Preposition ل with Pronoun Suffixes

01

The Vowel Shift: From 'Li-' to 'La-'

For most pronouns, the vowel on the preposition changes from the "i" sound ⁧⁧كَسْرَة⁩⁩ (kạsrạẗkasrahkasraẗksrẗ) to the "a" sound ⁧⁧فَتْحَة⁩⁩ (fạtḥạẗfatḥahfatḥaẗftḥẗ). Instead of ⁧⁧لِـ⁩⁩ (lị-li-li-l-), it becomes ⁧⁧لَـ⁩⁩ (lạ-la-la-l-). This applies to the suffixes for "you", "him", "her", "us", and "them".

• ⁧هَذِهِ الهَدِيَّةُ لَكَ.⁩

  hặḏịhị ᵃlhạdịyyạẗụ lạkạ.hād͟hihi ᵃlhadiyyatu laka.hāḏihi ᵃlhadiyyaẗu laka.hḏh ᵃlhdyẗ lk.

  This gift is for you (masculine).

• ⁧الكِتَابُ لَهَا.⁩

  alkịtābụ lạhā.alkitābu lahā.ʾalkitābu lahā.alktab lha.

  The book is for her.

02

The Exception: First Person Singular ("Me")

There is one important exception to the vowel shift rule. When the preposition is attached to the suffix for "me" (⁧⁧ـي⁩⁩ (-ī-ī-iy-y)), it retains its original "i" sound ⁧⁧كَسْرَة⁩⁩ (kạsrạẗkasrahkasraẗksrẗ). The combination is pronounced ⁧⁧لِي⁩⁩ (līlīliyly).

• ⁧هَذَا لِي.⁩

  hặḏā lī.hād͟hā lī.hāḏā liy.hḏa ly.

  This is for me.

• ⁧هَلْ هَذَا لِي أَمْ لَكَ؟⁩

  hạl hặḏā lī ʼạm lạkạ?hal hād͟hā lī ʾam laka?hal hāḏā liy ˈam laka?hl hḏa ly ˈam lk?

  Is this for me or for you?

03

Expressing Possession ("To Have")

Arabic does not use a single verb equivalent to the English "to have". Instead, possession is often expressed using a prepositional phrase. Using ⁧⁧لِـ⁩⁩ (lị-li-li-l-) with a pronoun suffix literally means "to [someone] is..." or "for [someone] is...", which functions as "I have", "you have", etc.

This structure is particularly common when talking about family members or abstract concepts.

• ⁧لِي أُخْتٌ وَاحِدَةٌ.⁩

  lī ʼụḵtụṇ wāḥịdạẗụṇ.lī ʾuk͟htun wāḥidatun.liy ˈuẖtú wāḥidaẗú.ly ˈaḵt waḥdẗ.

  I have one sister.

• ⁧هَلْ لَكَ سُؤَالٌ؟⁩

  hạl lạkạ sụʼālụṇ?hal laka suʾālun?hal laka suˈālú?hl lk sʾal?

  Do you have a question?

• ⁧لَنَا بَيْتٌ كَبِيرٌ.⁩

  lạnā bạytụṇ kạbīrụṇ.lanā baytun kabīrun.lanā baytú kabiyrú.lna byt kbyr.

  We have a big house.

04

Summary of Common Forms

Here are the most common combinations of the preposition ⁧⁧لِـ⁩⁩ (lị-li-li-l-) with pronoun suffixes:

• ⁧⁧لِي⁩⁩ (līlīliyly) - for me / I have
• ⁧⁧لَكَ⁩⁩ (lạkạlakalakalk) - for you (male) / you have
• ⁧⁧لَكِ⁩⁩ (lạkịlakilakilk) - for you (female) / you have
• ⁧⁧لَهُ⁩⁩ (lạhụlahulahulh) - for him / he has
• ⁧⁧لَهَا⁩⁩ (lạhālahālahālha) - for her / she has
• ⁧⁧لَنَا⁩⁩ (lạnālanālanālna) - for us / we have
• ⁧⁧لَهُمْ⁩⁩ (lạhụmlahumlahumlhm) - for them / they have