Another way to form a possessive is by using a definite noun (a noun with il- in front) plus مالي، مالك، مالج، ماله، مالها، مالنا، مالكم، مالهم maali, maalik, maalich, maalah, maalha, maalna, maalkum, maalhum, if the noun is masculine. For feminine nouns, you would use مالتي، مالتك، مالتج، مالته، مالتها، مالتنا، مالتكم، مالتهم maalti, maaltik, maaltich, maaltah, maalatha, maalatna, maalatkum, maalathum.
Examples:
كتابي
kitaabi – my book (notice that you don’t use the definite article il-)
الكتاب مالي
il-kitaab maali – my book (It could also mean “The book is mine”.)
هاي الكتاب مالي
hay l-kitaab maali – Here’s my book.
مكتبنا
maktabna – our office
المكتب مالنا
il-maktab maalna – our office (It could also mean “The office is ours.”)
المكتب مالنا بعيد
l-maktab maalna ba^eed – Our office is far away.
ثلاجتها
thallaajat-ha – her refrigerator
الثلاجة مالتها
ith-thallaja maalatha – her refrigerator, her fridge (It could also mean “The fridge is hers.”)
هاي الثلاجة مالتها
hay ith-thallaaja maalatha – Here’s her fridge.
Notice that if you don’t use il-, and say, for example, مكتب مالنا maktab maalna this would mean “an office of ours” (one of several). كتاب مالي kitaab maali – a book of mine.
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