Adverbs from the Accusative Form

01

General Formation Rule

To turn most adjectives into adverbs, you add the ⁧⁧تَنْوِين⁩⁩ (tạnwīntanwīntanwiyntnwyn⁦) ( ⁩⁧ً⁩⁦ ) to the last letter. Orthographically, you must also add a silent Alif ⁩⁧⁧ا⁩⁩ (ʼạlịfʾalifˈalifˈalf) to support this ending for most letters.

For example, the adjective ⁧⁧سَرِيع⁩⁩ (sạrīʕsarīʿsariyʿsryʕ) means "fast." To say "quickly," you change it to ⁧⁧سَرِيعًا⁩⁩ (sạrīʕạṇsarīʿansariyʿásryʕa).

• ⁧يَمْشِي الرَّجُلُ سَرِيعًا.⁩

  yạmšī ᵃrrạjụlụ sạrīʕạṇ.yams͟hī ᵃrrad͟julu sarīʿan.yamšiy ᵃrraǧulu sariyʿá.ymšy ᵃrjl sryʕa.

  The man walks quickly.

• ⁧تَحَدَّثَ الْمُعَلِّمُ وَاضِحًا.⁩

  tạḥạddạṯạ ᵃlmụʕạllịmụ wāḑịḥạṇ.taḥaddat͟ha ᵃlmuʿallimu wāḍiḥan.taḥaddaṯa ᵃlmuʿallimu wāḍiḥá.tḥdṯ ᵃlmʕlm waḍḥa.

  The teacher spoke clearly.

02

Spelling Exceptions

While the sound is always -an, the extra Alif is omitted in writing if the word ends in certain letters. The tanwīn is placed directly on the final letter in these cases:

• Words ending in Tāʾ Marbūṭah ⁧ة⁩ (tāʼ mạrbūṭạẗtāʾ marbūṭahtāˈ marbuwṭaẗtaʼ mrbwṭẗ):<

• ⁧هِيَ تَقْرَأُ الْجَرِيدَةَ يَوْمِيَّةً.⁩

  hịyạ tạqrạʼụ ᵃljạrīdạẗạ yạwmịyyạẗạṇ.hiya taqraʾu ᵃld͟jarīdata yawmiyyatan.hiya taqraˈu ᵃlǧariydaẗa yawmiyyaẗá.hy tqrˈa ᵃljrydẗ ywmyẗ.

  She reads the newspaper daily.

• Words ending in Hamza ⁧ء⁩ (hamzah) preceded by an Alif:<

• ⁧بَنَى الْمُهَنْدِسُ بِنَاءً جَدِيدًا.⁩

  bạnā ᵃlmụhạndịsụ bịnāʼạṇ jạdīdạṇ.banā ᵃlmuhandisu bināʾan d͟jadīdan.banā ᵃlmuhandisu bināˈá ǧadiydá.bna ᵃlmhnds bnaʼa jdyda.

  The engineer built a new building (construction).

03

Adverbs of Degree and Quantity

This grammatical form is essential for expressing intensity or quantity. You will frequently encounter these common fixed adverbs:

• ⁧⁧جِدًّا⁩⁩ (jịddạṇd͟jiddanǧiddájda) - very
• ⁧⁧كَثِيرًا⁩⁩ (kạṯīrạṇkat͟hīrankaṯiyrákṯyra) - a lot / much
• ⁧⁧قَلِيلًا⁩⁩ (qạlīlạṇqalīlanqaliyláqlyla) - a little

• ⁧هَذَا الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ جِدًّا.⁩

  hặḏā ᵃlbạytụ kạbīrụṇ jịddạṇ.hād͟hā ᵃlbaytu kabīrun d͟jiddan.hāḏā ᵃlbaytu kabiyrú ǧiddá.hḏa ᵃlbyt kbyr jda.

  This house is very big.

• ⁧أُحِبُّ الْقَهْوَةَ كَثِيرًا.⁩

  ʼụḥịbbụ ᵃlqạhwạẗạ kạṯīrạṇ.ʾuḥibbu ᵃlqahwata kat͟hīran.ˈuḥibbu ᵃlqahwaẗa kaṯiyrá.ˈaḥb ᵃlqhwẗ kṯyra.

  I like coffee a lot.

04

Adverbs of Time

Many time expressions are nouns fixed in the accusative case to indicate when something happens.

• ⁧⁧غَدًا⁩⁩ (ḡạdạṇg͟hadanġadáḡda) - tomorrow
• ⁧⁧دَائِمًا⁩⁩ (dāʼịmạṇdāʾimandāˌimádaˌima) - always
• ⁧⁧أَبَدًا⁩⁩ (ʼạbạdạṇʾabadanˈabadáˈabda) - never (with negative verbs) / forever
• ⁧⁧أَحْيَانًا⁩⁩ (ʼạḥyānạṇʾaḥyānanˈaḥyānáˈaḥyana) - sometimes

• ⁧سَأَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ غَدًا.⁩

  sạʼạḏhạbụ ʼịlā ᵃlmạdrạsạẗị ḡạdạṇ.saʾad͟hhabu ʾilā ᵃlmadrasati g͟hadan.saˈaḏhabu ˌilā ᵃlmadrasaẗi ġadá.sˈaḏhb ˌila ᵃlmdrsẗ ḡda.

  I will go to school tomorrow.

• ⁧هُوَ يَصِلُ مُتَأَخِّرًا دَائِمًا.⁩

  hụwạ yạṣịlụ mụtạʼạḵḵịrạṇ dāʼịmạṇ.huwa yaṣilu mutaʾak͟hk͟hiran dāʾiman.huwa yaṣilu mutaˈaẖẖirá dāˌimá.hw yṣl mtˈaḵra daˌima.

  He always arrives late.

05

Adjective vs. Adverb

It is important to distinguish between the adjective describing a noun and the adverb describing the action.

• Adjective: Matches the noun in gender and case.
• Adverb: Remains in the accusative form (-an), regardless of the gender of the subject.

• ⁧الْوَلَدُ حَزِينٌ.⁩

  alwạlạdụ ḥạzīnụṇ.alwaladu ḥazīnun.ʾalwaladu ḥaziynú.alwld ḥzyn.

  The boy is sad. (Adjective describing the boy)

• ⁧بَكَى الْوَلَدُ حَزِينًا.⁩

  bạkā ᵃlwạlạdụ ḥạzīnạṇ.bakā ᵃlwaladu ḥazīnan.bakā ᵃlwaladu ḥaziyná.bka ᵃlwld ḥzyna.

  The boy cried sadly. (Adverb describing the crying)