2) Negative Questions
Negative sentences (e.g. you don’t) are turned into yes/no negative questions (e.g. don’t you?) by the same mechanism mentioned for positive sentences. However, the particle ‘a- is the one used in negative questions.
An important difference here from English lies in the answer to the question. If a question is a negative question then the answer must be with the word na”am نَعَمْfor agreement with the negative sentence of the question, or for saying “no” (e.g. no, I don’t), and the word balaaبَلَىْfor disagreement with the negative sentence of the question, or for saying “yes” (e.g. yes, I do).
Examples:
| Negative Sentence خَلِيْلٌ لَيْسَ هُنَاْ khaleel(un) lays(a) hunaa = Khalil is/exists not here Translation: Khalil is not here
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| Negative Sentence لَيْسَ خَلِيْلٌ هُنَاْ lays(a)khaleel(un) hunaa = is/exists notKhalil here Translation: Khalil is not here
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| Negative Question أَخَلِيْلٌ لَيْسَ هُنَاْ ؟ ‘a-khaleel(un) lays(a)hunaa = is it that Khalil is/exists not here Translation: is Khalil not here?
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| Negative Question أَلَيْسَ خَلِيْلٌ هُنَاْ ؟ ‘a-lays(a)khaleel(un) hunaa = is it that is/exists notKhalil here Translation: is not Khalil here?
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| Positive Answer نَعَمْ خَلِيْلٌ لَيْسَ هُنَاْ na”am khaleel(un) lays(a)hunaa = yes Khalil is/exists not here Translation: no, Khalil is not here
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| Positive Answer نَعَمْ لَيْسَ خَلِيْلٌ هُنَاْ na”am lays(a)khaleel(un) hunaa = yes is/exists notKhalil here Translation: no, Khalil is not here
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| Negative Answer بَلَىْ خَلِيْلٌ هُنَاْ balaa khaleel(un) hunaa = no Khalil (is) here Translation: yes, Khalil is here
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| Answering Negative Questions (don’t you?) | ||
| Agreement with the negative sentence (no, I don’t) | na”am | نَعَمْ |
| Disagreement with the negative sentence (yes, I do) | balaa | بَلَىْ |
When the ‘a- in the negative question is separated from negative word (e.g. lays(a)) by the subject, the emphasis of the question will be on the subject, making the question primarily about the subject rather than the verb or the action.
When the ‘a- in the negative question is followed directly by the negative word, the emphasis of the question will be on the verb or action, making the question primarily about it rather than about the subject.
| Negative Sentence الْطَّقْسُ لَيْسَ مُشْمِسًاْ ‘at–taqs(u) lays(a) mushmis(an) = the weather is/exists not sunny Translation: it is not sunny
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| Negative Sentence لَيْسَ الْطَّقْسُ مُشْمِسًاْ lays(a) (‘a)t–taqs(u) mushmis(an) = is/exists not the weather sunny Translation: it is not sunny
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| Negative Question آلْطََّقْسُ لَيْسَ مُشْمِسًاْ ؟ ‘aa–t–taqs(u) lays(a) mushmis(an) = is it that the weather is/exists not sunny Translation: is it not sunny?
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| Negative Question أَلَيْسَ الْطَّقْسُ مُشْمِسًاْ ؟ ‘a-lays(a) (‘a)t–taqs(u) mushmis(an) = is it that is/exists notthe weather sunny Translation: is not it sunny?
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| Positive Answer نَعَمْ الْطَّقْسُ لَيْسَ مُشْمِسًاْ na”am (‘a)t–taqs(u) lays(a) mushmis(an) = yesthe weather is/exists not sunny Translation: no, it is not sunny
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| Positive Answer نَعَمْ لَيْسَ الْطَّقْسُ مُشْمِسًاْ na”am lays(a) (‘a)t–taqs(u) mushmis(an) = yes is/exists not the weather sunny Translation: no, it is not sunny
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| Negative Answer بَلَىْ الْطَّقْسُ مُشْمِسٌ balaa (‘a)t–taqs(u) mushmis(un) = no the weather (is) sunny Translation: yes, it is sunny
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| Negative Sentence لا تَتَكَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ laa tatakallam(u) (‘a)l-“arabiyya(ta) = not (you sing. masc.) speak the Arabic Translation: you don’t speak Arabic you are not speaking Arabic
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| Negative Question أَلا تَتَكَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ ؟ ‘a-laa tatakallam(u) (‘a)l-“arabiyya(ta) = is it that not (you sing. masc.) speak the Arabic Translation: don’t you speak Arabic? Aren’t you speaking Arabic?
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| Positive Answer نَعَمْ لا أَتَكَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ na”am laa ‘atakallam(u) (‘a)l-“arabiyya(ta) = yes not (I) speak the Arabic Translation: no, I don’t speak Arabic no, I’m not speaking Arabic
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| Negative Answer بَلَىْ أَتَكَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ balaa ‘atakallam(u) (‘a)l-“arabiyya(ta) = no (I) speak the Arabic Translation: yes, I do speak Arabic yes, I’m speaking Arabic
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| Negative Sentence لَمْ تَقُلْ شَيْئًاْ lam taqul shay’a(n) = did not (you sing. masc.) say a thing Translation: you didn’t say anything you haven’t said anything
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| Negative Question ألَمْ تَقُلْ شَيْئًاْ ؟ ‘a-lam taqul shay’a(n) = is it that did not (you sing. masc.) say a thing Translation: didn’t you say anything? haven’t you said anything?
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| Positive Answer نَعَمْ لَمْ أَقُلْ شَيْئًاْ na”am lam ‘aqul shay’a(n) = yes did not (I) say a thing Translation: no, I didn’t say anything no, I haven’t said anything
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| Negative Answer بَلَىْ قُلْتُ شَيْئًاْ balaa qult(u) shay’a(n) = no (I) said a thing Translation: yes, I did say something yes, I have said something
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| Negative Sentence لَنْ تَكُوْنَ هُنَاْكَ lan takoon(a) hunaak(a) = will not (you sing. masc.) be there Translation: you won’t be there
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| Negative Question ألَنْ تَكُوْنَ هُنَاْكَ ؟ ‘a-lan takoon(a) hunaak(a) = is it that will not (you sing. masc.) be there Translation: won’t you be there?
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| Positive Answer نَعَمْ لَنْ أَكُوْنَ هُنَاْكَ na”am lan ‘akoon(a) hunaak(a) = yes will not (I) be there Translation: no, I won’t be there
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| Negative Answer بَلَىْ سَأَكُوْنُ هُنَاْكَ balaa sa-‘akoon(u) hunaak(a) = no (I) will be there Translation: yes, I will be there
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‘a-conjunction–
As we have mentioned before on this site, Arabs tended to use a lot of unnecessary “and’s” in their talk. Here we are going to see another manifestation of this fact.
However, the wa- = “and” will not come here before the interrogative particle ‘a- , but it will rather come between it and the word following it.
Examples:
أَوَتَعْرِفُ الْجَوَاْبَ ؟
‘a-wa-ta”rif(u) (‘a)l-jawaab(a)
= is it that and(you sing. masc.) know the answer?
= and is it that (you sing. masc.) know the answer?
Translation: do you know the answer?
أَوَلا تَعِيْ مَاْ أَقُوْلُ ؟
‘a-wa-laa ta”ee maa ‘aqool(u)
= is it that and(you sing. masc.) not comprehend what (I) say?
= and is it that (you sing. masc.) not comprehend what (I) say?
Translation: don’t/won’t you understand what I’m saying?
don’t/won’t you understand what I say?
أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ بَعْدُ ؟
‘a-wa-lam tu'<min ba”d(u)
= is it that and(you sing. masc.) did not believe yet?
= and is it that (you sing. masc.) did not believe yet?
Translation: haven’t you believed yet?
However, wa- was not the only particle that could be inserted between ‘a- and the word following it. Other conjunctions could be inserted as well, like fa- = “then/so,” and thumm(a) = “after that/afterwards”
أَفَلا تَعِيْ مَاْ أَقُوْلُ ؟
‘a-fa-laa ta”ee maa ‘aqool(u)
= is it that then/so (you sing. masc.) not comprehend what (I) say?
= then/so is it that (you sing. masc.) not comprehend what (I) say?
Translation: so don’t/won’t you understand what I’m saying?
so don’t/won’t you understand what I say?
أَثُمَّ إِذَاْ مَاْ وَقَعَ آمَنْتُمْ بِهِ ؟
‘a-thumm(a) ‘ithaa maa waqa”(a) ‘aamantum bi-h(i)
= is it that after that if that (he/it) fell (you plu. masc.) believed in him/it?
= after that is it that if that (he/it) fell (you plu. masc.) believed in him/it?
Translation: after that, if it happened, will you believe in it (the punishment)?
This was a difficult sentence from the Koran (the Muslim holy book).
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The verb وَقَعَ = “fell” means “happened” in classical Arabic.
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The verbs were in the perfective because it was a hypothetical situation, and perfective verbs in Arabic are used for hypothetical situations (the subjunctive mood).
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The word maa مَاْ here was an infinitival maa, which means “that” (like ‘an أَنْ ). This will be covered later on this site.
The insertion of conjunction words after ‘a- is common in the Koran.
Etymology note
The etymology of the interrogative particle ‘a- أَ is ha- هَـ (cf. Hebrew -הֲ). The transition of litter هـ into أ was common in classical Arabic. Ha- as interrogative particle was attested in some classical dialects.
e.g. وَأَتَىْ صَوَاْحِبُهَاْ فَقُلْنَ : هَذَاْ الَّذِيْ مَنَحَ الْمَوَدَّةَ غَيْرَنَاْ وَجَفَاْنَاْ ؟
Yes/No Questions