Arabic Demonstrative Pronouns: هذا, هذه, ذلك, تلك, هؤلاء and أولئك

Arabic demonstrative pronouns are an important foundation of Arabic grammar. They are used to point to or identify a person, object, place, animal, idea or group, while indicating whether the element is near or far.

In Arabic, demonstrative pronouns are called أَسْمَاءُ الإِشَارَةِ or اِسْمُ الإِشَارَةِ. The thing being pointed to is called مُشَارٌ إِلَيْهِ. These forms are widely used in beginner Arabic, Arabic reading, literary Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic and Quranic Arabic.

In this complete lesson, we will study the main Arabic demonstrative pronouns: هَذَا, هَذِهِ, ذَلِكَ, تِلْكَ, هَذَانِ, هَاتَانِ, هَؤُلاءِ and أُولَـٰئِكَ. We will cover their meanings, usage, and the differences between near and far, masculine and feminine, singular, dual and plural.

What are demonstrative pronouns in Arabic?

A demonstrative pronoun is used to point to or identify something. In English, we use words such as “this”, “that”, “these” and “those”.

In Arabic, demonstrative pronouns change according to several elements:

• distance: near or far;
• gender: masculine or feminine;
• number: singular, dual or plural;
• type of noun: human or non-human;
• sentence context.

Simple example:

هَذَا كِتَابٌ
This is a book.

In this sentence, هَذَا is the demonstrative pronoun, while كِتَابٌ is the thing being pointed to.

Complete sentence and incomplete phrase with a demonstrative

It is important to distinguish two constructions.

هَذَا كِتَابٌ
This is a book.

This is a complete sentence. The word كِتَابٌ is indefinite and the sentence gives complete information.

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ
That book.

This expression is incomplete if it is not followed by additional information. With the definite article ال, the construction often means “that book” and usually needs a predicate or continuation.

The two main categories of Arabic demonstratives

Arabic demonstrative pronouns are divided into two main categories:

• اِسْمُ الإِشَارَةِ لِلْقَرِيبِ: a demonstrative used for something near;
• اِسْمُ الإِشَارَةِ لِلْبَعِيدِ: a demonstrative used for something far.

Demonstrative pronouns are considered definite nouns. They therefore play an important role in Arabic nominal sentences.

Summary table of Arabic demonstrative pronouns

The near masculine singular: هَذَا

The demonstrative pronoun هَذَا usually means “this”, “this one” or “this is”, depending on the context. It is used with a masculine singular noun that is near the speaker.

Examples:

• هَذَا كِتَابٌ: this is a book;
• هَذَا مَسْجِدٌ: this is a mosque;
• هَذَا بَيْتٌ: this is a house;
• هَذَا قَلَمٌ: this is a pen;
• هَذَا طَبِيبٌ: this is a doctor.

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

Questions with هَذَا

To ask “What is this?” in Arabic, use:

مَا هَذَا؟

• مَا هَذَا؟: what is this?
• هَذَا بَيْتٌ: this is a house;
• هَذَا قَمِيصٌ: this is a shirt.

To ask “Who is this?”, use:

مَنْ هَذَا؟

• مَنْ هَذَا؟: who is this?
• هَذَا طَالِبٌ: this is a student;
• هَذَا رَجُلٌ: this is a man.

To ask a yes/no question, you can add the interrogative particle أَ at the beginning:

• أَهَذَا مِفْتَاحٌ؟: is this a key?
• لَا، هَذَا قَلَمٌ: no, this is a pen;
• نَعَمْ، هَذَا بَيْتٌ: yes, this is a house.

The near feminine singular: هَذِهِ

The demonstrative pronoun هَذِهِ means “this”, “this one”, “this feminine thing” or “this is”, depending on the context. It is used with a feminine singular noun that is near the speaker.

Examples:

• هَذِهِ طَبِيبَةٌ: this is a female doctor;
• هَذِهِ حَقِيبَةٌ: this is a bag;
• هَذِهِ بِنْتٌ: this is a girl;
• هَذِهِ سَيَّارَةٌ: this is a car.

Feminine nouns in Arabic

In Arabic, nouns can be masculine or feminine. Some feminine nouns have a visible feminine marker, such as the letter ة. Other nouns are feminine even without an apparent marker.

Examples of feminine words:

• الأَرْضُ: the earth;
• الْيَدُ: the hand;
• سَيَّارَةٌ: a car;
• حَقِيبَةٌ: a bag;
• فَاكِهَةٌ: a fruit.

It is therefore important to learn the gender of Arabic words gradually with vocabulary.

Difference between هَذَا and هَذِهِ

The difference between هَذَا and هَذِهِ depends on the gender of the noun being pointed to.

• هَذَا is used with a near masculine singular noun;
• هَذِهِ is used with a near feminine singular noun.

Examples:

• هَـٰذَا ابْنُ حَامِدٍ: this is Hamid’s son;
• وَهَذِهِ بِنْتُ يَاسِرٍ: and this is Yassir’s daughter;
• اِبْنُ حَامِدٍ جَالِسٌ: Hamid’s son is sitting;
• وَبِنْتُ يَاسِرٍ وَاقِفَةٌ: and Yassir’s daughter is standing.

هَذِهِ and the nominative case

When a noun follows the demonstrative pronoun هَذِهِ in simple “this is…” sentences, it is generally in the nominative case.

If the noun is indefinite, it may take double ḍamma. If it is definite, it usually takes a single ḍamma.

• هَذِهِ حَقِيبَةٌ: this is a bag;
• هَذِهِ فَاكِهَةٌ: this is a fruit;
• هَذِهِ سَيَّارَةٌ: this is a car;
• هَذِهِ بِنْتٌ: this is a girl.

Questions with هَذِهِ

The demonstrative pronoun هَذِهِ can also be used in questions.

• سَيَّارَةُ مَنْ هَذِهِ؟: whose car is this?
• هَذِهِ سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ: this is the director’s car.

The far masculine singular: ذَلِكَ

The demonstrative pronoun ذَلِكَ usually means “that”, “that one” or “that is”, depending on the context. It is used with far masculine singular nouns.

Examples:

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

In some contexts, ذَلِكَ can also have a stylistic or emphatic meaning, especially in literary Arabic and Quranic Arabic.

Difference between هَذَا and ذَلِكَ

The difference between هَذَا and ذَلِكَ depends on distance.

• هَذَا points to a near masculine element;
• ذَلِكَ points to a far masculine element.

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.

Questions with ذَلِكَ

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

مَا ذَلِكَ؟

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

To ask “Who is that?”, use:

مَنْ ذَلِكَ؟

• 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.

For a yes/no question, use:

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

The far feminine singular: تِلْكَ

The demonstrative pronoun تِلْكَ means “that feminine one”, “that” or “that thing”, depending on the context. It is used with a far feminine singular noun.

Examples:

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

Difference between هَذِهِ and تِلْكَ

The difference between هَذِهِ and تِلْكَ depends on distance.

• هَذِهِ points to a near feminine element;
• تِلْكَ points to a far feminine element.

Examples:

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

Questions with تِلْكَ

The demonstrative pronoun تِلْكَ can also be used in questions.

• 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 hen?
• لاَ، تِلْكَ بَطَّةٌ: no, that is a duck.

Near dual demonstratives: هَذَانِ and هَاتَانِ

The Arabic dual is called المُثَنَّى. It is used to speak about two people, two objects or two elements. This category does not exist in the same way in English, but it is essential in Arabic grammar.

For two near elements, Arabic uses:

• هَذَانِ for the masculine dual in the nominative;
• هَذَيْنِ for the masculine dual in the accusative or genitive;
• هَاتَانِ for the feminine dual in the nominative;
• هَاتَيْنِ for the feminine dual in the accusative or genitive.

Examples:

• هَذَا قَلَمٌ: this is a pen;
• هَذَانِ قَلَمَانِ: these are two pens;
• هَذِهِ بِنْتٌ: this is a girl;
• هَاتَانِ بِنْتَانِ: these are two girls;
• هَذَانِ الوَلَدَانِ عِنْدَ أَبِيكَ: these two boys are at your father’s place;
• هَذَانِ البَابَانِ مُغْلَقَانِ: these two doors are closed.

The forms هَذَانِ and هَاتَانِ should not be replaced by هَؤُلاءِ when speaking specifically about two elements.

Far dual demonstratives

Arabic also has specific forms for two far elements.

• ذَانِكَ: two far masculine elements in the nominative;
• ذَيْنِكَ: two far masculine elements in the accusative or genitive;
• تَانِكَ: two far feminine elements in the nominative;
• تَيْنِكَ: two far feminine elements in the accusative or genitive.

Examples:

• ذَانِكَ كِتَابَانِ: those are two books;
• تَانِكَ بَقَرَتَانِ: those are two cows.

These forms are less common in simple everyday sentences, but they are important for understanding complete Arabic grammar and more advanced texts.

The near plural: هَؤُلاءِ

The demonstrative pronoun هَؤُلاءِ means “these”, “these people” or “these are”. It is used for a near group, mainly human beings or rational beings.

The same form هَؤُلاءِ is used for masculine and feminine groups. The following words show whether the group is masculine or feminine.

Examples:

• هَؤُلاءِ مُدَرِّسُونَ: these are teachers;
• هَؤُلاءِ طَالِبَاتٌ: these are female students;
• هَؤُلاءِ مُهَنْدِسُونَ: these are engineers;
• هَؤُلاءِ زَوْجَاتٌ: these are wives.

Key points:

• هَؤُلاءِ is used for the near plural.
• It can refer to a masculine or feminine group.
• It is mainly used for human beings.
• It is indeclinable: its form does not change according to its function in the sentence.
• It ends with kasra in its full form: هَؤُلاءِ.

The far plural: أُولَـٰئِكَ

The demonstrative pronoun أُولَـٰئِكَ means “those”, “those people” or “those are”. It is used for a far group, mainly human beings or rational beings.

The same form أُولَـٰئِكَ is used for masculine and feminine groups.

Examples:

• أُولَـٰئِكَ آبَاءٌ: those are fathers;
• أُولَـٰئِكَ أُمَّهَاتٌ: those are mothers;
• أُولَـٰئِكَ حُجَّاجٌ: those are pilgrims;
• أُولَـٰئِكَ مُمَرِّضَاتٌ: those are nurses.

Key points:

• أُولَـٰئِكَ is used for the far plural.
• It can refer to a masculine or feminine group.
• It is mainly used for human beings.
• It is indeclinable: its form does not change according to its function in the sentence.
• It has a final fatḥah in its full form: أُولَـٰئِكَ.

Difference between هَؤُلاءِ and أُولَـٰئِكَ

The difference between هَؤُلاءِ and أُولَـٰئِكَ mainly depends on distance.

Difference between ذَلِكَ, تِلْكَ and أُولَـٰئِكَ

The pronouns ذَلِكَ, تِلْكَ and أُولَـٰئِكَ all point to something far, but they are not used with the same gender or number.

Demonstratives with human and non-human plurals

The forms هَؤُلاءِ and أُولَـٰئِكَ are mainly used for human beings or rational beings.

For objects, animals, abstract realities or certain non-human plurals, Arabic often uses a feminine singular form:

• هَذِهِ for a near non-human plural;
• تِلْكَ for a far non-human plural.

This rule is important for literary Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic, because non-human plurals often behave like feminine singular nouns in grammatical agreement.

Quranic examples with near demonstratives

Near demonstratives frequently appear in the Quran. Recognizing them helps students understand verse structure.

وَإِنَّ هَـٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً
This community of yours is one community. 23:52

وَهَـٰذَا كِتَابٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّسَانًا عَرَبِيًّا
And this is a confirming Book in Arabic. 46:12

قَالُوا إِنْ هَـٰذَانِ لَسَاحِرَانِ
They said: “These two are surely magicians.” 20:63

ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ
Then you are those who kill one another. 2:85

إِحْدَى ابْنَتَيَّ هَاتَيْنِ
One of these two daughters of mine. 28:27

Quranic examples with far demonstratives

تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ
Those messengers. 2:253

ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ
That is the Book in which there is no doubt. 2:2

In some verses, ذَٰلِكَ or تِلْكَ can refer to something close in the discourse, but with a meaning of greatness, importance or emphasis.

فَذَانِكَ بُرْهَانَانِ مِن رَّبِّكَ
Those are two proofs from your Lord. 28:32

أُولَئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ
Those are upon guidance from their Lord. 2:5

Demonstratives of place and time

Some words related to demonstratives point to a place or a moment.

• هَاهُنَا: here;
• هُنَالِكَ: there / then.

إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ
We are sitting here. 5:24

هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ
Thereupon, Zachariah called upon his Lord. 3:38

هَاهُنَا points to a near place, while هُنَالِكَ can refer to a far place or a specific moment depending on context.

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 carries a shaddah.

Examples:

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

This reminder helps improve Arabic pronunciation and reading.

Example sentences with Arabic demonstrative pronouns

• هَذَا وَلَدٌ: this is a boy;
• هَذِهِ بِنْتٌ: this is a girl;
• ذَلِكَ مَسْجِدٌ: that is a mosque;
• تِلْكَ مَدْرَسَةٌ: that is a school;
• هَؤُلاءِ طُلَّابٌ: these are students;
• أُولَـٰئِكَ مُعَلِّمُونَ: those are teachers;
• هَذَانِ كِتَابَانِ: these are two books;
• هَاتَانِ بَقَرَتَانِ: these are two cows.

Important rules to remember

• Arabic demonstrative pronouns are definite nouns.
• They change according to distance, gender and number.
• هَذَا is used with a near masculine singular noun.
• هَذِهِ is used with a near feminine singular noun.
• ذَلِكَ is used with a far masculine singular noun.
• تِلْكَ is used with a far feminine singular noun.
• هَذَانِ and هَاتَانِ are used for two near elements.
• هَؤُلاءِ and أُولَـٰئِكَ are mainly used for human beings.
• For non-human plurals, Arabic often uses هَذِهِ or تِلْكَ.
• The dual has different forms depending on grammatical case.

Common mistakes with Arabic demonstratives

• Using هَذَا with a feminine noun.
• Using هَذِهِ with a masculine noun.
• Confusing هَذِهِ and تِلْكَ.
• Confusing هَذَا and ذَلِكَ.
• Forgetting the dual forms.
• Using هَؤُلاءِ for two elements instead of هَذَانِ or هَاتَانِ.
• Using هَؤُلاءِ with non-human objects.
• Thinking that ذَلِكَ always indicates only physical distance.
• Not distinguishing a complete sentence like هَذَا كِتَابٌ from an incomplete phrase like ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ.

How to memorize Arabic demonstrative pronouns

To memorize Arabic demonstrative pronouns, do not simply learn a list by heart. Use them in short sentences and repeat them regularly.

Here is a progressive method:

1. Start with هَذَا and هَذِهِ.
2. Associate each pronoun with a simple noun: book, house, child, teacher.
3. Then add the far forms ذَلِكَ and تِلْكَ.
4. Study هَؤُلاءِ and أُولَـٰئِكَ with human nouns.
5. Study the dual only after understanding the singular forms well.
6. Read short examples to recognize the forms in context.
7. Observe demonstratives in short verses and vocalized sentences.

Exercises on Arabic demonstrative pronouns

Exercise 1: choose the correct pronoun

Complete with هَذَا, هَذِهِ, ذَلِكَ or تِلْكَ.

1. _____ كِتَابٌ: this is a book.
2. _____ حَقِيبَةٌ: this is a bag.
3. _____ بَيْتٌ: that is a house.
4. _____ طِفْلَةٌ: that is a little girl.

Answers:

1. هَذَا كِتَابٌ
2. هَذِهِ حَقِيبَةٌ
3. ذَلِكَ بَيْتٌ
4. تِلْكَ طِفْلَةٌ

Exercise 2: change to the near plural

1. هَذَا مُدَرِّسٌ: this is a teacher.
2. هَذِهِ طَالِبَةٌ: this is a female student.
3. هَذَا مُهَنْدِسٌ: this is an engineer.
4. هَذِهِ زَوْجَةٌ: this is a wife.

Answers:

1. هَؤُلاءِ مُدَرِّسُونَ: these are teachers.
2. هَؤُلاءِ طَالِبَاتٌ: these are female students.
3. هَؤُلاءِ مُهَنْدِسُونَ: these are engineers.
4. هَؤُلاءِ زَوْجَاتٌ: these are wives.

Exercise 3: change to the far plural

1. ذَلِكَ أَبٌ: that is a father.
2. تِلْكَ أُمٌّ: that is a mother.
3. ذَلِكَ حَاجٌّ: that is a pilgrim.
4. تِلْكَ مُمَرِّضَةٌ: that is a nurse.

Answers:

1. أُولَـٰئِكَ آبَاءٌ: those are fathers.
2. أُولَـٰئِكَ أُمَّهَاتٌ: those are mothers.
3. أُولَـٰئِكَ حُجَّاجٌ: those are pilgrims.
4. أُولَـٰئِكَ مُمَرِّضَاتٌ: those are nurses.

Learn Arabic grammar with a teacher

Arabic demonstrative pronouns may seem simple at first, but they already show several important features of the Arabic language: masculine, feminine, singular, dual, plural, proximity, distance and the difference between human and non-human nouns.

To learn Arabic effectively, it is important to follow a structured method. An online Arabic course helps students work on Arabic grammar, reading, pronunciation and vocabulary with a teacher who corrects their mistakes.

At Al-Dirassa, lessons are adapted to adults, children and beginners. You can follow a private Arabic course, improve your literary Arabic, strengthen your Quranic Arabic or use free Arabic learning resources.

For families, Al-Dirassa also offers Arabic courses for children, adapted to each student’s age, pace and level.

FAQ — Arabic demonstrative pronouns

How do you say demonstrative pronoun in Arabic?

It is called اِسْمُ الإِشَارَةِ in the singular and أَسْمَاءُ الإِشَارَةِ in the plural.

What is the difference between هَذَا and هَذِهِ?

هَذَا is used with a near masculine singular noun, while هَذِهِ is used with a near feminine singular noun.

What is the difference between ذَلِكَ and تِلْكَ?

ذَلِكَ is used with a far masculine singular noun, while تِلْكَ is used with a far feminine singular noun.

When should I use هَؤُلاءِ?

هَؤُلاءِ is mainly used to point to a near group of human beings, such as students, men or women.

When should I use أُولَـٰئِكَ?

أُولَـٰئِكَ is mainly used to point to a far group of human beings. It can also have a stylistic value in Arabic texts.

Why does Arabic sometimes use هَذِهِ or تِلْكَ with a plural?

For non-human plurals or some broken plurals, Arabic often uses a feminine singular form such as هَذِهِ or تِلْكَ.

What is the difference between هَذَانِ and هَؤُلاءِ?

هَذَانِ refers to two near masculine elements, while هَؤُلاءِ refers to a near plural group. The dual and plural should not be confused.

Conclusion

Arabic demonstrative pronouns are used to point to what is near or far. The main forms to remember are هَذَا, هَذِهِ, ذَلِكَ, تِلْكَ, هَؤُلاءِ and أُولَـٰئِكَ.

The dual forms, such as هَذَانِ, هَذَيْنِ, هَاتَانِ, هَاتَيْنِ, ذَانِكَ, ذَيْنِكَ, تَانِكَ and تَيْنِكَ, complete this rule.

This lesson helps you understand a precise topic of Arabic grammar. To learn Arabic more fully, however, you need a progressive method, regular practice, reading, exercises, good pronunciation and correction from a teacher.