Because, if, when: two thoughts in one sentence
Four connectives stitch short phrases into a story: li-anna — because, idaa — if, ʿindamaa — when, anna — that. You have already read "li-annii" in the story about the trip — now you see it is a whole family. For example: “اشتريت الكتاب لأنه رخيص” — He bought the book because it is inexpensive. A rule from the Arabic course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Four connectives stitch short phrases into a story: li-anna — because, idaa — if, ʿindamaa — when, anna — that. You have already read "li-annii" in the story about the trip — now you see it is a whole family.
The order inside the second half does not change: the verb stands where it would stand alone. "Ishtaraytu al-kitaab li-annahu rakhiis" — I bought the book because it is inexpensive.
After idaa the language looks at the future from the past — through kaana, "would be". "Nazha idaa kaana al-jaww jamiilan" — we will go on a picnic if the weather is fine.
"When" — ʿindamaa — literally "at the time of the arriving". "ʿIndamaa yasil al-manduub, astalim at-tard" — when the courier comes, I will receive the parcel. The comma before the connective is a matter of sense, not of rule. Read the phrase aloud and it will show you where the pause is.
Table
| connective | sense | example |
|---|---|---|
| لأن — li-ann | because | اشتريته لأنه رخيص — ishtaraituhu li-annahu rakhiis |
| إذا — idaa | if | نزهة إذا كان الجو جميلا — nazha idaa kaana al-jaww jamiilan |
| عندما — ʿindamaa | when | عندما يصل المندوب — ʿindamaa yasil al-manduub |
| أن — ann | that | أعرف أنك مشغول — aʿrif annaka mashghuul |
| حتى — hattaa | until / until not | انتظر حتى المساء — intazir hattaa l-masaaʾ |
By example
- اشتريت الكتاب لأنه رخيصиштарайту аль-китааб ли-аннаху рахисHe bought the book because it is inexpensive
- نزهة إذا كان الجو جميلاназа иза каана аль-джавв джамилянA picnic if the weather is fine
- عندما يصل المندوب, أستلم الطردʿиндама йасиль аль-мандууб, асталим ат-тардWhen the courier comes, I will receive the parcel
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
Because, if, when: how does it work in Arabic?
Four connectives stitch short phrases into a story: li-anna — because, idaa — if, ʿindamaa — when, anna — that. You have already read "li-annii" in the story about the trip — now you see it is a whole family.
What does it look like in a Arabic example sentence?
“اشتريت الكتاب لأنه رخيص” (иштарайту аль-китааб ли-аннаху рахис) — He bought the book because it is inexpensive. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.