Arabic vocabulary
How to say “which” in Arabic, with pronunciation and real example sentences from OpenArabic texts.
أو لتعديه حدود الله بسلوك السبل التي نهى عنها،
or by transgressing the limits of Allah by pursuing forbidden paths,
ٱلَّتِي — which. 'which', a feminine relative pronoun hooking a clause onto 'the paths' (a plural-as-feminine).
From: Judging by Revelation →إنما مثَّل ﷺ ذلك بصاحب الصُّرة التي فيها المسك؛
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used the example of the person with a bag containing musk;
الَّتِي — which. A feminine-singular relative agreeing with 'the pouch', opening a clause describing it. Its feminine shape ties the description to that feminine noun.
From: The Meaning of Fasting →فهي بمنزلة الرائحة التي يشمها مَنْ جَالَس حامل المسك،
it is like the fragrance that is sensed by those who sit with the musk carrier,
الَّتِي — that. A feminine-singular relative agreeing with 'the scent', opening a clause about it. Its feminine shape ties to that noun.
From: The Meaning of Fasting →وأما تفسيره للعلماء فجائز حسن والاجماع منعقد عليه فمن كان أهلا للتفسير جامعا للأدوات حتى التي يعرف بها معناه وغلب على ظنه المراد فسره
As for interpretation by scholars, it is permissible and good, and consensus is established on it. Whoever is qualified for interpretation, possessing the necessary tools — including those by which its meaning is known — and the intended meaning is most likely in their view, then they may interpret it.
الَّتِي — those which. A feminine relative — 'the ones which' — agreeing with the feminine 'tools.' It hooks on a describing clause: the tools by which the Book's meaning is known.
From: How Scholars Read Scripture →وإن كان مما لا يدرك بالاجتهاد كالأمور التي طريقها النقل وتفسير الألفاظ اللغوية فلا يجوز الكلام فيه إلا بنقل صحيح من جهة المعتمدين من أهله
And if it is something not reachable through juristic effort, like matters whose path is transmission and the explanation of linguistic expressions, then speaking on it is not allowed except with authentic transmission from reliable authorities.
الَّتِي — which. A feminine relative, 'which,' agreeing with the non-human plural 'matters' (which counts as feminine singular). It attaches the defining clause: matters whose path is handed-down report.
From: How Scholars Read Scripture →فمن كان أهلا للتفسير جامعا للأدوات حتى التي يعرف بها معناه وغلب على ظنه المراد فسره
So whoever is qualified for interpretation, possessing the tools to know its meanings, and his opinion is predominantly correct, he interprets it.
الَّتِي — which. A feminine relative agreeing with 'tools,' attaching the clause: the tools by which the meaning is known. The same construction as the earlier passage.
From: Quran Interpretation and Debate →وإن كان مما لا يدرك بالاجتهاد كالأمور التي طريقها النقل وتفسير الألفاظ اللغوية فلا يجوز الكلام فيه إلا بنقل صحيح من جهة المعتمدين من أهله
And if it is not reachable through juristic effort, like matters of transmission and linguistic interpretation, then speaking on it is not allowed except with authentic transmission from trusted authorities.
الَّتِي — which. A feminine relative agreeing with the non-human plural 'matters,' attaching the defining clause about their path.
From: Quran Interpretation and Debate →فقاسوا فوجدوه أدنى إلى الأرض التي أراد،
They measured and found he was closer to the land he intended.
الَّتِي — that. This is the feminine-singular relative 'which', matching the feminine 'land', and it heads a clause defining it — 'the land WHICH he intended'. Arabic picks the relative to agree in gender and number with what it describes.
From: Righteous Company →بَلْ كَيْفَ يَلِيقُ بِهِ أَنْ يُصَدِّقَهُ بِأَنْوَاعِ التَّصْدِيقِ كُلِّهَا فَيُصَدِّقَهُ بِإِقْرَارِهِ وَبِالْآيَاتِ الْمُسْتَلْزِمَةِ لِصِدْقِهِ الَّتِي دَلَالَتُهَا عَلَى التَّصْدِيقِ كَدَلَالَةِ التَّصْدِيقِ بِالْقَوْلِ،
Rather, how can it befit Him to endorse him with all types of confirmations, affirming him by acknowledging him with signs that necessitate his truthfulness, whose implications for confirmation are like confirmation by word.
الَّتِي — whose. This is the relative word 'which', feminine to agree with 'the signs' treated as a unit, opening a further describing clause. Its explicit presence signals that its antecedent is definite, the standard rule for relative words in Arabic.
From: Proof of the True Messenger →فيصدقه بإقراره وبالآيات المستلزمة لصدقه التي دلالتها على التصديق
So He affirms him by acknowledging him and through signs that necessarily prove his truthfulness, whose evidence points to confirmation.
الَّتِي — whose. This is a relative pronoun for a feminine antecedent, 'which', heading a clause that describes the signs. Arabic chooses the relative's form to agree with its noun in gender and number, so this feminine form ties back specifically to the signs.
From: False Prophets →وهو إعانته على نفسه التي هي وديعة الله تعالى عنده وقد أُمر بحفظها
And it is his aiding against his self, which is the trust of Allah, Exalted is He, placed with him, and he has been commanded to preserve it.
الَّتِي — which. A relative word, 'which', in its feminine singular form because the noun it describes, the soul, is feminine. The matched gender is how Arabic signals exactly which earlier noun this describing clause attaches to.
From: Trust in God →فَذَكَرَ مِنْهَا الشِّرْكَ بِاللَّهِ، وَالسِّحْرَ، وَقَتْلَ النَّفْسِ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ، وَأَكْلَ مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ، وَأَكْلَ الرِّبَا، وَالتَّوَلِّيَ يَوْمَ الزَّحْفِ، وَقَذْفَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ
He mentioned among them: associating partners with Allah, sorcery, unjust killing, consuming the wealth of an orphan, usury, fleeing from the battlefield, and falsely accusing chaste, unaware, believing women - agreed upon by scholars.
الَّتِي — which. A relative word, 'which', feminine singular to agree with 'the soul', introducing a clause that qualifies it. It carries the following verb as a defining description.
From: What Small Worship Erases →وَالْعِبَادَة هِيَ الْغَايَة الَّتِي خلق الله لَهَا الْعباد من جِهَة أَمر الله ومحبته وَرضَاهُ
And worship is the goal for which Allah created the servants, concerning His command, love, and approval.
الَّتِي — for which. This is a relative word, the feminine 'which', that must agree with the feminine noun it follows. It opens a describing clause attached to 'the goal', and the reader must hold it as the link back to that noun while the clause unfolds.
From: Worship and Repentance →وَأَمّا الَّتِي هِيَ لَك فعملك أجازيك بِهِ أحْوج مَا تكون إِلَيْهِ
And as for the one that is for you, it is your deeds for which I will recompense you when you need it most.
الَّتِي — the one that. This is a relative 'the one which', feminine to agree with the feminine 'share' it stands for. It points back to a second item of the four and heads the clause that defines it.
From: Worship and Repentance →وَأَمّا الَّتِي بيني وَبَيْنك فمنك الدُّعَاء وعَلى الاجابة
And as for the one that is between Me and you, it is from you supplication, and upon Me is the response.
الَّتِي — the one that. This is a relative 'the one which', feminine to agree with the feminine 'share' it stands for. It points back to the third item of the four and heads the clause that explains it.
From: Worship and Repentance →وَأَمّا الَّتِي بَيْنك وَبَين خلقي فأت للنَّاس مَا تحب أَن يَأْتُوا إِلَيْك
And as for the one that is between you and My creation, it is that you treat people as you would love for them to treat you.
الَّتِي — the one that. This is a relative 'the one which', feminine to agree with the feminine 'share' it stands for. It points back to the fourth item of the four and heads the clause that explains it.
From: Worship and Repentance →الَّتِي يَتَصَرَّفُونَ بِهَا فِي الْوُجُودِ
which they use in existence
الَّتِي — which. A feminine relative pronoun 'which/that', opening a clause that describes a feminine thing named earlier (the states). It needs the following verb to fill in what is said about that thing. It hooks a descriptive clause onto its antecedent.
From: Trust and Piety →هِیَ الَّتِي تَحْوِي مَرْضَاةَ الرَّبِّ وَمَحَبَّتَهُ
It is that which contains the Lord's pleasure and His love.
الَّتِي — that which. A feminine relative pronoun 'the one which', matching its feminine antecedent and opening a defining clause. It needs the following verb to complete what is said about that 'it'. The feminine shape signals it refers back to a feminine concept.
From: Trust and Piety →وَهَذَا الَّذِي فِي هَذِهِ التَّوْرَاةِ الَّتِي بِأَيْدِيهِمْ غَلَطٌ مِنْهُمْ،
And what is in this Torah that is in their hands is an error from them.
الَّتِي — which. A relative word 'which', launching a second describing clause about the Torah: 'which is in their hands'. It is the feminine singular form, agreeing with 'Torah', and stacks a further description onto the same noun.
From: Adam, Eve, and the Forbidden Tree →وَيَذْكُرُ لَهُمْ خَطِيئَتَهُ الَّتِي أَصَابَ ـ
And he mentions to them his sin that befell—
الَّتِي — that. A feminine singular relative word, 'which/that', launching a describing clause about the noun just before it; it agrees with that noun in being feminine and singular. It links the coming clause back as a description of the sin, working like English 'that' but locked to the gender and number of what it refers to.
From: Intercession on Judgment Day →وَيَذْكُرُ لَهُمْ خَطَايَاهُ الَّتِي أَصَابَهَا ـ
And he will mention to them his sins that befell him.
الَّتِي — that. A feminine singular relative word, 'that/which', opening a describing clause about the sins just named. Although 'sins' is plural, this kind of broken plural is treated as a feminine singular for agreement, which is why the relative word is feminine singular here. It links the clause back as a description.
From: Intercession on Judgment Day →وَالنَّفْسُ مَطِيَّةُ الْعَبْدِ الَّتِي يَسِيرُ عَلَيْهَا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ أَوِ النَّارِ
And the soul is the servant's mount on which he rides to Paradise or Hell.
الَّتِي — which. A feminine relative pronoun ('which') agreeing with the feminine 'mount', opening a clause that describes it. The feminine form is what links the description specifically back to that noun.
From: Patience and the Human Self →الَّتِي تَعُوقُهُ عَنْ سَيْرِهِ عَلَى هَذَا الصِّرَاطِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ،
which prevents him from walking on this straight path,
الَّتِي — which. A feminine relative pronoun ('which') tying the following clause back to a noun mentioned before, here the doubts and desires, treated as a feminine group. The feminine form is what matches that antecedent. It hands off to the verb that says what they do.
From: The Bridge to Paradise →الَّتِي بِجَنَبَتَيْ ذَاكَ الصِّرَاطِ،
which are on the two sides of that path,
الَّتِي — which. This is the feminine 'which/who' that opens a relative clause. Arabic picks the relative word to match the gender of the thing it describes, so this feminine shape tells you it points back to a feminine noun mentioned just before, not a masculine one. Everything that follows is a description hanging off that earlier noun.
From: The Bridge to Paradise →OpenArabic teaches words like الَّتِي through real bilingual reading with native audio and spaced-repetition practice.
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