Arabic Imperative (Positive Command) & Prohibitive (Negative Command) 9
Table 9.2
Second Person Prohibitive in Active Voice (ن هيٌ حاضِرٌ م ع ر وفٌُ )
The vowels (harakah) of أ مرٌُ
Many times we find أَُمُْرٌُ to be on the pattern of اِفْ عَلُْ as in اِسََْعُْ . However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, it follows the اُفْ عُلُْ
pattern as in اُنْصُرُْ , and sometimes the اِفْعُِلُْ pattern as in اِضْرِبُْ . The reason behind this difference is that the particular vowel pattern of أَُمُْرٌُ (and ن هَُُْيٌُ ) is dependent on the (ع) letter of فُِعُْلٌُ مُُُضَُاُرِعٌُ . The (letter of فُِعُْلٌُ مُُُضَُاُرِعٌُ governs the أَُمُْرٌُ in two ways, and ن هَُُْيٌُ in one way.
The one way where it governs both أَُمُْرٌُ and ن هَُُْيٌُ is the harakah of the (ع) letter of أَُمُْرٌُ and ن هَُُْيٌُ . Here, the harakah has to correspond exactly. Thus, when the (ع) letter of فُِعُْلٌُ مُُُضَُاُرِعٌُ has a fathah, or kasrah, or dammah, the (ع) letter of أَُمُْرٌُ and ن هَُُْيٌُ will have the same vowel. For example, in يَُسُْمَُعُُ the (ع) letter is (م) and has a fathah. Therefore, in its أَُمُْرٌُ and ن هَُُْيٌُ forms, the (م) will also get a fathah. Its أَُمُْرٌُ will be اِسََْعُْ and its ن هَُُْيٌُ will be لََ تَُسْمَعُْ . In يَضْرِبُُ there is a kasrah under (ر); therefore, its أَُمُْرٌُ and ن هَُُْيٌُ forms will be اِضْرِبُْ and لََ تَُضْرِبُْ
Person
Gender
Plurality
English
Arabic
Second Person
(حَاضِرٌُ )
Masculine
(مُذَكَّرٌُ )
Singular
(You) Don’t do!
لََ تَُ فْعَلُْ
Dual
(You) Don’t do!
لََ تَُ فْعَلََُ
Plural
(You) Don’t do!
لََ تَُ فْعَلُوْا
Feminine (مُؤَنَّثٌُ )
Singular
(You) Don’t do!
لََ تَُ فْعَلُِيُْ
Dual
(You) Don’t do!
لََ تَُ فْعَلََُ
Plural
(You) Don’t do!
لََ تَُ فْعَلْنَُ
اَلَْْمْرُ وَُ اُلنَّ هْىُُ
respectively. In ي نَْصُرُُ there is a dammah on (ص); therefore, its أَُمُْرٌُ and
ن هَُُْيٌُ forms will be اُنْصُرُْ and لََ تَُ نْصُرُْ respectively.
The other way in which (ع) letter of فُِعُْلٌُ مُُُضَُاُرِعٌُ governs أَُمُْرٌُ is with respect to the alif2 of أَُمُْرٌُ . This alif either gets a kasrah or a dammah. It cannot have a fathah. If the (ع) letter of فُِعُْلٌُ مُُُضَُاُرِعٌُ has a dammah, the alif of أَُمُْرٌُ will also have a dammah. For example, the أَُمُْرٌُ of ي نَْصُرُُ will be اُنْصُرُْ because (ص) is the (ع) letter of فِعْلٌ مُُضَارِعٌُ and it has a dammah. And if the (ع) letter of فُِعُْلٌُ مُُُضَُاُرِعٌُ has a fathah or a kasrah, then in both cases the alif of أَُمُْرٌُ will get a kasrah. For example, the أَُمُْرٌُ of يَضْرِبُُ is اِضْرِبُْ , the أَُمُْرٌُ of يَُسْمَعُُ is اِسََْعُْ , and the أَُمُْرٌُ of يَضْرِبُُ is اِضْرِبُْ .
It should be noted that there is no alif in ن هَُُْيٌُ . It is dependent on the (ع) letter of فُِعُْلٌُ مُُُضَُاُرِعٌُ only with respect to the harakah on its own (ع) letter.
Word List
English
Arabic
Singular
Plural
to search
بَِْثٌُ
he started
بَدَأَُ
sugar
سُكَّرٌُ
salt
مِلْحٌُ
he accepted
قَبُِلَُ
share (n.)
نَصِيْبٌُ
نُصُبٌُ
2 It is, in fact, hamzat al-wasl (هَُْزَةُ اُلْوَصْلُِ ). We are calling it alif for the ease of the students because it is generally written as an alif.
Lesson 9
64
English
Arabic
Singular
Plural
deaf
أَُصَمُُّ
صُميُ
dumb
أَُبْكَمُُ
بُكْمٌُ
blind
أَُعْمٰى
عُمُْيٌُ
guide (command for S/M)
اُِىْدُِ
derision; mockery
ىَزْءٌُ
justice; compensation
عَدْلٌُ
to come down
ىَبْطٌُ
cat
قِطَّةٌُ
قِطَطٌُ
doll
دُمْيَةٌُ
دُمًى
ball
كُرَةٌُ
كُرَاتٌُ، كُُرًى
mirror
مِرْأٰةٌُ
مَرَاءٍُ
comb
مِشْطٌُ
أَُمْشَاطٌُ
snake
حَيَّةٌُ
حَيَّاتٌُ
scorpion
عَقْرَبٌُ
عَقَارُِبُُ
bull; ox
ث وَْرٌُ
ثِيْ رَانٌُ
but, rather, however
بَلُْ
mixing
مَزْجٌُ
sermon
وَعْظٌُ
act; deed
عَمَلٌُ
أَُعْمَالٌُ
every
كُليُ
big city
مِصْرٌُ
أَُمْصَارٌُ
bad, evil, wicked
خَبِيْثٌُ
خُبُثٌُ
hotel
فُ نْدُقٌُ
فَ نَادِقُُ
manager; editor
مُُدِيْ رٌُ
اَلَْْمْرُ وَُ اُلنَّ هْىُُ
65
English
Arabic
he did, he acted, he worked
عَمِلَُ
powerful
قَدِيْ رٌُ
intercession
شَفَاعَةٌُ
change
تَ بَدُّلٌُ
he came near
قَ رُبَُ
he feared
اِتَّ قٰى
a lot
كَثِيْ رًا