What is ة?

ة (Tāʾ Marbūṭa)

The letter ة, known as Tāʾ Marbūṭa (تاء مربوطة), is a variant of the Arabic letter ت (Tāʾ). It's a unique letter that represents the sound /t/ or /h/, depending on the grammatical context. It is most frequently used to indicate feminine gender in nouns and adjectives.

Here's a breakdown of key aspects:

• Function: Its primary function is to mark feminine nouns and adjectives. For example, "مدرسة" (madrasa) meaning "school" (feminine noun). See more about Feminine%20Gender%20Marker in Arabic.

• Pronunciation:

  • When followed by a word in a sentence (i.e., in wasl or continuous speech), it is pronounced as /t/.
  • When at the end of a phrase or in pause (waqf), it is pronounced as /h/.

• Appearance: The letter has two forms:

  • Connected: ـة. It connects to the preceding letter.
  • Isolated: ة. It appears when the preceding letter does not connect (like ا, د, ذ, ر, ز, و).

• Grammatical Significance: Understanding the Tāʾ Marbūṭa is crucial for grasping Arabic%20Grammar rules related to gender agreement. Its presence affects verb conjugation and adjective agreement.

• Examples:

  • شجرة (shajarah) - tree
  • سيارة (sayyārah) - car
  • كبيرة (kabīrah) - big (feminine)

• Exceptions: Note that not all words ending in ة are feminine. Some masculine proper nouns also end with it (although this is much rarer) and some words are simply exceptions to the rule. Pay attention to context and grammatical rules.