Imperative: Masculine Plural

This grammar point focuses on the 'you all' perspective. In Arabic, the pronoun for this is Antum. You only give commands to people directly in front of you. Because of this, you do not need to say 'you' anymore. The verb itself carries all the information. The ending of the verb tells everyone exactly who should act. It is like a built-in GPS for your instructions. You are essentially taking a present tense verb and stripping it down. You remove the 'you' prefix and add a plural marker. It sounds complicated, but it is actually very logical. Once you see the pattern, you will spot it everywhere. It is the standard way to address a crowd in Arabic.

1. 1Start with the present tense 'you all' form (Antum).
2. 2For example, take the verb Tashrabuuna which means 'you all drink'.
3. 3Remove the initial Ta- prefix from the start of the word.
4. 4Remove the final na sound from the very end.
5. 5Add a silent Alif at the end of the word.
6. 6This Alif is called the 'protective Alif' or Alif al-Wiqaya.
7. 7If the word now starts with two consonants, add an Alif at the beginning.
8. 8The vowel on this first Alif depends on the middle letter's vowel.
9. 9If the middle vowel is u, the first Alif gets an u (Uktubuu).
10. 10Otherwise, the first Alif usually gets an i sound (Ijlisuu).

Use this form when addressing a group of three or more men. You also use it for mixed-gender groups in most situations. It is perfect for real-world scenarios like ordering food for a table. You might say Kuluu! to tell your friends to 'Eat!'. Use it when giving directions to a group of tourists. It is the go-to form for coaches talking to their sports teams. If you are at a party, use it to invite people in. You can say Tafaddaluu to mean 'Please, come in' to everyone. It is also common in job interviews when a panel asks you to wait. Even in modern apps, buttons often use this plural form to address users.

Do not use this when talking to only one person. That would sound like you are seeing double! It might make your friend look behind them for other people. Do not use it for a group of only women if you want to be precise. Women have their own special 'feminine plural' ending. However, in many casual dialects, people use the masculine plural for everyone. Do not use it for people who are not present. You cannot command someone who is not there to hear you. Finally, avoid using it with very high-ranking officials without a 'please'. It can sound a bit too bossy if you aren't careful. Think of it like a grammar traffic light; use it when the social light is green.

One big mistake is forgetting the silent Alif at the end. Writing Uktubu without the Alif is a very common spelling error. Even native speakers mess this up sometimes in text messages! Another mistake is keeping the na sound at the end. Saying Tashrabuuna instead of Ishrabuu makes it a statement, not a command. Some learners forget to remove the Ta- prefix entirely. This makes the word sound like a weird hybrid that doesn't exist. Also, watch out for the first vowel. Using an a sound on the first Alif is a common slip-up. It should almost always be an i or an u sound. Don't worry, though; people will still understand you while you learn.

Compare this to the singular masculine command like Idh-hab (Go!). The plural simply adds the uu sound at the end: Idh-habuu. It is much more inclusive than the singular form. Contrast it also with the dual form used for exactly two people. The dual form ends in an aa sound, like Idh-habaa. The masculine plural is the 'default' for any group larger than two. In English, we just say 'Go!' for one person or twenty people. Arabic is much more specific about the size of the crowd. It feels a bit like Southern English speakers saying 'Y'all go!'. It adds a nice layer of clarity to your speech.