Double emphasis in Arabic | نُونُ التَّوْكِيد – لامُ التَّوْكِيد

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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