Can anyone help me understand colours and plural?
I have this language learning software called Rosetta Stone and I am currently trying to learn Modern Standard Arabic. While learning colours and plurals I got a bit stuck. I have the following examples:

al-bayDu ahmaru (the red eggs)
al-kuratu hamraa'u (the red balls)
as-sayaratu humru (the red cars)

Did I miss something? Aren't these all feminine nouns? As far as I know ahmaru is the form for masculine singular. Why not use hamraa'u in all 3 cases? I am very confused.

And another example that got me very confused:

al-bayDatu sa''iyratu (the small eggs)
al-bayDu azraqu (the blue eggs)

What is the difference between al-bayDatu and al-bayDu? Apparently both nouns are plural and mean the same thing - eggs. Then why the different forms?

Any help will be greately appreciated. But please focus on Modern Standard Arabic, not its dialects, as the endings (and sometimes the words themselves) differ greately and that will only get me even more confused. :-)

Question

Can anyone help me understand colours and plural?
I have this language learning software called Rosetta Stone and I am currently trying to learn Modern Standard Arabic. While learning colours and plurals I got a bit stuck. I have the following examples:

al-bayDu ahmaru (the red eggs)
al-kuratu hamraa'u (the red balls)
as-sayaratu humru (the red cars)

Did I miss something? Aren't these all feminine nouns? As far as I know ahmaru is the form for masculine singular. Why not use hamraa'u in all 3 cases? I am very confused.

And another example that got me very confused:

al-bayDatu sa''iyratu (the small eggs)
al-bayDu azraqu (the blue eggs)

What is the difference between al-bayDatu and al-bayDu? Apparently both nouns are plural and mean the same thing - eggs. Then why the different forms?

Any help will be greately appreciated. But please focus on Modern Standard Arabic, not its dialects, as the endings (and sometimes the words themselves) differ greately and that will only get me even more confused. :-)

Answer

Hello Raul 
In Arabic all words different you must keep it 
Every word keep it alone 
Why you don't learn in Arabic writing 
That's more easily

Answer

So let me see if I got it right: بَيْضَهٌ is feminine singular and بَيْضٌ is masculine plural? How is it even possible that a noun changes its gender in plural? Is there any way to tell if the noun will switch gender in plural? For example how can I tell if تُفَُحَهٌ (which is feminine singular, right?) will switch to masculine plural or remain feminine in plural?

Answer

Hi Suliman,

First of all thank you for your answer. What would then be the plural of bayDatun and sayyaratun? Because according to the software I am using al-bayDatu sa''iyratu means the small eggs (as in plural) and as-sayaratu humru means the red cars (that's also plural). I did some print screens for you:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/orientale/oualeincorect_zps0194ecfa.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/orientale/masinileincorect_zps7d145da1.jpg

Answer

Hi Raul 
you face a little problem  
What is the difference between al-bayDatu and al-bayDu?
al-bayDatu is singular 
al-bayDu is plural

al-bayDu ahmaru (the red eggs) correct because the word  al-bayDu is plural
al-kuratu hamraa'u (the red balls) correct because the word al-kuratu us singular
as-sayaratu humru (the red cars) wrong because the word as-sayaratu is singular 
you must write like this:
as-sayaratu hamraa'u

i realy hope that you got it :)

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