Verbs: Subjunctive Mood

01

Formation: The Vowel Change

For singular verbs (except the feminine "you") and the first person plural ("we"), the subjunctive is formed by changing the final vowel from a ⁧⁧ضَمَّة⁩⁩ (ḍammaḍammaḍammaḍama) (u-sound) to a ⁧⁧فَتْحَة⁩⁩ (fatḥa) (a-sound).

This applies to the pronouns ⁧⁧أَنَا⁩⁩ (anāanāʾanāana), ⁧⁧أَنْتَ⁩⁩ (antaantaʾantaanta), ⁧⁧هُوَ⁩⁩ (huwa), ⁧⁧هِيَ⁩⁩ (hiya), and ⁧⁧نَحْنُ⁩⁩ (naḥnu).

• Indicative: ⁧⁧أَكْتُبُ⁩⁩ (aktubuaktubuʾaktubuaktubu) - I write.
• Subjunctive: ⁧⁧أَكْتُبَ⁩⁩ (aktubaaktubaʾaktubaaktuba) - ...that I write.

• ⁧يَجِبُ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ الْآنَ.⁩

  yajibu an adhhaba al-āna.yad͟jibu an adhhaba al-āna.yaǧibu ʾan ʾadhhaba ʾal-āna.yajibu an adhaba al-ana.

  I must go now.

• ⁧يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَشْرَبَ الْمَاءَ.⁩

  yurīdu an yashraba al-māʾa.yurīdu an yashraba al-māʾa.yuriydu ʾan yashraba ʾal-māʾa.yurydu an yashraba al-maʾa.

  He wants to drink water.

02

Formation: Dropping the Nun

For verbs that end in ⁧⁧ن⁩⁩ (nūnnūnnuwnnwn) in the standard present tense—specifically the dual forms, the plural masculine forms, and the singular feminine "you"—the subjunctive is formed by removing the final ⁧⁧ن⁩⁩ (nūnnūnnuwnnwn).

• You (fem. sg.): ⁧⁧تَكْتُبِينَ⁩⁩ (taktubīnataktubīnataktubiynataktubyna) becomes ⁧⁧تَكْتُبِي⁩⁩ (taktubītaktubītaktubiytaktuby).
• You (masc. pl.): ⁧⁧تَكْتُبُونَ⁩⁩ (taktubūnataktubūnataktubuwnataktubwna) becomes ⁧⁧تَكْتُبُوا⁩⁩ (taktubūtaktubūtaktubuwtaktubw). Note that a silent ⁧⁧ا⁩⁩ (alifalifʾalifalif) is added after the ⁧⁧و⁩⁩ (wāwwāwwāwwaw).
• They (masc. pl.): ⁧⁧يَكْتُبُونَ⁩⁩ (yaktubūnayaktubūnayaktubuwnayaktubwna) becomes ⁧⁧يَكْتُبُوا⁩⁩ (yaktubūyaktubūyaktubuwyaktubw).
• Dual forms: ⁧⁧تَكْتُبَانِ⁩⁩ (taktubānitaktubānitaktubānitaktubani) becomes ⁧⁧تَكْتُبَا⁩⁩ (taktubātaktubātaktubātaktuba).

• ⁧يُمْكِنُكُمَا أَنْ تَجْلِسَا هُنَا.⁩

  yumkinukumā an tajlisā hunā.yumkinukumā an tad͟jlisā hunā.yumkinukumā ʾan taǧlisā hunā.yumkinukuma an tajlisa huna.

  You two can sit here.

• ⁧لَنْ يَأْكُلُوا فِي الْمَطْعَمِ.⁩

  lan yaʾkulū fī al-maṭʿami.lan yaʾkulū fī al-maṭʿami.lan yaʾkuluw fiy ʾal-maṭʿami.lan yaʾkulw fy al-maṭʿami.

  They will not eat at the restaurant.

• ⁧تُحِبِّينَ أَنْ تَقْرَئِي.⁩

  tuḥibbīna an taqraʾī.tuḥibbīna an taqraʾī.tuḥibbiyna ʾan taqraʾiy.tuḥibyna an taqraʾy.

  You (fem.) like to read.

Note: The feminine plural forms ending in ⁧⁧نَ⁩⁩ (na), such as ⁧⁧يَكْتُبْنَ⁩⁩ (yaktubna) and ⁧⁧تَكْتُبْنَ⁩⁩ (taktubna), are indeclinable. They do not change in the subjunctive mood.

03

Using 'An' (To/That)

The particle ⁧⁧أَنْ⁩⁩ (ananʾanan) is the most common trigger for the subjunctive. It functions similarly to the English "to" when connecting two verbs (e.g., "I want to go") or "that" in subordinate clauses. It is frequently used after verbs expressing desire, possibility, preference, or obligation.

• ⁧أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُسَافِرَ إِلَى مِصْرَ.⁩

  urīdu an usāfira ilā miṣra.urīdu an usāfira ilā miṣra.uriydu ʾan usāfira ilā miṣra.urydu an usafira ila miṣra.

  I want to travel to Egypt.

• ⁧أُفَضِّلُ أَنْ نَبْقَى فِي الْبَيْتِ.⁩

  ufaḍḍilu an nabqā fī al-bayti.ufaḍḍilu an nabqā fī al-bayti.ufaḍḍilu ʾan nabqā fiy ʾal-bayti.ufaḍilu an nabqa fy al-bayti.

  I prefer that we stay at home.

04

Future Negation with 'Lan'

The particle ⁧⁧لَنْ⁩⁩ (lan) is used to negate actions in the future. It translates to "will not." Unlike the standard negative particle ⁧⁧لَا⁩⁩ (lālālāla), which is followed by the indicative, ⁧⁧لَنْ⁩⁩ (lan) always triggers the subjunctive mood.

• ⁧لَنْ أَنْسَى هَذَا الْيَوْمَ.⁩

  lan ansā hādhā al-yawma.lan ansā hādhā al-yawma.lan ʾansā hādhā ʾal-yawma.lan ansa hadha al-yawma.

  I will not forget this day.

• ⁧لَنْ يَحْضُرُوا الِاجْتِمَاعَ.⁩

  lan yaḥḍurū al-ijtimāʿa.lan yaḥḍurū al-id͟jtimāʿa.lan yaḥḍuruw ʾal-iǧtimāʿa.lan yaḥḍurw al-ijtimaʿa.

  They will not attend the meeting.

05

Expressing Purpose

The subjunctive is also used to express the reason or purpose for an action ("so that" or "in order to"). The most common particles for this are ⁧⁧لِـ⁩⁩ (li-) and ⁧⁧كَيْ⁩⁩ (kay).

• ⁧⁧لِـ⁩⁩ (li-): Attached directly to the beginning of the verb.
• ⁧⁧كَيْ⁩⁩ (kay): Stands as a separate word before the verb.

• ⁧أَدْرُسُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ لِأَفْهَمَ الْقُرْآنَ.⁩

  adrusu al-ʿarabiyyata li-afhama al-qurʾāna.adrusu al-ʿarabiyyata li-afhama al-qurʾāna.ʾadrusu ʾal-ʿarabiyyata li-afhama ʾal-qurʾāna.adrusu al-ʿarabiyata li-afhama al-qurʾana.

  I study Arabic to understand the Quran.

• ⁧ذَهَبَتْ إِلَى السُّوقِ كَيْ تَشْتَرِيَ خُبْزًا.⁩

  dhahabat ilā al-sūqi kay tashtariya khubzan.dhahabat ilā al-sūqi kay tashtariya khubzan.dhahabat ilā ʾal-suwqi kay tashtariya khubzan.dhahabat ila al-swqi kay tashtariya khubzan.

  She went to the market so that she could buy bread.