7.2: Negating the Past Tense in Arabic with "لمْ"
- Page ID
- 278262
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)In this section, you will be able to:
- Negate past tense verbs using "لم" followed by the present tense verb in jussive form (المضارع المجزوم).
- Recognize the structure, conjugate verbs appropriately across subject pronouns, and apply this rule in both guided and communicative practice.
Negating the Past Tense with "لَمْ"
This method also negates past actions, but instead of using a past tense verb, you use the present tense verb in the jussive form (which is called "majzūm / مجزوم" in Arabic grammar).
The jussive form of a verb is usually the same as the present tense but:
- No final vowel (often ends in sukoon), or
- Slight changes for certain verb forms (e.g. dropped final "n" in some plurals)
- الفعل المضارع takes a form called المضارع المجزوم which is the third type of الفعل المضارع.
Structure: (particle) لم + present tense verb (in jussive form) المضارع المجزوم
Examples:
- َلم آكُلْ فطوري
- I did not eat my breakfast.
- لَمْ نَشْرب العصيرَ
- We didn’t drink the juice.
- لَم تُسافِرْ لينا إلى مِصر
- Lina did not travel to Egypt.
Check the table below about negating the past tense with the tool "لَم" using the verb "فعل."
| Negating with "ما" | Affirmative (Present) | Subject Pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| لَمْ أَفْعلْ | أفْعَلُ |
أنا (I) |
| لَمْ نَفعلْ | نَفْعَلُ | (We) نحن |
| لَمْ تَفْعلْ | تَفْعَلُ |
أنتَ (You, m) |
| لَمْ تفعلِي | تَفْعَلينَ |
أنتِ (You, f) |
| لَمْ تفعلا | تَفْعَلانِ | (You, dual) أنتما |
| لَمْ تَفعلوا | تَفْعَلونَ | (You all, m) أنتم |
| لَمْ تَفعلنَ | تَفْعَلنَّ | (You all, f) أنتنَّ |
| لَمْ يفعلْ | يَفْعَلُ |
هو (He) |
| لَمْ تَفعلْ | تَفْعَلُ |
هي (She) |
| لَمْ يفعلا | يَفْعَلانِ |
هما (They dual, m) |
| لَمْ تَفعلا | تَفْعَلانِ |
هما (They dual, f) |
| لَمْ يفعلوا | يَفْعَلُونَ |
هم (They, m) |
| لَمْ يَفعلْنَ | يَفْعَلُنَّ |
هنَّ (They, f) |
Practice negating the past tense with لم
Read each question. Answer using "نعم" (Yes) or "لا" (No), and if your answer is "لا," use لم + present tense (المجزوم) to form a complete negative sentence.
- هل أكلتَ الفطور، يا آدم؟
- هل طبخْتِ العشاء أمس، يا مها؟
- هل شربَ الطلابُ القهوة؟
- هل اِشْترى والدكَ الطعام؟
- هل ذهبوا إلى المطعم في الأسبوع الماضي؟
Rewrite the sentences and change the format of negating the past to المضارع المجزوم + لم:
Example: ما رَجعَ خالي من فرنسا --------> لم يرْجعْ خالي من فرنسا
- ما حَصَلَ عمّي هاني على وظيفة جديدة
- ما تخرَّجَ أخي في جامعة القاهرة
- ما تعرَّفَ أحمد على زملائه في العمل
- ما حَصَلَتْ مُنى على وظيفة في شركة كبيرة
- ما انتقلْتَ إلى دُبيّ، يا شادي السنّة الماضية؟
- ما وُلِدَ بيل كلينتون في ولايةِ نيويورك
- ما رجعنا أمس إلى بيوتنا
- ما التحقَتِ بالجامعة الفصل الماضي، يا أماني؟
- ما أصبحَ هاني طبيباً مثلَ والدهُ
- الطلاب ما تأَخرّوا في الوصول إلى المدرسة
Query \(\PageIndex{1}\)
Query \(\PageIndex{2}\)
Cultural Note
In spoken dialects, many Arabic speakers still use the past verb with ما (e.g., ما رحت, ما أكلت). But in modern standard Arabic, using لم + المضارع المجزوم is the more preferable form.
Check Your Understanding
Role-play
Two roommates are talking about yesterday's chores. One person reminds the other of what they were supposed to do.
- Student A: Gives reminders (“هل غَسلتَ الصحون؟”).
- Student B: Denies each task using لم + المجزوم and offers a reason. (لا، لم أغسل الصحون)