I'rab of Surah Al-Kawthar Ayah 3: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Al-Kawthar (الكوثر) · Meccan · Ayah 3
إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ ٱلْأَبْتَرُ TransliterationInna shāni'aka huwa al-abtar(u)
MeaningIndeed, the one who hates you: he is the one cut off (left without lasting legacy).
This verse is a nominal sentence opened by the emphatic particle inna. Inna governs shani'aka as its accusative noun (ism inna), with the attached pronoun -ka in the genitive as a possessive. The pronoun huwa serves as a separating pronoun (damir fasl), and al-abtar is the nominative predicate (khabar inna).
Word by word i'rab
emphatic accusative particle (harf nasb wa-tawkid)
Inna is a particle of emphasis that puts the following noun in the accusative and the predicate in the nominative.
indeclinablenoun of inna (ism inna)
Shani' is the accusative noun governed by inna, marked by the visible fatha, and it is an active participle meaning the one who hates.
accusativepossessive pronoun (mudaf ilayh)
The attached pronoun -ka is built on fatha and stands in a genitive position as the possessor of shani'.
genitiveseparating pronoun (damir fasl)
Huwa is a separating pronoun with no grammatical case; it adds emphasis and distinguishes the predicate from a mere adjective.
indeclinablepredicate of inna (khabar inna)
Al-abtar is the nominative predicate of inna, marked by the visible damma, meaning the one cut off without continuation.
nominativeDetailed i'rab
The verse is an emphatic nominal sentence. It begins with inna, a particle that strengthens the statement, governs the following noun in the accusative, and keeps the predicate in the nominative. Shani'aka is the noun of inna (ism inna), accusative with a visible fatha; it is an active participle ("the one who hates/detests you"), and the attached pronoun -ka is built on fatha occupying a genitive slot as the possessor. The pronoun huwa is a separating pronoun (damir fasl); it carries no case role and serves to emphasize the predicate and signal that what follows is a true predicate rather than an adjective. Al-abtar is the predicate of inna (khabar inna), nominative with a visible damma, conveying "the one cut off" from goodness and lasting remembrance.
Frequently asked
Why is shani'aka in the accusative case?
Because it is the noun of inna (ism inna). The particle inna places the noun that immediately follows it into the accusative case, so shani' takes a visible fatha as its accusative marker.
What is the function of the pronoun huwa here?
Huwa is a separating pronoun (damir fasl). It has no case role of its own; instead it adds emphasis and clarifies that the following word al-abtar is the predicate of the sentence rather than an adjective describing shani'aka.
What case is al-abtar, and why?
Al-abtar is nominative, shown by the visible damma, because it is the predicate of inna (khabar inna). While inna makes its noun accusative, it leaves the predicate in the nominative.