Verb Negation

01

Negating the Present Tense

To say that something is not happening right now, or does not happen generally, use the particle ⁧⁧لَا⁩⁩ (lālālāla) followed by the verb in the present tense.

The verb remains in its standard form (Indicative mood), usually ending with the vowel -u.

• ⁧لَا أَشْرَبُ الْقَهْوَةَ.⁩

  lā ashrabu al-qahwata.lā ashrabu al-qahwata.lā ʾashrabu ʾal-qahwata.la ashrabu al-qahwata.

  I do not drink coffee.

• ⁧لَا يَعْرِفُ الْإِجَابَةَ.⁩

  lā yaʿrifu al-ijābata.lā yaʿrifu al-id͟jābata.lā yaʿrifu ʾal-iǧābata.la yaʿrifu al-ijabata.

  He does not know the answer.

• ⁧هُمْ لَا يَسْكُنُونَ هُنَا.⁩

  hum lā yaskunūna hunā.hum lā yaskunūna hunā.hum lā yaskunuwna hunā.hum la yaskunwna huna.

  They do not live here.

02

Negating the Future

To express that something will not happen, use the particle ⁧⁧لَنْ⁩⁩ (lan).

When using ⁧⁧لَنْ⁩⁩ (lan), two changes occur:

• You do not use the future prefix ⁧⁧سَـ⁩⁩ (sa-).
• The verb changes to the Subjunctive mood. For singular verbs, the final vowel changes from -u to -a.

• ⁧لَنْ نُسَافِرَ غَدًا.⁩

  lan nusāfira ghadan.lan nusāfira ghadan.lan nusāfira ghadan.lan nusafira ghadan.

  We will not travel tomorrow.

• ⁧لَنْ يَنْجَحَ الْكَسُولُ.⁩

  lan yanjaḥa al-kasūlu.lan yand͟jaḥa al-kasūlu.lan yanǧaḥa ʾal-kasuwlu.lan yanjaḥa al-kaswlu.

  The lazy person will not succeed.

03

Negating the Past

There are two primary ways to negate past actions in Arabic.

1. Using ⁧⁧لَمْ⁩⁩ (lam)

This is the most common method in Modern Standard Arabic. You place ⁧⁧لَمْ⁩⁩ (lam) before a present tense verb to create a past tense meaning.

Grammatically, the verb enters the Jussive mood. This means the final short vowel is usually dropped and replaced with a ⁧⁧سُكُون⁩⁩ (sukūnsukūnsukuwnsukwn) (no vowel), or the final -n is dropped in plural forms.

• ⁧لَمْ أَكْتُبْ الْوَاجِبَ.⁩

  lam aktub al-wājiba.lam aktub al-wād͟jiba.lam ʾaktub ʾal-wāǧiba.lam aktub al-wajiba.

  I did not write the homework.

• ⁧لَمْ يَحْضُرْ الْمُدِيرُ.⁩

  lam yaḥḍur al-mudīru.lam yaḥḍur al-mudīru.lam yaḥḍur ʾal-mudiyru.lam yaḥḍur al-mudyru.

  The manager did not attend.

2. Using ⁧⁧مَا⁩⁩ (mā)

You can also use ⁧⁧مَا⁩⁩ (māmāmāma) followed by a verb in the past tense. This construction is grammatically simpler because the verb form does not change. It is frequently used in spoken dialects and narratives, often adding a sense of emphasis.

• ⁧مَا قُلْتُ ذَلِكَ.⁩

  mā qultu dhālika.mā qultu dhālika.mā qultu dhālika.ma qultu dhalika.

  I did not say that.

• ⁧مَا رَأَيْتُهُ الْيَوْمَ.⁩

  mā raʾaytuhu al-yawma.mā raʾaytuhu al-yawma.mā raʾaytuhu ʾal-yawma.ma raʾaytuhu al-yawma.

  I did not see him today.

04

Prohibition (Negative Imperative)

To tell someone not to do something, use ⁧⁧لَا⁩⁩ (lālālāla) followed by the verb in the Jussive mood (similar to the form used with ⁧⁧لَمْ⁩⁩ (lam)).

This is different from simple present negation.

• Negation: ⁧⁧لَا تَكْذِبُ⁩⁩ (lā takdhibulā takdhibulā takdhibula takdhibu) - You do not lie. (Fact)
• Prohibition: ⁧⁧لَا تَكْذِبْ⁩⁩ (lā takdhiblā takdhiblā takdhibla takdhib) - Do not lie! (Order)

• ⁧لَا تَفْتَحْ الْبَابَ.⁩

  lā taftaḥ al-bāba.lā taftaḥ al-bāba.lā taftaḥ ʾal-bāba.la taftaḥ al-baba.

  Do not open the door.

• ⁧لَا تَحْزَنِي يَا أُخْتِي.⁩

  lā taḥzanī yā ukhtī.lā taḥzanī yā ukhtī.lā taḥzaniy yā ukhtiy.la taḥzany ya ukhty.

  Do not be sad, my sister.

05

Negating "To Be"

Arabic nominal sentences (sentences starting with a noun) often imply the verb "to be" without writing it (e.g., "The house is big"). To negate these sentences, use the verb ⁧⁧لَيْسَ⁩⁩ (laysa).

Although ⁧⁧لَيْسَ⁩⁩ (laysa) conjugates like a past tense verb, it carries a present tense meaning ("is not", "are not", "am not").

• ⁧لَيْسَ الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرًا.⁩

  laysa al-baytu kabīran.laysa al-baytu kabīran.laysa ʾal-baytu kabiyran.laysa al-baytu kabyran.

  The house is not big.

• ⁧لَسْتُ طَالِبًا هُنَا.⁩

  lastu ṭāliban hunā.lastu ṭāliban hunā.lastu ṭāliban hunā.lastu ṭaliban huna.

  I am not a student here.

• ⁧لَيْسُوا جَاهِزِينَ بَعْدُ.⁩

  laysū jāhizīna baʿdu.laysū d͟jāhizīna baʿdu.laysuw ǧāhiziyna baʿdu.laysw jahizyna baʿdu.

  They are not ready yet.