Talking about a group

Distinguish they wrote from we wrote: -uu, -na, and -naa.

The idea

Hum takes -uu for a male or mixed group; hunna takes short -na for an all-female group. Katabna means they wrote (female group), while katabnaa means we wrote. In katabuu, the final alif is silent: it does not add another vowel.

كَتَبَ

kataba — he wrote

hum — they (male or mixed group)

-uu marks a male or mixed group of three or more. The final alif is written but silent.

كَتَبُوا

katabuu — they (male or mixed group) wrote

hunna — they (female group)

-na marks three or more females. Keep its a short, unlike -naa (we).

كَتَبْنَ

katabna — they (female group) wrote