Maharashtra HSC Arabic (MSBSHSE) key terms

The system of case and mood endings on Arabic words, showing whether a noun is subject, object or genitive, or whether a verb is indicative, subjunctive or jussive. Candidates identify and justify these endings in parsing questions.

A word carrying the nominative ending: ḍamma on singular nouns, alif on duals, wāw on sound masculine plurals. It marks subjects of nominal and verbal sentences and the predicate of a nominal sentence.

A word carrying the accusative ending: fatḥa on singulars, yāʾ on duals and sound masculine plurals, kasra on sound feminine plurals. It marks direct objects, verbal nouns' subjects, predicates of kāna, and subjunctive verbs.

A word carrying the genitive ending: kasra normally, yāʾ on duals and sound masculine plurals, fatḥa on diptotes. It follows prepositions and serves as the second term of an iḍāfa construction.

The topic noun that opens a nominal sentence and normally stands in the nominative, before its predicate. It is usually definite, and it may be preceded by kāna or inna and their related particles.

The predicate that completes the meaning of a nominal sentence's topic, agreeing with it in gender and number and normally nominative. It may be a single word, a phrase or a whole clause.

The doer of a verb, always nominative, placed after an active verb. When feminine or dual or plural it changes the verb's ending but never its own case.

The direct object: the noun receiving the action of a transitive verb, standing in the accusative. It may be explicit, a pronoun suffix, or omitted when the verb is intransitive.

The possessive construction joining two nouns, where the first takes no article and no tanwīn and the second stands in the genitive. It expresses possession, belonging or close relation, roughly like English 'of' or the apostrophe-s.

The second noun of an iḍāfa construction, always genitive. It defines or possesses the preceding noun, which loses its tanwīn and definite article.

A group of verbs including kāna, aṣbaḥa, ẓalla and mā zāla that enter a nominal sentence, leaving the topic nominative but putting the predicate in the accusative, usually adding a time or state meaning.

Particles such as inna, anna, ka-anna, laʿalla and layta that enter a nominal sentence, making the topic accusative and leaving the predicate nominative. Each adds emphasis, comparison, hope or similar nuance.

The past-tense verb form, denoting an action completed before the moment of speaking. It is indeclinable in form but changes its ending according to the attached pronoun.

The present or future tense verb, beginning with one of the prefix letters and taking indicative, subjunctive or jussive endings depending on preceding particles.

The imperative verb form used to give a command to a second-person addressee. It is built on the jussive stem and is always indeclinable.

Particles such as an, lan, kay, li- and ḥattā that precede a present verb and put it in the subjunctive, usually with a fatḥa ending or dropped final nūn.

Particles such as lam, lammā, li-, lā al-nāhiya and in al-sharṭiyya that put a following present verb in the jussive, marked by sukūn or dropped final nūn.

The passive verb, whose vowel pattern changes so the doer is unnamed; the former object becomes the subject and takes nominative case. Recognising it is essential for comprehension questions.

A transitive verb that takes a direct object in the accusative. Its opposite, the intransitive verb, needs a preposition to link it to a following noun.

A preposition such as fī, min, ilā, ʿalā or bi- that puts the following noun in the genitive. Prepositions also attach to pronoun suffixes and shape meaning in translation questions.

The three-letter root from which Arabic words are built by adding vowels, prefixes, suffixes and internal patterns. Identifying the root helps candidates look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary during reading tasks.

The morphological pattern, shown with the letters fāʾ, ʿayn and lām, that a word follows. Knowing the pattern explains meaning changes such as active versus passive or noun of place.

The active participle, a noun formed on patterns like fāʿil meaning the one who performs the action. It behaves partly like a verb and may take an object in the accusative.

The passive participle, formed on patterns like mafʿūl, meaning the one on whom the action is done. It is common in descriptive prose passages and short-answer vocabulary questions.

The verbal noun, a noun naming the action itself without reference to time, such as kitāba for writing. It is heavily used in formal prose and often tested in vocabulary and translation items.

Derivation: the process of forming new words from a single root by applying different patterns, producing verbs, participles and verbal nouns that share a core meaning.

A synonym: a word with a meaning close to another, used in vocabulary matching questions. Candidates should note that Arabic synonyms often differ in intensity or register.

An antonym: a word opposite in meaning to another. Antonym questions test whether the candidate understands the word in context rather than by memorised list only.

Contextual meaning: the sense a word carries in a particular sentence, which may differ from its dictionary entry. Reading questions often ask candidates to choose the closest contextual sense.

The main idea of a passage, stated or implied, which organises all supporting details. Questions on it require summarising the whole text rather than quoting one sentence.

Inference: drawing a conclusion not stated literally in the text but supported by its evidence. Inference questions reward careful reading of tone, cause and consequence.

A single line of classical Arabic poetry, normally divided into two hemistichs. Poetry questions ask about its meaning, imagery and the poet's feeling.

The first hemistich of a line of poetry, running from the start of the line to the pause before the second half. It often sets up the image completed in the second hemistich.

The second hemistich of a line of poetry, completing the meaning and often carrying the rhyme. Comparing it with the first half helps explain the line's structure.

The rhyme: the final consonant and its preceding vowel shared by the lines of a poem. Questions may ask candidates to identify the rhyme letter or describe its sound effect.

Simile: an explicit comparison using a word such as ka-, ka-anna or mithl, linking a described thing to an image. Appreciation questions ask candidates to identify the two sides and the point of resemblance.

Metaphor: a comparison in which one side is dropped and the image is applied directly to the subject. Identifying it and explaining its effect is a standard poetry appreciation task.

An indirect expression that names an attribute to suggest a related idea, such as mentioning open hands for generosity. It differs from metaphor because the literal sense remains possible.