Elementary Arabic Syntax 1
Jussive Cases of a Verb
- When is a verb put into the jussive case?
A verb is put into the jussive case when it is preceded by one of the following prepositions:
لَم لَمّا لامُ الﺃمر لاالناهیَة ﺇن ﺇذما مَن ما مَهما ﺃیّ کَیفَما متیَ ﺃینما ﺃیّان ﺃنّی حَیثما
- How many kinds of jussive prepositions are there?
There are two types of jussive prepositions:
• Four of them put one verb into the jussive case:
1) لَم for example: لَم یَذهَب ﺃحَدٌ (Nobody came.)
2) لَمّا for example: تَعَلّمَ القراءةَ وَ لَمّا یَکتُب (He learned to read and has not written yet.)
3) لامُ الﺃمر for example: لِتَطِب نَفسُک (You must become happy, yourself.)
4) لا النّاهیَة for example: لا تَیاس مِن رَحمَةِ الله (Don't loose hope in Allah's mercy)
• Twelve of them put two verbs after them into the jussive case. The first verb is the conditional verb and the second verb is its answer.
1) ﺇن for example: ﺇن تَکسَل تَخسَر (If you become lazy you will suffer a loss.)
2) ﺇذما for example: ﺇذما تَتَعَلّم تَتَقَدَم (Whenever you learn you will advance.)
3) مَن for example: مَن یَطلُب یَجِد (Whoever seeks finds.)
4) مَا for example: ما تَتَعَلّم فی الصّغَرِ یَنفَعکَ فی الکِبَر (Whatever you learn in youth will benefit you in old age.)
5) مَهما for example: مَهما تَامُر بِالخیرِ ﺃفعَلهُ (Whenever you order me to do good I will do it.)
6) ﺃی for example: ﺃیّاً تُکرِم ﺃکرِم (Whoever you respect I respect.)
7) کَیفَما for example: کَیفَما تَتَوَجّهُ تُصادِف خَیراً (Whenever you go you will pass by well.)
8) مَتی for example: مَتی یَصلُح بِاطنُک یَصلُح ظاهِرُک (Whenever your inner-self becomes fixed your outer-appearance will become fixed.)
9) ﺃینَما for example: ﺃینَما تَذهَب تَنجَح (Wherever you go you will be saved.)
10) ﺃیّان for example: ﺃیّان تَسالنی ﺃجِبکَ (Whenever you ask me I will answer you.)
11) ﺃنّی for example: ﺃنّی یَذهَب صاحِب العِلمِ یُکرَم (Wherever a scholar goes he will be respected.)
12) حَیثَما for example: حَیثَما تَسقُط تَثبُت (Wherever you fall you will stay.)