Arabic: An Essential Grammar

Note: Except for َلـ ْن lan, these particles are, in fact, subordinating

conjunctions.

28.3 The subjunctive mood is formed from the imperfect indicative

by changing the final vowel /-u/ of the personal endings to /-a/ or, in

the case of personal endings having the final syllable ـ َن... /...na/, by

dropping this syllable completely.

Examples of the subjunctive:

َق ِب َل َأ ْن َي ْذ َه َب َغ ًدا

qabila

an yad

̄

haba g ̇adan.

He agreed (accepted) that he would go tomorrow.

(= He agreed to go tomorrow.)

ذِل َك

ا

َأ ْطُل ُب ِم ْن ُك ْم َأ ْن َت ْف َعُلوا




at

̇

lubu min-kum

an taf



alu ̄ d

̄

a ̄lika. (not: َت ْف َعُلو َن taf



alu ̄na)

I ask you (masc. plur.) that you do that.

(= I ask you to do that.)

َد َخْل ِت ْلـ َم ْطـ َب َخ ِل َتـ ْش َر ِ بي َما ًء؟َه ْل

hal dah

̆

alti l-mat

̇

bah

̆

a li-tasˇrabı

• ma ̄

an? (not: ِلـ َت ْش َر ِبي َن li-tasˇrabı

• na)

Did you (fem. sing.) enter the kitchen to drink water?

َي ْن َج ُحوا ِفي  ِْلا ْم ِت َحا ِنّي ًدا َك ْي ََد َر ُسوا َج

darasu ̄ g ̆ayyidan kay yang ̆ah

̇

u ̄ fı- l-imtih

̇

a ̄ni. (not: َي ْن َج ُحو َن yang ̆ah

̇

u ̄na)

They studied well so that they would pass (succeed in) the

examination.

(= They studied well in order to pass the examination.)

َل ْن َأ ْذ َه َب َم َع َها

lan

ad

̄

haba ma



a-ha ̄.

I shall never go with her. (I will not go with her.)

28.4 The subjunctive particles ِإ َذ ْن and ِإ ًذا

id

̄

an ‘then, in that case, so’

have the same meaning and pronunciation. Both are used in discourse

when you draw a conclusion on the basis of a previous statement.

210

Moods:

subjunctive,

jussive

(apocopa-

tus),

imperative