Negation
Negation with لا, ليس, and ما
I can negate sentences using لا, ليس, and ما
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
لا أَعرِفُ
I don't know
لَيسَ هذا كِتابي
This is not my book
ما ذَهَبتُ إلى السّوقِ
I didn't go to the market
لَستُ مُتعَبًا
I am not tired
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
النفي (Negation)
Arabic uses different negation words depending on the sentence type:
| Negator | Used with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| لا | Present tense | لا أعرِفُ (I don't know) |
| لَيسَ | Nominal sentences | لَيسَ هذا كِتابي (This is not my book) |
| ما | Past tense | ما ذَهَبتُ (I didn't go) |
لا is simplest — just place before the verb. لَيسَ conjugates like a verb (لستُ, لستَ, ليست...) and puts the predicate in accusative (منصوب). ما placed before past tense verb.
Common Error Patterns
Using the wrong negator for the sentence type
لا = present, ما = past, ليس = nominal sentences
Not putting predicate in accusative after ليس
ليس puts خبر in accusative: لستُ مريضًا (not مريضٌ)
لا أَعرِفُ
I don't know
لا + present tense verb — the simplest negation pattern.
لَيسَ هذا كِتابي
This is not my book
ليس negates nominal sentences. Predicate becomes accusative (منصوب).
ما ذَهَبتُ إلى السّوقِ
I didn't go to the market
ما + past tense verb — negates completed actions.
لَستُ مُتعَبًا
I am not tired
لستُ = ليس conjugated for أنا. متعبًا in accusative (tanwin fatḥa).
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises