[17] say "no" to the past - negating the past tense equational sentence

Listen & repeat

We now know how to use the verb “to be” in the past – but how do we negate it? Negating the past tense verb "to be" is simple! Place ma...ŝ before and after the appropriate conjugation of kaan. Example: makaanŝ = it was not Take a moment to memorize the negation of the verb “to be”… A note on MSA/Classical: The particle "لم" is used to negate the past tense.  And the verb, which in this instance is "كان" must appear in the jussive and not in the indicative form. The helping vowels are underlined in red. Recall: There can not be more than two consonants in a row in an Arabic word. Hence, the helping vowel! Negation of Equational Sentence أنا لَم أكُن أنا ما كُنْتِشْ  1  Ana makuntiŝ. I wasn't   نَحْنُ لَمْ نَكُنْ إحْنا ما كُنّاشْ 2  Iḥna makunnaaŝ.  we weren't  أنْتَ لَمْ تَكُنْ إنْتَ ما كُنْتِشْ 3  Inta makuntiŝ.    you weren't أنْتُمْ لَمْ تَكونوا إنْتُم ما كُنْتوشْ 4  Intu makuntuuŝ.  you weren't See remaining conjugations

Be careful

Don’t forget before adding the suffix “ŝ” to check to see if a helping vowel is needed. With time you will just drop the vowels naturally as you speak! Rule: If a word ends in two consonants you will need to add a helping vowel. The helping vowel here is shown in red: makuntiŝ. Notice that the stem ends in nt. Hence, i is added prior to the “ŝ.”  But wait, it can get tricky! How do we know to add an i... and not a u or a? After all they can all be helping vowels. You don't. What?? You don't This comes with listening. It just sounds right! Great students of languages do not fret about the small stuff! They pick it up as they go. Note also that helping vowels are added to words that already end in a vowel. This means if a word ends in a vowel just add another of the same vowel prior to the “ŝ.” Again, the helping vowel here is shown in red: makunnaaŝ. Notice the word ends in the vowel a. Hence, a is added prior to the “ŝ.”  Think of helping vowels as "softening" up the word from too many "hard" consonants. Vowels extend or "s-t-r-e-t-ch" words allowing us to more smoothly take on the suffixes!

Drill with answers  

Negate the below past tense sentences…    Answers below for drill اَلشّارِعُ كانَ طَويلاً الشّارِعْ كان ْطَويلْ Iŝ ŝaariç kaan tawiil. The street was long.   اَلْمَدْرَسَةُ كانَتْ قَديمَةً اِلْمَدْرَسَةْ كانِتْ  قَديمَةْ Il madrasa kaanit ‘diima. The school was old.   سارَةُ كانَتْ مُتْعَبَة سارَةْ كانِتْ تَعْبانَةْ Sara kaanit taçbaana. Sara was tired.   اَلطَّعامُ كانَ لَذيذاً اِلأكْلْ كانْ طِعِمْ Il ‘akl kaan tiçim. The food was tasty. اَلْعَرَبِةُ كانَتْ حَمْراءَ اِلْعَرَبِيَّةْ كانِتْ حَمْرَةْ Il çarabiyya kaanit ḥamra. The car was red.   اَلْبابُ كانَ جَديداً اِلْبابْ كانْ جِـِديدْ Il baab kaan gidiid. The door was new. هِيَ كانْ اِسْمُها سامِيَةً هِيَّ كانْ اِسْمَها سامْيَةْ Hiyya kaan ‘smaha Samia. كانَ يوجَدُ بَقّالٌ بِجانِبِ الْبَيْتِ كانْ فيهْ بَقّال جَنْبْ الْبيتْ Kaan fiih ba’’aal gamb il beet. There was a grocer next to the house.   هَذا كانَ عَلىَ الطّاوْلَةِ دا كانْ عَلىَ التَّرابيزَةْ Da kaan çala it ṭarabiiza. That was on the table. كانَ عِنْدَهُ خَمْسَةُ أوْلادٍ كانْ عَنْدُه خَمَسْ أوْلادْ Kaan çandu xamas ‘wlaad. He had five children.    Listen to the above answers... اَلشّارِعُ كانَ طَويلاً اِلشّارِعْ كانْ طَويلْ 9 Iŝ ŝaariç kaan tawiil. The street was long. اَلشّارِعُ لَمْ يَكُنْ طَويلاً اِلشّارِعْ ما كانْشْ طَويلْ  10  Iŝ shaariç makaanŝ tawiil. See more answers

 Top   |    Feedback   |    Error?   |     Home   |    Colloquial Podcasts   |   Classical Podcasts   |   Grammar Modules