The Arabic Demonstrative Pronoun ذَلِكَ

In this Arabic grammar lesson for beginners, we will study the demonstrative pronoun ذَلِكَ. This topic is essential for students who want to learn Arabic online, build simple Arabic sentences and point to something far away.

The word ذَلِكَ usually means “that”, “that one” or “that is”, depending on the context. It is used with masculine singular nouns that are far from the speaker.

What Does ذَلِكَ Mean in Arabic?

In Arabic, a demonstrative pronoun is called اِسْمُ إِشَارَةٍ. It is used to point to a person, object, animal or idea.

The pronoun ذَلِكَ is used to refer to a masculine singular item that is far from the speaker.

Examples:

• ذَلِكَ نَجْمٌ: that is a star;
• ذَلِكَ بَيْتٌ: that is a house;
• ذَلِكَ سَرِيرٌ: that is a bed.

Difference Between هَذَا and ذَلِكَ

The difference between هَذَا and ذَلِكَ depends on distance.

• هَذَا refers to a nearby masculine noun;
• ذَلِكَ refers to a far masculine noun.

Examples:

• هَذَا مَسْجِدٌ وَذَلِكَ بَيْتٌ: this is a mosque and that is a house;
• هَذَا حِصَانٌ وَذَلِكَ حِمَارٌ: this is a horse and that is a donkey.

When to Use the Demonstrative Pronoun ذَلِكَ

You use ذَلِكَ to point to a masculine singular noun that is far away. This rule is very useful for Arabic beginners, Arabic reading, Arabic grammar and Modern Standard Arabic.

The pronoun ذَلِكَ can refer to:

• a masculine person who is far away;
• a masculine animal that is far away;
• an object or noun that is grammatically masculine in Arabic.

Be careful: grammatical gender in Arabic does not always match English. For example, نَجْمٌ, بَيْتٌ and سَرِيرٌ are masculine nouns in Arabic.

How to Say “What Is That?” in Arabic

To ask “what is that?” in Arabic, use:

مَا ذَلِكَ؟

This question is generally used to ask about an object, animal or non-human thing.

Examples:

• مَا ذَلِكَ؟: what is that?
• ذَلِكَ نَجْمٌ: that is a star;
• مَا ذَلِكَ؟: what is that?
• ذَلِكَ حَجَرٌ: that is a stone.

How to Ask a Question with أَذَلِكَ

To form a yes-or-no question, you can place the particle أَ at the beginning of the sentence.

Examples:

• أَذَلِكَ كَلْبٌ؟: is that a dog?
• لَا، ذَلِكَ قِطٌّ: no, that is a cat;
• أَذَلِكَ سَرِيرٌ؟: is that a bed?
• نَعَمْ، ذَلِكَ سَرِيرٌ: yes, that is a bed.

How to Say “Who Is That?” in Arabic

To ask “who is that?” in Arabic, use:

مَنْ ذَلِكَ؟

This question is used when referring to a person who is far away.

Examples:

• مَنْ ذَلِكَ؟: who is that?
• ذَلِكَ إِمَامٌ: that is an imam;
• مَنْ هَذَا وَمَنْ ذَلِكَ؟: who is this and who is that?
• هَذَا مُدَرِّسٌ وَذَلِكَ إِمَامٌ: this is a teacher and that is an imam.

Vocabulary Examples with ذَلِكَ

Here are some useful examples to practise the demonstrative pronoun ذَلِكَ:

How to Memorize ذَلِكَ

To memorize ذَلِكَ, remember three simple points:

• ذَلِكَ refers to something far away;
• ذَلِكَ is used with masculine singular nouns;
• the verb “to be” is usually understood in this type of Arabic sentence.

You can then practise with simple Arabic vocabulary: بَيْتٌ, سَرِيرٌ, حَجَرٌ and نَجْمٌ.

Learn Arabic Grammar with a Teacher

The demonstrative pronoun ذَلِكَ is an essential foundation for students who want to learn Arabic online, understand their first Arabic sentences and progress in beginner Arabic grammar.

To continue your learning, you can follow our online Arabic classes, study through our Modern Standard Arabic online lessons, review the Arabic alphabet or download our free Arabic books for beginners.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we studied the demonstrative pronoun ذَلِكَ. We learned that it means “that”, “that one” or “that is”, and that it is used with a far masculine singular noun.

This topic helps you build simple Arabic sentences and understand the difference between what is near and what is far. However, to learn Arabic correctly, students need a progressive method, regular practice and correction from a qualified Arabic teacher.