The Arabic Demonstrative Pronoun تِلْكَ

In this Arabic grammar lesson, we will study the feminine far demonstrative pronoun تِلْكَ. This topic is important for students who want to learn Arabic online, build simple Arabic sentences and distinguish between what is near and what is far.

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

What Does تِلْكَ Mean in Arabic?

The word تِلْكَ is a feminine singular far demonstrative pronoun. It can be translated as “that”, “that one” or “that thing”, depending on the context.

It is used to refer to a feminine singular noun that is far from the speaker.

Examples:

• تِلْكَ مُدَرِّسَةٌ: that is a female teacher;
• تِلْكَ حَقِيبَةٌ: that is a bag;
• تِلْكَ طِفْلَةٌ: that is a little girl.

Near and Far Demonstrative Pronouns in Arabic

In Arabic, demonstrative pronouns indicate whether the thing being pointed to is near or far.

• أَسْمَاءُ الإِشَارَةِ الْقَرِيبَةِ: near demonstrative pronouns;
• أَسْمَاءُ الإِشَارَةِ الْبَعِيدَةِ: far demonstrative pronouns.

For the feminine singular, Arabic uses:

When to Use تِلْكَ

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

The noun that follows تِلْكَ is usually feminine.

• تِلْكَ امْرَأَةٌ: that is a woman;
• تِلْكَ بَيْضَةٌ: that is an egg;
• تِلْكَ دَجَاجَةٌ: that is a chicken.

Difference Between هَذِهِ and تِلْكَ

The difference between هَذِهِ and تِلْكَ depends on distance.

• هَذِهِ refers to a feminine noun that is near;
• تِلْكَ refers to a feminine noun that is far.

Examples:

• هَذِهِ كَبِيرَةٌ: this one is big;
• وَتِلْكَ صَغِيرَةٌ: and that one is small.

Simple Examples with تِلْكَ

Here are several examples to understand the use of تِلْكَ more clearly:

تِلْكَ with Question Words

The demonstrative pronoun تِلْكَ can also be used in questions.

Examples:

• وَمَنْ تِلْكَ؟: and who is that?
• تِلْكَ فَاطِمَةُ: that is Fatima.
• وَمَا تِلْكَ؟: and what is that?
• تِلْكَ بَيْضَةٌ: that is an egg.
• أَتِلْكَ دَجَاجَةٌ؟: is that a chicken?
• لاَ، تِلْكَ بَطَّةٌ: no, that is a duck.

Reminder About Sun Letters with ال

When the definite article ال comes before a sun letter, the letter ل of the article is not pronounced. It is assimilated into the following letter, which then carries a shadda.

Examples:

• طَبِيبٌ: a doctor;
• الطَّبِيبُ: the doctor;
• سَمَكٌ: fish;
• السَّمَكُ: the fish.

This reminder is useful for improving Arabic pronunciation and Arabic reading.

How to Memorize تِلْكَ

To memorize تِلْكَ, remember three simple points:

• تِلْكَ refers to a feminine noun;
• تِلْكَ refers to something far away;
• تِلْكَ is used in the singular.

You can then practise with simple Arabic vocabulary: حَقِيبَةٌ, طِفْلَةٌ, دَجَاجَةٌ and بَيْضَةٌ.

Learn Arabic Grammar with a Teacher

Demonstrative pronouns are essential for students who want to learn Arabic online, understand simple sentences and progress in Modern Standard Arabic or Quranic Arabic.

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 feminine far demonstrative pronoun تِلْكَ. We learned that it is used to point to a feminine singular noun that is far from the speaker.

This topic helps you build simple Arabic sentences and better understand Arabic demonstrative pronouns. However, to learn Arabic correctly, you need a clear method, regular practice and correction from a qualified Arabic teacher.