The demonstrative pronouns هذا and هذه have a lovely broken plural. The plural for both of these words is هؤلاء. This plural is only used when referring to people and it is used for both genders. For example:
| 1. These students (masc.) are from Beirut. |
١. هؤلاءِ الطلاب من بيروت. |
| 2. These students (fem.) are from Beirut |
٢. هؤلاءِ الطالبات من بيروت. |
Please note that the ه, the first letter of هؤلاءِ has a daggar alif.
ذلك and تلك also have a common plural. It is أُولئِكَ The ل in this word also has a daggar alif. It too is only used to refer to people and is used for both genders.(See Note 1 below)
| 1. Those students (masc.) are from Beirut. |
١. أُولئِكَ الطلاب من بيروت. |
| 2. Those students (fem.) are from Beirut. |
٢. أُولئِكَ الطالبات من بيروت. |
Note 1 – The software used for this version of the book does not include the daggar alif, so I cannot write it in over the ل. The word أُولئِكَ does have another spelling, however. That spelling is: أُولائِكَ. Here the alif is actually written in. You may sometimes come across this spelling of the word.
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