Ism al-ishara (the demonstrative pronoun) is a definite noun that refers to a specific entity, indicated by sensory pointing.
Demonstrative Pronouns in Sentences
- — hadha rajulun sharif ('this is an honorable man')
- — dha tiflun mushaghib ('that is a mischievous child')
- — hadhani waladani muhadhdhaban ('these two are well-mannered boys')
- — hadhihi hujratun wasiʿa ('this is a spacious room')
- — haʾulaʾ sunnaʿun mahirun ('these are skilled craftsmen')
If you reflect on these nouns in the sentences above, you find that they refer to one, two, or several things being pointed to.
When you say 'hadha rajulun sharif' ('this is an honorable man'), the word 'hadha' refers to the existence of a man being pointed to, and informs about him as being honorable. For this reason, these words are called asmaʾ al-ishara (demonstrative pronouns).
Categories of the Demonstrative Pronouns
1 — Singular
- — Masculine: dha
- — Feminine: dhi, ti, dhihi, tihi, dhat
2 — Dual
- — Masculine: dhani
- — Feminine: tani
3 — Plural
- — For both masculine and feminine: ulaʾ, ula
4 — Demonstratives for the Near (qarib)
- — Masculine: dha, dhani, dhayni, ulaʾ
- — Feminine: ta, ti, tihi, dhi, dhihi, tani, taynayn, ulaʾ
5 — Demonstratives for the Middle Distance (mutawassit)
- — Masculine: dhaka, dhanika, dhaynika, ulaʾika
- — Feminine: tika, tanika, taynika, ulaʾika
6 — Demonstratives for the Far (baʿid)
- — Masculine: dhalika, dhannika, dhaynika, ulalika
- — Feminine: tilka, tanika, taynika, ulalika
7 — Haʾ al-Tanbih (the Hāʾ of Drawing Attention)
It is a particle prefixed [to demonstratives] to alert the addressee to what is being indicated. Its forms include:
hadha, hadhi, hadhihi, hadhayn, hatayn, haʾulaʾ
- — It may optionally be dropped in: dha, dhaka, dhihi.
- — Or it must be dropped in: dhalika.
8 — Demonstratives for Place (asmaʾ al-ishara li-l-makan)
- — For a near place: huna, hahuna ('here').
- — For a middle distance: hunaka ('there').
- — For a far place: hunalika, thamma, thammata ('there [far]').
Iʿrab of the Demonstrative Pronouns
All demonstrative pronouns are mabni (indeclinable) — fixed on whatever ending they have. They are parsed as 'mabni in the position of nominative, accusative, or genitive,' EXCEPT for hadhani and hatani, which are inflected as a dual: nominative with alif, accusative and genitive with yaʾ.
— hadha al-batalu shujaʿ ('this hero is brave')
hadha: the haʾ is haʾ al-tanbih, a particle with no place in iʿrab; dha is a demonstrative pronoun fixed on sukun, in the position of nominative as a mubtadaʾ.
al-batal: a badal (apposition) in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end.
shujaʿ: a khabar in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end.
— raʾaytu hatayni al-fatatayn ('I saw these two girls')
raʾaytu: a past-tense verb fixed on sukun; the taʾ is a connected pronoun in the position of nominative as the subject.
hatayni: the haʾ is for drawing attention; tayni is a demonstrative pronoun in the accusative, marked by yaʾ because it is dual; the nun substitutes for the tanwin of the singular noun.
al-fatatayn: a badal in the accusative, marked by yaʾ because it is dual; the nun substitutes for the tanwin of the singular noun.
— The poet ʿAli Mahmud Taha said:
[ʿAli Mahmud Taha, classical poetry]: 'And these miserable, hungry ones — that turning millstone is grinding them down.'
wa-haʾulaʾ: the waw — its iʿrab depends on what precedes; haʾulaʾ — the haʾ is for drawing attention; ulaʾ is a demonstrative pronoun fixed on kasra, in the position of nominative as a mubtadaʾ.
al-baʾisun: a badal in the nominative, marked by waw and nun because it is a sound masculine plural.
al-jiyaʿ: a sifa (descriptive adjective) in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end; the ending is given sukun for the rhyme.
tathanu-hum: a present-tense verb in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma; 'hum' is a connected pronoun fixed on sukun, in the position of accusative as the direct object.
tilka: the taʾ is a demonstrative pronoun fixed on kasra, in the position of nominative as the subject (faʿil); the lam is for far distance; the kaf is for addressing the listener.
al-raha: a badal in the nominative, marked by an estimated damma on the alif, prevented from appearing because of taʿadhdhur.
al-daʾira: a sifa in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end; the ending is given sukun for the rhyme.
Demonstrative Pronouns in the Noble Quran
Allah, Glorified and Most High, says in His noble Book:
- — "Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over?" — Quran 2:245 (Sahih International)
- — "This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah." — Quran 2:2 (Sahih International)
- — "My Lord, make this a secure city..." — Quran 2:126 (Sahih International)
- — "That was a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned." — Quran 2:134 (Sahih International)
- — "...These are two proofs from your Lord to Pharaoh and his establishment." — Quran 28:32 (Sahih International)
- — "These are two adversaries who have disputed over their Lord..." — Quran 22:19 (Sahih International)
- — "He said, 'Indeed, I wish to wed you one of these, my two daughters...'" — Quran 28:27 (Sahih International)
- — "He said, 'They are close upon my tracks, and I hastened to You, my Lord, that You be pleased.'" — Quran 20:84 (Sahih International)
- — "Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful." — Quran 2:5 (Sahih International)
- — "[Lot] said, 'These are my daughters — if you would be doers [of lawful marriage].'" — Quran 15:71 (Sahih International)