Adverbs from the Accusative Form

01

General Formation Rule

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

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

• ⁧يَمْشِي الرَّجُلُ سَرِيعًا.⁩

  yamshī ar-rajulu sarīʿan.yamshī ar-rad͟julu sarīʿan.yamshiy ʾar-raǧulu sariyʿan.yamshy ar-rajulu saryʿan.

  The man walks quickly.

• ⁧تَحَدَّثَ الْمُعَلِّمُ وَاضِحًا.⁩

  taḥaddatha al-muʿallimu wāḍiḥan.taḥaddatha al-muʿallimu wāḍiḥan.taḥaddatha ʾal-muʿallimu wāḍiḥan.taḥadatha al-muʿalimu waḍiḥan.

  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 (tāʾ marbūṭahtāʾ marbūṭahtāʾ marbuwṭahtaʾ marbwṭah):<

• ⁧هِيَ تَقْرَأُ الْجَرِيدَةَ يَوْمِيَّةً.⁩

  hiya taqraʾu al-jarīdata yawmiyyatan.hiya taqraʾu al-d͟jarīdata yawmiyyatan.hiya taqraʾu ʾal-ǧariydata yawmiyyatan.hiya taqraʾu al-jarydata yawmiyatan.

  She reads the newspaper daily.

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

• ⁧بَنَى الْمُهَنْدِسُ بِنَاءً جَدِيدًا.⁩

  banā al-muhandisu bināʾan jadīdan.banā al-muhandisu bināʾan d͟jadīdan.banā ʾal-muhandisu bināʾan ǧadiydan.bana al-muhandisu binaʾan jadydan.

  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 (jiddand͟jiddanǧiddanjidan) - very
• ⁧⁧كَثِيرًا⁩⁩ (kathīrankathīrankathiyrankathyran) - a lot / much
• ⁧⁧قَلِيلًا⁩⁩ (qalīlanqalīlanqaliylanqalylan) - a little

• ⁧هَذَا الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ جِدًّا.⁩

  hādhā al-baytu kabīrun jiddan.hādhā al-baytu kabīrun d͟jiddan.hādhā ʾal-baytu kabiyrun ǧiddan.hadha al-baytu kabyrun jidan.

  This house is very big.

• ⁧أُحِبُّ الْقَهْوَةَ كَثِيرًا.⁩

  uḥibbu al-qahwata kathīran.uḥibbu al-qahwata kathīran.uḥibbu ʾal-qahwata kathiyran.uḥibu al-qahwata kathyran.

  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 (ghadan) - tomorrow
• ⁧⁧دَائِمًا⁩⁩ (dāʾimandāʾimandāʾimandaʾiman) - always
• ⁧⁧أَبَدًا⁩⁩ (abadanabadanʾabadanabadan) - never (with negative verbs) / forever
• ⁧⁧أَحْيَانًا⁩⁩ (aḥyānanaḥyānanʾaḥyānanaḥyanan) - sometimes

• ⁧سَأَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ غَدًا.⁩

  sa-adhhabu ilā al-madrasati ghadan.sa-adhhabu ilā al-madrasati ghadan.sa-adhhabu ilā ʾal-madrasati ghadan.sa-adhabu ila al-madrasati ghadan.

  I will go to school tomorrow.

• ⁧هُوَ يَصِلُ مُتَأَخِّرًا دَائِمًا.⁩

  huwa yaṣilu mutaʾakhkhiran dāʾiman.huwa yaṣilu mutaʾakhkhiran dāʾiman.huwa yaṣilu mutaʾakhkhiran dāʾiman.huwa yaṣilu mutaʾakhkhiran daʾiman.

  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.⁩

  al-waladu ḥazīnun.al-waladu ḥazīnun.ʾal-waladu ḥaziynun.al-waladu ḥazynun.

  The boy is sad. (Adjective describing the boy)

• ⁧بَكَى الْوَلَدُ حَزِينًا.⁩

  bakā al-waladu ḥazīnan.bakā al-waladu ḥazīnan.bakā ʾal-waladu ḥaziynan.baka al-waladu ḥazynan.

  The boy cried sadly. (Adverb describing the crying)