امرأة

Arabic

Alternative forms

Etymology

From the root م ر ء (m-r-ʔ). Compare its plural forms to Hebrew נשים (nashím, “women”).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /im.ra.ʔa/
  • Audio: ٱمْرَأَةٌ (nominative indefinite singular)(file)

Noun

اِمْرَأَة • (imraʔa) f (definite state الْمَرْأَة (al-marʔa), dual اِمْرَأَتَانِ (imraʔatāni), plural نِسَاء (nisāʔ) or نِسْوَة (niswa) or نِسْوَان (niswān) or نُسْوَة (nuswa) or نُسْوَان (nuswān))

  1. woman
    • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 4:12:
      وَإِنْ كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُورَثُ كَلَالَةً أَوِ ٱمْرَأَةٌ وَلَهُ أَخٌ أَوْ أُخْتٌ فَلِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا ٱلسُّدُسُ
      wa-ʔin kāna rajulun yūraṯu kalālatan ʔawi mraʔatun wa-lahu ʔaḵun ʔaw ʔuḵtun fa-li-kulli wāḥidin minhumā s-sudusu
      And if a man or woman leaves neither ascendants nor descendants but has a brother or a sister, then for each one of them is a sixth.
  2. (construct state) (imraʔat-) wife
    Synonyms: (Classical) زَوْج (zawj), زَوْجَة (zawja)
    • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 12:21:
      وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِي ٱشْتَرَاهُ مِنْ مِصْرَ لِٱمْرَأَتِهِ أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ
      wa-qāla llaḏī štarāhu min miṣra li-mraʔatihi ʔakrimī maṯwāhu
      And the one from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, "Make his residence comfortable."

Usage notes

The plurals are suppletive, coming from a different root from the singular.

Declension
Declension of noun اِمْرَأَة (imraʔa)
Singular singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
Indefinite Definite Construct
Informal اِمْرَأَة
imraʔa		 الْمَرْأَة
al-marʔa		 اِمْرَأَة
imraʔat
Nominative اِمْرَأَةٌ
imraʔatun		 الْمَرْأَةُ
al-marʔatu		 اِمْرَأَةُ
imraʔatu
Accusative اِمْرَأَةً
imraʔatan		 الْمَرْأَةَ
al-marʔata		 اِمْرَأَةَ
imraʔata
Genitive اِمْرَأَةٍ
imraʔatin		 الْمَرْأَةِ
al-marʔati		 اِمْرَأَةِ
imraʔati
Dual Indefinite Definite Construct
Informal اِمْرَأَتَيْن
imraʔatayn		 الْمَرْأَتَيْن
al-marʔatayn		 اِمْرَأَتَيْ
imraʔatay
Nominative اِمْرَأَتَانِ
imraʔatāni		 الْمَرْأَتَانِ
al-marʔatāni		 اِمْرَأَتَا
imraʔatā
Accusative اِمْرَأَتَيْنِ
imraʔatayni		 الْمَرْأَتَيْنِ
al-marʔatayni		 اِمْرَأَتَيْ
imraʔatay
Genitive اِمْرَأَتَيْنِ
imraʔatayni		 الْمَرْأَتَيْنِ
al-marʔatayni		 اِمْرَأَتَيْ
imraʔatay
Plural basic broken plural triptote‎; broken plural triptote in ـَة (-a)
Indefinite Definite Construct
Informal نِسَاء‎; نِسْوَة‎; نِسْوَان‎; نُسْوَة‎; نُسْوَان
nisāʔ‎; niswa‎; niswān‎; nuswa‎; nuswān		 النِّسَاء‎; النِّسْوَة‎; النِّسْوَان‎; النُّسْوَة‎; النُّسْوَان
an-nisāʔ‎; an-niswa‎; an-niswān‎; an-nuswa‎; an-nuswān		 نِسَاء‎; نِسْوَة‎; نِسْوَان‎; نُسْوَة‎; نُسْوَان
nisāʔ‎; niswat‎; niswān‎; nuswat‎; nuswān
Nominative نِسَاءٌ‎; نِسْوَةٌ‎; نِسْوَانٌ‎; نُسْوَةٌ‎; نُسْوَانٌ
nisāʔun‎; niswatun‎; niswānun‎; nuswatun‎; nuswānun		 النِّسَاءُ‎; النِّسْوَةُ‎; النِّسْوَانُ‎; النُّسْوَةُ‎; النُّسْوَانُ
an-nisāʔu‎; an-niswatu‎; an-niswānu‎; an-nuswatu‎; an-nuswānu		 نِسَاءُ‎; نِسْوَةُ‎; نِسْوَانُ‎; نُسْوَةُ‎; نُسْوَانُ
nisāʔu‎; niswatu‎; niswānu‎; nuswatu‎; nuswānu
Accusative نِسَاءً‎; نِسْوَةً‎; نِسْوَانًا‎; نُسْوَةً‎; نُسْوَانًا
nisāʔan‎; niswatan‎; niswānan‎; nuswatan‎; nuswānan		 النِّسَاءَ‎; النِّسْوَةَ‎; النِّسْوَانَ‎; النُّسْوَةَ‎; النُّسْوَانَ
an-nisāʔa‎; an-niswata‎; an-niswāna‎; an-nuswata‎; an-nuswāna		 نِسَاءَ‎; نِسْوَةَ‎; نِسْوَانَ‎; نُسْوَةَ‎; نُسْوَانَ
nisāʔa‎; niswata‎; niswāna‎; nuswata‎; nuswāna
Genitive نِسَاءٍ‎; نِسْوَةٍ‎; نِسْوَانٍ‎; نُسْوَةٍ‎; نُسْوَانٍ
nisāʔin‎; niswatin‎; niswānin‎; nuswatin‎; nuswānin		 النِّسَاءِ‎; النِّسْوَةِ‎; النِّسْوَانِ‎; النُّسْوَةِ‎; النُّسْوَانِ
an-nisāʔi‎; an-niswati‎; an-niswāni‎; an-nuswati‎; an-nuswāni		 نِسَاءِ‎; نِسْوَةِ‎; نِسْوَانِ‎; نُسْوَةِ‎; نُسْوَانِ
nisāʔi‎; niswati‎; niswāni‎; nuswati‎; nuswāni

References
  • Wehr, Hans (1979) “مرء”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN
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