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Introduction to Iʿrāb (Case)
مَدْخَلٌ إِلَى الْإِعْرَابِ
Iʿrāb is the system of case endings that Arabic adds to the END of most nouns and adjectives to show their job in the sentence. The same word changes its final vowel depending on whether it is the subject, the object, or follows a preposition. There are three cases: nominative (raise, marked by ḍamma -u), accusative (manṣūb, marked by fatḥa -a), and genitive (majrūr, marked by kasra -i). On an indefinite noun these become the tanwīn endings -un, -an, -in. The good news: the word's spelling barely changes — only the final short vowel does. Because short vowels are usually not written, you often must KNOW the case rather than see it. Learning iʿrāb is what lets you build correct, fully voweled Modern Standard Arabic.
Key rule
Most singular nouns change their final vowel by role: ـُ/ـٌ nominative (subject/predicate), ـَ/ـً accusative (object), ـِ/ـٍ genitive (after a preposition or in iḍāfa).
Examples
- جَاءَ الطَّالِبُ.جَاءَ الطَّالِبَ.
The doer of the verb is nominative (raise), so it ends in ḍamma: الطَّالِبُ, not فتحة.
- رَأَيْتُ الطَّالِبَ.رَأَيْتُ الطَّالِبُ.
The direct object is accusative (manṣūb), so it takes fatḥa: الطَّالِبَ.
- سَلَّمْتُ عَلَى الطَّالِبِ.سَلَّمْتُ عَلَى الطَّالِبُ.
After the preposition عَلَى the noun is genitive (majrūr), so it takes kasra: الطَّالِبِ.
Common mistakes
Putting the subject in the accusative
نَجَحَ الطَّالِبَ.نَجَحَ الطَّالِبُ.The doer of the verb (fāʿil) is nominative and ends in ḍamma, not fatḥa.
Leaving the object in the nominative
قَرَأْتُ الْكِتَابُ.قَرَأْتُ الْكِتَابَ.The direct object is manṣūb and must take fatḥa: الْكِتَابَ.
Nominative Case (Marfūʿ)
الرَّفْعُ (الضَّمَّةُ)
The nominative (al-rafʿ) is the 'default' case, marked by a ḍamma (-u) on a definite noun or tanwīn ḍamm (-un) on an indefinite one. It is the case of the SUBJECT. Two big roles take it: the doer of a verb (al-fāʿil) in a verbal sentence — جَاءَ الْوَلَدُ 'the boy came' — and BOTH parts of a nominal sentence: the topic (mubtadaʾ) and its comment (khabar) — الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ 'the house is big', where both الْبَيْتُ and كَبِيرٌ are nominative. Think of nominative as the case a word wears when nothing is 'acting on' it: it is the one doing or being something, not being received or governed. Whenever you start a sentence with a noun you are talking about, raise it.
Key rule
Raise (ḍamma / -un) the doer of a verb and BOTH the topic and comment of a nominal sentence: جَاءَ الْوَلَدُ، الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ.
Examples
- جَاءَ الْمُعَلِّمُ مُبَكِّرًا.جَاءَ الْمُعَلِّمَ مُبَكِّرًا.
The doer (fāʿil) is nominative and takes ḍamma: الْمُعَلِّمُ.
- الطَّقْسُ جَمِيلٌ الْيَوْمَ.الطَّقْسُ جَمِيلًا الْيَوْمَ.
The khabar of a plain nominal sentence is nominative جَمِيلٌ, not accusative.
- الْأَوْلَادُ نَشِيطُونَ.الْأَوْلَادَ نَشِيطُونَ.
The mubtadaʾ must be raised: الْأَوْلَادُ; only an operator like inna would make it accusative.
Common mistakes
Marking the doer accusative
حَضَرَ الضَّيْفَ.حَضَرَ الضَّيْفُ.The fāʿil is always nominative: الضَّيْفُ with ḍamma.
Making the khabar accusative (carrying over a 'to be' instinct)
الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرًا.الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ.In a plain nominal sentence with no kāna, the khabar stays nominative كَبِيرٌ.
Accusative Case (Manṣūb)
النَّصْبُ (الْفَتْحَةُ)
The accusative (al-naṣb) is marked by a fatḥa (-a) on a definite noun or tanwīn fatḥ (-an, written with an added alif) on an indefinite one. It is the 'object/affected' case and also the case forced by several important operators. Its core jobs at A2 are: the direct object of a verb — قَرَأْتُ الْكِتَابَ 'I read the book'; the khabar (comment) after كَانَ and its sisters — كَانَ الْجَوُّ بَارِدًا; the noun (ism) after إِنَّ and its sisters — إِنَّ الطَّالِبَ مُجْتَهِدٌ; and many adverbs of manner and time — مَشَى سَرِيعًا، سَافَرَ صَبَاحًا. The shape to remember for indefinite accusative is the alif: كِتَابًا, طَالِبًا — except after tāʾ marbūṭa, where there is no alif (مَدْرَسَةً).
Key rule
Open (fatḥa / -an, usually with an added alif) the direct object, the khabar of كَانَ, the ism of إِنَّ, and adverbs of manner/time: قَرَأْتُ الْكِتَابَ، كَانَ بَارِدًا، سَافَرَ صَبَاحًا.
Examples
- أَكَلَ الْوَلَدُ تُفَّاحَةً.أَكَلَ الْوَلَدُ تُفَّاحَةٌ.
The direct object is accusative; with tāʾ marbūṭa it takes tanwīn fatḥ تُفَّاحَةً (no alif).
- قَرَأْتُ كِتَابًا مُمْتِعًا.قَرَأْتُ كِتَابٌ مُمْتِعٌ.
The object and its adjective are both accusative: كِتَابًا مُمْتِعًا with the alif.
- كَانَ الطَّقْسُ حَارًّا.كَانَ الطَّقْسُ حَارٌّ.
كَانَ raises the topic but puts its khabar in the accusative: حَارًّا.
Common mistakes
Leaving the direct object nominative
كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الْوَاجِبُ.كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الْوَاجِبَ.The mafʿūl bih is accusative and takes fatḥa: الْوَاجِبَ.
Dropping the alif of tanwīn fatḥ
اشْتَرَيْتُ قَلَمً.اشْتَرَيْتُ قَلَمًا.Tanwīn fatḥ on an ordinary noun is written on an added alif: قَلَمًا.
Genitive Case (Majrūr)
الْجَرُّ (الْكَسْرَةُ)
The genitive (al-jarr, also al-khafḍ) is marked by a kasra (-i) on a definite noun or tanwīn kasr (-in) on an indefinite one. A noun is 'lowered' to the genitive in exactly two situations: (1) after a preposition — فِي الْبَيْتِ 'in the house', مِنْ مَدِينَةٍ 'from a city'; and (2) as the SECOND term of an iḍāfa (possessive construction) — بَابُ الْبَيْتِ 'the door of the house', where الْبَيْتِ is genitive. Those are the only two triggers, so the rule is wonderfully simple: see a preposition or be the possessor-noun in a construct → take kasra. Sound masculine plurals and the dual show genitive with the same ـِينَ / ـَيْنِ they use for the accusative.
Key rule
Lower (kasra / -in) any noun that follows a preposition OR is the second term of an iḍāfa: فِي الْبَيْتِ، بَابُ الْبَيْتِ.
Examples
- ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى الْمَكْتَبَةِ.ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى الْمَكْتَبَةُ.
After إِلَى the noun is genitive: الْمَكْتَبَةِ with kasra.
- الْكِتَابُ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ.الْكِتَابُ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةَ.
After عَلَى the noun is majrūr: الطَّاوِلَةِ, not accusative.
- هَذَا بَيْتُ الْمُعَلِّمِ.هَذَا بَيْتُ الْمُعَلِّمُ.
The second term of the iḍāfa (muḍāf ilayh) is genitive: الْمُعَلِّمِ.
Common mistakes
Using ḍamma after a preposition
فِي الْحَدِيقَةُ.فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ.A noun after a preposition is majrūr and takes kasra: الْحَدِيقَةِ.
Raising the second term of an iḍāfa
سَيَّارَةُ الْأَبُ.سَيَّارَةُ الْأَبِ.The muḍāf ilayh is always genitive: الْأَبِ.
The Direct Object is Accusative
الْمَفْعُولُ بِهِ مَنْصُوبٌ
When a transitive verb acts on something, that 'something' is the direct object (al-mafʿūl bih), and in Arabic it is always accusative — fatḥa (-a) on a definite noun, tanwīn fatḥ (-an, with an added alif) on an indefinite one. So كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الدَّرْسَ: the doer الطَّالِبُ is raised, the object الدَّرْسَ is opened. Because Arabic shows the object by its ENDING rather than its position, the object can even come before the doer and you still recognise it by the fatḥa. Watch the common shapes: definite الْبَابَ, indefinite بَابًا (alif), but مَدْرَسَةً (no alif, ends in ة). A pronoun object instead attaches to the verb as a suffix (رَأَيْتُهُ 'I saw him').
Key rule
The direct object of a transitive verb is accusative: fatḥa on a definite noun (الْبَابَ), tanwīn fatḥ on an indefinite one (بَابًا).
Examples
- فَتَحَ الرَّجُلُ الْبَابَ.فَتَحَ الرَّجُلُ الْبَابُ.
The object الْبَابَ is accusative (fatḥa); only the doer الرَّجُلُ is raised.
- زَرَعَ الْفَلَّاحُ شَجَرَةً.زَرَعَ الْفَلَّاحُ شَجَرَةٌ.
The indefinite object takes tanwīn fatḥ; after ة there is no alif: شَجَرَةً.
- اشْتَرَيْتُ كِتَابًا وَقَلَمًا.اشْتَرَيْتُ كِتَابٌ وَقَلَمٌ.
Both objects are accusative with the written alif: كِتَابًا، قَلَمًا.
Common mistakes
Leaving the object nominative
شَرِبَ الْوَلَدُ الْحَلِيبُ.شَرِبَ الْوَلَدُ الْحَلِيبَ.The mafʿūl bih is accusative: الْحَلِيبَ with fatḥa.
Dropping the alif of tanwīn fatḥ
رَأَيْتُ طَائِرً.رَأَيْتُ طَائِرًا.Tanwīn fatḥ on an ordinary noun is written on an added alif: طَائِرًا.
The Predicate of kāna is Accusative
خَبَرُ كَانَ مَنْصُوبٌ
In a plain nominal sentence both parts are nominative: الْجَوُّ بَارِدٌ 'the weather is cold'. But when you add كَانَ ('was') — or one of its sisters like أَصْبَحَ 'became', صَارَ 'became', لَيْسَ 'is not' — the structure shifts: the topic STAYS nominative (now called ism kāna), while the comment becomes ACCUSATIVE (khabar kāna): كَانَ الْجَوُّ بَارِدًا. So كَانَ 'raises' the first noun and 'opens' the second. The change is most visible on an indefinite predicate, where nominative tanwīn ـٌ becomes tanwīn fatḥ ـً (بَارِدٌ → بَارِدًا). Whenever you put a sentence into the past with كَانَ, remember to open its predicate.
Key rule
كَانَ and its sisters keep the topic nominative (ism kāna) but make the comment accusative (khabar kāna): كَانَ الْجَوُّ بَارِدًا.
Examples
- كَانَ الْجَوُّ بَارِدًا.كَانَ الْجَوُّ بَارِدٌ.
كَانَ makes the khabar accusative: بَارِدًا, while the ism الْجَوُّ stays nominative.
- أَصْبَحَ الطَّقْسُ حَارًّا.أَصْبَحَ الطَّقْسَ حَارًّا.
The ism of أَصْبَحَ stays nominative الطَّقْسُ; only the khabar حَارًّا is accusative.
- كَانَتِ الْبِنْتُ صَغِيرَةً.كَانَتِ الْبِنْتُ صَغِيرَةٌ.
The feminine khabar is also accusative: صَغِيرَةً (tanwīn fatḥ, no alif after ة).
Common mistakes
Keeping the khabar nominative after kāna
كَانَ الْيَوْمُ جَمِيلٌ.كَانَ الْيَوْمُ جَمِيلًا.كَانَ assigns the accusative to its khabar: جَمِيلًا.
Making the ism of kāna accusative too
كَانَ الْوَلَدَ مَرِيضًا.كَانَ الْوَلَدُ مَرِيضًا.The ism kāna stays nominative الْوَلَدُ; only the khabar is opened.
The Noun of inna is Accusative
اسْمُ إِنَّ مَنْصُوبٌ
إِنَّ ('indeed / verily') and its sisters (أَنَّ 'that', لَكِنَّ 'but', لِأَنَّ 'because', كَأَنَّ 'as if', لَعَلَّ 'perhaps', لَيْتَ 'if only') begin a nominal sentence and do the MIRROR image of كَانَ: the first noun (ism inna) becomes ACCUSATIVE, while the comment (khabar inna) stays NOMINATIVE. So الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدٌ becomes إِنَّ الطَّالِبَ مُجْتَهِدٌ — open the topic, raise the comment. This is the most useful sentence-opener in MSA: you put إِنَّ at the start for emphasis, and أَنَّ / لِأَنَّ inside a sentence to report or to give a reason. The trap is reversing the cases — remember: with إِنَّ the noun is opened, with كَانَ the noun is raised.
Key rule
إِنَّ and its sisters make the following noun accusative (ism inna) and keep its comment nominative (khabar inna): إِنَّ الطَّالِبَ مُجْتَهِدٌ.
Examples
- إِنَّ الطَّالِبَ مُجْتَهِدٌ.إِنَّ الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدٌ.
إِنَّ makes its ism accusative الطَّالِبَ; the khabar مُجْتَهِدٌ stays nominative.
- إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ نُورٌ.إِنَّ الْعِلْمُ نُورٌ.
The ism of إِنَّ is opened: الْعِلْمَ; the khabar نُورٌ remains raised.
- عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ الْجَوَّ بَارِدٌ.عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ الْجَوُّ بَارِدٌ.
أَنَّ (a sister of إِنَّ) makes its noun accusative: الْجَوَّ.
Common mistakes
Leaving the noun of inna nominative
إِنَّ الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ.إِنَّ الْبَيْتَ كَبِيرٌ.إِنَّ makes its ism accusative: الْبَيْتَ.
Making the khabar of inna accusative too
إِنَّ الطَّالِبَ مُجْتَهِدًا.إِنَّ الطَّالِبَ مُجْتَهِدٌ.Only the ism is opened; the khabar inna stays nominative مُجْتَهِدٌ.
Adverbs of Manner (Accusative Tanwīn)
الْمَنْصُوبَاتُ بِالتَّنْوِينِ (تَمْهِيدٌ)
Arabic has no separate word-class of '-ly' adverbs. Instead, to say HOW something is done, you put an indefinite noun or adjective in the accusative with tanwīn fatḥ (-an, written with an added alif). So 'he ran quickly' is جَرَى سَرِيعًا (literally 'he ran a-quick'), 'thank you' is شُكْرًا ('a-thanks'), 'a lot' is كَثِيرًا, 'very' is جِدًّا. These accusative forms answer 'how?' and often correspond to English adverbs. Many of them are fixed, high-frequency words you will use constantly: أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا، عَفْوًا، مَرْحَبًا، حَقًّا، أَيْضًا، تَقْرِيبًا. Remember the visible alif (سَرِيعًا), except after tāʾ marbūṭa (عَادَةً).
Key rule
Express 'how' with an indefinite accusative (tanwīn fatḥ, usually + alif): جَرَى سَرِيعًا، شُكْرًا، كَثِيرًا، جِدًّا.
Examples
- جَرَى اللَّاعِبُ سَرِيعًا.جَرَى اللَّاعِبُ سَرِيعٌ.
The manner word is accusative: سَرِيعًا (tanwīn fatḥ + alif), not nominative.
- شُكْرًا جَزِيلًا.شُكْرٌ جَزِيلٌ.
The courtesy formula is fixed in the accusative: شُكْرًا جَزِيلًا.
- فَهِمْتُ الدَّرْسَ جَيِّدًا.فَهِمْتُ الدَّرْسَ جَيِّدٌ.
'Well' is an accusative manner word: جَيِّدًا.
Common mistakes
Leaving the manner word nominative
مَشَى الرَّجُلُ بَطِيءٌ.مَشَى الرَّجُلُ بَطِيئًا.A manner word answering 'how?' is accusative: بَطِيئًا.
Dropping the alif of tanwīn fatḥ
شُكْرً.شُكْرًا.Tanwīn fatḥ here is written on an added alif: شُكْرًا.
Time Adverbs in the Accusative
ظَرْفُ الزَّمَانِ
To say WHEN something happens, Arabic often uses a time-noun in the accusative — this is ẓarf al-zamān (the adverb of time). An indefinite time-noun takes tanwīn fatḥ (-an): صَبَاحًا 'in the morning', مَسَاءً 'in the evening', لَيْلًا 'at night', يَوْمًا 'one day', أَحْيَانًا 'sometimes'. Definite time-words also go accusative with a bare fatḥa: الْيَوْمَ 'today', اللَّيْلَةَ 'tonight', غَدًا 'tomorrow'. Many positional time-words are likewise accusative and add a genitive noun after them: قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ 'before noon', بَعْدَ الْغَدَاءِ 'after lunch', عِنْدَ الْمَسَاءِ 'at evening'. You do NOT need a preposition like 'in' — the accusative ending already means 'at/in that time'.
Key rule
Say WHEN with an accusative time-noun (no preposition needed): صَبَاحًا، الْيَوْمَ، غَدًا; positional قَبْلَ/بَعْدَ are accusative + a genitive noun (بَعْدَ الْغَدَاءِ).
Examples
- أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْعَمَلِ صَبَاحًا.أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْعَمَلِ صَبَاحٌ.
The time adverb is accusative: صَبَاحًا (tanwīn fatḥ), not nominative.
- سَأُسَافِرُ غَدًا.سَأُسَافِرُ غَدٌ.
'Tomorrow' is an accusative time-noun: غَدًا.
- وَصَلْتُ الْيَوْمَ.وَصَلْتُ الْيَوْمُ.
Definite الْيَوْمَ ('today') takes a bare accusative fatḥa, not ḍamma.
Common mistakes
Leaving the time word nominative
أَعُودُ مَسَاءٌ.أَعُودُ مَسَاءً.A time adverb is accusative: مَسَاءً (note: no alif after the hamza على alif).
Adding a preposition before the accusative ẓarf
أَدْرُسُ فِي لَيْلًا.أَدْرُسُ لَيْلًا.The accusative ending already means 'at night'; no فِي is used with it.
Future Negation with lan
نَفْيُ الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ بِـ لَنْ
To say that something 'will not' happen, Arabic uses the particle lan (لَنْ) followed by the present-tense verb. But lan does more than negate: it forces the verb into the subjunctive mood (manṣūb). In practice this means the final ḍamma (-u) of the indicative changes to a fatḥa (-a): yaktubu 'he writes' becomes lan yaktuba 'he will not write'. In the persons that end in nūn (the dual, the plural -ūna, and the feminine -īna), that nūn drops off entirely: yaktubūna becomes lan yaktubū. There is no need to add a future marker like sa- or sawfa, because lan already points to the future on its own.
Key rule
lan + subjunctive imperfect negates the future; the verb's final -u becomes -a, and a final nūn (dual/plural) drops.
Examples
- لَنْ أَذْهَبَ إِلَى الْعَمَلِ غَدًا.لَنْ أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْعَمَلِ غَدًا.
After lan the verb is subjunctive, so it ends in fatḥa (أَذْهَبَ), not the indicative ḍamma (أَذْهَبُ).
- لَنْ يَكْتُبُوا الرِّسَالَةَ.لَنْ يَكْتُبُونَ الرِّسَالَةَ.
In the plural masculine form, the subjunctive drops the final nūn: يَكْتُبُونَ becomes يَكْتُبُوا.
- لَنْ نُسَافِرَ هَذَا الصَّيْفَ.سَوْفَ لَنْ نُسَافِرَ هَذَا الصَّيْفَ.
lan already carries the future meaning, so you never add sawfa or sa- with it.
Common mistakes
Keeping the indicative ending after lan
لَنْ أَشْرَبُ الْقَهْوَةَ.لَنْ أَشْرَبَ الْقَهْوَةَ.lan governs the subjunctive, so the final ḍamma must become a fatḥa.
Combining lan with sa-/sawfa
سَأَلَنْ أَزُورَكَ.لَنْ أَزُورَكَ.lan is itself a future negator; stacking it with a future marker is redundant and ungrammatical.
Past Negation with lam
نَفْيُ الْمَاضِي بِـ لَمْ
Arabic has a surprising way to negate the past: instead of putting a negator in front of the past-tense verb, you use the particle lam (لَمْ) followed by the PRESENT-tense verb. The meaning, though, is past: lam yaktub means 'he did not write'. The particle lam forces the verb into the jussive mood (majzūm), so the final vowel becomes a sukūn: yaktubu → lam yaktub. In the persons that end in nūn (dual and plural), that nūn drops, exactly as with lan. This lam + present construction is more formal and far more common in writing than the simpler mā + past you learned at A1.
Key rule
lam + jussive imperfect means 'did not' (past); the verb's final vowel becomes sukūn and any final nūn drops.
Examples
- لَمْ يَكْتُبْ أَحْمَدُ الْوَاجِبَ.لَمْ كَتَبَ أَحْمَدُ الْوَاجِبَ.
After lam the verb is the jussive imperfect (يَكْتُبْ), never a past-tense verb (كَتَبَ).
- لَمْ أَفْهَمِ الدَّرْسَ جَيِّدًا.لَمْ أَفْهَمُ الدَّرْسَ جَيِّدًا.
The jussive replaces the indicative ḍamma with a sukūn: أَفْهَمْ, not أَفْهَمُ; before the article the sukūn becomes a connecting kasra (أَفْهَمِ الدَّرْسَ).
- لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا إِلَى الْحَفْلَةِ.لَمْ يَذْهَبُونَ إِلَى الْحَفْلَةِ.
In the jussive, the plural masculine form drops its final nūn: يَذْهَبُوا.
Common mistakes
Using a past-tense verb after lam
لَمْ ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى الْمَكْتَبِ.لَمْ أَذْهَبْ إِلَى الْمَكْتَبِ.lam is always followed by the imperfect verb in the jussive, although the meaning is past.
Leaving the indicative ending instead of the jussive sukūn
لَمْ يَشْرَبُ الْمَاءَ.لَمْ يَشْرَبِ الْمَاءَ.lam governs the jussive, so the final ḍamma becomes a sukūn (يَشْرَبْ); before the article the sukūn becomes a connecting kasra (يَشْرَبِ الْمَاءَ).
The Negative Imperative
النَّهْيُ (لَا النَّاهِيَة)
To tell someone NOT to do something, Arabic does not negate the imperative form itself. Instead it uses the prohibitive particle lā (لَا النَّاهِيَة) followed by the present-tense verb in the jussive mood. So 'write!' is اُكْتُبْ, but 'don't write!' is لَا تَكْتُبْ — built on the 'you' form of the present, not on the command form. As a jussive, the final vowel becomes a sukūn (lā taktub) and in the dual/plural the final nūn drops (lā taktubū). This lā of prohibition looks the same as the lā that simply means 'no/not', but here it carries the force of a command not to act.
Key rule
Negative commands use lā + the second-person present in the jussive — never the imperative stem.
Examples
- لَا تَفْتَحِ الْبَابَ!لَا اِفْتَحْ الْبَابَ!
Prohibition uses lā + the imperfect 'you' form (تَفْتَحْ), not the imperative stem (اِفْتَحْ).
- لَا تَكْتُبْ عَلَى الْجِدَارِ!لَا تَكْتُبُ عَلَى الْجِدَارِ!
After lā of prohibition the verb is jussive, so it ends in sukūn (تَكْتُبْ), not the indicative ḍamma.
- لَا تَتَأَخَّرُوا عَنِ الْمَوْعِدِ!لَا تَتَأَخَّرُونَ عَنِ الْمَوْعِدِ!
The plural masculine form drops its nūn in the jussive: تَتَأَخَّرُوا.
Common mistakes
Negating the imperative stem instead of the imperfect
لَا اُكْتُبْ هُنَا!لَا تَكْتُبْ هُنَا!Prohibition is built on the present-tense 'you' form, not on the command stem.
Leaving the indicative ending after the prohibitive lā
لَا تَدْخُلُ الْغُرْفَةَ!لَا تَدْخُلِ الْغُرْفَةَ!lā of prohibition governs the jussive, so the final vowel is a sukūn (تَدْخُلْ); before the article the sukūn becomes a connecting kasra (تَدْخُلِ الْغُرْفَةَ).
laysa: Full Conjugation
تَصْرِيفُ لَيْسَ
laysa (لَيْسَ) means 'is not / are not' and is used to negate a nominal sentence (one with no verb). Although it means 'not', laysa behaves like a verb and changes for person: lastu 'I am not', lasta 'you are not', laysa 'he is not', laysat 'she is not', and so on. Like its cousin kāna, laysa is one of the 'sisters of kāna': it keeps its subject (its ism) in the nominative but puts the predicate (its khabar) into the accusative. So 'the student is not lazy' becomes laysa al-ṭālibu kaslānan, with the accusative -an on the predicate.
Key rule
laysa negates a nominal sentence, conjugates for person, keeps its subject nominative, and puts its predicate in the accusative.
Examples
- لَسْتُ مُتْعَبًا الْيَوْمَ.لَسْتُ مُتْعَبٌ الْيَوْمَ.
The predicate (khabar) of laysa is accusative, so 'tired' takes -an: مُتْعَبًا.
- لَيْسَ الطَّالِبُ كَسْلَانًا.لَيْسَ الطَّالِبَ كَسْلَانًا.
The subject (ism) of laysa stays nominative: الطَّالِبُ, not الطَّالِبَ.
- لَيْسَتِ الْغُرْفَةُ نَظِيفَةً.لَيْسَ الْغُرْفَةُ نَظِيفَةً.
laysa must agree in gender with a feminine subject: لَيْسَتْ for الْغُرْفَةُ.
Common mistakes
Leaving the predicate in the nominative
لَيْسَ الْجَوُّ جَمِيلٌ.لَيْسَ الْجَوُّ جَمِيلًا.The khabar of laysa is accusative; جَمِيل must take tanwīn fatḥ.
Not conjugating laysa for person
أَنَا لَيْسَ جَائِعًا.لَسْتُ جَائِعًا.laysa changes for person; 'I am not' is لَسْتُ, not laysa + anā.
Conditional with idhā
الشَّرْطُ بِـ إِذَا
idhā (إِذَا) introduces a condition that is real or expected to happen — close to English 'when / if' for likely events. The striking thing for English speakers is that, although the meaning is future, the verb after idhā is in the PAST tense in form: idhā ḥaḍara 'when he comes / if he comes'. The second part of the sentence (the result, called jawāb al-šarṭ) is also often past in form, or it can be a command or a sentence introduced by fa-. So 'If you study, you will succeed' is most naturally idhā darasta najaḥta — two past-form verbs, future meaning.
Key rule
idhā expresses a likely condition: use the past-tense form for both the condition and the result, even though the meaning is future.
Examples
- إِذَا دَرَسْتَ نَجَحْتَ.إِذَا تَدْرُسُ تَنْجَحُ.
After idhā the standard pattern uses the past-tense form for both verbs, not the present.
- إِذَا جَاءَ الْمَطَرُ بَقِينَا فِي الْبَيْتِ.إِذَا يَجِيءُ الْمَطَرُ نَبْقَى فِي الْبَيْتِ.
idhā takes the perfect-form verb (جَاءَ), not the imperfect.
- إِذَا وَصَلْتَ مُبَكِّرًا فَاتَّصِلْ بِي.إِذَا وَصَلْتَ مُبَكِّرًا اتَّصِلْ بِي.
When the result is a command, it must be joined with the linking fa-: فَاتَّصِلْ.
Common mistakes
Using the present tense after idhā
إِذَا تَأْكُلُ كَثِيرًا تَمْرَضُ.إِذَا أَكَلْتَ كَثِيرًا مَرِضْتَ.The verb of the condition with idhā is in the perfect (past) form, not the present.
Omitting the linking fa- before a command result
إِذَا جَاءَ أَحْمَدُ أَخْبِرْنِي.إِذَا جَاءَ أَحْمَدُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي.When the result is an imperative, it must be introduced by فَ.
Conditional with in
الشَّرْطُ بِـ إِنْ
in (إِنْ) is the classic 'if' of hypothetical or uncertain conditions — events that may or may not happen. It is grammatically stricter than idhā: in is a 'jussive operator', so it can put BOTH verbs into the jussive mood. With present-tense verbs you get in tadrus tanjaḥ 'if you study, you will succeed', where both verbs end in sukūn. You can also use past-tense verbs after in (in darasta najaḥta), which is very common and easier. Be careful not to confuse this conditional إِنْ with إِنَّ ('indeed/that'), which is a completely different word with a šadda.
Key rule
in is the 'if' of uncertain conditions and triggers the jussive; both verbs may be jussive imperfect or perfect, and non-verbal results take linking fa-.
Examples
- إِنْ تَدْرُسْ تَنْجَحْ.إِنْ تَدْرُسُ تَنْجَحُ.
in is a jussive operator: both imperfect verbs take sukūn (تَدْرُسْ، تَنْجَحْ).
- إِنْ تَجْتَهِدْ تَصِلْ إِلَى هَدَفِكَ.إِنَّ تَجْتَهِدْ تَصِلْ إِلَى هَدَفِكَ.
The conditional is إِنْ (sukūn), not إِنَّ (with šadda, meaning 'indeed/that').
- إِنْ تُسَافِرْ فَأَخْبِرْنِي.إِنْ تُسَافِرْ أَخْبِرْنِي.
A command result must be joined with the linking fa-: فَأَخْبِرْنِي.
Common mistakes
Leaving imperfect verbs in the indicative after in
إِنْ تَعْمَلُ بِجِدٍّ تَنْجَحُ.إِنْ تَعْمَلْ بِجِدٍّ تَنْجَحْ.in governs the jussive, so both imperfect verbs take sukūn.
Confusing in (conditional) with inna (emphatic)
إِنَّ تَأْتِ أُكْرِمْكَ.إِنْ تَأْتِ أُكْرِمْكَ.The conditional particle is إِنْ; إِنَّ with šadda means 'indeed/that' and governs nouns, not conditions.
Reporting with anna
الْمَصْدَرُ الْمُؤَوَّلُ بِـ أَنَّ
To report what someone says, thinks, knows, or feels — English '...that...' — Arabic uses anna (أَنَّ). It comes after verbs like قَالَ 'said', ظَنَّ 'thought', عَرَفَ 'knew', and after some expressions like مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ 'it is known that'. Like its sister inna, anna is one of the 'sisters of inna': it puts the following noun (its ism) into the accusative and keeps the predicate (its khabar) in the nominative. So 'I know that the student is diligent' is aʿrifu anna al-ṭāliba mujtahidun — note the accusative -a on 'the student'. After verbs of saying specifically (قَالَ), Arabic uses the related word إِنَّ instead, but for 'I think/know/believe that' you use أَنَّ.
Key rule
anna introduces a reported 'that'-clause; it makes its following noun accusative and keeps the predicate nominative.
Examples
- أَعْرِفُ أَنَّ الطَّالِبَ مُجْتَهِدٌ.أَعْرِفُ أَنَّ الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدٌ.
The noun after anna (its ism) is accusative: الطَّالِبَ, not الطَّالِبُ.
- أَظُنُّ أَنَّ الْجَوَّ سَيَكُونُ جَمِيلًا.أَظُنُّ أَنْ الْجَوَّ سَيَكُونُ جَمِيلًا.
A full clause (noun + predicate) needs أَنَّ with šadda, not أَنْ.
- سَمِعْتُ أَنَّهُ سَافَرَ أَمْسِ.سَمِعْتُ أَنَّ هُوَ سَافَرَ أَمْسِ.
A pronoun subject attaches to anna as a suffix: أَنَّهُ, not anna + the separate pronoun.
Common mistakes
Leaving the noun after anna in the nominative
أَعْتَقِدُ أَنَّ الْفِكْرَةُ جَيِّدَةٌ.أَعْتَقِدُ أَنَّ الْفِكْرَةَ جَيِّدَةٌ.The ism of anna must be accusative: الْفِكْرَةَ.
Using anna (clause) where an + verb is needed
أُرِيدُ أَنَّ أَذْهَبَ.أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ.Before a verb meaning 'to do', use أَنْ + subjunctive, not أَنَّ + clause.
Because: li-anna
التَّعْلِيلُ بِـ لِأَنَّ
To give a reason — English 'because' — Arabic uses li-anna (لِأَنَّ), literally 'for that'. It answers the question 'why?' (لِمَاذَا؟) and is followed by a full clause. Because li-anna contains anna, it behaves the same way: the noun right after it goes into the accusative, and the predicate stays nominative. So 'I stayed home because the weather is cold' is baqaytu fī al-bayti li-anna al-jawwa bāridun, with accusative -a on 'the weather'. When the reason has a pronoun subject, it attaches: li-annahu 'because he', li-annahā 'because she', li-annanī / li-annī 'because I'.
Key rule
li-anna ('because') introduces a reason clause and, like anna, makes its following noun accusative and the predicate nominative.
Examples
- بَقِيتُ فِي الْبَيْتِ لِأَنَّ الْجَوَّ بَارِدٌ.بَقِيتُ فِي الْبَيْتِ لِأَنَّ الْجَوُّ بَارِدٌ.
The noun after li-anna is accusative: الْجَوَّ, not الْجَوُّ.
- تَأَخَّرْتُ لِأَنَّ الطَّرِيقَ كَانَ مُزْدَحِمًا.تَأَخَّرْتُ لِأَنَّ الطَّرِيقُ كَانَ مُزْدَحِمًا.
li-anna requires the accusative on its ism: الطَّرِيقَ.
- نَجَحَ لِأَنَّهُ دَرَسَ كَثِيرًا.نَجَحَ لِأَنَّ هُوَ دَرَسَ كَثِيرًا.
The pronoun attaches to li-anna: لِأَنَّهُ, not li-anna + a separate pronoun.
Common mistakes
Leaving the noun after li-anna in the nominative
نَجَحَ لِأَنَّ الْمُعَلِّمُ سَاعَدَهُ.نَجَحَ لِأَنَّ الْمُعَلِّمَ سَاعَدَهُ.The ism of li-anna is accusative: الْمُعَلِّمَ.
Following li-anna with a single noun (no clause)
غِبْتُ لِأَنَّ الْمَرَضِ.غِبْتُ بِسَبَبِ الْمَرَضِ.li-anna needs a full clause; for 'because of + noun' use بِسَبَبِ + genitive.
But: lākinna / wa-lākin
الِاسْتِدْرَاكُ بِـ لَكِنَّ
Arabic has two close ways to say 'but'. lākinna (لَكِنَّ) — with a šadda — is one of the 'sisters of inna': it must be followed by a noun (or attached pronoun) in the accusative, then a nominative predicate: al-baytu jamīlun lākinna al-thamana murtafiʿun 'the house is beautiful but the price is high'. The lighter lākin / wa-lākin (لَكِنْ / وَلَكِنْ) — with sukūn, no šadda — does NOT change the following word and can be followed by a noun or a verb: ʿindī sayyāratun wa-lākin lā astaʿmiluhā 'I have a car but I don't use it'. Use the heavy لَكِنَّ before a noun you want to mark accusative; use the light لَكِنْ/وَلَكِنْ as a simple connector before clauses or verbs.
Key rule
lākinna (šadda) is a sister of inna and takes an accusative noun; lākin / wa-lākin (sukūn) is a plain 'but' that changes nothing and can precede a verb.
Examples
- الْبَيْتُ جَمِيلٌ لَكِنَّ الثَّمَنَ مُرْتَفِعٌ.الْبَيْتُ جَمِيلٌ لَكِنَّ الثَّمَنُ مُرْتَفِعٌ.
The noun after lākinna is accusative: الثَّمَنَ, not الثَّمَنُ.
- عِنْدِي سَيَّارَةٌ وَلَكِنْ لَا أَسْتَعْمِلُهَا.عِنْدِي سَيَّارَةٌ وَلَكِنَّ لَا أَسْتَعْمِلُهَا.
Before a verb use the light وَلَكِنْ (sukūn); the heavy لَكِنَّ must be followed by an accusative noun.
- الْجَوُّ بَارِدٌ لَكِنَّهُ مُشْمِسٌ.الْجَوُّ بَارِدٌ لَكِنَّ هُوَ مُشْمِسٌ.
A pronoun subject attaches to lākinna: لَكِنَّهُ, not lākinna + هُوَ.
Common mistakes
Leaving the noun after lākinna in the nominative
الْكِتَابُ مُفِيدٌ لَكِنَّ السِّعْرُ غَالٍ.الْكِتَابُ مُفِيدٌ لَكِنَّ السِّعْرَ غَالٍ.The ism of lākinna is accusative: السِّعْرَ.
Using heavy lākinna before a verb
حَاوَلْتُ لَكِنَّ لَمْ أَنْجَحْ.حَاوَلْتُ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ أَنْجَحْ.Before a verb use the light وَلَكِنْ; لَكِنَّ must be followed by an accusative noun.
Linking Ideas in Short Texts
الرَّبْطُ بَيْنَ الْجُمَل
Good Arabic writing rarely uses short, disconnected sentences. Even simple paragraphs are stitched together with connectors. At A2 you can already combine the linkers you know to build a coherent short text: wa- (وَ) 'and', thumma (ثُمَّ) 'then', fa- (فَ) 'so/and then', li-anna (لِأَنَّ) 'because', and lākin / wa-lākin (لَكِنْ) 'but'. A typical Arabic paragraph also begins many sentences with وَ, which is normal and not a mistake. The goal of this tag is sequencing and cohesion: introduce, add, sequence, give a reason, contrast, and conclude — so your text flows like a real paragraph rather than a list.
Key rule
Build cohesive short paragraphs by combining wa-, fa-, thumma (sequence), li-anna (reason) and lākin (contrast) — and remember that starting a sentence with wa- is normal in Arabic.
Examples
- ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ، ثُمَّ اشْتَرَيْتُ الْخُضَارَ، وَعُدْتُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ.ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ. اشْتَرَيْتُ الْخُضَارَ. عُدْتُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ.
A flowing paragraph uses connectors (ثُمَّ، وَ) to sequence events instead of three disconnected sentences.
- أُحِبُّ مَدِينَتِي لِأَنَّهَا هَادِئَةٌ، لَكِنَّ الطَّقْسَ فِيهَا حَارٌّ.أُحِبُّ مَدِينَتِي. هِيَ هَادِئَةٌ. الطَّقْسُ حَارٌّ.
li-anna gives the reason and lākinna adds the contrast, linking the ideas into one coherent thought.
- اسْتَيْقَظْتُ مُبَكِّرًا فَتَنَاوَلْتُ الْفَطُورَ بِسُرْعَةٍ.اسْتَيْقَظْتُ مُبَكِّرًا ثُمَّ فَتَنَاوَلْتُ الْفَطُورَ.
Use one connector: فَـ shows immediate consequence; do not stack ثُمَّ and فَـ together.
Common mistakes
Writing disconnected short sentences with no linkers
ذَهَبْتُ. أَكَلْتُ. رَجَعْتُ.ذَهَبْتُ، ثُمَّ أَكَلْتُ، وَرَجَعْتُ.Arabic prose links ideas with connectors; a chain of bare sentences sounds unnatural.
Stacking two connectors with the same job
ثُمَّ فَخَرَجْنَا.ثُمَّ خَرَجْنَا.Use one sequencing connector; ثُمَّ and فَـ should not be combined.
Iḍāfa with a Pronoun
الْإِضَافَةُ إِلَى الضَّمِيرِ
When you say "his book," "my house," "their car," Arabic does NOT use a separate possessive word. Instead it attaches a **pronoun suffix** directly to the noun: كِتَابٌ "a book" → كِتَابُهُ "his book," كِتَابِي "my book," كِتَابُهُمْ "their book." This is really an iḍāfa (a construct), where the pronoun is the second term (المُضَافُ إِلَيْهِ). Because the noun is now the first term of a construct, it becomes **definite** and so **loses its tanwīn**: you say كِتَابُهُ, never *كِتَابٌهُ*. The suffixes are: ـِي (my), ـكَ/ـكِ (your m/f), ـهُ/ـهَا (his/her), ـنَا (our), ـكُمْ (your pl.), ـهُمْ (their). The case-vowel of the noun still shows before the suffix (كِتَابُهُ nom., كِتَابَهُ acc., كِتَابِهِ gen.).
Key rule
A possessive is shown by suffixing a pronoun to the noun (كِتَابُهُ "his book"); the noun then becomes definite and drops its tanwīn and الـ.
Examples
- هَذَا كِتَابُهُ.هَذَا كِتَابٌهُ.
"This is his book." With a pronoun suffix the noun is definite, so it takes a single ḍamma — never tanwīn.
- أَيْنَ سَيَّارَتُهَا؟أَيْنَ سَيَّارَةُهَا؟
"Where is her car?" The tā' marbūṭa of سَيَّارَة reopens to a full تـ (سَيَّارَتُهَا) before any suffix.
- زُرْتُ بَيْتَهُمْ أَمْسِ.زُرْتُ الْبَيْتَهُمْ أَمْسِ.
"I visited their house yesterday." A noun with a pronoun suffix is already definite, so it cannot also take الـ.
Common mistakes
Keeping tanwīn before the suffix
هَذَا قَلَمٌهُ.هَذَا قَلَمُهُ.A noun with a pronoun suffix is the first term of an iḍāfa and therefore definite; it takes a single case-vowel, never tanwīn.
Adding الـ as well as a suffix
الْبَيْتُهُ كَبِيرٌ.بَيْتُهُ كَبِيرٌ.The pronoun suffix already makes the noun definite; you cannot also prefix الـ. The two definiteness markers exclude each other.
Definiteness Spreads from the Last Term
تَعْرِيفُ الْإِضَافَةِ مِنَ الْمُضَافِ إِلَيْهِ
In an iḍāfa (construct), the first term (المُضَاف) **never** carries الـ or tanwīn — yet the whole phrase is read as definite or indefinite depending ENTIRELY on the **last term** (المُضَافُ إِلَيْهِ). If the last term is definite (has الـ, is a name, or has a suffix), the whole construct is definite: بَابُ الْبَيْتِ = "the door of the house" (definite). If the last term is indefinite, the whole construct is indefinite: بَابُ بَيْتٍ = "a door of a house" / "a house-door." You cannot say "a door of the house" with a plain iḍāfa — definiteness travels from the end of the chain to the front. The first term shows its case-vowel as a single short vowel (no tanwīn), and the last term is always genitive.
Key rule
The first term of an iḍāfa takes no الـ and no tanwīn; the whole construct is definite or indefinite according to the LAST term (بَابُ الْبَيْتِ = "the door of the house").
Examples
- بَابُ الْبَيْتِ مَفْتُوحٌ.الْبَابُ الْبَيْتِ مَفْتُوحٌ.
"The door of the house is open." The first term takes no الـ; the phrase is definite because الْبَيْتِ is definite.
- هَذَا بَابُ بَيْتٍ.هَذَا بَابُ الْبَيْتٍ.
"This is a house-door." An indefinite last term keeps its tanwīn (بَيْتٍ) and makes the whole construct indefinite; you cannot put both الـ and tanwīn on it.
- مُدِيرُ الشَّرِكَةِ مَشْغُولٌ.الْمُدِيرُ الشَّرِكَةِ مَشْغُولٌ.
"The company manager is busy." The definiteness of مُدِير comes from الشَّرِكَة, so مُدِير itself stays bare.
Common mistakes
Putting الـ on the first term
الْبَابُ الْبَيْتِ.بَابُ الْبَيْتِ.The first term of an iḍāfa never takes الـ; the definiteness already comes from the second term.
Combining الـ and tanwīn on the second term
بَابُ الْبَيْتٍ.بَابُ الْبَيْتِ.A definite second term (with الـ) cannot also carry tanwīn; it shows a single kasra: الْبَيْتِ.
Adjectives Modifying an Iḍāfa
نَعْتُ الْمُضَافِ
An adjective can NEVER squeeze between the two nouns of an iḍāfa. It must wait until **after the whole construct**, then it agrees with whichever noun it describes — usually the first term (المُضَاف). So "the new car of the manager" is سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ الْجَدِيدَةُ — the adjective الْجَدِيدَة comes last and agrees with سَيَّارَة (feminine, definite, and the same case as the head). Because the construct is definite, the adjective also takes الـ. Sometimes the adjective could agree with the second term instead (سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ الْجَدِيدِ "the car of the NEW manager"); the agreement endings (gender, case, definiteness) tell you which noun is meant.
Key rule
An adjective never goes inside an iḍāfa; it follows the whole construct and agrees (gender, number, case, definiteness) with the noun it modifies (سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ الْجَدِيدَةُ).
Examples
- سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ الْجَدِيدَةُ سَرِيعَةٌ.سَيَّارَةُ الْجَدِيدَةُ الْمُدِيرِ سَرِيعَةٌ.
"The manager's new car is fast." The adjective cannot split the construct; it follows the whole iḍāfa and agrees with سَيَّارَة (fem., nom., definite).
- سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ الْجَدِيدِ سَرِيعَةٌ.سَيَّارَةُ الْجَدِيدِ الْمُدِيرِ سَرِيعَةٌ.
"The new manager's car is fast." Here the adjective is masculine and genitive, so it agrees with الْمُدِير, not the car.
- قَرَأْتُ كِتَابَ الطَّالِبِ الْجَدِيدَ.قَرَأْتُ كِتَابَ الْجَدِيدَ الطَّالِبِ.
"I read the student's new book." الْجَدِيد is accusative (matching كِتَاب) and follows the whole construct.
Common mistakes
Inserting the adjective inside the iḍāfa
سَيَّارَةُ الْجَدِيدَةُ الْمُدِيرِ.سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ الْجَدِيدَةُ.Nothing may come between the two terms of a construct; the adjective must follow the whole iḍāfa.
Leaving the adjective indefinite in a definite construct
سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ جَدِيدَةٌ.سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ الْجَدِيدَةُ.As an attribute of a definite construct the adjective must also be definite (الـ). The version without الـ becomes a sentence: 'The manager's car is new.'
Definite Noun Phrases (Review)
الْمَعْرِفَةُ فِي الْجُمْلَةِ
This tag pulls together everything that makes a noun phrase **definite** and how the pieces interact. A noun is definite if it (1) has الـ, (2) is a proper name, (3) carries a pronoun suffix, or (4) is the first term of an iḍāfa whose last term is definite. Once a phrase is definite, any **attributive adjective** must also be definite (with الـ) and follow it: الْبَيْتُ الْكَبِيرُ, سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ الْجَدِيدَةُ, كِتَابُهُ الْأَزْرَقُ. The danger zone is mixing systems: you never put الـ on the first term of an iḍāfa, and you never put both a suffix and الـ on one noun. Mastering this means you can build accurate definite descriptions like "my brother's new red car."
Key rule
A noun is definite via الـ, a name, a pronoun suffix, or being the head of a definite iḍāfa; a definite noun's adjective is also definite (الـ) and follows it (الْبَيْتُ الْكَبِيرُ).
Examples
- الْبَيْتُ الْكَبِيرُ جَمِيلٌ.الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرُ جَمِيلٌ.
"The big house is beautiful." An attributive adjective on a definite noun must itself take الـ (الْكَبِيرُ).
- سَيَّارَتُهُ الْجَدِيدَةُ سَرِيعَةٌ.سَيَّارَتُهُ جَدِيدَةُ سَرِيعَةٌ.
"His new car is fast." A suffixed noun is definite, so its attributive adjective also takes الـ.
- هَذَا الْكِتَابُ الْجَدِيدُ مُفِيدٌ.هَذَا كِتَابٌ الْجَدِيدُ مُفِيدٌ.
"This new book is useful." After a demonstrative the noun must be definite (الْكِتَاب), and the adjective definite too.
Common mistakes
Indefinite adjective on a definite noun
الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ (meaning 'the big house').الْبَيْتُ الْكَبِيرُ.As an attribute the adjective must match definiteness (الـ). Without it, الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ is the sentence 'the house is big.'
الـ on a noun that already has a suffix
الْسَيَّارَتُهُ الْجَدِيدَةُ.سَيَّارَتُهُ الْجَدِيدَةُ.A suffixed noun is already definite; you cannot also prefix الـ. Only the adjective takes الـ.
Verbs with Dual Subjects
إِسْنَادُ الْفِعْلِ إِلَى الْمُثَنَّى
Arabic has a special form for exactly **two** people — the dual (الْمُثَنَّى). Verbs agree with dual subjects using their own endings. In the **past**: two males كَتَبَا "they two (m.) wrote," two females كَتَبَتَا, and 'you two' كَتَبْتُمَا. In the **present**: يَكْتُبَانِ (they two m.), تَكْتُبَانِ (they two f. / you two m.), with a final ـَانِ. So 'the two students wrote' = كَتَبَ الطَّالِبَانِ (verb-first, stays singular) or الطَّالِبَانِ كَتَبَا (subject-first, full dual agreement). There is no English equivalent — you must learn these endings as a distinct set alongside the singular and plural.
Key rule
Two-person subjects use dual verb endings (past كَتَبَا/كَتَبَتَا/كَتَبْتُمَا; present يَكْتُبَانِ/تَكْتُبَانِ), but a verb placed BEFORE its dual subject stays singular (كَتَبَ الطَّالِبَانِ).
Examples
- الطَّالِبَانِ كَتَبَا الدَّرْسَ.الطَّالِبَانِ كَتَبَ الدَّرْسَ.
"The two students wrote the lesson." Subject-first, so the verb takes the full dual ending ـَا: كَتَبَا.
- كَتَبَ الطَّالِبَانِ الدَّرْسَ.كَتَبَا الطَّالِبَانِ الدَّرْسَ.
"The two students wrote the lesson." Verb-first, so the verb stays SINGULAR (كَتَبَ) even with a dual subject.
- الْبِنْتَانِ تَدْرُسَانِ فِي الْمَكْتَبَةِ.الْبِنْتَانِ يَدْرُسَانِ فِي الْمَكْتَبَةِ.
"The two girls study in the library." A feminine dual present takes the تـ prefix: تَدْرُسَانِ.
Common mistakes
Using the plural for exactly two
الطَّالِبَانِ كَتَبُوا.الطَّالِبَانِ كَتَبَا.Two people take the DUAL ending ـَا, not the plural ـُوا. Arabic distinguishes 'two' from 'three or more.'
Full dual agreement on a pre-posed verb
كَتَبَا الطَّالِبَانِ.كَتَبَ الطَّالِبَانِ.A verb placed before its subject agrees only in gender, staying singular: كَتَبَ الطَّالِبَانِ.
Verb Agreement with Human Plurals
إِسْنَادُ الْفِعْلِ إِلَى جَمْعِ الْعَاقِلِ
When the subject is a **plural of humans** (people, students, teachers), the verb takes full plural agreement — masculine plural ـُوا (past) / ـُونَ (present), or feminine plural ـْنَ. So 'the students wrote' (subject-first) is الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبُوا; 'the (female) teachers are teaching' is الْمُعَلِّمَاتُ يُدَرِّسْنَ. BUT — exactly like the dual — a verb placed BEFORE its plural subject stays SINGULAR and agrees only in gender: كَتَبَ الطُّلَّابُ 'the students wrote.' So the same idea has two shapes: verb-first → singular verb; subject-first → full plural verb. This applies only to humans; non-human plurals behave differently (see the next tag).
Key rule
A human plural subject takes full plural verb agreement (ـُوا/ـُونَ for masc., ـْنَ for fem.) when it PRECEDES the verb, but a verb placed before it stays singular (كَتَبَ الطُّلَّابُ).
Examples
- الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبُوا الدَّرْسَ.الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبَ الدَّرْسَ.
"The students wrote the lesson." Subject-first, so the masculine human plural takes ـُوا: كَتَبُوا.
- كَتَبَ الطُّلَّابُ الدَّرْسَ.كَتَبُوا الطُّلَّابُ الدَّرْسَ.
"The students wrote the lesson." Verb-first → the verb stays SINGULAR (كَتَبَ), agreeing only in gender.
- الْمُعَلِّمَاتُ يُدَرِّسْنَ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.الْمُعَلِّمَاتُ يُدَرِّسُونَ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.
"The (female) teachers teach Arabic." A feminine human plural takes ـْنَ (يُدَرِّسْنَ), not the masculine ـُونَ.
Common mistakes
Plural verb before the subject
كَتَبُوا الطُّلَّابُ.كَتَبَ الطُّلَّابُ.A pre-posed verb agrees only in gender and stays singular: كَتَبَ الطُّلَّابُ.
Singular verb after a plural subject
الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبَ.الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبُوا.When the human plural subject precedes, the verb must take full plural agreement: كَتَبُوا.
Non-Human Plurals Take Feminine Singular
جَمْعُ غَيْرِ الْعَاقِلِ يُعَامَلُ مُعَامَلَةَ الْمُفْرَدَةِ الْمُؤَنَّثَةِ
One of Arabic's most distinctive rules: a **plural of non-human things** (books, cars, ideas, animals) is treated grammatically as a **feminine singular**. So adjectives and verbs agreeing with it are feminine singular, NOT plural. 'The books are useful' = الْكُتُبُ مُفِيدَةٌ (feminine singular مُفِيدَة, not plural مُفِيدُونَ). 'The cars stopped' = السَّيَّارَاتُ تَوَقَّفَتْ (feminine singular verb). This holds whether the plural is sound or broken, and whether the singular was masculine or feminine. Think of it as: 'a bunch of things' = 'it' (she). This rule is unusual to English speakers, who want a plural verb/adjective, so it needs deliberate practice.
Key rule
A plural of non-human things is treated as a feminine singular: its adjectives and verbs are feminine singular (الْكُتُبُ مُفِيدَةٌ, وَصَلَتِ السَّيَّارَاتُ).
Examples
- الْكُتُبُ مُفِيدَةٌ.الْكُتُبُ مُفِيدُونَ.
"The books are useful." A non-human plural takes a FEMININE SINGULAR adjective (مُفِيدَة), not a plural one.
- السَّيَّارَاتُ سَرِيعَةٌ.السَّيَّارَاتُ سَرِيعَاتٌ.
"The cars are fast." Even a feminine plural noun referring to things takes a feminine SINGULAR adjective.
- وَصَلَتِ الرَّسَائِلُ أَمْسِ.وَصَلُوا الرَّسَائِلُ أَمْسِ.
"The letters arrived yesterday." The verb is feminine singular (وَصَلَتْ); a non-human plural never takes a human-plural verb.
Common mistakes
Plural adjective with a thing-plural
الْكُتُبُ مُفِيدُونَ.الْكُتُبُ مُفِيدَةٌ.A non-human plural takes a feminine SINGULAR adjective (مُفِيدَة), never a masculine/feminine plural one.
Human-plural verb with a thing-plural
السَّيَّارَاتُ تَوَقَّفُوا.السَّيَّارَاتُ تَوَقَّفَتْ.The verb agrees as feminine singular with a non-human plural subject: تَوَقَّفَتْ.
Common Broken-Plural Patterns
أَوْزَانُ جَمْعِ التَّكْسِيرِ الشَّائِعَةُ
Most Arabic nouns form their plural NOT by adding an ending but by **reshaping the inside of the word** — this is the broken plural (جَمْعُ التَّكْسِيرِ). The same root consonants stay, but the vowel pattern changes: كِتَاب → كُتُب (books), وَلَد → أَوْلَاد (boys), قَلَم → أَقْلَام (pens), مَدِينَة → مُدُن (cities). There are many patterns; you must learn the plural together with each noun (just like irregular English plurals). The most common patterns include أَفْعَال (أَوْلَاد، أَقْلَام), فُعُول (بُيُوت، عُلُوم), فِعَال (رِجَال، جِبَال), and فُعَلَاء (وُزَرَاء). Remember: a broken plural of THINGS still takes feminine-singular agreement.
Key rule
Most nouns pluralise by reshaping their internal vowels, not by adding an ending (كِتَاب→كُتُب, وَلَد→أَوْلَاد); learn the broken plural with each noun.
Examples
- عِنْدِي كُتُبٌ كَثِيرَةٌ.عِنْدِي كِتَابُونَ كَثِيرُونَ.
"I have many books." كِتَاب pluralises as the broken plural كُتُب, not with the sound ending ـُونَ; and the thing-plural takes a feminine-singular adjective.
- لَعِبَ الْأَوْلَادُ فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ.لَعِبَ الْوَلَدُونَ فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ.
"The boys played in the garden." The plural of وَلَد is أَوْلَاد (pattern أَفْعَال), not *وَلَدُونَ*.
- الْبُيُوتُ قَدِيمَةٌ.الْبَيْتُونَ قَدِيمُونَ.
"The houses are old." بَيْت → بُيُوت (pattern فُعُول); a thing-plural takes a feminine-singular adjective.
Common mistakes
Forcing a sound plural on a broken-plural noun
عِنْدِي كِتَابُونَ.عِنْدِي كُتُبٌ.كِتَاب takes the broken plural كُتُب; the sound masculine plural ـُونَ is mainly for human participles/professions, not objects.
Wrong broken-plural pattern
أَقْلَامُونَ.أَقْلَامٌ.قَلَم → أَقْلَام (pattern أَفْعَال); you cannot stack a sound-plural ending on a broken plural.
Pronoun Suffixes on Prepositions
اتِّصَالُ الضَّمِيرِ بِحَرْفِ الْجَرِّ
A pronoun after a preposition is NOT a separate word — it attaches as a suffix to the preposition itself: مِنْ + ـهُ → مِنْهُ "from him," مَعَ + ـهَا → مَعَهَا "with her," عَنْ + كَ → عَنْكَ "about you." The pronoun is the (genitive) object of the preposition. Some prepositions change shape slightly when a suffix is added: فِي → فِيهِ "in it," عَلَى → عَلَيْهِ "on it/him," إِلَى → إِلَيْهِ "to him," because their final alif becomes a yāʾ. The 3rd-person suffixes ـهُ/ـهُمْ harmonise to ـهِ/ـهِمْ after a kasra or yāʾ (فِيهِ, عَلَيْهِمْ, مِنْهُمْ). You cannot say *مَعَ هُوَ*; the suffixed form is obligatory.
Key rule
A pronoun object of a preposition is suffixed to it (مِنْهُ، مَعَهَا، عَنْكَ); عَلَى/إِلَى become عَلَيْـ/إِلَيْـ, and ـهُ/ـهُمْ harmonise to ـهِ/ـهِمْ after kasra or yāʾ.
Examples
- أَخَذْتُ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ.أَخَذْتُ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ هُوَ.
"I took the book from him." The pronoun attaches as a suffix (مِنْهُ); you cannot use the standalone هُوَ after a preposition.
- سَأَذْهَبُ مَعَهَا.سَأَذْهَبُ مَعَ هِيَ.
"I will go with her." مَعَ + ـهَا → مَعَهَا; the detached هِيَ is impossible here.
- الْكِتَابُ عَلَيْهِ.الْكِتَابُ عَلَاهُ.
"The book is on it." عَلَى turns its final alif into yāʾ before a suffix: عَلَيْهِ, not *عَلَاهُ*.
Common mistakes
Using a standalone pronoun after a preposition
ذَهَبْتُ مَعَ هُوَ.ذَهَبْتُ مَعَهُ.The object of a preposition must be a SUFFIX, not a detached subject pronoun: مَعَهُ.
Not changing عَلَى / إِلَى before a suffix
الْكُوبُ عَلَاهَا.الْكُوبُ عَلَيْهَا.عَلَى and إِلَى turn their final alif into yāʾ before any suffix: عَلَيْهَا، إِلَيْهَا.
li- + Suffix Vowel Changes
تَغَيُّرُ لِـ مَعَ الضَّمَائِرِ
The preposition لِـ "to/for" (also used for possession, "I have") behaves specially with pronoun suffixes. Before all suffixes EXCEPT "my," its vowel changes from kasra to **fatḥa**: لَكَ "for you," لَهُ "for him," لَهَا "for her," لَنَا "for us," لَهُمْ "for them." But with the 1st-person "my" it stays kasra and lengthens: **لِي** "for me / I have." This لَـ-before-suffix pattern is unique to لِـ; other prepositions keep their normal vowel. You use it constantly for possession (لِي أَخٌ "I have a brother") and for indirect objects (قُلْتُ لَهُ "I said to him"). The 3rd-person ـهُ/ـهُمْ still harmonise to ـهِ/ـهِمْ when preceded by a kasra or yāʾ — but note لَهُ keeps the fatḥa, so it stays ـهُ.
Key rule
لِـ becomes لَـ (fatḥa) before every pronoun suffix except 'my,' which is لِي: لَكَ، لَهُ، لَهَا، لَنَا، لَهُمْ — but لِي.
Examples
- هَلْ لَكَ أَخٌ؟هَلْ لِكَ أَخٌ؟
"Do you have a brother?" Before the suffix ـكَ the vowel of لِـ becomes fatḥa: لَكَ, not *لِكَ*.
- لِي صَدِيقٌ فِي الْقَاهِرَةِ.لَي صَدِيقٌ فِي الْقَاهِرَةِ.
"I have a friend in Cairo." The 1st-person form keeps the kasra and the long yāʾ: لِي, not *لَي*.
- قُلْتُ لَهَا الْحَقِيقَةَ.قُلْتُ لِهَا الْحَقِيقَةَ.
"I told her the truth." لِـ → لَـ before ـهَا: لَهَا.
Common mistakes
Keeping kasra on لِـ before a suffix
هَلْ لِكَ وَقْتٌ؟هَلْ لَكَ وَقْتٌ؟Before a pronoun suffix (other than 'my') لِـ becomes لَـ: لَكَ.
Using fatḥa for 'for me'
هَذَا لَي.هَذَا لِي.The 1st-person form is the exception: it keeps kasra and the long ـِي → لِي.
The Detached Object: iyyā-
ضَمِيرُ النَّصْبِ الْمُنْفَصِلُ (إِيَّا)
Object pronouns normally attach to the verb (رَأَيْتُهُ "I saw him"). But sometimes you cannot attach them — for example when you want to **front the object for emphasis** or when a verb already carries one object suffix and you need a second. In those cases Arabic uses a special carrier word **إِيَّا** plus the suffix: إِيَّاكَ "you (obj.)," إِيَّاهُ "him (obj.)," إِيَّاهَا "her," إِيَّاهُمْ "them." The most famous example is from the Fātiḥa: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ "You (alone) we worship" — the object is fronted before the verb for emphasis. You also use it after the warning particle: إِيَّاكَ وَالْكَذِبَ "beware of lying!"
Key rule
When an object pronoun cannot attach to the verb — for fronting/emphasis or as a second object — use the carrier إِيَّا + suffix (إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ، أَعْطَيْتُكَ إِيَّاهُ).
Examples
- إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ.كَ نَعْبُدُ.
"You (alone) we worship." A fronted object pronoun cannot stand as a bare suffix; it needs the carrier إِيَّا.
- أَعْطَيْتُكَ إِيَّاهُ.أَعْطَيْتُكَهُ.
"I gave it to you." When the verb already bears one object suffix (ـكَ), the second object is expressed with إِيَّاهُ, not a stacked suffix.
- إِيَّاهَا قَصَدْتُ، لَا أُخْتَهَا.هَا قَصَدْتُ، لَا أُخْتَهَا.
"It is HER I meant, not her sister." The fronted, contrastive object uses إِيَّاهَا.
Common mistakes
Using a subject pronoun for a fronted object
أَنْتَ نَعْبُدُ.إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ.A fronted object must be the accusative carrier إِيَّاكَ, not the subject pronoun أَنْتَ.
Stacking two object suffixes on one verb
أَعْطَيْتُكَهُ.أَعْطَيْتُكَ إِيَّاهُ.MSA prefers to express the second object with إِيَّا rather than stacking suffixes.
Demonstrative + Iḍāfa
اسْمُ الْإِشَارَةِ مَعَ الْمُضَافِ
When you point at the FIRST term of an iḍāfa ("this door of the house"), the demonstrative does NOT go inside the construct. Because the head of an iḍāfa can never take الـ, you cannot say *هَذَا الْبَابُ الْبَيْتِ*. Instead the demonstrative comes AFTER the whole construct: بَابُ الْبَيْتِ هَذَا "this door of the house." If instead you point at the SECOND term ("the door of this house"), the demonstrative attaches to that second, definite noun: بَابُ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ. So the position of the demonstrative tells you which noun is being pointed at. Watch agreement: هَذَا (m.) / هَذِهِ (f.) must match the noun it points to.
Key rule
A demonstrative cannot sit before the head of an iḍāfa (no الـ there); to point at the head it FOLLOWS the construct (بَابُ الْبَيْتِ هَذَا), and to point at the second term it attaches to that noun (بَابُ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ).
Examples
- بَابُ الْبَيْتِ هَذَا قَدِيمٌ.هَذَا الْبَابُ الْبَيْتِ قَدِيمٌ.
"This door of the house is old." To point at the head (بَاب) the demonstrative follows the whole construct; the head can never take الـ.
- بَابُ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ قَدِيمٌ.بَابُ هَذَا بَيْتٍ قَدِيمٌ.
"The door of THIS house is old." Pointing at the second term: the demonstrative attaches to the definite الْبَيْت (with its الـ).
- سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ هَذِهِ جَدِيدَةٌ.هَذِهِ سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ جَدِيدَةٌ.
"This car of the manager is new." (The 'wrong' version is actually 'This is the manager's car' — a full sentence, not a pointing phrase at سَيَّارَة.)
Common mistakes
Putting الـ + demonstrative on the head of an iḍāfa
هَذَا الْبَابُ الْبَيْتِ.بَابُ الْبَيْتِ هَذَا.The head of an iḍāfa rejects الـ, so the demonstrative cannot precede it; it follows the whole construct.
Confusing the pointing phrase with a sentence
هَذِهِ سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ (meaning 'this car of the manager').سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ هَذِهِ.هَذِهِ سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ is the SENTENCE 'this is the manager's car.' To form the phrase 'this car of the manager,' the demonstrative follows the construct.
Number–Noun Gender Polarity (3–10)
تَذْكِيرُ الْعَدَدِ وَتَأْنِيثُهُ (٣–١٠)
For the numbers 3–10, Arabic does something surprising: the number takes the OPPOSITE gender of the thing counted. If the counted noun is masculine, the number is feminine (with a tāʾ marbūṭa); if the noun is feminine, the number is masculine (no tāʾ). This is called 'gender polarity' (المخالفة). You decide the gender from the SINGULAR of the noun: كِتَاب is masculine, so 'three books' is ثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ (number with ة); بِنْت is feminine, so 'three girls' is ثَلَاثُ بَنَاتٍ (number without ة). The number comes BEFORE the noun and the noun becomes a plural.
Key rule
With 3–10 the number takes the OPPOSITE gender of the counted noun's singular: masculine noun → number with ة (ثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ); feminine noun → number without ة (ثَلَاثُ بَنَاتٍ).
Examples
- عِنْدِي ثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ.عِنْدِي ثَلَاثُ كُتُبٍ.
كِتَاب is masculine, so the number takes the feminine ة: ثَلَاثَة.
- فِي الصَّفِّ خَمْسُ بَنَاتٍ.فِي الصَّفِّ خَمْسَةُ بَنَاتٍ.
بِنْت is feminine, so the number drops the ة: خَمْس, not خَمْسَة.
- قَرَأْتُ سَبْعَةَ كُتُبٍ.قَرَأْتُ سَبْعَ كُتُبٍ.
Masculine كِتَاب → feminine number سَبْعَة (with ة).
Common mistakes
Agreeing the number with the noun (no polarity)
ثَلَاثُ كُتُبٍثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍWith 3–10 the number takes the OPPOSITE gender; masculine كِتَاب needs ثَلَاثَة.
Keeping ة before a feminine noun
خَمْسَةُ سَاعَاتٍخَمْسُ سَاعَاتٍسَاعَة is feminine, so the number drops its tāʾ marbūṭa.
Halfway there — imagine actually using all of this.
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Case of the Counted Noun
إِعْرَابُ الْمَعْدُود
After a number, the counted noun (المعدود) takes a specific case. With 3–10, the noun is a PLURAL in the GENITIVE: ثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ ('three books', كُتُبٍ with kasra/tanwīn). With 11–99, the noun is SINGULAR in the ACCUSATIVE — one word called the tamyīz: أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كِتَابًا ('eleven books', كِتَابًا with -an). So the rule depends on the number: 3–10 → genitive plural; 11–99 → accusative singular. The number 100 and 1000 also take a genitive SINGULAR (مِئَةُ كِتَابٍ). Getting the ending right (ٍ vs ـًا) is what marks the case.
Key rule
After 3–10 the counted noun is genitive PLURAL (ثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ); after 11–99 it is accusative SINGULAR — the tamyīz (أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كِتَابًا).
Examples
- قَرَأْتُ ثَلَاثَةَ كُتُبٍ.قَرَأْتُ ثَلَاثَةَ كُتُبًا.
After 3–10 the noun is genitive plural (كُتُبٍ), not accusative.
- فِي الصَّفِّ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ طَالِبًا.فِي الصَّفِّ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ طُلَّابٍ.
After 11–99 the noun is accusative SINGULAR (طَالِبًا), not a genitive plural.
- اشْتَرَيْتُ عِشْرِينَ كِتَابًا.اشْتَرَيْتُ عِشْرِينَ كُتُبٍ.
20 takes the singular accusative tamyīz كِتَابًا, never a plural.
Common mistakes
Genitive plural after 11–99
عِشْرُونَ كُتُبٍعِشْرُونَ كِتَابًا11–99 take a singular accusative tamyīz, not a genitive plural.
Accusative singular after 3–10
ثَلَاثَةُ كِتَابًاثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ3–10 take a genitive PLURAL noun.
Numbers 11–99
الْأَعْدَادُ مِنْ ١١ إِلَى ٩٩
Now you build numbers from 11 to 99. The TEENS (11–19) are two words: a unit + عَشَر/عَشْرَة, e.g. أَحَدَ عَشَرَ (11), اثْنَا عَشَرَ (12), ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ (13). The TENS are: عِشْرُونَ (20), ثَلَاثُونَ (30), أَرْبَعُونَ (40)… تِسْعُونَ (90). For numbers in between you say the unit + وَ + the ten: وَاحِدٌ وَعِشْرُونَ (21), خَمْسَةٌ وَثَلَاثُونَ (35) — note the unit comes FIRST, then 'and', then the ten. After any of these numbers the counted noun is one SINGULAR word in the accusative: عِشْرُونَ كِتَابًا ('twenty books').
Key rule
Teens = unit + عَشَر/عَشْرَة; tens = ـُونَ forms; 21–99 = unit + وَ + ten (unit first); the counted noun is always a singular accusative tamyīz (عِشْرُونَ كِتَابًا).
Examples
- فِي الصَّفِّ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ طَالِبًا.فِي الصَّفِّ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ طُلَّابٍ.
After 11–99 the counted noun is singular accusative (طَالِبًا), not plural.
- عُمْرِي وَاحِدٌ وَعِشْرُونَ عَامًا.عُمْرِي عِشْرُونَ وَوَاحِدٌ عَامًا.
In 21–99 the unit comes FIRST, then وَ, then the ten: وَاحِدٌ وَعِشْرُونَ.
- عِنْدَهُ ثَلَاثُونَ كِتَابًا.عِنْدَهُ ثَلَاثُونَ كُتُبًا.
The tamyīz is singular (كِتَابًا), even though English uses a plural.
Common mistakes
Plural counted noun after 11–99
عِشْرُونَ كُتُبٍعِشْرُونَ كِتَابًا11–99 take a singular accusative tamyīz, not a plural.
Putting the ten before the unit in 21–99
عِشْرُونَ وَوَاحِدٌوَاحِدٌ وَعِشْرُونَArabic says the unit first, then وَ, then the ten.
Dates & the Calendar
كِتَابَةُ التَّارِيخ
To write a date you give the day, the month and the year. A common pattern is: the ordinal day + month + year, e.g. الْأَوَّلُ مِنْ يُنَايِرَ ('the first of January') or الْخَامِسُ عَشَرَ مِنْ مَارِسَ ('the fifteenth of March'). To say a year you use سَنَة or عَام plus the number: سَنَةَ أَلْفَيْنِ وَأَرْبَعَةٍ وَعِشْرِينَ ('the year 2024'). Arabic uses two calendars: the Gregorian (مِيلَادِيّ, marked م) with the months يَنَايِر، فَبْرَايِر… and the Islamic/Hijri (هِجْرِيّ, marked هـ) with مُحَرَّم، صَفَر، رَمَضَان… You ask the date with مَا التَّارِيخُ الْيَوْمَ؟
Key rule
A date = (ordinal) day + مِنْ + month + سَنَة/عَام + year; mark the era مِيلَادِيّ (م) or هِجْرِيّ (هـ), and month names after a preposition often take a single fatḥa (diptote).
Examples
- الْيَوْمَ هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ مِنْ يَنَايِرَ.الْيَوْمَ هُوَ وَاحِدُ يَنَايِر.
The day of the month is an ordinal (الْأَوَّل), not the cardinal وَاحِد.
- وُلِدْتُ سَنَةَ أَلْفٍ وَتِسْعِمِئَةٍ وَتِسْعِينَ.وُلِدْتُ فِي سَنَةُ أَلْفٍ وَتِسْعِمِئَةٍ وَتِسْعِينَ.
سَنَة here is an adverbial accusative (سَنَةَ), not nominative.
- نَحْنُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ.نَحْنُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانٍ.
رَمَضَان is a diptote: after a preposition it takes a single fatḥa, no tanwīn.
Common mistakes
Using a cardinal for the day of the month
وَاحِدُ مَايُوالْأَوَّلُ مِنْ مَايُوَDays of the month are normally ordinals, joined to the month by مِنْ.
Putting tanwīn on a diptote month
فِي رَمَضَانٍفِي رَمَضَانَMany month names are diptotes: a single fatḥa, no tanwīn, after a preposition.
Formal Address & Register (A2)
مُسْتَوَيَاتُ الْخِطَاب
Arabic does not have a separate 'polite you' the way some languages do — أَنْتَ/أَنْتِ are used with everyone. Instead, politeness comes from special TITLES and honorific phrases that replace or accompany 'you'. To be very respectful you address someone as حَضْرَتُكَ ('your presence' = a polite 'you'), سِيَادَتُكُمْ ('your excellency') or فَضِيلَتُكُمْ for a scholar. You also use كَرِيم/الْمُحْتَرَم ('respected') and polite requests with لَوْ سَمَحْتَ ('if you please') or مِنْ فَضْلِكَ ('please'). These honorifics behave like nouns and take the addressee's pronoun suffix and verb agreement.
Key rule
Arabic has no separate 'polite you'; politeness comes from honorific nouns (حَضْرَتُكَ، سِيَادَتُكُمْ), respectful adjectives (الْمُحْتَرَم), and polite request frames (لَوْ سَمَحْتَ، مِنْ فَضْلِكَ).
Examples
- هَلْ حَضْرَتُكَ مُتَفَرِّغٌ الْآنَ؟هَلْ حَضْرَتُكَ مُتَفَرِّغَةٌ الْآنَ؟ (to a man)
حَضْرَتُكَ addressing a man takes masculine agreement (مُتَفَرِّغٌ).
- مِنْ فَضْلِكَ، أَغْلِقِ الْبَابَ.أَغْلِقِ الْبَابَ! (no politeness frame, to a stranger)
Adding مِنْ فَضْلِكَ softens a bare imperative for polite/formal address.
- الْأُسْتَاذُ أَحْمَدُ الْمُحْتَرَمُالْأُسْتَاذُ أَحْمَدُ مُحْتَرَمٌ
As an honorific epithet after a name it is definite: الْمُحْتَرَمُ, agreeing in definiteness.
Common mistakes
Looking for a separate 'polite you' pronoun
using a special pronoun instead of أَنْتَأَنْتَ + honorific like حَضْرَتُكَArabic has no T–V split; respect comes from titles, not a different pronoun.
Third-person verb after حَضْرَتُك
حَضْرَتُكَ يُرِيدُحَضْرَتُكَ تُرِيدُAlthough it looks like a noun, حَضْرَتُك addresses 'you', so the verb is second person.
inna and Its Sisters (Intro)
إِنَّ وَأَخَوَاتُهَا
إِنَّ and its 'sisters' (أَنَّ، لَكِنَّ، لِأَنَّ، كَأَنَّ، لَعَلَّ، لَيْتَ) are particles that begin a nominal sentence. They do TWO things: they put the topic (the noun right after them) into the accusative case (fatḥa / -a), and they leave the comment in the nominative (ḍamma / -u). So الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدٌ ('the student is hard-working') becomes إِنَّ الطَّالِبَ مُجْتَهِدٌ. إِنَّ adds emphasis ('indeed, truly'); أَنَّ means 'that' inside a larger sentence; لَكِنَّ means 'but'; لِأَنَّ means 'because'. The noun after them is called اسْم إِنَّ (accusative) and the comment is خَبَر إِنَّ (nominative).
Key rule
إِنَّ and its sisters put the following noun (اسْم إِنَّ) in the ACCUSATIVE and leave the comment (خَبَر إِنَّ) in the NOMINATIVE.
Examples
- إِنَّ الطَّالِبَ مُجْتَهِدٌ.إِنَّ الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدٌ.
After إِنَّ the noun must be accusative (الطَّالِبَ with fatḥa), not nominative.
- إِنَّ الْبَيْتَ كَبِيرٌ.إِنَّ الْبَيْتَ كَبِيرًا.
The ism of إِنَّ is accusative (الْبَيْتَ) but the khabar stays nominative (كَبِيرٌ), not accusative.
- إِنَّهُ مُعَلِّمٌ مَشْهُورٌ.إِنَّ هُوَ مُعَلِّمٌ مَشْهُورٌ.
A pronoun attaches to إِنَّ as a suffix (إِنَّهُ); the detached هُوَ cannot stand as its accusative ism.
Common mistakes
Leaving the ism of inna in the nominative
إِنَّ الْوَلَدُ مَرِيضٌ.إِنَّ الْوَلَدَ مَرِيضٌ.إِنَّ forces the following noun into the accusative; the default ḍamma is wrong here.
Putting the khabar in the accusative too
إِنَّ الْبَيْتَ كَبِيرًا.إِنَّ الْبَيْتَ كَبِيرٌ.Only the ism is accusative; the khabar of إِنَّ stays nominative.
qad + Present (Probability)
قَدْ مَعَ الْمُضَارِع
When the particle قَدْ comes before a PRESENT-tense verb (الْمُضَارِع), it weakens the meaning to 'may, might, sometimes'. So قَدْ يَأْتِي means 'he may come / he might come', and قَدْ تَمْطُرُ السَّمَاءُ means 'it may rain'. This is different from قَدْ + a PAST verb, which means 'has already done'. With the present, قَدْ expresses possibility, uncertainty, or something that happens occasionally. The verb after it stays in the normal indicative present (with its usual ḍamma ending).
Key rule
قَدْ before a present-tense verb means 'may / might / sometimes'; the verb stays in the normal indicative (ḍamma).
Examples
- قَدْ يَأْتِي مُحَمَّدٌ مُتَأَخِّرًا.قَدْ أَتَى مُحَمَّدٌ مُتَأَخِّرًا — meaning 'he may come'.
For 'he may come' use قَدْ + present (يَأْتِي). قَدْ + past (أَتَى) would mean 'he has come', not 'may'.
- قَدْ تَمْطُرُ السَّمَاءُ غَدًا.قَدْ تَمْطُرَ السَّمَاءُ غَدًا.
قَدْ does not put the verb in the subjunctive; it stays indicative تَمْطُرُ (ḍamma).
- قَدْ نُسَافِرُ إِلَى مِصْرَ.قَدْ سَوْفَ نُسَافِرُ إِلَى مِصْرَ.
قَدْ + present already expresses possibility; combining it with the future سَوْفَ is wrong.
Common mistakes
Using qad + past for 'may'
قَدْ ذَهَبَ — intending 'he may go'.قَدْ يَذْهَبُ.قَدْ + present = 'may/might'; قَدْ + past = 'has already gone'. Choose the present for possibility.
Putting the verb in the subjunctive after qad
قَدْ يَدْرُسَ اللُّغَةَ.قَدْ يَدْرُسُ اللُّغَةَ.قَدْ does not govern mood; the imperfect stays indicative with ḍamma.
qad + Past (Completion)
قَدْ مَعَ الْمَاضِي
When the particle قَدْ comes before a PAST-tense verb (الْمَاضِي), it confirms that the action is completed and often means 'has/have already done' or 'did indeed'. So قَدْ وَصَلَ means 'he has (already) arrived', and قَدْ انْتَهَى الدَّرْسُ means 'the lesson has ended'. قَدْ here adds certainty and a sense of recent completion — the opposite feeling from قَدْ + present (which means 'may/might'). It is often strengthened to لَقَدْ ('indeed, certainly') at the start of an emphatic sentence: لَقَدْ نَجَحْتَ ('you have indeed succeeded').
Key rule
قَدْ before a past-tense verb confirms completion: 'has/have already done, did indeed'; لَقَدْ adds extra emphasis.
Examples
- قَدْ وَصَلَ الضُّيُوفُ.قَدْ يَصِلُ الضُّيُوفُ — meaning 'the guests have arrived'.
For completed 'have arrived' use قَدْ + past (وَصَلَ). قَدْ + present (يَصِلُ) would mean 'may arrive'.
- لَقَدْ نَجَحْتَ فِي الِامْتِحَانِ.لَقَدْ تَنْجَحُ فِي الِامْتِحَانِ.
لَقَدْ for emphatic completion goes with the PAST (نَجَحْتَ), not the present.
- قَدْ انْتَهَى الدَّرْسُ.انْتَهَى قَدْ الدَّرْسُ.
قَدْ must come directly before the verb, not after it.
Common mistakes
Using qad + present for completed action
قَدْ يَنْتَهِي الدَّرْسُ — intending 'the lesson has ended'.قَدْ انْتَهَى الدَّرْسُ.Completion needs قَدْ + the perfect; قَدْ + present means 'may end'.
Separating qad from its verb
قَدْ الطَّالِبُ نَجَحَ.قَدْ نَجَحَ الطَّالِبُ.قَدْ immediately precedes the verb; the subject comes after it in a verbal sentence.
Verb + Preposition Collocations
تَعْدِيَةُ الْفِعْلِ بِحَرْفِ الْجَرّ
Many Arabic verbs require a specific preposition to connect to their object, and you simply have to learn the pair. For example, بَحَثَ عَنْ means 'to search FOR', حَصَلَ عَلَى means 'to obtain / get', رَغِبَ فِي means 'to desire/want', and فَكَّرَ فِي means 'to think ABOUT'. The preposition is not always the same as in English: 'to search for' uses عَنْ ('about/from'), not 'for'. The noun after the preposition is always genitive (majrūr, kasra). Learn these verb+preposition pairs as fixed units.
Key rule
Learn each verb with its required preposition as a fixed pair; the noun after the preposition is always genitive.
Examples
- أَبْحَثُ عَنْ عَمَلٍ جَدِيدٍ.أَبْحَثُ عَمَلًا جَدِيدًا.
بَحَثَ requires عَنْ; without it the verb cannot reach its object, and the noun would be wrongly accusative.
- حَصَلْتُ عَلَى شَهَادَةٍ.حَصَلْتُ شَهَادَةً.
حَصَلَ takes عَلَى; the object follows the preposition in the genitive (شَهَادَةٍ).
- أُفَكِّرُ فِي الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ.أُفَكِّرُ عَنِ الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ.
'To think about' uses فِي in Arabic, not عَنْ; the wrong preposition changes/breaks the meaning.
Common mistakes
Treating a prep-verb as directly transitive
أَبْحَثُ كِتَابًا.أَبْحَثُ عَنْ كِتَابٍ.بَحَثَ reaches its object only through عَنْ; the complement is genitive, not accusative.
Copying the English preposition
أَعْتَمِدُ فِي أَصْدِقَائِي.أَعْتَمِدُ عَلَى أَصْدِقَائِي.'Depend ON' is عَلَى in Arabic; the particle is fixed by the verb, not by English.
Relative Pronouns: Full Set
الْأَسْمَاءُ الْمَوْصُولَة
A relative pronoun ('who, which, that') joins a clause to a DEFINITE noun. Arabic chooses the relative word by the gender and number of that noun: الَّذِي (masculine singular), الَّتِي (feminine singular), اللَّذَانِ / اللَّذَيْنِ (masculine dual), اللَّتَانِ / اللَّتَيْنِ (feminine dual), الَّذِينَ (masculine plural, people), اللَّاتِي / اللَّوَاتِي (feminine plural). For example: الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي يَعْمَلُ هُنَا ('the man who works here'), الْبِنْتُ الَّتِي تَدْرُسُ ('the girl who studies'). The antecedent must be DEFINITE for one of these words to appear.
Key rule
The relative word agrees in gender and number with a DEFINITE antecedent: الَّذِي / الَّتِي / الَّذِينَ / اللَّاتِي, with الَّتِي also serving non-human plurals.
Examples
- الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي يَعْمَلُ هُنَا طَبِيبٌ.الرَّجُلُ الَّتِي يَعْمَلُ هُنَا طَبِيبٌ.
A masculine singular antecedent (الرَّجُل) needs الَّذِي, not the feminine الَّتِي.
- الْبِنْتُ الَّتِي تَدْرُسُ مُجْتَهِدَةٌ.الْبِنْتُ الَّذِي تَدْرُسُ مُجْتَهِدَةٌ.
A feminine singular antecedent (الْبِنْت) takes الَّتِي.
- الطُّلَّابُ الَّذِينَ نَجَحُوا سُعَدَاءُ.الطُّلَّابُ الَّذِي نَجَحُوا سُعَدَاءُ.
A masculine human plural (الطُّلَّاب) takes الَّذِينَ, not the singular الَّذِي.
Common mistakes
Wrong gender of the relative word
الْمَرْأَةُ الَّذِي تَتَكَلَّمُ.الْمَرْأَةُ الَّتِي تَتَكَلَّمُ.The relative word agrees with its antecedent in gender; a feminine head needs الَّتِي.
Using the singular for a human plural
الْعُمَّالُ الَّذِي يَعْمَلُونَ.الْعُمَّالُ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ.A masculine human plural antecedent requires الَّذِينَ.
The Returning Pronoun (ʿĀ'id)
الْعَائِدُ فِي صِلَةِ الْمَوْصُول
In an Arabic relative clause, the clause must contain a pronoun that 'returns' to (refers back to) the antecedent — this is called الْعَائِد. When the antecedent is the subject of the clause, the returning pronoun is hidden inside the verb's conjugation: الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي يَعْمَلُ ('the man who works' — 'he' is in يَعْمَلُ). But when the antecedent is the OBJECT, you must keep a visible pronoun: الْكِتَابُ الَّذِي قَرَأْتُهُ ('the book that I read IT'), الْبِنْتُ الَّتِي رَأَيْتُهَا ('the girl whom I saw HER'). English drops this pronoun ('the book that I read'), but Arabic keeps it.
Key rule
A relative clause keeps a pronoun (الْعَائِد) referring to the antecedent — hidden in the verb if it's the subject, but VISIBLE as a suffix if it's the object.
Examples
- الْكِتَابُ الَّذِي قَرَأْتُهُ مُفِيدٌ.الْكِتَابُ الَّذِي قَرَأْتُ مُفِيدٌ.
Since the book is the OBJECT of 'read', the returning pronoun -هُ must stay (قَرَأْتُهُ).
- الْبِنْتُ الَّتِي رَأَيْتُهَا أُخْتِي.الْبِنْتُ الَّتِي رَأَيْتُهُ أُخْتِي.
The ʿāʾid agrees with the antecedent: a feminine head needs -هَا, not the masculine -هُ.
- الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي حَضَرَ صَدِيقِي.الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي حَضَرَهُ صَدِيقِي.
Here the man is the SUBJECT of حَضَرَ, so the pronoun is inside the verb; adding -هُ is wrong.
Common mistakes
Dropping the resumptive object pronoun (English style)
الْفِيلْمُ الَّذِي شَاهَدْتُ.الْفِيلْمُ الَّذِي شَاهَدْتُهُ.When the antecedent is the object, Arabic keeps a visible pronoun (-هُ), unlike English.
Wrong gender/number on the ʿāʾid
الْمَدِينَةُ الَّتِي زُرْتُهُ.الْمَدِينَةُ الَّتِي زُرْتُهَا.The returning pronoun must agree with the antecedent: feminine → -هَا.
Indefinite Antecedent: No Relative Word
حَذْفُ الْمَوْصُولِ مَعَ النَّكِرَة
If the noun being described is INDEFINITE (without al-), Arabic uses NO relative word — the clause simply follows the noun directly. Compare: الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي يَعْمَلُ هُنَا ('the man who works here', definite, with الَّذِي) versus رَجُلٌ يَعْمَلُ هُنَا ('a man who works here', indefinite, NO الَّذِي). The clause that follows an indefinite noun is grammatically an adjective-like phrase (صِفَة), and it still needs the returning pronoun when the noun is the object: كِتَابٌ قَرَأْتُهُ ('a book that I read'). The single rule: definite → use الَّذِي/الَّتِي; indefinite → use nothing.
Key rule
An indefinite antecedent takes NO relative word — the clause follows directly (a صِفَة); only a definite head uses الَّذِي/الَّتِي.
Examples
- عِنْدِي صَدِيقٌ يَسْكُنُ فِي الْقَاهِرَةِ.عِنْدِي صَدِيقٌ الَّذِي يَسْكُنُ فِي الْقَاهِرَةِ.
صَدِيق is indefinite, so NO الَّذِي is used; the clause attaches directly.
- أُرِيدُ كِتَابًا يَشْرَحُ الْقَوَاعِدَ.أُرِيدُ كِتَابًا الَّذِي يَشْرَحُ الْقَوَاعِدَ.
An indefinite object (كِتَابًا) takes a bare qualifying clause, never a relative word.
- الْكِتَابُ الَّذِي يَشْرَحُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مُفِيدٌ.الْكِتَابُ يَشْرَحُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مُفِيدٌ.
With a DEFINITE head (الْكِتَاب), الَّذِي is required; omitting it changes the meaning.
Common mistakes
Inserting alladhī after an indefinite noun
أُرِيدُ صَدِيقًا الَّذِي يُسَاعِدُنِي.أُرِيدُ صَدِيقًا يُسَاعِدُنِي.Indefinite antecedents take no relative word; the clause attaches directly.
Omitting alladhī after a definite noun
الصَّدِيقُ يُسَاعِدُنِي طَيِّبٌ — meaning 'the friend who helps me'.الصَّدِيقُ الَّذِي يُسَاعِدُنِي طَيِّبٌ.A definite head requires the relative word الَّذِي.
The Verbal Sentence (V-S-O)
الْجُمْلَةُ الْفِعْلِيَّة
A verbal sentence (jumla fiʿliyya) begins with the VERB, then the doer (fāʿil), then the object. The classic order is Verb–Subject–Object: كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الرِّسَالَةَ ('the student wrote the letter' — literally 'wrote the-student the-letter'). The doer (الْفَاعِل) is nominative (ḍamma), and the object (الْمَفْعُول بِهِ) is accusative (fatḥa). This verb-first order is very common in Modern Standard Arabic, especially in narration and the news. It contrasts with the nominal sentence, which begins with a noun.
Key rule
A verbal sentence starts with the verb, then the doer (fāʿil, nominative), then the object (mafʿūl, accusative): V-S-O.
Examples
- كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الرِّسَالَةَ.كَتَبَ الطَّالِبَ الرِّسَالَةُ.
The doer is nominative (الطَّالِبُ) and the object accusative (الرِّسَالَةَ); swapping the cases reverses who did what.
- شَرِبَ الْوَلَدُ الْحَلِيبَ.الْوَلَدُ شَرِبَ الْحَلِيبُ.
In the verbal sentence the object stays accusative (الْحَلِيبَ); marking it nominative is wrong.
- قَرَأَتِ الْبِنْتُ الْكِتَابَ.قَرَأَ الْبِنْتُ الْكِتَابَ.
Even verb-first, the verb agrees in GENDER with the subject: feminine doer → قَرَأَتْ.
Common mistakes
Marking the object nominative
كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الرِّسَالَةُ.كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الرِّسَالَةَ.The mafʿūl bih is accusative (fatḥa), not nominative.
Marking the doer accusative
شَرِبَ الْوَلَدَ الْحَلِيبَ.شَرِبَ الْوَلَدُ الْحَلِيبَ.The fāʿil is nominative (ḍamma); accusative would make it look like the object.
Verb Agreement in V-S-O Order
تَطَابُقُ الْفِعْلِ الْمُتَقَدِّم
When the verb comes BEFORE its explicit subject (verb-first order), the verb stays SINGULAR no matter how many people the subject names — it only agrees in GENDER. So: كَتَبَ الطُّلَّابُ ('the students wrote' — singular verb كَتَبَ, not كَتَبُوا), and كَتَبَتِ الطَّالِبَاتُ ('the female students wrote' — feminine singular كَتَبَتْ). But if the subject comes FIRST (nominal order), the verb shows FULL agreement: الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبُوا، الطَّالِبَاتُ كَتَبْنَ. This is one of the most important agreement rules in Arabic.
Key rule
Verb-first: the verb stays SINGULAR and agrees only in gender. Subject-first: the verb shows FULL number + gender agreement.
Examples
- كَتَبَ الطُّلَّابُ الدَّرْسَ.كَتَبُوا الطُّلَّابُ الدَّرْسَ.
Verb-first before a plural subject → singular verb كَتَبَ, not the plural كَتَبُوا.
- الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبُوا الدَّرْسَ.الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبَ الدَّرْسَ.
Subject-first → full agreement: a plural subject needs the plural verb كَتَبُوا.
- كَتَبَتِ الطَّالِبَاتُ الدَّرْسَ.كَتَبْنَ الطَّالِبَاتُ الدَّرْسَ.
Verb-first before a feminine plural → feminine SINGULAR كَتَبَتْ, not the plural كَتَبْنَ.
Common mistakes
Pluralising the pre-posed verb
لَعِبُوا الْأَوْلَادُ فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ.لَعِبَ الْأَوْلَادُ فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ.When the verb precedes an explicit plural subject it stays singular.
Using the dual verb before a dual subject
وَصَلَا الضَّيْفَانِ.وَصَلَ الضَّيْفَانِ.A pre-posed verb is singular even with a dual subject; it agrees only in gender.
The Verb Forms (Awzān) Overview
الْأَوْزَانُ (تَمْهِيدٌ)
Almost every Arabic verb is built from a three-letter ROOT (like ك-ت-ب 'writing') poured into a fixed PATTERN, called a wazn (form). The simplest pattern is Form I, فَعَلَ (كَتَبَ 'he wrote'). By changing the pattern — doubling a letter, adding a long ā, prefixing a hamza, and so on — you build Forms II to X, each with its own typical meaning: causing, doing-together, becoming, asking-for. The same root ك-ت-ب gives كَتَبَ 'he wrote' (I), كَتَّبَ 'he made write' (II), كَاتَبَ 'he corresponded with' (III), and so on. Learning the patterns lets you guess the meaning and the conjugation of thousands of new verbs once you spot the root.
Key rule
An Arabic verb = a three-letter root in a fixed pattern (wazn); changing the pattern (II, III, IV, …) changes the meaning and the conjugation in a regular, predictable way.
Examples
- كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الدَّرْسَ ثُمَّ دَرَّسَهُ لِزَمِيلِهِ.كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الدَّرْسَ ثُمَّ كَتَبَهُ لِزَمِيلِهِ.
From the root ك-ت-ب, Form I كَتَبَ is 'wrote'; to say 'taught' you need a different root in Form II, دَرَّسَ — the second clause needed a verb meaning 'taught', not 'wrote' again.
- الْأُسْتَاذُ يُعَلِّمُ، وَالطَّالِبُ يَتَعَلَّمُ.الْأُسْتَاذُ يَعْلَمُ، وَالطَّالِبُ يَعْلَمُ.
Form II يُعَلِّمُ 'teaches' (causative) contrasts with Form V يَتَعَلَّمُ 'learns'; Form I يَعْلَمُ merely means 'knows', so it cannot express the teacher–learner relation.
- أَرْسَلْتُ الرِّسَالَةَ بِالْبَرِيدِ.رَسَلْتُ الرِّسَالَةَ بِالْبَرِيدِ.
The verb 'to send' from ر-س-ل exists only in Form IV أَرْسَلَ (with the hamza prefix); there is no Form I رَسَلَ in normal usage.
Common mistakes
Treating an augmented verb as if it were Form I
يَعَلِّمُ الْأُسْتَاذُ الطُّلَّابَ.يُعَلِّمُ الْأُسْتَاذُ الطُّلَّابَ.Form II present takes a ḍamma prefix يُـ and kasra on the doubled radical: يُعَلِّمُ, not the Form I pattern يَعَلِّمُ.
Inventing a non-existent Form I for a verb that lives only in an augmented form
رَسَلْتُ خِطَابًا.أَرْسَلْتُ خِطَابًا.'To send' exists only in Form IV أَرْسَلَ; the bare root رَسَلَ is not used for this meaning.
Form II (faʿʿala)
الْوَزْنُ الثَّانِي (فَعَّلَ)
Form II is built by DOUBLING the middle root letter (adding a šadda): from the Form I عَلِمَ 'he knew' you get عَلَّمَ 'he taught'. Its core meanings are causative ('make someone do / become') and intensive ('do a lot / repeatedly'). So كَسَرَ 'he broke' → كَسَّرَ 'he smashed (to pieces)', and نَزَلَ 'he came down' → نَزَّلَ 'he brought down'. In the present tense the prefix takes a ḍamma and the doubled letter keeps a kasra: يُعَلِّمُ 'he teaches'. The verbal noun (maṣdar) usually follows the pattern تَفْعِيل: تَعْلِيم 'teaching', تَدْرِيس 'instruction'. Form II verbs are nearly always transitive — they take a direct object.
Key rule
Form II doubles the middle radical (šadda) and is usually causative or intensive; its present is يُفَعِّلُ (ḍamma prefix, kasra on the doubled letter) and its maṣdar is تَفْعِيل.
Examples
- يُعَلِّمُ الْأُسْتَاذُ التَّلَامِيذَ الْحِسَابَ.يَعْلَمُ الْأُسْتَاذُ التَّلَامِيذَ الْحِسَابَ.
Form II يُعَلِّمُ 'teaches' is causative and takes two objects; Form I يَعْلَمُ only means 'knows' and cannot mean 'teaches'.
- كَسَّرَ الطِّفْلُ اللُّعْبَةَ إِلَى قِطَعٍ.كَسَرَ الطِّفْلُ اللُّعْبَةَ إِلَى قِطَعٍ.
The intensive Form II كَسَّرَ 'smashed (to pieces)' suits 'into pieces'; the plain Form I كَسَرَ means a single break.
- نَظَّمَتِ الْإِدَارَةُ حَفْلًا كَبِيرًا.نَظَمَتِ الْإِدَارَةُ حَفْلًا كَبِيرًا.
Form II نَظَّمَ 'organised' needs the šadda; نَظَمَ (Form I) means 'composed verse', a different verb.
Common mistakes
Omitting the šadda so Form II collapses into Form I
هُوَ يَدْرُسُ الطُّلَّابَ.هُوَ يُدَرِّسُ الطُّلَّابَ.'He teaches the students' is Form II يُدَرِّسُ (with šadda and ḍamma prefix); يَدْرُسُ is Form I 'he studies'.
Using a fatḥa prefix in the present instead of ḍamma
أَنَا أَعَلِّمُ الْأَطْفَالَ.أَنَا أُعَلِّمُ الْأَطْفَالَ.All augmented Form II–IV verbs take a ḍamma on the present prefix: أُعَلِّمُ, not أَعَلِّمُ.
Form III (fāʿala)
الْوَزْنُ الثَّالِثُ (فَاعَلَ)
Form III is made by adding a LONG ā after the first root letter: فَاعَلَ. Its main meaning is 'doing something WITH or TO someone' — a mutual or directed action involving another party. So كَتَبَ 'he wrote' → كَاتَبَ 'he corresponded with', and عَمِلَ 'he worked' → عَامَلَ 'he treated/dealt with someone'. Many very common verbs are Form III: سَاعَدَ 'to help', شَاهَدَ 'to watch', سَافَرَ 'to travel', قَابَلَ 'to meet'. In the present the prefix has a ḍamma and the long ā stays: يُسَاعِدُ 'he helps'. The verbal noun has two common shapes: مُفَاعَلَة (مُسَاعَدَة 'help', مُقَابَلَة 'meeting/interview') and فِعَال (جِهَاد، دِفَاع).
Key rule
Form III adds a long ā after the first radical (فَاعَلَ) and means doing something with/to another party; present يُفَاعِلُ (ḍamma prefix), maṣdar usually مُفَاعَلَة.
Examples
- يُسَاعِدُ الطَّبِيبُ الْمَرْضَى كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.يَسْعَدُ الطَّبِيبُ الْمَرْضَى كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.
Form III يُسَاعِدُ 'helps' takes a direct object; Form I يَسْعَدُ means 'is happy' and cannot take الْمَرْضَى as object.
- شَاهَدْنَا فِيلْمًا جَمِيلًا أَمْسِ.شَهِدْنَا فِيلْمًا جَمِيلًا أَمْسِ.
'To watch' is Form III شَاهَدَ; Form I شَهِدَ means 'to witness/testify', a different sense.
- سَافَرَ أَخِي إِلَى مِصْرَ الْأُسْبُوعَ الْمَاضِيَ.سَفَرَ أَخِي إِلَى مِصْرَ الْأُسْبُوعَ الْمَاضِيَ.
'To travel' exists in Form III سَافَرَ with the long ā; سَفَرَ (Form I) is not the normal verb here.
Common mistakes
Dropping the long ā and using Form I
هُوَ يَسْعَدُ صَدِيقَهُ.هُوَ يُسَاعِدُ صَدِيقَهُ.'He helps his friend' is Form III يُسَاعِدُ; Form I يَسْعَدُ means 'is happy' and is intransitive.
Fatḥa prefix in the present instead of ḍamma
أَنَا أَسَافِرُ غَدًا.أَنَا أُسَافِرُ غَدًا.Form III present takes a ḍamma prefix: أُسَافِرُ, not أَسَافِرُ.
Form IV (afʿala)
الْوَزْنُ الرَّابِعُ (أَفْعَلَ)
Form IV adds a HAMZA prefix to the past: أَفْعَلَ. Like Form II it is mostly causative — 'to make someone/something do or become'. From جَلَسَ 'he sat' you get أَجْلَسَ 'he seated (someone)', and from خَرَجَ 'he went out' → أَخْرَجَ 'he took out'. The tricky part is that the hamza DISAPPEARS in the present and a ḍamma prefix takes over: أَرْسَلَ 'he sent' → يُرْسِلُ 'he sends'. Many everyday verbs are Form IV: أَرْسَلَ 'send', أَخْبَرَ 'inform', أَحَبَّ 'love', أَعْطَى 'give', أَعَدَّ 'prepare'. The verbal noun follows the pattern إِفْعَال (إِرْسَال 'sending', إِعْلَان 'announcement').
Key rule
Form IV prefixes a hamza in the past (أَفْعَلَ, causative) but in the present the hamza drops and the prefix takes a ḍamma: يُفْعِلُ; the maṣdar is إِفْعَال.
Examples
- أَرْسَلْتُ رِسَالَةً إِلَى صَدِيقِي.رَسَلْتُ رِسَالَةً إِلَى صَدِيقِي.
'To send' is Form IV أَرْسَلَ with the qaṭʿ-hamza; there is no Form I رَسَلَ in use.
- يُرْسِلُ الْمُدِيرُ الْبَرِيدَ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ.يُؤَرْسِلُ الْمُدِيرُ الْبَرِيدَ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ.
In the present the prefixed hamza disappears: يُرْسِلُ, never يُؤَرْسِلُ.
- أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي بِالْخَبَرِ السَّعِيدِ.خَبَرَنِي أَبِي بِالْخَبَرِ السَّعِيدِ.
'To inform' is Form IV أَخْبَرَ; the causative meaning ('made me know') comes from the hamza prefix.
Common mistakes
Keeping the hamza in the present tense
هُوَ يُأَرْسِلُ الطَّرْدَ.هُوَ يُرْسِلُ الطَّرْدَ.The prefixed hamza of Form IV vanishes in the present; the prefix is just يُـ with sukūn on the first radical: يُرْسِلُ.
Using a fatḥa prefix instead of ḍamma in the present
أَنَا أَخْبِرُهُ بِالْحَقِيقَةِ.أَنَا أُخْبِرُهُ بِالْحَقِيقَةِ.Form IV present takes a ḍamma prefix: أُخْبِرُ, not أَخْبِرُ.
Active Participle (Form I)
اسْمُ الْفَاعِلِ
The active participle (اسْم الْفَاعِل) names 'the one DOING' the action. For a Form I verb it follows the pattern فَاعِل: from كَتَبَ 'wrote' you get كَاتِب 'writer / writing', from عَمِلَ → عَامِل 'worker', from دَرَسَ → دَارِس 'student/studying'. It behaves like an adjective or noun: it agrees in gender and number (كَاتِب → كَاتِبَة، كَاتِبُونَ، كَاتِبَات) and can be definite or indefinite. Many everyday job titles and nouns ARE active participles: طَالِب 'student', سَاكِن 'resident', قَادِم 'coming'. It can also describe an action happening right now: أَنَا ذَاهِبٌ 'I am going'.
Key rule
The Form I active participle follows فَاعِل ('the one doing': كَاتِب، عَامِل) and agrees in gender and number like an adjective; it can name an agent or describe an action in progress.
Examples
- هُوَ كَاتِبٌ مَشْهُورٌ.هُوَ كَتَبَ مَشْهُورٌ.
To say 'he is a famous writer' you need the participle/noun كَاتِب, not the finite verb كَتَبَ 'he wrote'.
- أَنَا ذَاهِبٌ إِلَى الْعَمَلِ الْآنَ.أَنَا ذَاهِبَةٌ إِلَى الْعَمَلِ الْآنَ. (said by a man)
The participle agrees with the speaker's gender; a male says ذَاهِبٌ, a female ذَاهِبَةٌ.
- الطُّلَّابُ جَالِسُونَ فِي الْفَصْلِ.الطُّلَّابُ جَالِسٌ فِي الْفَصْلِ.
A masculine human plural subject takes the sound plural participle جَالِسُونَ, not the singular جَالِس.
Common mistakes
Using a finite verb where a participle/noun is needed
هُوَ يَدْرُسُ فِي الْجَامِعَةِ وَهُوَ دَرَسَ.هُوَ طَالِبٌ دَارِسٌ فِي الْجَامِعَةِ.To name the doer as a noun/adjective use the participle (طَالِب/دَارِس), not a repeated finite verb.
Failing to make the participle agree in gender
مَرْيَمُ قَادِمٌ غَدًا.مَرْيَمُ قَادِمَةٌ غَدًا.The participle agrees with its subject; for a feminine subject use قَادِمَة.
Passive Participle (Form I)
اسْمُ الْمَفْعُولِ
The passive participle (اسْم الْمَفْعُول) names 'the one DONE TO / the thing that has been V-ed'. For a Form I verb it follows the pattern مَفْعُول: from كَتَبَ 'wrote' you get مَكْتُوب 'written / a letter', from فَتَحَ → مَفْتُوح 'open(ed)', from عَرَفَ → مَعْرُوف 'known / well-known'. Like the active participle it acts as an adjective or noun and agrees in gender and number (مَكْتُوب → مَكْتُوبَة، مَكْتُوبُونَ، مَكْتُوبَات). Many common words are passive participles: مَشْغُول 'busy', مَمْنُوع 'forbidden', مَوْجُود 'present/existing', مَشْهُور 'famous'.
Key rule
The Form I passive participle follows مَفْعُول ('the thing done to': مَكْتُوب، مَفْتُوح) and agrees in gender and number; it contrasts with the active فَاعِل (doer).
Examples
- الْبَابُ مَفْتُوحٌ.الْبَابُ فَاتِحٌ.
The door is acted upon, so use the passive participle مَفْتُوح 'opened/open'; فَاتِح 'opener' is the active participle and wrong here.
- هَذِهِ رِسَالَةٌ مَكْتُوبَةٌ بِخَطٍّ جَمِيلٍ.هَذِهِ رِسَالَةٌ كَاتِبَةٌ بِخَطٍّ جَمِيلٍ.
A letter is 'written' (مَكْتُوبَة), not 'a writer' (كَاتِبَة).
- الْمُدِيرُ مَشْغُولٌ الْآنَ.الْمُدِيرُ شَاغِلٌ الْآنَ.
'Busy/occupied' is the passive participle مَشْغُول; شَاغِل 'occupying' has the opposite (active) sense.
Common mistakes
Using the active participle for a 'done-to' meaning
الرِّسَالَةُ كَاتِبَةٌ.الرِّسَالَةُ مَكْتُوبَةٌ.The letter is written (passive): مَكْتُوبَة; كَاتِبَة would mean the letter is 'a (female) writer'.
Wrong pattern (missing the mīm or the long ū)
الْبَابُ فَتُوحٌ.الْبَابُ مَفْتُوحٌ.The passive participle template is مَفْعُول with a mīm prefix and long ū: مَفْتُوح.
The Verbal Noun (Maṣdar) Intro
الْمَصْدَرُ (تَمْهِيدٌ)
The maṣdar is the 'verbal noun' — the name of the action itself, like English '-ing' or 'to + verb' as a noun: كِتَابَة 'writing', دِرَاسَة 'studying', سَفَر 'travel', وُصُول 'arrival'. It is a real noun: it can be the subject, the object, or come after a preposition, and it can be definite (الدِّرَاسَة) or part of an iḍāfa (دِرَاسَةُ اللُّغَةِ 'the study of the language'). For Form I verbs there is NO single fixed pattern — the maṣdar must be learned with the verb (كَتَبَ → كِتَابَة، دَخَلَ → دُخُول، فَهِمَ → فَهْم). From Form II onward the patterns become regular (II = تَفْعِيل, III = مُفَاعَلَة, IV = إِفْعَال). A very common use is after أُحِبُّ / أُرِيدُ: أُحِبُّ الْقِرَاءَةَ 'I like reading'.
Key rule
The maṣdar is the noun of the action (كِتَابَة، سَفَر, 'writing/travel'); Form I maṣādir are learned individually, while Forms II+ are regular (تَفْعِيل، مُفَاعَلَة، إِفْعَال).
Examples
- أُحِبُّ الْقِرَاءَةَ كَثِيرًا.أُحِبُّ أَقْرَأُ كَثِيرًا.
After أُحِبُّ use the maṣdar (a noun) الْقِرَاءَةَ, or أَنْ + subjunctive; you cannot place a bare indicative verb أَقْرَأُ there.
- الدِّرَاسَةُ مُهِمَّةٌ لِلنَّجَاحِ.يَدْرُسُ مُهِمَّةٌ لِلنَّجَاحِ.
The subject 'studying' must be the maṣdar الدِّرَاسَة (a noun), not the finite verb يَدْرُسُ.
- وُصُولُ الْقِطَارِ كَانَ مُتَأَخِّرًا.وَصَلَ الْقِطَارِ كَانَ مُتَأَخِّرًا.
'The arrival of the train' is the maṣdar iḍāfa وُصُولُ الْقِطَارِ; a finite verb وَصَلَ cannot head this noun phrase.
Common mistakes
Putting a finite verb where a verbal noun is needed
أُحِبُّ أَسْبَحُ.أُحِبُّ السِّبَاحَةَ.After أُحِبُّ use the maṣdar as a noun object (السِّبَاحَة) or أَنْ + subjunctive (أَنْ أَسْبَحَ), never a bare indicative verb.
Choosing the wrong-form maṣdar
أُرِيدُ التَّعْلِيمَ مِنَ الْأُسْتَاذِ. (meaning 'to learn')أُرِيدُ التَّعَلُّمَ مِنَ الْأُسْتَاذِ.'Learning' is Form V تَعَلُّم; تَعْلِيم (Form II) is 'teaching' and reverses the meaning.
kāna and Its Sisters (Intro)
كَانَ وَأَخَوَاتُهَا
kāna 'was/were' and a small family of related verbs (its 'sisters') sit at the front of a nominal sentence and change its case marking. Normally 'the student (is) hardworking' is الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدٌ, both nominative. But add kāna and the predicate goes ACCUSATIVE: كَانَ الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدًا 'the student was hardworking'. The subject (now called اسْم كَانَ) stays nominative; the predicate (خَبَر كَانَ) takes a fatḥa. The most useful sisters at this level are كَانَ 'was', أَصْبَحَ / صَارَ 'became', لَيْسَ 'is not', and مَا زَالَ 'still is'. They let you talk about the past, change of state, and negation of nominal sentences.
Key rule
kāna and its sisters keep the subject (ism) nominative but put the predicate (khabar) in the ACCUSATIVE: كَانَ الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدًا.
Examples
- كَانَ الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدًا.كَانَ الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدٌ.
The khabar of kāna is accusative: مُجْتَهِدًا (fatḥatān), not nominative مُجْتَهِدٌ.
- أَصْبَحَ الْجَوُّ بَارِدًا.أَصْبَحَ الْجَوُّ بَارِدٌ.
أَصْبَحَ 'became' is a sister of kāna, so the predicate بَارِد is accusative بَارِدًا.
- كَانَتِ الْمُعَلِّمَةُ مَرِيضَةً.كَانَ الْمُعَلِّمَةُ مَرِيضَةً.
kāna agrees with its ism in gender; for a feminine subject use كَانَتْ, not كَانَ.
Common mistakes
Leaving the khabar nominative after kāna
كَانَ الْوَلَدُ صَغِيرٌ.كَانَ الْوَلَدُ صَغِيرًا.kāna makes its predicate accusative: صَغِيرًا, not صَغِيرٌ.
Putting the ism (subject) in the accusative
كَانَ الطَّالِبَ مُجْتَهِدًا.كَانَ الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدًا.The ism of kāna stays nominative (الطَّالِبُ); only the khabar goes accusative.
Present Tense: Full Conjugation
تَصْرِيفُ الْمُضَارِعِ الْكَامِلُ
At A1 you met the present tense with the four prefixes (أَـ، نَـ، يَـ، تَـ). Now you complete the picture: the present verb also takes ENDINGS that show number and gender. Beside the singular (يَكْتُبُ 'he writes'), you add ـِينَ for 'you (f.)' (تَكْتُبِينَ), ـَانِ for the dual ('the two of them'), ـُونَ for the masculine plural (يَكْتُبُونَ 'they m. write') and ـْنَ for the feminine plural (يَكْتُبْنَ). Together the prefix points to the person and the ending fine-tunes number and gender. Learning the full set of thirteen forms lets you talk about anyone — one person, two people, a group of men, a group of women — and is the backbone for the future, the subjunctive and the jussive.
Key rule
The present verb pairs a person PREFIX with a number/gender SUFFIX — ـِينَ (you f.), ـَانِ (dual), ـُونَ (masc. pl.), ـْنَ (fem. pl.) — giving thirteen forms in all.
Examples
- هُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ الرَّسَائِلَ.هُمْ يَكْتُبُ الرَّسَائِلَ.
A masculine-plural subject هُمْ takes the ـُونَ ending: يَكْتُبُونَ, not the singular يَكْتُبُ.
- أَنْتِ تَدْرُسِينَ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.أَنْتِ تَدْرُسُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.
'You (f.)' uses the ـِينَ ending: تَدْرُسِينَ; تَدْرُسُ would be 'you (m.)' or 'she'.
- الطَّالِبَتَانِ تَقْرَآنِ الْكِتَابَ.الطَّالِبَتَانِ تَقْرَأُ الْكِتَابَ.
A dual feminine subject takes the ـَانِ ending: تَقْرَآنِ ('the two read').
Common mistakes
Using the singular form for a plural subject
الْأَوْلَادُ يَلْعَبُ.الْأَوْلَادُ يَلْعَبُونَ.A masculine-plural subject following its verb (or any explicit plural pronoun) needs the ـُونَ ending: يَلْعَبُونَ.
Dropping the ـِينَ ending for 'you (f.)'
أَنْتِ تَكْتُبُ.أَنْتِ تَكْتُبِينَ.Second-person feminine singular is distinguished only by the suffix ـِينَ: تَكْتُبِينَ.
Past Tense: Full Conjugation
تَصْرِيفُ الْمَاضِي الْكَامِلُ
The past tense (al-māḍī) is built entirely with ENDINGS added to the back of a fixed stem; there is no prefix. From كَتَبَ ('he wrote') you build كَتَبْتُ ('I wrote'), كَتَبْتَ ('you m. wrote'), كَتَبْتِ ('you f. wrote'), كَتَبَتْ ('she wrote'), كَتَبْنَا ('we wrote'), كَتَبُوا ('they m. wrote'), كَتَبْنَ ('they f. wrote'), and the duals كَتَبَا / كَتَبَتَا. At A1 you saw a few of these; now you learn the whole set. Notice the pattern: the person markers ـْتُ، ـْتَ، ـْتِ، ـْنَا cause the last root letter to take a sukūn, while ـَ، ـَتْ، ـُوا، ـَا keep its vowel. Mastering all thirteen forms lets you narrate anything that already happened.
Key rule
The past tense adds subject SUFFIXES to a fixed stem (كَتَبْتُ، كَتَبْنَا، كَتَبُوا…); the ت/ن endings put a sukūn on the last root letter, the vowel endings keep it.
Examples
- كَتَبْتُ الرِّسَالَةَ أَمْسِ.كَتَبَتُ الرِّسَالَةَ أَمْسِ.
The 'I' suffix ـْتُ requires sukūn on the bāʾ: كَتَبْتُ, not كَتَبَتُ.
- ذَهَبُوا إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ.ذَهَبْوا إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ.
The masculine-plural ـُوا keeps the stem vowel (fatḥa), not a sukūn: ذَهَبُوا.
- دَرَسَتْ مَرْيَمُ الطِّبَّ.دَرَسَتُ مَرْيَمُ الطِّبَّ.
The 'she' suffix is ـَتْ with a sukūn on the tāʾ: دَرَسَتْ, not دَرَسَتُ.
Common mistakes
Forgetting the sukūn before ـْتُ / ـْتَ / ـْتِ
كَتَبَتُ الْوَاجِبَ.كَتَبْتُ الْوَاجِبَ.The consonantal suffixes (ـْتُ etc.) attach to a stem whose final radical has sukūn: كَتَبْتُ.
Confusing ـْنَا (we) with ـْنَ (they f.)
نَحْنُ ذَهَبْنَ.نَحْنُ ذَهَبْنَا.'We' is ـْنَا (with alif): ذَهَبْنَا; ـْنَ alone is the feminine-plural 'they'.
The Future: sa- and sawfa
الْمُسْتَقْبَلُ (السِّينُ وَسَوْفَ)
Arabic has no separate future-tense verb form. Instead you take the ordinary present (muḍāriʿ) and put a future marker in front of it. There are two markers with the same meaning: سَـ, written attached to the verb (سَأَكْتُبُ 'I will write'), and the separate word سَوْفَ (سَوْفَ أَكْتُبُ 'I will write'). سَوْفَ feels a little more emphatic or distant, while سَـ is the everyday choice. The verb keeps its full indicative ending (ـُ). Both markers can only sit on a present verb — never on the past — and you cannot use them together. This is the simplest way to talk about plans and predictions.
Key rule
Form the future by putting سَـ (attached) or سَوْفَ (separate) before an ordinary present verb: سَأَكْتُبُ / سَوْفَ أَكْتُبُ 'I will write'.
Examples
- سَأَزُورُ جَدَّتِي غَدًا.سَزُرْتُ جَدَّتِي غَدًا.
The future سَـ attaches to the PRESENT (سَأَزُورُ), never to the past زُرْتُ.
- سَوْفَ نُسَافِرُ إِلَى تُونِسَ.سَوْفَ نُسَافِرَ إِلَى تُونِسَ.
After سَوْفَ the verb stays in the indicative (نُسَافِرُ with ḍamma), not the subjunctive نُسَافِرَ.
- سَيَدْرُسُ الطَّالِبُ لِلِامْتِحَانِ.سَوْفَ سَيَدْرُسُ الطَّالِبُ لِلِامْتِحَانِ.
You use only ONE future marker; سَـ and سَوْفَ are not combined.
Common mistakes
Attaching the future marker to a past verb
سَذَهَبْتُ غَدًا.سَأَذْهَبُ غَدًا.سَـ can only sit on a present verb; the future of 'go' is سَأَذْهَبُ.
Combining سَـ and سَوْفَ
سَسَوْفَ نَلْتَقِي.سَوْفَ نَلْتَقِي.The two future markers are mutually exclusive; use just one.
Subjunctive after an
نَصْبُ الْمُضَارِعِ بَعْدَ أَنْ
The present verb has moods, marked by its ending. The plain indicative ends in ـُ (يَكْتُبُ). After the particle أَنْ ('to', 'that'), the verb goes into the SUBJUNCTIVE (manṣūb), whose ending changes the ḍamma to a fatḥa: أَنْ يَكْتُبَ. This is how Arabic expresses 'to do something' — there is no infinitive, so 'I want to write' is أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَكْتُبَ (literally 'I want that I write'). أَنْ regularly follows verbs of wanting, being able, trying, hoping and the like. On the 'five verbs' (forms ending in ـُونَ، ـِينَ، ـَانِ) the subjunctive instead drops the final نَ: أَنْ يَكْتُبُوا.
Key rule
After أَنْ the present verb takes the subjunctive: the singular ḍamma becomes fatḥa (أَنْ يَكْتُبَ), and the five verbs drop their final nūn (أَنْ يَكْتُبُوا).
Examples
- أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَدْرُسَ الطِّبَّ.أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَدْرُسُ الطِّبَّ.
After أَنْ the verb is subjunctive: أَدْرُسَ (fatḥa), not the indicative أَدْرُسُ.
- يُمْكِنُكَ أَنْ تَذْهَبَ الْآنَ.يُمْكِنُكَ أَنْ تَذْهَبْ الْآنَ.
The subjunctive ending after أَنْ is a fatḥa تَذْهَبَ, not a sukūn (which would be the jussive).
- يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَلْعَبُوا.يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَلْعَبُونَ.
A 'five verb' drops its nūn after أَنْ: يَلْعَبُوا, not يَلْعَبُونَ.
Common mistakes
Keeping the indicative ḍamma after أَنْ
أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَكْتُبُ.أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَكْتُبَ.أَنْ triggers the subjunctive; the ending becomes fatḥa: أَكْتُبَ.
Using a sukūn (jussive) instead of fatḥa after أَنْ
يُمْكِنُكَ أَنْ تَذْهَبْ.يُمْكِنُكَ أَنْ تَذْهَبَ.The naṣb ending is a fatḥa: تَذْهَبَ; the sukūn belongs to the jussive (after لَمْ etc.).
Subjunctive after li- / ḥattā / kay
النَّصْبُ بِـ لِـ وَحَتَّى وَكَيْ
To say WHY you do something — 'in order to' — Arabic uses a purpose particle before a subjunctive verb. The most common is لِـ ('in order to', 'so as to'), attached to the front of the verb: أَدْرُسُ لِأَنْجَحَ ('I study in order to succeed'). The same job is done by حَتَّى ('so that', 'until') and by كَيْ / لِكَيْ ('in order to'). After all of these the present verb takes the subjunctive — fatḥa on the singular (لِأَنْجَحَ) and a dropped nūn on the five verbs (لِيَنْجَحُوا). This is the standard way to build purpose clauses in MSA.
Key rule
Purpose clauses use لِـ، كَيْ / لِكَيْ، or حَتَّى before a present verb in the subjunctive: أَدْرُسُ لِأَنْجَحَ 'I study in order to succeed'.
Examples
- أَدْرُسُ كَثِيرًا لِأَنْجَحَ.أَدْرُسُ كَثِيرًا لِأَنْجَحُ.
After purposive لِـ the verb is subjunctive: لِأَنْجَحَ (fatḥa), not the indicative أَنْجَحُ.
- نَعْمَلُ بِجِدٍّ كَيْ نَنْجَحَ.نَعْمَلُ بِجِدٍّ كَيْ نَنْجَحُ.
كَيْ governs the subjunctive: نَنْجَحَ, not the indicative نَنْجَحُ.
- سَأَنْتَظِرُ حَتَّى تَصِلَ.سَأَنْتَظِرُ حَتَّى تَصِلُ.
Purposive حَتَّى ('until/so that') takes the subjunctive: تَصِلَ.
Common mistakes
Keeping the indicative after purposive لِـ
أَعْمَلُ لِأَكْسِبُ الْمَالَ.أَعْمَلُ لِأَكْسِبَ الْمَالَ.لِـ of purpose triggers the subjunctive: لِأَكْسِبَ (fatḥa).
Using the indicative after حَتَّى of purpose
سَأَبْقَى حَتَّى تَأْتِي.سَأَبْقَى حَتَّى تَأْتِيَ.Goal-oriented حَتَّى takes the subjunctive: تَأْتِيَ.
The Jussive (Majzūm) Introduction
جَزْمُ الْمُضَارِعِ
The third mood of the present is the JUSSIVE (majzūm). While the indicative ends in ـُ (يَكْتُبُ) and the subjunctive in ـَ (يَكْتُبَ), the jussive ends in a SUKŪN — no vowel: يَكْتُبْ. On the five verbs (forms with ـُونَ، ـِينَ، ـَانِ) the jussive, like the subjunctive, drops the final nūn: يَكْتُبُوا. You will meet the jussive mainly with the particles لَمْ ('did not', a negated past), لِـ of command ('let…'), لَا of prohibition ('don't!'), and the conditional إِنْ. This tag introduces the ending so you recognise it; the specific uses are practised in their own tags.
Key rule
The jussive (majzūm) ends in sukūn on the singular (يَكْتُبْ) and drops the nūn on the five verbs (يَكْتُبُوا); it appears after لَمْ، لِـ of command, لَا of prohibition and the conditional.
Examples
- لَمْ يَكْتُبِ الْوَلَدُ الدَّرْسَ.لَمْ يَكْتُبُ الْوَلَدُ الدَّرْسَ.
لَمْ requires the jussive: يَكْتُبْ (here a helping kasra before al-: يَكْتُبِ), not the indicative يَكْتُبُ.
- لَا تَنْسَ وَاجِبَكَ.لَا تَنْسَى وَاجِبَكَ.
Prohibitive لَا takes the jussive; the defective verb shortens to تَنْسَ, not تَنْسَى.
- لِيَكْتُبْ كُلُّ طَالِبٍ اسْمَهُ.لِيَكْتُبُ كُلُّ طَالِبٍ اسْمَهُ.
The lām of command takes the jussive sukūn: لِيَكْتُبْ.
Common mistakes
Using the indicative ḍamma after لَمْ
لَمْ يَدْرُسُ.لَمْ يَدْرُسْ.لَمْ triggers the jussive: a sukūn ending, يَدْرُسْ.
Using the subjunctive fatḥa instead of the jussive sukūn
لَمْ أَفْهَمَ.لَمْ أَفْهَمْ.After لَمْ the mood is jussive (sukūn): أَفْهَمْ, not the naṣb fatḥa أَفْهَمَ.
The Imperative: All Forms
فِعْلُ الْأَمْرِ بِأَنْوَاعِهِ
The imperative (al-amr) gives commands to 'you'. You make it from the jussive of the present: take the present, drop the prefix تَـ, and adjust the start. The four addressee forms are: masculine singular (اُكْتُبْ! 'write!'), feminine singular (اُكْتُبِي!), dual (اُكْتُبَا!), masculine plural (اُكْتُبُوا!) and feminine plural (اُكْتُبْنَ!). Because dropping the prefix often leaves an awkward consonant cluster, Arabic adds a HELPING HAMZA at the front: اُكْتُبْ، اِجْلِسْ، اِفْتَحْ. The vowel on that hamza (ḍamma or kasra) matches the stem vowel. Form-derived verbs and weak verbs have their own shapes, introduced here so you can command anyone.
Key rule
The imperative is the jussive minus the تَـ prefix, with a helping hamza for Form I (اُكْتُبْ، اِجْلِسْ، اِفْتَحْ) and the four addressee endings (ـْ، ـِي، ـُوا، ـْنَ).
Examples
- اُكْتُبْ وَاجِبَكَ يَا أَحْمَدُ!كْتُبْ وَاجِبَكَ يَا أَحْمَدُ!
Form I needs a helping hamza to start: اُكْتُبْ, since the bare cluster كْتُبْ is impossible.
- اِجْلِسِي هُنَا يَا مَرْيَمُ!اُجْلِسِي هُنَا يَا مَرْيَمُ!
The stem vowel of جلس is kasra, so the helping hamza takes kasra too: اِجْلِسِي, not اُجْلِسِي.
- اِفْتَحُوا الْكُتُبَ!اِفْتَحُونَ الْكُتُبَ!
The masculine-plural imperative ends in ـُوا (jussive), not ـُونَ: اِفْتَحُوا.
Common mistakes
Dropping the helping hamza on a Form I imperative
كْتُبْ رِسَالَةً!اُكْتُبْ رِسَالَةً!Form I imperatives begin with a helping hamza: اُكْتُبْ.
Wrong vowel on the helping hamza
اُجْلِسْ!اِجْلِسْ!The stem vowel of جلس is kasra, so the helping hamza is kasra: اِجْلِسْ.
kāna + Present (Past Continuous)
كَانَ + الْمُضَارِعُ
To say 'was doing' or 'used to do' — an action in progress or a habit in the past — Arabic combines two verbs: كَانَ ('was') in the past, plus the ordinary PRESENT verb. So كَانَ يَكْتُبُ means 'he was writing' or 'he used to write'. كَانَ agrees with the subject in the past (كَانَتْ تَكْتُبُ 'she was writing', كَانُوا يَكْتُبُونَ 'they were writing'), and the second verb stays in the present, also agreeing. The present verb keeps its indicative ending (ـُ). This pairing is how Arabic expresses the English past continuous and the 'used to' habitual past — both with the same كَانَ + present structure.
Key rule
Express 'was doing / used to do' with كَانَ (past, agreeing) + the present verb (also agreeing): كَانَتْ تَكْتُبُ 'she was writing / used to write'.
Examples
- كَانَ يَدْرُسُ عِنْدَمَا اتَّصَلْتُ بِهِ.كَانَ يَدْرُسَ عِنْدَمَا اتَّصَلْتُ بِهِ.
The present verb after كَانَ stays indicative يَدْرُسُ (ḍamma); nothing here triggers the subjunctive يَدْرُسَ.
- كَانَتْ تَلْعَبُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.كَانَ تَلْعَبُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.
كَانَ must agree with the feminine subject: كَانَتْ تَلْعَبُ.
- كُنَّا نَسْكُنُ فِي الْقَاهِرَةِ.كُنَّا نَسْكُنَّا فِي الْقَاهِرَةِ.
After كُنَّا the lexical verb is a plain present نَسْكُنُ; it is not given a past suffix.
Common mistakes
Putting the second verb in the past as well
كَانَ ذَهَبَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.كَانَ يَذْهَبُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.'Used to go' is كَانَ + PRESENT: كَانَ يَذْهَبُ; two pasts give the wrong meaning.
Not making كَانَ agree with the subject
كَانَ تَدْرُسُ مَرْيَمُ.كَانَتْ تَدْرُسُ مَرْيَمُ.كَانَ agrees with the feminine subject: كَانَتْ تَدْرُسُ.
Weak Verbs: Assimilated (Mithāl)
الْفِعْلُ الْمِثَالُ
An 'assimilated' verb (al-mithāl) is one whose FIRST root letter is a weak letter, usually wāw (و). The most common ones, like وَصَلَ ('to arrive') and وَجَدَ ('to find'), behave normally in the past — وَصَلَ، وَصَلْتُ — but in the PRESENT they DROP the initial wāw: يَصِلُ ('he arrives'), not *يَوْصِلُ. So the present looks shorter than you'd expect: وَصَلَ → يَصِلُ، وَجَدَ → يَجِدُ، وَضَعَ → يَضَعُ. Once you know the wāw disappears in the present, these verbs are easy. The imperative also loses the wāw: صِلْ! ('arrive!'), ضَعْ! ('put!').
Key rule
An assimilated verb (first radical wāw) is sound in the past but DROPS the wāw in the present and imperative: وَصَلَ → يَصِلُ → صِلْ.
Examples
- يَصِلُ الْقِطَارُ فِي الصَّبَاحِ.يَوْصِلُ الْقِطَارُ فِي الصَّبَاحِ.
The mithāl verb drops the wāw in the present: يَصِلُ, not يَوْصِلُ.
- أَجِدُ الْكِتَابَ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ.أَوْجِدُ الْكِتَابَ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ.
وَجَدَ loses its wāw in the present: أَجِدُ, not أَوْجِدُ.
- وَصَلْتُ مُبَكِّرًا أَمْسِ.صَلْتُ مُبَكِّرًا أَمْسِ.
In the PAST the wāw stays: وَصَلْتُ; it only drops in the present.
Common mistakes
Keeping the wāw in the present
يَوْصِلُ الضَّيْفُ غَدًا.يَصِلُ الضَّيْفُ غَدًا.The assimilated verb drops its initial wāw in the present: يَصِلُ.
Dropping the wāw in the past
صَلْنَا مُتَأَخِّرِينَ.وَصَلْنَا مُتَأَخِّرِينَ.The wāw is retained in the past: وَصَلْنَا; it only drops in the present/imperative.
Weak Verbs: Hollow (Ajwaf)
الْفِعْلُ الْأَجْوَفُ
A 'hollow' verb (al-ajwaf) has a weak letter (و or ي) in the MIDDLE of its root. In the dictionary form you see a long ā: قَالَ ('to say'), زَارَ ('to visit'), نَامَ ('to sleep'). In the present this long vowel changes: قَالَ → يَقُولُ (long ū), زَارَ → يَزُورُ (ū), بَاعَ → يَبِيعُ (long ī), نَامَ → يَنَامُ (long ā). The tricky part is the PAST with 'I/you/we' endings: because those endings start with a consonant, the long vowel SHORTENS — قُلْتُ ('I said'), not *قَالْتُ; زُرْتُ ('I visited'); نِمْتُ ('I slept'). So watch the middle vowel: long with هو/هي/هم, short with أنا/أنتَ/نحن.
Key rule
A hollow verb shows a long vowel in the citation form (قَالَ، يَقُولُ) that SHORTENS before consonant-initial suffixes: قُلْتُ, قُلْنَا, لَمْ يَقُلْ, imperative قُلْ.
Examples
- قُلْتُ الْحَقِيقَةَ.قَالْتُ الْحَقِيقَةَ.
Before the ـْتُ suffix the long ā shortens: قُلْتُ, not قَالْتُ.
- زُرْنَا الْمَتْحَفَ.زَارْنَا الْمَتْحَفَ.
The ـْنَا suffix shortens زَارَ to زُرْنَا.
- يَقُولُ الْأُسْتَاذُ شَيْئًا مُهِمًّا.يَقْوُلُ الْأُسْتَاذُ شَيْئًا مُهِمًّا.
The present of قَالَ is يَقُولُ with a long ū; there is no separate و + sukūn.
Common mistakes
Not shortening the long vowel in the past 'I/you/we' forms
قَالْتُ نَعَمْ.قُلْتُ نَعَمْ.Before ـْتُ the long ā shortens: قُلْتُ.
Writing the present with a separate weak letter
يَزْوُرُ صَدِيقَهُ.يَزُورُ صَدِيقَهُ.The present is يَزُورُ with a long ū, not a sequence و+sukūn.
Weak Verbs: Defective (Nāqiṣ)
الْفِعْلُ النَّاقِصُ
A 'defective' verb (al-nāqiṣ) has a weak letter (و or ي) as its LAST root letter. Their endings look unusual: مَشَى ('to walk') ends in alif maqṣūra, دَعَا ('to call/invite') in alif, نَسِيَ ('to forget') in yāʾ. In the present they end in a long vowel: يَمْشِي ('he walks'), يَدْعُو ('he calls'), يَنْسَى ('he forgets'). The endings change a lot with suffixes — مَشَيْتُ ('I walked'), دَعَوْتُ ('I called') — and the final vowel DROPS in the jussive and imperative: لَمْ يَمْشِ، اِمْشِ! ('walk!'). At A2 you just need to recognise these verbs and their main present and past shapes; the full detail comes later.
Key rule
A defective verb (weak final radical) ends in a long vowel in the present (يَمْشِي، يَدْعُو، يَنْسَى) that DROPS in the jussive and imperative (لَمْ يَمْشِ، اِمْشِ).
Examples
- يَمْشِي الرَّجُلُ فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ.يَمْشِ الرَّجُلُ فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ.
The plain present keeps the long vowel: يَمْشِي; the short يَمْشِ is only the jussive.
- مَشَيْتُ إِلَى الْعَمَلِ أَمْسِ.مَشَتُ إِلَى الْعَمَلِ أَمْسِ.
The 'I' past of مَشَى is مَشَيْتُ, with the yāʾ resurfacing before the suffix; مَشَتُ wrongly drops it.
- لَمْ يَنْسَ مَوْعِدَهُ.لَمْ يَنْسَى مَوْعِدَهُ.
In the jussive after لَمْ the final vowel drops: لَمْ يَنْسَ, not يَنْسَى.
Common mistakes
Keeping the final vowel in the jussive
لَمْ يَمْشِي بَعِيدًا.لَمْ يَمْشِ بَعِيدًا.The jussive drops the final long vowel: لَمْ يَمْشِ.
Wrong weak letter in the past suffix forms
دَعَيْتُ صَدِيقِي.دَعَوْتُ صَدِيقِي.دَعَا (root د-ع-و) keeps a wāw vowel in the past: دَعَوْتُ.
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