and التي (al-latī) are part of a group called الأسماء الموصولة. Their primary job is to connect a definite noun to a clause that describes it.

1. Agreement and Forms:
Arabic relative pronouns must match the noun they describe in gender and number:

  • Singular: الذي (masculine) and التي (feminine).
  • Dual: اللذان / اللذين (masc.) and اللتان / اللتين (fem.). These change based on case.
  • Human Plural: الذين (masc.) and اللاتي / اللواتي (fem.).
  • Non-Human Plural: Always use التي (e.g., الكتب التي...).

2. The Definiteness Rule:
Unlike English, where 'that' is often optional, Arabic relative pronouns are obligatory if the noun is definite. However, if the noun is indefinite (e.g., 'a book'), the relative pronoun is completely omitted. See Describing an Indefinite Noun for more.

3. The Returning Pronoun (العائد):
When the relative pronoun refers to the object of the following verb, Arabic requires a pronoun suffix to be attached to that verb to 'point back' to the noun. For example, instead of saying 'The book which I read', you say 'The book which I read it' (الكتاب الذي قرأتُه).

4. Register:
These forms are standard in Modern Standard Arabic. In spoken dialects, they are usually replaced by the single word 'اللي' (illi), but you must use the inflected forms to become proficient in formal writing.

Examples (4)

  1. الرجل الذي يسكن هنا طبيب.

    The man who lives here is a doctor.

    Word by Word: The man who he lives here (is) a doctor.

    Here, 'al-ladhī' is used because 'al-rajul' (the man) is masculine singular and definite.

  2. هذه هي السيارة التي اشتريتها.

    This is the car that I bought.

    Word by Word: This she the car which I bought it.

    Note the 'ha' suffix on the verb 'bought'. This is the 'returning pronoun' required in Arabic.

  3. قرأت الكتب التي كانت على الطاولة.

    I read the books that were on the table.

    Word by Word: I read the books which she was on the table.

    Because 'al-kutub' (the books) is a non-human plural, we use the feminine singular 'al-latī'.

  4. أعرف الطالبة التي فازت بالجائزة.

    I know the student (f) who won the prize.

    Word by Word: I know the student which she won with the prize.

    Matches the feminine singular noun 'al-ṭāliba'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a relative pronoun after an indefinite noun.

    رأيت رجلاً الذي يعمل هنا.
    رأيت رجلاً يعمل هنا.

    In Arabic, if the noun is indefinite (rajulan), you do not use a relative pronoun. You simply place the descriptive sentence immediately after the noun.

  • Forgetting the 'returning pronoun' (al-ʿāʾid).

    هذا هو البيت الذي زرتُ.
    هذا هو البيت الذي زرتُه.

    If the relative pronoun represents the object of the verb, you must attach a pronoun suffix (in this case '-hu' for 'it') to the verb.

  • Using 'al-ladhī' for non-human plurals.

    الرسائل الذي وصلت اليوم...
    الرسائل التي وصلت اليوم...

    Non-human plurals are treated as feminine singular in Arabic grammar, so 'al-latī' must be used.

How It Connects

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الذي / التيLevel 3Which and Who

Learn This First

To use relative pronouns like 'who' and 'which', you must first understand how Arabic marks nouns as definite using the article 'Al-'. Since these pronouns change based on gender, you need to be familiar with masculine and feminine noun forms. Additionally, because relative clauses often involve a verb acting on the noun, understanding how pronouns attach to verbs is crucial for forming complete sentences.

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Words in This Pattern

الذي