Broken Plural + Feminine Singular Pronoun
In classical Arabic and the Quran, when a noun is a broken plural (جَمع تَكسِير), it may be referred to using a singular feminine pronoun or verb — even if the noun refers to animate masculine beings.
The Rule
Condition: The noun must be a broken plural (not a sound plural like مُسلِمُون or مُسلِمَات).
Effect: When using a pronoun, adjective, or verb to refer back to a broken plural:
| Context | Form used |
|---|---|
| Literary / Quranic Arabic | Singular feminine (e.g., هِيَ, هَا, singular verb) |
| Day-to-day Arabic | Regular plural pronoun/verb (standard form) |
Using singular feminine for a broken plural in literary contexts is considered more eloquent than the plural form.
Examples
Sūrat al-Rūm 30:21 — أَزوَاج
أَزوَاج (spouses) = broken plural of زَوج.
لِتَسكُنُوا إِلَيهَا — the pronoun هَا (singular feminine) refers to أَزوَاج, even though spouses are animate human beings.
Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt 49:11 — رِجَال
رِجَال (men) = broken plural of رَجُل.
When the Quran later refers to رِجَال, using singular feminine agreement is grammatically valid (and literary/elegant), even though رِجَال are male animate beings.
Why This Works
Arabic grammar treats broken plurals similarly to collective nouns — as a single entity (a group understood as a unit). Singular feminine agreement is the grammatical marker for this "collective singular" reading in literary Arabic.
Sound plurals do not follow this rule
You cannot use singular feminine for sound masculine plurals (مُسلِمُون, طَالِبُون) — those require masculine plural agreement:
❌ المُسلِمُونَ فَعَلَت (incorrect) ✓ المُسلِمُونَ فَعَلُوا (correct)
Session References
- Selections from the Glorious Quran Session 21: Rule explained for Āyah 21 (إِلَيهَا referring to أَزوَاج); distinction between broken plural and sound plural; literary vs everyday usage.