Verbs: Jussive Mood

01

Negating the Past with ⁧لَمْ⁩ (lam)

The most common use of the Jussive is with the particle ⁧⁧لَمْ⁩⁩ (lam). 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 (sukūnsukūnsukuwnsukwn).

• ⁧لَمْ يَدْرُسْ الْيَوْمَ.⁩

  lam yadrus al-yawma.lam yadrus al-yawma.lam yadrus ʾal-yawma.lam yadrus al-yawma.

  He did not study today.

• ⁧لَمْ أَفْهَمْ السُّؤَالَ.⁩

  lam afham as-suʾāla.lam afham as-suʾāla.lam ʾafham ʾas-suʾāla.lam afham as-suʾala.

  I did not understand the question.

• ⁧لَمْ نَشْرَبْ الْقَهْوَةَ.⁩

  lam nashrab al-qahwata.lam nashrab al-qahwata.lam nashrab ʾal-qahwata.lam nashrab al-qahwata.

  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 taktubulā taktubulā taktubula taktubu) with a u sound means "You are not writing" (Statement).

* ⁧⁧لَا تَكْتُبْ⁩⁩ (lā taktublā taktublā taktubla taktub) with a ⁧⁧سُكُون⁩⁩ (sukūnsukūnsukuwnsukwn) means "Do not write!" (Command).

• ⁧لَا تَجْلِسْ هُنَا.⁩

  lā tajlis hunā.lā tad͟jlis hunā.lā taǧlis hunā.la tajlis huna.

  Do not sit here.

• ⁧يَا أَحْمَدُ، لَا تَذْهَبْ!⁩

  yā Aḥmadu, lā tadhhab!yā Aḥmadu, lā tadhhab!yā Aḥmadu, lā tadhhab!ya Aḥmadu, la tadhab!

  Ahmed, do not go!

03

Indirect Commands with ⁧لِـ⁩ (li-)

The particle ⁧⁧لِـ⁩⁩ (li-), 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.⁩

  linadhhab ilā as-sūqi.linadhhab ilā as-sūqi.linadhhab ilā ʾas-suwqi.linadhab ila as-swqi.

  Let's go to the market.

• ⁧لِيَكْتُبْ كُلُّ طَالِبٍ اسْمَهُ.⁩

  liyaktub kullu ṭālibin ismahu.liyaktub kullu ṭālibin ismahu.liyaktub kullu ṭālibin ismahu.liyaktub kulu ṭalibin ismahu.

  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 (taktubīnataktubīnataktubiynataktubyna) - you f. write becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ تَكْتُبِي⁩⁩ (lam taktubīlam taktubīlam taktubiylam taktuby)

* ⁧⁧يَكْتُبُونَ⁩⁩ (yaktubūnayaktubūnayaktubuwnayaktubwna) - they m. write becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ يَكْتُبُوا⁩⁩ (lam yaktubūlam yaktubūlam yaktubuwlam yaktubw) (an silent ⁧⁧أَلِف⁩⁩ (alifalifʾalifalif) is added after the ⁧⁧وَاو⁩⁩ (wāwwāwwāwwaw))

* ⁧⁧تَكْتُبَانِ⁩⁩ (taktubānitaktubānitaktubānitaktubani) - you two write becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ تَكْتُبَا⁩⁩ (lam taktubālam taktubālam taktubālam taktuba)

• ⁧لِمَاذَا لَمْ تَأْكُلُوا؟⁩

  limādhā lam taʾkulū?limādhā lam taʾkulū?limādhā lam taʾkuluw?limadha lam taʾkulw?

  Why did you (pl.) not eat?

• ⁧لَا تَلْعَبَا فِي الشَّارِعِ.⁩

  lā talʿabā fī ash-shāriʿi.lā talʿabā fī ash-shāriʿi.lā talʿabā fiy ʾash-shāriʿi.la talʿaba fy ash-shariʿi.

  Do not (you two) play in the street.

• ⁧أَنْتِ لَمْ تَسْمَعِي الْخَبَرَ.⁩

  anti lam tasmaʿī al-khabara.anti lam tasmaʿī al-khabara.ʾanti lam tasmaʿiy ʾal-khabara.anti lam tasmaʿy al-khabara.

  You (f.) did not hear the news.

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

• ⁧الطَّالِبَاتُ لَمْ يَذْهَبْنَ.⁩

  aṭ-ṭālibātu lam yadhhabna.aṭ-ṭālibātu lam yadhhabna.ʾaṭ-ṭālibātu lam yadhhabna.aṭ-ṭalibatu lam yadhabna.

  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 (yamshīyamshīyamshiyyamshy) - he walks becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ يَمْشِ⁩⁩ (lam yamshi).

* ⁧⁧يَنْسَى⁩⁩ (yansāyansāyansāyansa) - he forgets becomes ⁧⁧لَا تَنْسَ⁩⁩ (lā tansalā tansalā tansala tansa) - don't forget.

• ⁧لَمْ يَبْقَ أَحَدٌ فِي الْبَيْتِ.⁩

  lam yabqa aḥadun fī al-bayti.lam yabqa aḥadun fī al-bayti.lam yabqa ʾaḥadun fiy ʾal-bayti.lam yabqa aḥadun fy al-bayti.

  No one remained in the house.

• ⁧لَا تَبْكِ يَا صَدِيقِي.⁩

  lā tabki yā ṣadīqī.lā tabki yā ṣadīqī.lā tabki yā ṣadiyqiy.la tabki ya ṣadyqy.

  Do not cry, my friend.

06

Irregular Verbs: Hollow Verbs

If a verb has a long vowel in the middle (like ⁧⁧يَقُولُ⁩⁩ (yaqūluyaqūluyaquwluyaqwlu) - to say), the long vowel is shortened to prevent two silent letters (⁧⁧سُكُون⁩⁩ (sukūnsukūnsukuwnsukwn)s (sukūns)) from meeting.

* ⁧⁧يَقُولُ⁩⁩ (yaqūluyaqūluyaquwluyaqwlu) becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ يَقُلْ⁩⁩ (lam yaqul).

* ⁧⁧يَنَامُ⁩⁩ (yanāmuyanāmuyanāmuyanamu) - he sleeps becomes ⁧⁧لَمْ يَنَمْ⁩⁩ (lam yanam).

• ⁧لَمْ أَقُلْ ذَلِكَ.⁩

  lam aqul dhālika.lam aqul dhālika.lam ʾaqul dhālika.lam aqul dhalika.

  I did not say that.

• ⁧لَا تَكُنْ حَزِينًا.⁩

  lā takun ḥazīnan.lā takun ḥazīnan.lā takun ḥaziynan.la takun ḥazynan.

  Do not be sad.

07

Pronunciation Note

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

• ⁧لَمْ يَشْرَبِ الْوَلَدُ.⁩

  lam yashrabi al-waladu.lam yashrabi al-waladu.lam yashrabi ʾal-waladu.lam yashrabi al-waladu.

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