The Arabic Word بَعْضٌ: Some and Some of Them

The Arabic word بَعْضٌ means “some”, “certain”, “some of” or “part of”, depending on the context. It is a very useful word in Arabic because it allows students to speak about part of a group, part of a whole or a specific portion of something.

In this lesson, we will learn how to use بَعْضٌ, how its form changes according to Arabic grammatical cases, and how it is used with attached pronouns, such as بَعْضُهُمْ and بَعْضُهُنَّ.

This lesson is useful for beginners, but also for students who want to improve their Arabic grammar, Arabic reading, literary Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic and Quranic Arabic.

What Does بَعْضٌ Mean in Arabic?

The word بَعْضٌ expresses the idea of part of a whole. It can be translated as “some”, “some of”, “certain”, “a few” or “part of”.

Example:

بَعْضُهُمْ مِنَ الْهِنْدِ

Some of them are from India.

In this example, بَعْضُهُمْ refers to part of a masculine group or a grammatically masculine group.

بَعْضٌ Alone: Some, Certain or Part of

When it is used alone, the word بَعْضٌ can take tanween. Its final vowel changes according to its grammatical function in the sentence.

It can therefore appear in several forms:

• بَعْضٌ in the nominative case;
• بَعْضًا in the accusative case;
• بَعْضٍ in the genitive case.

These forms show that بَعْضٌ is a declinable noun when it is not in an idafa construction.

بَعْضٌ and Arabic Grammatical Cases

Like many Arabic nouns, بَعْضٌ can change its final vowel according to its grammatical function.

بَعْضٌ in the Nominative Case

In the nominative case, the word usually takes a double dammah:

بَعْضٌ

This form can be used when the word has a nominative function in the sentence.

بَعْضًا in the Accusative Case

In the accusative case, the word usually takes a double fathah:

بَعْضًا

This form can be used when the word is an object or has an accusative function.

بَعْضٍ in the Genitive Case

In the genitive case, the word usually takes a double kasrah:

بَعْضٍ

This form can be used after a preposition or in a structure that causes the genitive case.

بَعْضٌ in an Idafa Construction

When بَعْضٌ is used in an idafa construction, it loses its tanween. It becomes the first term of the idafa, called مُضَافٌ.

In this case, it takes a single final vowel according to its grammatical function:

• بَعْضُ in the nominative case;
• بَعْضَ in the accusative case;
• بَعْضِ in the genitive case.

The second term of the idafa can be a noun or an attached pronoun.

بَعْضُهُمْ: Some of Them

The form بَعْضُهُمْ means “some of them”. It is formed with بَعْضُ followed by the attached pronoun هُمْ.

Example:

هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجَالُ حُجَّاجٌ

These men are pilgrims.

بَعْضُهُمْ مِنَ الْهِنْدِ وَبَعْضُهُمْ مِنَ الصِّيْنِ

Some of them are from India and some of them are from China.

In this example, هُمْ refers to the men mentioned in the previous sentence.

بَعْضُهُنَّ: Some of Them, Feminine

The form بَعْضُهُنَّ means “some of them” when referring to a feminine group. It is formed with بَعْضُ followed by the attached pronoun هُنَّ.

Example:

هَؤُلاءِ النِّسَاءُ مُمَرِّضَاتٌ

These women are nurses.

بَعْضُهُنَّ مِنْ إِيطَالِيَا وَبَعْضُهُنَّ مِنْ فَرَنْسَا

Some of them are from Italy and some of them are from France.

In this example, هُنَّ refers to the women mentioned in the previous sentence.

Summary Table of بَعْضٌ

This table shows the difference between بَعْضٌ used alone with tanween and بَعْضُ used in idafa without tanween.

Examples of Sentences with بَعْضٌ

Here are several examples to understand how بَعْضٌ is used in simple Arabic sentences.

• هَؤُلاءِ النِّسَاءُ مُمَرِّضَاتٌ: these women are nurses.
• بَعْضُهُنَّ مِنْ إِيطَالِيَا وَبَعْضُهُنَّ مِنْ فَرَنْسَا: some of them are from Italy and some of them are from France.
• هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجَالُ حُجَّاجٌ: these men are pilgrims.
• بَعْضُهُمْ مِنَ الْهِنْدِ وَبَعْضُهُمْ مِنَ الصِّيْنِ: some of them are from India and some of them are from China.
• أُولَئِكَ الأَوْلَادُ طُلَّابٌ: those children are students.
• بَعْضُهُمْ فِي الْفَصْلِ وَبَعْضُهُمْ فِي الْمَلْعَبِ: some of them are in the classroom and some of them are in the playground.

In these examples, بَعْضُهُمْ and بَعْضُهُنَّ refer to part of a group that has already been mentioned.

Difference Between بَعْضٌ and كُلٌّ

The word بَعْضٌ expresses part of a whole, while كُلٌّ expresses totality.

• بَعْضُهُمْ: some of them;
• كُلُّهُمْ: all of them.

This difference is important for understanding the precise meaning of an Arabic sentence.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some common mistakes made by students who learn the word بَعْضٌ:

• forgetting tanween when بَعْضٌ is used alone;
• adding tanween when بَعْضُ is used in an idafa construction;
• confusing بَعْضُهُمْ and بَعْضُهُنَّ;
• always translating بَعْضٌ as “certain” in the singular;
• not recognizing the attached pronoun at the end of the word.

These mistakes are normal at the beginning. They gradually decrease with reading, exercises and correction.

Learn Arabic Grammar with a Teacher

The word بَعْضٌ is short, but its use requires students to understand grammatical cases, tanween, idafa and attached pronouns. It is therefore an excellent concept for progressing in Arabic grammar.

To learn Arabic effectively, online Arabic classes with an Arabic teacher online help students move step by step. A teacher can correct your mistakes, explain grammar rules and provide exercises adapted to your level.

At Al-Dirassa, you can take private Arabic lessons, start Arabic for beginners, progress in Modern Standard Arabic, strengthen your Quranic Arabic or use free Arabic books for beginners alongside your lessons.

Conclusion

The word بَعْضٌ means “some”, “some of”, “certain” or “part of”, depending on the context. When it is used alone, it can carry tanween: بَعْضٌ, بَعْضًا or بَعْضٍ.

When it is used in an idafa construction, it loses tanween and can appear in forms such as بَعْضُهُمْ or بَعْضُهُنَّ. These forms mean “some of them” or “some of them” referring to a feminine group.

With a progressive method, regular examples and correction from a teacher, the use of بَعْضٌ becomes easier to understand and apply in correct Arabic sentences.