Arabic: An Essential Grammar

Note: َما ma ̄ has the function of َل ْي َس laysa, which is a sister of َكا َن

ka ̄na.

(c) ِ بـ.. bi... preceding the conjunctions َأ ْن

an and نَّ َأ

anna

The preposition ِ بـ.. bi... can be prefixed to the subordinating

conjunctions َأ ْن

an and نَّ َأ

anna ‘that’ without any change of

meaning, e.g.

(d) Sometimes the particle ِإ ْذ

id

̄

‘when’ is used with the meaning ‘and

then suddenly... !’, indicating surprise or sudden appearance.

In that case the subject may take the preposition ِ بـ.. bi.... The

particle َق ْد qad is then normally added after the subject before

the verb.

Exercises

Practise your reading:

1

اَم

2

ه َدَعْبَأ

ا

اَمَو َةَيْرَقْل ِهِذ

3

َقَيْضَأ

4

.) ٌعِراَش ( اَهَعِراَوَش

(1)

1

How

2

far away this village is and how

3

narrow its

4

streets!

اَم

1

اَمَو َسيِئ َّ رل َرَصْقَأ

2

َلَوْطَأ

3

. ُهَتَجْوَز

(2) How

1

short the president is and how

2

tall

3

his wife!

ني ِب َأ ْن َأ ْذ َه َب َم َع ُهَِّطَل َب ِم OR ني َأ ْن َأ ْذ َه َب َم َع ُهَِّطَل َب ِم

t

̇

alaba min-nı

• bi-

an

ad

̄

haba

ma



a-hu.

t

̇

alaba min-nı

• 
  
  an

ad

̄

haba

ma



a-hu.

He asked me to go with him.

ن َواِل َد ُه َم ِري ٌضَّ َأ ْخ َب َر ِ ني ِب َأ OR ن َواِل َد ُه َم ِري ٌضَّ َأ ْخ َب َر ِ ني َأ




ah

̆

bara-nı

• bi-

anna wa ̄lida-hu

marı

• d
  ̇

un.

ah

̆

bara-nı

• 
  
  anna wa ̄lida-hu

marı

• d
  ̇

un.

He told me that his father is ill.

ر ِئي ِس َق ْد َو َص َلَِّإ ْذ ِبˆل OR ر ِئي ُسَِّإ ْذ َو َص َل ل




id

̄

bi-r-ra

ı

• si qad was
  ̇

ala!

id

̄

was

̇

ala r-ra

ı

• su

Then / suddenly the president arrived!

295

Verbs of

wonder, the

negative

copula,

special verbs

and uses