LessonsCircumstantial Imperfect and Past Verbs: Rules for Wāw al-ḤālQuiz

The particles lam and lammā precede an imperfect verb while directing its negative meaning toward the past. Thus the verb remains an imperfect in outward form but is treated as past in meaning for the relevant analysis.

لَمْ يَحْضُرْ — He did not attend.
لَمَّا يَحْضُرْ — He has not yet attended.

Their semantic scopes are not identical. In particular, lammā commonly foregrounds the continuation of the non-occurrence up to the reference time. This matters when the negated proposition describes an attendant state.

Opening interactive controls...

Past in form versus past in meaning: lam and lammā

Circumstantial Imperfect and Past Verbs: Rules for Wāw al-Ḥāl

The particles lam and lammā precede an imperfect verb while directing its negative meaning toward the past. Thus the verb remains an imperfect in outward form but is treated as past in meaning for the relevant analysis.

لَمْ يَحْضُرْ — He did not attend.
لَمَّا يَحْضُرْ — He has not yet attended.

Their semantic scopes are not identical. In particular, lammā commonly foregrounds the continuation of the non-occurrence up to the reference time. This matters when the negated proposition describes an attendant state.