Language/Judeo-iraqi-arabic/Grammar/Negation
Hi Judeo-Iraqi Arabic learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on negation in Judeo-Iraqi Arabic grammar.
Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Give your Opinion, Questions, Conditional Mood & Adjectives.
Negating a sentence[edit | edit source]
In Judeo-Iraqi Arabic, to negate a sentence, we use the word "ma" (ما) which means "not". The word "ma" is placed before the verb.
For example:
| Judeo-Iraqi Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ما بشرب ماء | ma bishrab ma' | I am not drinking water |
| ما تاكل خبز | ma ta'akol khobz | You are not eating bread |
| ما بيسافر بسرعة | ma bisafar bsor'a | He is not travelling quickly |
| ما بيحب الجبن | ma bihib el gebn | He does not like cheese |
Negating with "never"[edit | edit source]
To express "never" in Judeo-Iraqi Arabic we use the word "metnayn" (متنين) which literally means "two times". It is placed before the verb.
For example:
| Judeo-Iraqi Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ما كتابت مقال متنين | ma ketabet maqal metnayn | I have never written an article |
| مادرست عربي متنين | ma darast 'arabi metnayn | You have never studied Arabic |
| ما بيعرف اسباني متنين | ma beya'rif españi metnayn | He never knew Spanish |
| ما بناظر تلفزيون متنين | ma bena'zer telvizyon metnayn | She never watches TV |
Negating a noun or a pronoun[edit | edit source]
To negate a noun or a pronoun in Judeo-Iraqi Arabic, we use the word "mu" (مو) which means "not". The word "mu" is placed before the noun.
For example:
| Judeo-Iraqi Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| مو سائق | mu sa'eq | He is not a driver |
| مو بحبك | mu bahebbak | I do not love you |
| مو دانيال | mu danyal | He is not Daniel |
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
- Person 1: ما بحب البامية (ma baheb el bamieh) (I do not like okra)
- Person 2: ماكو مشكلة (makoo mushkila) (No problem)
Tips[edit | edit source]
To reinforce your understanding of negation in Judeo-Iraqi Arabic grammar, you can practice examples in full sentences out loud or with a native speaker. To improve your Judeo-Iraqi Arabic Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Sources[edit | edit source]
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➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎