Verbs: Jussive Mood

01

Negating the Past with ⁧لَمْ⁩ (lạm)

The most common use of the Jussive is with the particle ⁧⁧لَمْ⁩⁩ (lạmlamlamlm). When placed before a present tense verb, it shifts the meaning to the past tense negation. Even though the verb looks like the present tense, the meaning is "did not".

For standard verbs, change the final vowel (u) to a ⁧⁧سُكُون⁩⁩ (sụkūnsukūnsukuwnskwn).

• ⁧لَمْ يَدْرُسْ الْيَوْمَ.⁩

  lạm yạdrụs ᵃlyạwmạ.lam yadrus ᵃlyawma.lam yadrus ᵃlyawma.lm ydrs ᵃlywm.

  He did not study today.

• ⁧لَمْ أَفْهَمْ السُّؤَالَ.⁩

  lạm ʼạfhạm ᵃssụʼālạ.lam ʾafham ᵃssuʾāla.lam ˈafham ᵃssuˈāla.lm ˈafhm ᵃsʾal.

  I did not understand the question.

• ⁧لَمْ نَشْرَبْ الْقَهْوَةَ.⁩

  lạm nạšrạb ᵃlqạhwạẗạ.lam nas͟hrab ᵃlqahwata.lam našrab ᵃlqahwaẗa.lm nšrb ᵃlqhwẗ.

  We did not drink the coffee.

02

Prohibitions with ⁧لَا⁩ (lā)

To tell someone not to do something, use the "prohibitive ⁧⁧لَا⁩⁩ (lālālāla)" followed by the Jussive verb. This corresponds to the English imperative "Don't!".

Note the difference:

* ⁧⁧لَا تَكْتُبُ⁩⁩ (lā tạktụbụlā taktubulā taktubula tktb) with a u sound means "You are not writing" (Statement).

* ⁧⁧لَا تَكْتُبْ⁩⁩ (lā tạktụblā taktublā taktubla tktb) with a ⁧⁧سُكُون⁩⁩ (sụkūnsukūnsukuwnskwn) means "Do not write!" (Command).

• ⁧لَا تَجْلِسْ هُنَا.⁩

  lā tạjlịs hụnā.lā tad͟jlis hunā.lā taǧlis hunā.la tjls hna.

  Do not sit here.

• ⁧يَا أَحْمَدُ، لَا تَذْهَبْ!⁩

  yā ʼạḥmạdụ, lā tạḏhạb!yā ʾaḥmadu, lā tad͟hhab!yā ˈaḥmadu, lā taḏhab!ya ˈaḥmd, la tḏhb!

  Ahmed, do not go!

03

Indirect Commands with ⁧لِـ⁩ (lị-)

The particle ⁧⁧لِـ⁩⁩ (lị-li-li-l-), often called the "⁧⁧لَام⁩⁩ (lāmlāmlāmlam) of Command," is attached to the beginning of the verb to create a command for the third person ("Let him/her...") or a suggestion for the first person ("Let us...").

• ⁧لِنَذْهَبْ إِلَى السُّوقِ.⁩

  lịnạḏhạb ʼịlā ᵃssūqị.linad͟hhab ʾilā ᵃssūqi.linaḏhab ˌilā ᵃssuwqi.lnḏhb ˌila ᵃswq.

  Let's go to the market.

• ⁧لِيَكْتُبْ كُلُّ طَالِبٍ اسْمَهُ.⁩

  lịyạktụb kụllụ ṭālịbịṇ ismạhụ.liyaktub kullu ṭālibin ismahu.liyaktub kullu ṭālibí ismahu.lyktb kl ṭalb ismh.

  Let every student write his name.

04

Changes in "Five Verbs" (Plurals and 2nd Person Feminine)

Verbs that end in ⁧⁧ن⁩⁩ (nūnnūnnuwnnwn) in the standard present tense—such as the dual, masculine plural, and singular feminine "you"—drop the ⁧⁧ن⁩⁩ (nūnnūnnuwnnwn) in the Jussive mood.

* ⁧⁧تَكْتُبِينَ⁩⁩ (tạktụbīnạtaktubīnataktubiynatktbyn) - you f. write becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ تَكْتُبِي⁩⁩ (lạm tạktụbīlam taktubīlam taktubiylm tktby)

* ⁧⁧يَكْتُبُونَ⁩⁩ (yạktụbūnạyaktubūnayaktubuwnayktbwn) - they m. write becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ يَكْتُبُوا⁩⁩ (lạm yạktụbūlam yaktubūlam yaktubuwlm yktbw) (an silent ⁧⁧أَلِف⁩⁩ (ʼạlịfʾalifˈalifˈalf) is added after the ⁧⁧وَاو⁩⁩ (wāwwāwwāwwaw))

* ⁧⁧تَكْتُبَانِ⁩⁩ (tạktụbānịtaktubānitaktubānitktban) - you two write becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ تَكْتُبَا⁩⁩ (lạm tạktụbālam taktubālam taktubālm tktba)

• ⁧لِمَاذَا لَمْ تَأْكُلُوا؟⁩

  lịmāḏā lạm tạʼkụlū?limād͟hā lam taʾkulū?limāḏā lam taˈkuluw?lmaḏa lm tʼklw?

  Why did you (pl.) not eat?

• ⁧لَا تَلْعَبَا فِي الشَّارِعِ.⁩

  lā tạlʕạbā fī ᵃššārịʕị.lā talʿabā fī ᵃs͟hs͟hāriʿi.lā talʿabā fiy ᵃššāriʿi.la tlʕba fy ᵃšarʕ.

  Do not (you two) play in the street.

• ⁧أَنْتِ لَمْ تَسْمَعِي الْخَبَرَ.⁩

  ʼạntị lạm tạsmạʕī ᵃlḵạbạrạ.ʾanti lam tasmaʿī ᵃlk͟habara.ˈanti lam tasmaʿiy ᵃlẖabara.ˈant lm tsmʕy ᵃlḵbr.

  You (f.) did not hear the news.

Note: The feminine plural form (ending in ⁧⁧ـْنَ⁩⁩ (-nạ-na-na-n), like ⁧⁧يَكْتُبْنَ⁩⁩ (yạktụbnạyaktubnayaktubnayktbn)) is an exception; it does not change.

• ⁧الطَّالِبَاتُ لَمْ يَذْهَبْنَ.⁩

  aṭṭālịbātụ lạm yạḏhạbnạ.aṭṭālibātu lam yad͟hhabna.ʾaṭṭālibātu lam yaḏhabna.alṭalbat lm yḏhbn.

  The students (f.) did not go.

05

Irregular Verbs: Weak Letters

If a verb has a long vowel (weak letter) as its final root letter, that vowel is completely dropped in the Jussive mood. This shortens the sound of the word significantly.

* ⁧⁧يَمْشِي⁩⁩ (yạmšīyams͟hīyamšiyymšy) - he walks becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ يَمْشِ⁩⁩ (lạm yạmšịlam yams͟hilam yamšilm ymš).

* ⁧⁧يَنْسَى⁩⁩ (yạnsāyansāyansāynsa) - he forgets becomes ⁧⁧لَا تَنْسَ⁩⁩ (lā tạnsạlā tansalā tansala tns) - don't forget.

• ⁧لَمْ يَبْقَ أَحَدٌ فِي الْبَيْتِ.⁩

  lạm yạbqạ ʼạḥạdụṇ fī ᵃlbạytị.lam yabqa ʾaḥadun fī ᵃlbayti.lam yabqa ˈaḥadú fiy ᵃlbayti.lm ybq ˈaḥd fy ᵃlbyt.

  No one remained in the house.

• ⁧لَا تَبْكِ يَا صَدِيقِي.⁩

  lā tạbkị yā ṣạdīqī.lā tabki yā ṣadīqī.lā tabki yā ṣadiyqiy.la tbk ya ṣdyqy.

  Do not cry, my friend.

06

Irregular Verbs: Hollow Verbs

If a verb has a long vowel in the middle (like ⁧⁧يَقُولُ⁩⁩ (yạqūlụyaqūluyaquwluyqwl) - to say), the long vowel is shortened to prevent two silent letters — two ⁧⁧سُكُون⁩⁩ (sụkūnsukūnsukuwnskwn) — from meeting.

* ⁧⁧يَقُولُ⁩⁩ (yạqūlụyaqūluyaquwluyqwl) becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ يَقُلْ⁩⁩ (lạm yạqụllam yaqullam yaqullm yql).

* ⁧⁧يَنَامُ⁩⁩ (yạnāmụyanāmuyanāmuynam) - he sleeps becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ يَنَمْ⁩⁩ (lạm yạnạmlam yanamlam yanamlm ynm).

• ⁧لَمْ أَقُلْ ذَلِكَ.⁩

  lạm ʼạqụl ḏặlịkạ.lam ʾaqul d͟hālika.lam ˈaqul ḏālika.lm ˈaql ḏlk.

  I did not say that.

• ⁧لَا تَكُنْ حَزِينًا.⁩

  lā tạkụn ḥạzīnạṇ.lā takun ḥazīnan.lā takun ḥaziyná.la tkn ḥzyna.

  Do not be sad.

07

Pronunciation Note

While the Jussive sign is a ⁧⁧سُكُون⁩⁩ (sụkūnsukūnsukuwnskwn), if the word immediately following the verb starts with a ⁧⁧سُكُون⁩⁩ (sụkūnsukūnsukuwnskwn) (like words starting with ⁧⁧ال⁩⁩ (alalʾalal)), the verb's final ⁧⁧سُكُون⁩⁩ (sụkūnsukūnsukuwnskwn) often changes to a short vowel (usually ⁧⁧كَسْرَة⁩⁩ (kạsrạẗkasrahkasraẗksrẗ) i) to make pronunciation easier. This is purely phonetic.

• ⁧لَمْ يَشْرَبِ الْوَلَدُ.⁩

  lạm yạšrạbị ᵃlwạlạdụ.lam yas͟hrabi ᵃlwaladu.lam yašrabi ᵃlwaladu.lm yšrb ᵃlwld.

  The boy did not drink. (Changed from yashrab to yashrabi).