Introduction to the Double emphasis
To emphasize the meaning of the imperfect tense لَ is added as a prefix to the imperfect tense and نّ – noon thaqila or نْ – non khafeefa as the suffix. We call it in Arabic the double emphasis.
For example:
Table with نّ – noon thaqila
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
لَيَفْعَلَنَّ | لَيَفْعَلَانِّ | لَيَفْعَلُنَّ |
Indeed He does/will do | Indeed they both do/will do | Indeed they all do/will do |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
لَتَفْعَلَنَّ | لَتَفْعَلَانِّ | لَيَفْعَلْنَانِّ |
Indeed she does/will do | Indeed they both do/will do | Indeed they do/will do |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
لَتَفْعَلَنَّ | لَتَفْعَلَانِّ | لَتَفْعَلُنَّ |
Indeed you do/will do | Indeed you both do/will do | Indeed you all do/will do |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
لَتَفْعَلِنَّ | لَتَفْعَلَانِّ | لَتَفْعَلْنَانِّ |
Indeed you do/will do | Indeed you do/will do | Indeed you all do/will do |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
لأفْعَلَنَّ | – | لَنَفْعَلَنَّ |
Indeed I do/will do | – | Indeed we do/will do |
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Table with نْ – non khafeefa
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
لَيَفْعَلَنْ | لَيَفْعَلَانِّ | لَيَفْعَلُنْ |
Indeed He does/will do | Indeed they both do/will do | Indeed they all do/will do |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
لَتَفْعَلَنْ | لَتَفْعَلَانِّ | لَيَفْعَلْنَانَّ |
Indeed she does/will do | Indeed they both do/will do | Indeed they do/will do |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
لَتَفْعَلَنْ | لَتَفْعَلَانِّ | لَتَفْعَلُنْ |
Indeed you do/will do | Indeed you both do/will do | Indeed you all do/will do |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
لَتَفْعَلِنْ | لَتَفْعَلَانِّ | لَتَفْعَلْنَانِّ |
Indeed you do/will do | Indeed you do/will do | Indeed you all do/will do |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
لأفْعَلَنْ | – | لَنَفْعَلَنْ |
Indeed I do/will do | – | Indeed we do/will do |
Lam atta’keed and Noon atta’keed can also come attached to the imperative and the passive forms of the verb.
Example:
وَلَئِن لَّمْ يَفْعَلْ مَا آمُرُهُ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ وَلَيَكُونًا مِّنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ
and if he will not do what I order him, he will surely be imprisoned and will be of those debased. (12:32)
نّ – noon thaqeela can be attached without لَ to the imperfect for emphasis. Example:
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ
O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you (7:27)
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ إِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِ
O children of Adam, if there come to you messengers from among you relating to you My verses (7:35)
ل can come without ن attached with a noun, pronoun, or preposition. Examples:
وَإِن تَعْجَبْ فَعَجَبٌ قَوْلُهُمْ أَإِذَا كُنَّا تُرَابًا أَإِنَّا لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ
And if you are astonished, [O Muhammad] – then astonishing is their saying, “When we are dust, will we indeed be [brought] into a new creation?” (13:5)
إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ
Indeed, humankind is at a loss (103:2)
وَمَن جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ
And whoever strives only strives for [the benefit of] himself. Indeed, Allah is free from the need of the worlds. (29:6)
لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ
I will surely punish him with a severe punishment or slaughter him unless he brings me clear authorization.” (27:21)
وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (29:69)
You have now completed this Arabic lesson about the double emphasis. The next one will be insha’Allah about the active particle in Arabic.
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[…] You have now completed this Arabic lesson. The next one will be insha’Allah about the double emphasis in Arabic. […]