Language/Standard-arabic/Grammar/Negations

Negations in the Arabic language

In this lesson, I will explain the main negation rules in arabic and their common usage.

غير

Negation of the adjectives

• غير صحيح = NOT true.
• غير ممكن = NOT possible.
• غير مسموح = NOT permitted.
• غير موجود = NOT found.

Negation of the pronoun

• غير ذلك = Other than that; something else.
• غير هذا = but this.

PS: (غير) can be used to compound an adverbs:

• غير أن = nevertheless; but; however.

لا

Negation of the verbs (present tense):

• لا أذهب = I do NOT go.
• لا تذهب = Do NOT go (you).
• لا يستطيع = He can NOT.
• لا أملك وقت = I do NOT have time.

Negation of the nominal sentences

• لا أحد هنا = NO one / Nobody here.
• لا وجود = No existence.
• لا شيئ = Nothing.

Negation of the pronouns

• لا هذا ولا ذاك = NOT this, NOR that.

لم

Negation only the verbs (past tense)

(the verb after لم should be in present tense).

• لم يذهب = He did NOT go.
• لم أستطع = I could NOT.
• لم يعملوا =They did NOT work.
• لم نكن هناك = We have NOT been there.

ما

Negation the verbs (past tense)

(like لم, and the verb also in past tense)

• ما ذهب = He did NOT go.

Negation the verbs (present tense)

(like لا, and the verb also in present tense).

• ما أثق إلا في شخص واحد = I do NOT trust only one person. 

PS: (ما) can be used like WHAT :

• ما هذا؟ = WHAT is this?.
• ما رأيك؟ = WHAT's your opinion?.
• كل ما تستطيع فعله = All WHAT you can do.
• هذا ما أملك = This is WHAT I have.

لن

Negation only the verbs (future tense)

(the verb after لن should be in present tense).

• لن يأت = He WILL NOT come
• لن أفشل هذه المرة = I WILL NOT fail this time.