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 (ḑạmmạẗḍammahḍammaẗḍmẗ) (u-sound) to a ⁧⁧فَتْحَة⁩⁩ (fạtḥạẗfatḥahfatḥaẗftḥẗ) (a-sound).

This applies to the pronouns ⁧⁧أَنَا⁩⁩ (ʼạnāʾanāˈanāˈana), ⁧⁧أَنْتَ⁩⁩ (ʼạntạʾantaˈantaˈant), ⁧⁧هُوَ⁩⁩ (hụwạhuwahuwahw), ⁧⁧هِيَ⁩⁩ (hịyạhiyahiyahy), and ⁧⁧نَحْنُ⁩⁩ (nạḥnụnaḥnunaḥnunḥn).

• Indicative: ⁧⁧أَكْتُبُ⁩⁩ (ʼạktụbụʾaktubuˈaktubuˈaktb) - I write.
• Subjunctive: ⁧⁧أَكْتُبَ⁩⁩ (ʼạktụbạʾaktubaˈaktubaˈaktb) - ...that I write.

• ⁧يَجِبُ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ الْآنَ.⁩

  yạjịbụ ʼạn ʼạḏhạbạ ᵃlʼānạ.yad͟jibu ʾan ʾad͟hhaba ᵃlʾāna.yaǧibu ˈan ˈaḏhaba ᵃlˈāna.yjb ˈan ˈaḏhb ᵃlʾan.

  I must go now.

• ⁧يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَشْرَبَ الْمَاءَ.⁩

  yụrīdụ ʼạn yạšrạbạ ᵃlmāʼạ.yurīdu ʾan yas͟hraba ᵃlmāʾa.yuriydu ˈan yašraba ᵃlmāˈa.yryd ˈan yšrb ᵃlmaˈa.

  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 (tạktụbīnạtaktubīnataktubiynatktbyn) becomes ⁧⁧تَكْتُبِي⁩⁩ (tạktụbītaktubītaktubiytktby).
• You (masc. pl.): ⁧⁧تَكْتُبُونَ⁩⁩ (tạktụbūnạtaktubūnataktubuwnatktbwn) becomes ⁧⁧تَكْتُبُوا⁩⁩ (tạktụbūtaktubūtaktubuwtktbw). Note that a silent ⁧⁧ا⁩⁩ (ʼạlịfʾalifˈalifˈalf) is added after the ⁧⁧و⁩⁩ (wāwwāwwāwwaw).
• They (masc. pl.): ⁧⁧يَكْتُبُونَ⁩⁩ (yạktụbūnạyaktubūnayaktubuwnayktbwn) becomes ⁧⁧يَكْتُبُوا⁩⁩ (yạktụbūyaktubūyaktubuwyktbw).
• Dual forms: ⁧⁧تَكْتُبَانِ⁩⁩ (tạktụbānịtaktubānitaktubānitktban) becomes ⁧⁧تَكْتُبَا⁩⁩ (tạktụbātaktubātaktubātktba).

• ⁧يُمْكِنُكُمَا أَنْ تَجْلِسَا هُنَا.⁩

  yụmkịnụkụmā ʼạn tạjlịsā hụnā.yumkinukumā ʾan tad͟jlisā hunā.yumkinukumā ˈan taǧlisā hunā.ymknkma ˈan tjlsa hna.

  You two can sit here.

• ⁧لَنْ يَأْكُلُوا فِي الْمَطْعَمِ.⁩

  lạn yạʼkụlū fī ᵃlmạṭʕạmị.lan yaʾkulū fī ᵃlmaṭʿami.lan yaˈkuluw fiy ᵃlmaṭʿami.ln yʼklw fy ᵃlmṭʕm.

  They will not eat at the restaurant.

• ⁧تُحِبِّينَ أَنْ تَقْرَئِي.⁩

  tụḥịbbīnạ ʼạn tạqrạʼī.tuḥibbīna ʾan taqraʾī.tuḥibbiyna ˈan taqraˈiy.tḥbyn ˈan tqrʼy.

  You (fem.) like to read.

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

03

Using 'An' (To/That)

The particle ⁧⁧أَنْ⁩⁩ (ʼạnʾanˈanˈan) 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.⁩

  ʼụrīdụ ʼạn ʼụsāfịrạ ʼịlā mịṣrạ.ʾurīdu ʾan ʾusāfira ʾilā miṣra.ˈuriydu ˈan ˈusāfira ˌilā miṣra.ˈaryd ˈan ˈasafr ˌila mṣr.

  I want to travel to Egypt.

• ⁧أُفَضِّلُ أَنْ نَبْقَى فِي الْبَيْتِ.⁩

  ʼụfạḑḑịlụ ʼạn nạbqā fī ᵃlbạytị.ʾufaḍḍilu ʾan nabqā fī ᵃlbayti.ˈufaḍḍilu ˈan nabqā fiy ᵃlbayti.ˈafḍḍl ˈan nbqa fy ᵃlbyt.

  I prefer that we stay at home.

04

Future Negation with 'Lan'

The particle ⁧⁧لَنْ⁩⁩ (lạnlanlanln) 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 (lạnlanlanln) always triggers the subjunctive mood.

• ⁧لَنْ أَنْسَى هَذَا الْيَوْمَ.⁩

  lạn ʼạnsā hặḏā ᵃlyạwmạ.lan ʾansā hād͟hā ᵃlyawma.lan ˈansā hāḏā ᵃlyawma.ln ˈansa hḏa ᵃlywm.

  I will not forget this day.

• ⁧لَنْ يَحْضُرُوا الِاجْتِمَاعَ.⁩

  lạn yạḥḑụrū ᵃlijtịmāʕạ.lan yaḥḍurū ᵃlid͟jtimāʿa.lan yaḥḍuruw ᵃliǧtimāʿa.ln yḥḍrw ᵃlijtmaʕ.

  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 (lị-li-li-l-) and ⁧⁧كَيْ⁩⁩ (kạykaykayky).

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

• ⁧أَدْرُسُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ لِأَفْهَمَ الْقُرْآنَ.⁩

  ʼạdrụsụ ᵃlʕạrạbịyyạẗạ lịʼạfhạmạ ᵃlqụrʼānạ.ʾadrusu ᵃlʿarabiyyata liʾafhama ᵃlqurʾāna.ˈadrusu ᵃlʿarabiyyaẗa liˈafhama ᵃlqurˈāna.ˈadrs ᵃlʕrbyẗ lˈafhm ᵃlqrʾan.

  I study Arabic to understand the Quran.

• ⁧ذَهَبَتْ إِلَى السُّوقِ كَيْ تَشْتَرِيَ خُبْزًا.⁩

  ḏạhạbạt ʼịlā ᵃssūqị kạy tạštạrịyạ ḵụbzạṇ.d͟hahabat ʾilā ᵃssūqi kay tas͟htariya k͟hubzan.ḏahabat ˌilā ᵃssuwqi kay taštariya ẖubzá.ḏhbt ˌila ᵃswq ky tštry ḵbza.

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