Negation: laa for the present, maa for the past
Two particles divide the tenses. laa stands before a present-tense verb: laa afham — "I do not understand", laa aʿrif — "I do not know". maa negates the past: maa jaaʾa — "he did not come". For example: “لا أفهم, ببطء من فضلك” — I do not understand; slower, please. A rule from the Arabic course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Two particles divide the tenses. laa stands before a present-tense verb: laa afham — "I do not understand", laa aʿrif — "I do not know". maa negates the past: maa jaaʾa — "he did not come".
"I do not have" lives apart. Since "to have" is ʿandii ("at me"), "not to have" is simply maa ʿandii: maa ʿandii waqt — "I have no time". No verb "to have" is needed for this, any more than for the statement.
The short answer is built with the same word as the negation in the question: heard "hal..." — reply naam or laa.
Table
| particle | where | example |
|---|---|---|
laa | before a present verb | لا أفهم — laa afham, "I do not understand" |
maa | before a past verb | ما جاء — maa jaaʾa, "he did not come" |
| maa ʿandii | no possession | ما عندي وقت — no time |
By example
- لا أفهم, ببطء من فضلكля афхам, би-бутʿ мин фадликI do not understand; slower, please
- ما عندي وقتма ʿанди ваактI have no time
- غدا لا أعملгадан ля аʿмальTomorrow I am not working
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
How to say no in Arabic?
"I do not have" lives apart. Since "to have" is ʿandii ("at me"), "not to have" is simply maa ʿandii: maa ʿandii waqt — "I have no time". No verb "to have" is needed for this, any more than for the statement.
Laa vs maa in Arabic?
The short answer is built with the same word as the negation in the question: heard "hal..." — reply naam or laa.
How to say I do not have in Arabic?
"I do not have" lives apart. Since "to have" is ʿandii ("at me"), "not to have" is simply maa ʿandii: maa ʿandii waqt — "I have no time". No verb "to have" is needed for this, any more than for the statement.
Negation in Arabic?
The short answer is built with the same word as the negation in the question: heard "hal..." — reply naam or laa.
What does it look like in a Arabic example sentence?
“لا أفهم, ببطء من فضلك” (ля афхам, би-бутʿ мин фадлик) — I do not understand; slower, please. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.