A story
Noura, Nuqta and the Garden of One and Many
Noura planted one rose in the garden with her grandmother. On a green leaf... hop, hop! Nuqta sat down.
"This is a وَرْدَة (rose), just one. That's called the singular (المفرد). When there are many, we say وُرود (roses). That's called the plural (الجمع)!"
"I want a garden full of roses!" said Noura.
"Then we need patience, and work every day," said Grandma.
"Let's play One... Many!" said Nuqta. "When it's one, hold up one finger. When it's many, open both hands wide!"
Noura saw a butterfly: "فَراشَة (butterfly)!" (one finger). Then lots came: "فَراشات (butterflies)!" (hands open).
Tweet! "عُصْفور (sparrow)!" Then tweet-tweet-tweet! "عَصافير (sparrows)!"
She found a colourful stone: "حَجَر (stone)!" Then she collected lots: "أَحْجار (stones)!"
Can you play with us? One... many!
"And I'm a نُقْطَة (dot)," said Nuqta, "but when my friends come, we're نُقَط (dots)!" She hopped three times, and Noura laughed.
On a hot day, the rose drooped and bowed its head. Noura was sad. "It's no use!"
"Don't give up," said Grandma. "We'll give it shade and water it in the evening."
So Noura made a sunshade of palm fronds and watered the rose every evening: shhh, shhh, shhh.
Weeks later, Noura ran into the garden and shouted, "Grandma! It's not one rose any more... it's وُرود, roses! Red and yellow!"
And she opened both hands wide: "Many!"
Grandma hugged her. "Patience turns one into many."
Nuqta sang:
One rose, many roses,
A butterfly flying, little butterflies,
A sparrow singing, sparrows singing,
And patience plants joy in the garden!
Let's practise (هيّا نتمرّن):
1. Choose the plural: قَلَم (pen) → (أَقْلام / قَلَمان), كِتاب (book) → (كُتُب / كِتابَة)
2. Match singular to plural: نَجْمَة / باب / شَجَرَة → أَبْواب / أَشْجار / نُجوم
3. One finger for singular, open hands for plural: عَصافير, حَجَر, وُرود, فَراشَة
4. What is the singular of «أَحْجار»?
Answers: 1) أَقْلام, كُتُب. 2) نَجْمَة → نُجوم, باب → أَبْواب, شَجَرَة → أَشْجار. 3) Plural: عَصافير, وُرود. Singular: حَجَر, فَراشَة. 4) حَجَر.
"This is a وَرْدَة (rose), just one. That's called the singular (المفرد). When there are many, we say وُرود (roses). That's called the plural (الجمع)!"
"I want a garden full of roses!" said Noura.
"Then we need patience, and work every day," said Grandma.
"Let's play One... Many!" said Nuqta. "When it's one, hold up one finger. When it's many, open both hands wide!"
Noura saw a butterfly: "فَراشَة (butterfly)!" (one finger). Then lots came: "فَراشات (butterflies)!" (hands open).
Tweet! "عُصْفور (sparrow)!" Then tweet-tweet-tweet! "عَصافير (sparrows)!"
She found a colourful stone: "حَجَر (stone)!" Then she collected lots: "أَحْجار (stones)!"
Can you play with us? One... many!
"And I'm a نُقْطَة (dot)," said Nuqta, "but when my friends come, we're نُقَط (dots)!" She hopped three times, and Noura laughed.
On a hot day, the rose drooped and bowed its head. Noura was sad. "It's no use!"
"Don't give up," said Grandma. "We'll give it shade and water it in the evening."
So Noura made a sunshade of palm fronds and watered the rose every evening: shhh, shhh, shhh.
Weeks later, Noura ran into the garden and shouted, "Grandma! It's not one rose any more... it's وُرود, roses! Red and yellow!"
And she opened both hands wide: "Many!"
Grandma hugged her. "Patience turns one into many."
Nuqta sang:
One rose, many roses,
A butterfly flying, little butterflies,
A sparrow singing, sparrows singing,
And patience plants joy in the garden!
Let's practise (هيّا نتمرّن):
1. Choose the plural: قَلَم (pen) → (أَقْلام / قَلَمان), كِتاب (book) → (كُتُب / كِتابَة)
2. Match singular to plural: نَجْمَة / باب / شَجَرَة → أَبْواب / أَشْجار / نُجوم
3. One finger for singular, open hands for plural: عَصافير, حَجَر, وُرود, فَراشَة
4. What is the singular of «أَحْجار»?
Answers: 1) أَقْلام, كُتُب. 2) نَجْمَة → نُجوم, باب → أَبْواب, شَجَرَة → أَشْجار. 3) Plural: عَصافير, وُرود. Singular: حَجَر, فَراشَة. 4) حَجَر.
