Lesson 116: Lā of Absolute Negation

Step 1 of 5: Learn

English there is no man in the house denies one man; Arabic has a way of denying the whole class at a stroke: لَا رَجُلَ فِي الْبَيْتِ, there is no man whatever in the house. The grammarians call this لَا النَّافِيَةُ لِلْجِنْسِ, the lā that negates the genus. It is recognisable at once: the noun after it has fatḥa but no tanwīn. You already know its most famous example, the first half of the shahāda, لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ. The reading is a short Friday sermon on equality before God, full of this construction, followed by numbered sentences that show each variant in turn.

Rule 1: 1. لَا followed directly by an indefinite noun

When لَا that denies absolutely is immediately followed by an indefinite noun, that noun takes the accusative and loses its tanwīn: لَا كِتَابَ عَلَى الْمَائِدَةِ there is no book on the table. A plural behaves the same way: لَا رِجَالَ هُنَا there are no men here. If the noun is the first term of an iḍāfa it is an ordinary accusative, with its full ending: لَا طَالِبَ عِلْمٍ كَسْلَانُ no seeker of knowledge is lazy. A definite noun or a verb after لَا is simply negated in the ordinary way: لَا الرَّجُلُ حَضَرَ وَلَا الْمَرْأَةُ, لَا أَعْرِفُ.

لَا رَجُلَ فِي الْبَيْتِ.
lā rajula fi l-bayti
There is no man in the house.
لَا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ غَنِيٍّ وَفَقِيرٍ فِي الصَّفِّ.
lā farqa bayna ghaniyyin wa-faqīrin fi ṣ-ṣaffi
There is no difference between rich and poor in the row.
لَا كُتُبَ فِي هٰذِهِ الْمَكْتَبَةِ الْيَوْمَ.
lā kutuba fī hādhihi l-maktabati l-yawma
There are no books in this bookshop today.
A plural: the same accusative without tanwīn (compare the ordinary كُتُبٌ with tanwīn).
لَا طَالِبَ عِلْمٍ يُضِيعُ وَقْتَهُ.
lā ṭāliba ʿilmin yuḍīʿu waqtahu
No seeker of knowledge wastes his time.
طَالِبَ is muḍāf, so it has an ordinary accusative ending.
لَا أَحَدَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ.
lā aḥada fi l-masjidi baʿda ẓ-ẓuhri
There is nobody in the mosque after noon.

Rule 2: 2. The predicate after لَا

The denied noun is the subject of a nominal sentence; its predicate is usually a prepositional phrase (فِي الْبَيْتِ) and is often omitted when obvious (لَا شَكَّ there is no doubt, لَا بَأْسَ no harm). If the predicate is a noun or adjective, it stands in the nominative: لَا رَجُلَ فِي الْقَبِيلَةِ أَكْرَمُ مِنْهُ there is no man in the tribe more generous than he.

لَا طَالِبَ فِي الصَّفِّ أَذْكَى مِنْ فَاطِمَةَ.
lā ṭāliba fi ṣ-ṣaffi adhkā min fāṭimata
There is no pupil in the class cleverer than Fāṭima.
أَذْكَى nominative predicate (its ending is invisible on the alif maqṣūra).
لَا رَجُلَ عِنْدَنَا خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ.
lā rajula ʿindanā khayrun minhu
There is no man among us better than he.
خَيْرٌ nominative with tanwīn.
لَا بَأْسَ، سَنَعُودُ غَدًا.
lā baʾsa, sa-naʿūdu ghadan
No harm, we shall come back tomorrow.
Predicate omitted.
لَا شَكَّ فِي ذٰلِكَ.
lā shakka fī dhālika
There is no doubt about that.

Rule 3: 3. An adjective after the denied noun

An adjective that follows the denied noun directly has three possible forms: like the noun, accusative without tanwīn (لَا كِتَابَ جَدِيدَ فِي الْبَيْتِ); accusative with tanwīn (لَا كِتَابَ جَدِيدًا); or nominative with tanwīn (لَا كِتَابَ جَدِيدٌ). If anything separates the adjective from its noun, the adjective must keep its tanwīn, accusative or nominative: لَا كِتَابَ فِي الْبَيْتِ جَدِيدًا (or جَدِيدٌ), never the bare جَدِيدَ.

لَا كِتَابَ عَرَبِيَّ فِي هٰذِهِ الْمَكْتَبَةِ.
lā kitāba ʿarabiyya fī hādhihi l-maktabati
There is no Arabic book in this bookshop.
Adjective directly after the noun, same form as the noun.
لَا كِتَابَ عَرَبِيًّا فِي هٰذِهِ الْمَكْتَبَةِ.
lā kitāba ʿarabiyyan fī hādhihi l-maktabati
There is no Arabic book in this bookshop.
Second option: accusative with tanwīn.
لَا كِتَابَ فِي هٰذِهِ الْمَكْتَبَةِ عَرَبِيًّا.
lā kitāba fī hādhihi l-maktabati ʿarabiyyan
There is no Arabic book in this bookshop.
Separated by the predicate: the tanwīn is obligatory (عَرَبِيًّا or عَرَبِيٌّ).

Rule 4: 4. Two nouns denied by لَا

When لَا is repeated before a second noun, the first is accusative without tanwīn and the second may be accusative without tanwīn, accusative with tanwīn, or nominative with tanwīn: لَا قَلَمَ وَلَا وَرَقَةَ عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ (also وَلَا وَرَقَةً, وَلَا وَرَقَةٌ). The commonest and best pattern repeats the same form twice: لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ there is no power and no strength except through God. If لَا is not repeated, the first noun is accusative without tanwīn and the second is nominative or accusative with tanwīn: لَا قَلَمَ وَوَرَقَةٌ عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ.

لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ.
lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata illā bi-llāhi
There is no power and no strength except through God.
فِي الصَّلَاةِ لَا كَلَامَ وَلَا ضَحِكَ.
fi ṣ-ṣalāti lā kalāma wa-lā ḍaḥika
In prayer there is no talking and no laughing.
لَا جَرِيدَةَ عِنْدِي الْيَوْمَ وَلَا مَجَلَّةٌ.
lā jarīdata ʿindī l-yawma wa-lā majallatun
I have no newspaper today and no magazine.
Second noun nominative with tanwīn: allowed.
لَا قَلَمَ وَوَرَقَةٌ عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ.
lā qalama wa-waraqatun ʿalā l-maktabi
There is no pen and paper on the desk.
لَا not repeated: second noun nominative (or وَرَقَةً).

Rule 5: 5. Fixed phrases: لَا شَكَّ أَنَّ, لَا بُدَّ أَنْ, لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ

Several of the most frequent expressions in Arabic are this construction frozen. لَا شَكَّ (فِي) أَنَّ there is no doubt that, followed by أَنَّ and an accusative subject; لَا بُدَّ أَنْ or لَا بُدَّ مِنْ it is inevitable that, one must; لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ there is no god but God, where اللّٰهُ after إِلَّا is nominative because it replaces the understood predicate; لَا بَأْسَ no harm, never mind; لَا شَيْءَ nothing; لَا فَرْقَ no difference.

لَا شَكَّ أَنَّ الْإِمَامَ سَيَتَحَدَّثُ عَنْ ذٰلِكَ.
lā shakka anna l-imāma sa-yataḥaddathu ʿan dhālika
There is no doubt that the imam will speak about that.
لَا شَكَّ فِي أَنَّ هٰذَا الْجِدَالَ سَيُؤَدِّي إِلَى خِلَافٍ.
lā shakka fī anna hādhā l-jidāla sa-yuʾaddī ilā khilāfin
There is no doubt that this dispute will lead to a quarrel.
With فِي the meaning is the same.
لَا بُدَّ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّ أَوَّلَ كَلِمَةٍ فِي دِينِنَا هِيَ «لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ».
lā budda an taʿlama anna awwala kalimatin fī dīninā hiya lā ilāha illā llāhu
You must know that the first word in our religion is 'there is no god but God'.
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ.
lā ilāha illā llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lahu
There is no god but God alone; He has no partner.
Two examples in one sentence: إِلٰهَ and شَرِيكَ.

Vocabulary

Why do words end with “-un”?

The -un ending is called tanween (nunation). It marks indefinite nouns — similar to “a/an” in English.

كِتَابٌ (kitaabun) = a bookvsكِتَاب (kitaab) = book (base word)

To find the base word, simply remove the final “-un” sound (the double-stacked damma بٌ on the last letter).

شَكٌّ

shakkun

doubt

فَرْقٌ

farqun

difference

حَوْلٌ

ḥawlun

power, might; change

قُوَّةٌ

quwwatun

strength, power

إِلٰهٌ

ilāhun

god, deity

إِمَامٌ

imāmun

imam, prayer leader

صَفٌّ

ṣaffun

row; class (at school)

خُطْبَةٌ

khuṭbatun

sermon, speech

تَقْوَى

taqwā

piety, fear of God

تَحَدَّثَ يَتَحَدَّثُ عَنْ

taḥaddatha, yataḥaddathu ʿan

to speak about, talk of

جَادَلَ يُجَادِلُ

jādala, yujādilu

to argue, dispute with

أَدَّى يُؤَدِّي إِلَى

addā, yuʾaddī ilā

to lead to, result in

مَكْتَبَةٌ

maktabatun

library; bookshop

فَرْدٌ

fardun

individual, single person

خَادِمٌ

khādimun

servant

إِنَّمَا

innamā

only, merely; it is just that

Step 2 of 5: Read

In the house of God there is no difference

فِي بَيْتِ اللّٰهِ لَا فَرْقَ

Tap any word to look it up.

Notes

Comprehension

1.What was the subject of the imam's sermon?
2.According to the imam, what is the only source of honour with God?
3.What two things are forbidden during the sermon?
4.What phrase does a believer say when he is unable to do something?

Practice sentences

جُمَلٌ لِلتَّدْرِيبِ

Tap any word to look it up.

Notes

Comprehension

1.Why did the speaker in sentence 1 buy an English book?
2.In sentence 5, where does the Bedouin say the difference between sheikh and tribesmen lies?
3.Which sentence has a second denied noun in the nominative?

In the Quran

لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ
Surah Al-Baqarah · 2:2
لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ: 'there is no doubt in it'. رَيْبَ accusative without tanwīn after the لَا of absolute negation, with the prepositional predicate فِيهِ.
- لَاlāno
- رَيْبَ ۛraybadoubt
- فِيهِ ۛfīhiin it
Read in context
لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ
Surah Al-Baqarah · 2:255
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ: the construction of the shahāda; هُوَ replaces the understood nominative predicate.
- لَآlā(there is) no
- إِلَـٰهَilāhaGod
- إِلَّاillāexcept
- هُوَhuwaHim
Read in context
لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ
Surah Yusuf · 12:92
لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ: Yūsuf's words to his brothers, 'no reproach upon you today'; a verbal noun denied absolutely, with عَلَيْكُمُ as predicate.
- لَاlāNo
- تَثْرِيبَtathrībablame
- عَلَيْكُمُʿalaykumuupon you
Read in context
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ يَوْمٌۭ لَّا بَيْعٌۭ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌۭ وَلَا شَفَـٰعَةٌۭ ۗ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
Surah Al-Baqarah · 2:254
لَا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ وَلَا شَفَاعَةٌ: in the reading of Ḥafṣ the three denied nouns are nominative with tanwīn: when لَا is repeated, the grammar also allows every noun to be nominative with tanwīn, a further option beyond those listed in section 4; 'a day in which there is no bargaining, no friendship and no intercession'.
Read in context

Step 3 of 5: Practice

Exercises

Strict harakat

Exercise 1 of 60/0 correct

Transform

Deny absolutely with لَا:

فِي الْبَيْتِ رَجُلٌ.

Step 4 of 5: Quiz

Translate from Arabic to English

Type your translation, then check it. Spelling and vowel marks are graded leniently.

1.

لَا فَرْقَ فِي بَيْتِ اللّٰهِ بَيْنَ أَمِيرٍ وَخَادِمٍ.

2.

لَا شَكَّ أَنَّ الْإِمَامَ سَيَتَحَدَّثُ عَنِ التَّقْوَى يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ.

3.

لَا كِتَابَ عَرَبِيًّا فِي هٰذِهِ الْمَكْتَبَةِ.

4.

لَا طَالِبَ فِي الصَّفِّ أَذْكَى مِنْهَا.

5.

لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَقِفَ أَفْرَادُ الْقَبِيلَةِ فِي صَفٍّ وَاحِدٍ.

6.

لَا قَلَمَ وَلَا وَرَقَةَ عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ.

Translate from English to Arabic

Type your translation, then check it. Spelling and vowel marks are graded leniently.

1.

There is no water in the well.

2.

There is no god but God; He has no partner.

3.

There is no doubt that this dispute will lead to a quarrel.

4.

There is nobody in the mosque after the sermon.

5.

There is no power and no strength except through God.

6.

There is no man among us more generous than he.

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

How many questions would you like?

5 questions available • Questions and answers will be randomized

Step 1 of 5: Learn

Rule 1: 1. لَا followed directly by an indefinite noun

Rule 2: 2. The predicate after لَا

Rule 3: 3. An adjective after the denied noun

Rule 4: 4. Two nouns denied by لَا

Rule 5: 5. Fixed phrases: لَا شَكَّ أَنَّ, لَا بُدَّ أَنْ, لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ

Vocabulary

Step 2 of 5: Read

In the house of God there is no difference

Notes

Comprehension

Practice sentences

Notes

Comprehension

In the Quran

Step 3 of 5: Practice

Exercises

Step 4 of 5: Quiz

Translate from Arabic to English

Translate from English to Arabic

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

How many questions would you like?

Step 5 of 5: Finish