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Negation & Questions
Ways to negate statements and to ask questions in Arabic.
لَمْ يَذْهَبْ
he did not go
lam yadhhab
lam negates the past with the jussive
لَنْ يَذْهَبَ
he will not go
lan yadhhaba
lan negates the future with the subjunctive
مَا ذَهَبَ
he did not go
maa dhahaba
maa negates the past verb directly
لَيْسَ لَدَيَّ
I do not have
laysa ladayya
Negating possession
لَا أَحَدَ
nobody
laa ahada
The laa of absolute negation
لَا شَيْءَ
nothing
laa shay'a
Categorical negation
أَلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ
isn't that so
a-laysa kadhaalika
A negative confirmation question
هَلَّا
why not
hallaa
A particle of urging or gentle question
أَمْ
or (in questions)
am
Connects alternatives within a question
مَاذَا تُرِيدُ
what do you want
maadhaa turiidu
A compound question word