Which: alladhi and allatii
A thing can be described with an adjective: "al-kitaab al-jadiid". But "the teacher who taught the lesson" cannot be said in one word. Here you need the second half of the phrase; its name is alladhii. For example: “الطالب الذي يجتاز الامتحان سعيد” — The student who passes the exam is pleased. A rule from the Arabic course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A thing can be described with an adjective: "al-kitaab al-jadiid". But "the teacher who taught the lesson" cannot be said in one word. Here you need the second half of the phrase; its name is alladhii.
"Which" changes by gender and number: alladhii — who (of a man), allatii — who (of a woman), alladhiina — who (of men), allatii again — of women. No comma is put before it: the two halves close into one.
The order is strict: first the noun with the article, then "which", then the verb. Without the article on the first word the link does not work: it is the article that shows a description is coming.
The preposition jumps to the end of the phrase: "al-bayt alladhii askunu fiihi" — the house I live in. Literally "in it": the Arab first names the house, and the place in it is picked up by a short word. The same device you read in the question "whereabouts".
Table
| which | word | example |
|---|---|---|
| m. singular | الذي — alladhii | الطالب الذي درس — at-taalib alladhii darasa |
| f. singular | التي — allatii | الشقة التي شاهدناها — ash-shaqqa allatii shahadnaahaa |
| m. plural | الذين — alladhiina | الجيران الذين ساعدونا — al-jiiraan alladhiina saaʿiduunaa |
| f. plural | اللاتي — allaatii | الطالبات اللاتي درسن — at-taalibaat allaatii darasna |
| with a preposition | الذي + فيه | البيت الذي أسكن فيه — al-bayt alladhii askunu fiihi |
| order | noun + article + الذي | الكتاب الذي قرأته — al-kitaab alladhii qaraʾtuhu |
By example
- الطالب الذي يجتاز الامتحان سعيدат-таалиб аллязи йаджтаазу аль-имтихаан саʿиидThe student who passes the exam is pleased
- الشقة التي نستأجرها قرب السوقаш-шакка алляти настаʾджируха курб ас-суукThe flat we rent is near the market
- الجيران الذين يعملون معي لطيفونаль-джираан аллязина йаʿмалуна маʿий латыфуунThe neighbors who work with me are nice
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Alladhi and allatii in Arabic?
"Which" changes by gender and number: alladhii — who (of a man), allatii — who (of a woman), alladhiina — who (of men), allatii again — of women. No comma is put before it: the two halves close into one.
Relative clauses in Arabic?
A thing can be described with an adjective: "al-kitaab al-jadiid". But "the teacher who taught the lesson" cannot be said in one word. Here you need the second half of the phrase; its name is alladhii.
Where does the preposition go in arabic clauses?
The preposition jumps to the end of the phrase: "al-bayt alladhii askunu fiihi" — the house I live in. Literally "in it": the Arab first names the house, and the place in it is picked up by a short word. The same device you read in the question "whereabouts".
How to say the house I live in in Arabic?
The preposition jumps to the end of the phrase: "al-bayt alladhii askunu fiihi" — the house I live in. Literally "in it": the Arab first names the house, and the place in it is picked up by a short word. The same device you read in the question "whereabouts".
What does it look like in a Arabic example sentence?
“الطالب الذي يجتاز الامتحان سعيد” (ат-таалиб аллязи йаджтаазу аль-имтихаан саʿиид) — The student who passes the exam is pleased. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.