Source text, functions, syntactic positions, full parsing and application Read the bilingual lesson for Indeclinable Adverbs — Ghāyāt, Time and Place and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Indeclinable adverbs: the first rule
فَصْلُ الظُّرُوفِ الْمَبْنِيَّةِ. عَلَى أَقْسَامٍ: مِنْهَا مَا قُطِعَ عَنِ الْإِضَافَةِ، بِأَنْ حُذِفَ الْمُضَافُ إِلَيْهِ، كَـ«قَبْلُ» وَ«بَعْدُ» وَ«فَوْقُ» وَ«تَحْتُ».
Translation: Indeclinable adverbs have several classes, including forms whose genitive complement is omitted, such as qabl, baʿd, fawq and taḥt.
A ẓarf expresses time or place. This chapter studies certain adverbs whose endings remain fixed, especially when the genitive complement has been omitted but its meaning retained.
2. The meaning of qabl and baʿd
Qabl means “before” and baʿd means “after.” Ask: before/after *what*? If the complement is omitted but a specific complement remains intended, the words may be built on ḍamma.
Book example: مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمِنْ بَعْدُ
Before and after.
Min is a preposition; qabl/baʿd are indeclinable on ḍamma but syntactically in the genitive position after min.
3. A Qurʾānic example of fixed ending
لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمِنْ بَعْدُ.
Translation: The command belongs to Allah before and after.
Although both words follow the preposition min, they retain ḍamma. The ḍamma is a fixed building vowel, not a nominative case ending.
Book example: لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمِنْ بَعْدُ
Authority belongs to Allah.
Li-llāhi: fronted predicate phrase; al-amru: postponed subject; min qabl and min baʿd: prepositional phrases with indeclinable nouns in genitive positions.
4. When the omitted complement is intended
هَذَا إِذَا كَانَ الْمَحْذُوفُ مَنْوِيًّا لِلْمُتَكَلِّمِ، وَإِلَّا لَكَانَتْ مُعْرَبَةً.
Translation: This applies when the speaker intends the omitted complement; otherwise the words are declinable.
The book conditions this construction on an omitted yet intended genitive complement. Not every occurrence of qabl or baʿd is therefore indeclinable.
5. Qabli versus qablu
With an explicit complement, qabl is ordinarily declinable; with a specifically intended but omitted complement it can become indeclinable on ḍamma. Similar-looking expressions thus receive different parses.
Additional example: جِئْتُ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَجْرِ.
I came before dawn.
Min: preposition; qabli: governed noun and muḍāf; al-fajri: genitive complement.
Additional example: جِئْتُ مِنْ قَبْلُ.
I came earlier (than the contextually understood point).
Qablu: built on ḍamma; syntactically genitive after min.
6. Fawq and taḥt
Fawq denotes “above” and taḥt “below.” When the complement is explicit, parse the normal adverbial construction; omission with a definite intended complement motivates the special building pattern.
Additional example: الْكِتَابُ فَوْقَ الطَّاوِلَةِ.
The book is above the table.
Al-kitābu: subject; fawqa: accusative place adverb and muḍāf; al-ṭāwilati: genitive complement; phrase forms the predicate relation.
7. Why they are called ghāyāt
وَتُسَمَّى الْغَايَاتِ.
Translation: They are called ghāyāt.
The source calls this group ghāyāt (“limits” or reference points). The term reflects an understood limit; it does not imply that qabl and baʿd are always indeclinable.
8. Ḥaythu: an indeclinable place adverb
وَمِنْهَا: «حَيْثُ» بُنِيَتْ تَشْبِيهًا لَهَا بِالْغَايَاتِ؛ لِمُلَازَمَتِهَا الْإِضَافَةَ إِلَى الْجُمْلَةِ فِي الْأَكْثَرِ.
Translation: Another is ḥaythu, treated as indeclinable by analogy to ghāyāt because it is usually linked to a whole clause.
Ḥaythu introduces a location, normally followed by a clause. The source explains its indeclinability by analogy with ghāyāt and its frequent attachment to clauses.
9. Parsing min ḥaythu lā yaʿlamūn
سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ.
Translation: We shall draw them on gradually from where they do not know.
Ḥaythu keeps its final ḍamma even after the preposition min. The following verbal clause identifies the relevant circumstance/location.
Book example: مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
From a direction/circumstance unknown to them.
Min: preposition; ḥaythu: place adverb built on ḍamma in genitive position; lā: negator; yaʿlamūna: indicative imperfect with wāw as subject.
10. A clause after ḥaythu
After ḥaythu, identify the following clause before assigning roles. The words inside an attached nominal or verbal clause still have their own internal grammatical functions.
Additional example: أَجْلِسُ حَيْثُ يَجْلِسُ الْمُعَلِّمُ.
I sit where the teacher sits.
Ḥaythu: indeclinable adverb functioning in the accusative adverbial position; yajlisu: imperfect; al-muʿallimu: subject.
11. An exceptional nominal complement of ḥaythu
وَقَدْ تُضَافُ إِلَى الْمُفْرَدِ، كَقَوْلِ الشَّاعِرِ: «أَمَا تَرَى حَيْثَ سُهَيْلٍ طَالِعًا».
Translation: It can also be annexed to a single noun, as in the poet’s line asking whether one sees where Suhayl is rising.
The source notes a poetic/exceptional construction where ḥaythu takes a single noun instead of a clause. This should not be generalized indiscriminately in prose.
Parsing the poetic example: amā: interrogative sequence; tarā: imperfect with implied “you”; ḥaytha: accusative place adverb in this special poetic construction and muḍāf; Suhaylin: genitive complement; ṭāliʿan: accusative circumstantial descriptor of Suhayl.
12. Idhā points to a future occasion
وَمِنْهَا: «إِذَا» وَهِيَ لِلْمُسْتَقْبَلِ، وَإِذَا دَخَلَتْ عَلَى الْمَاضِي، صَارَ مُسْتَقْبَلًا.
Translation: Idhā indicates the future, and when it governs a past-form verb, the sense becomes future.
Idhā normally introduces a future occasion. A following perfect-tense verb can describe an event yet to occur; the source also notes a conditional sense.
13. Analyzing idhā jāʾa naṣru llāh
إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ.
Translation: When Allah’s help comes.
Jāʾa is a perfect-form verb. In an idhā clause its interpreted reference is future, so verbal morphology and the clause’s temporal reference should not be confused.
Book example: إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ
When Allah’s help comes.
Idhā: future-time adverb conveying condition; jāʾa: perfect verb; naṣru: nominative subject and muḍāf; Allāhi: genitive complement.
14. A nominal clause after idhā
وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ تَقَعَ بَعْدَهَا الْجُمْلَةُ الِاسْمِيَّةُ، نَحْوُ: «آتِيكَ إِذَا الشَّمْسُ طَالِعَةٌ».
Translation: A nominal clause may follow, e.g. “I shall come to you when the sun is rising.”
A nominal clause may follow idhā in the source’s treatment, although a verbal clause is preferred. Recognize the construction without forcing every nominal example into a simple modern template.
Full parsing: ātīka: imperfect, implicit first-person subject, -ka as object; idhā: future-time adverb; al-shamsu: nominative subject; ṭāliʿatun: nominative predicate. Al-shamsu ṭāliʿatun is the nominal clause following the adverb.
15. Preferred verbal clause after idhā
وَالْمُخْتَارُ الْفِعْلِيَّةُ، نَحْوُ: «آتِيكَ إِذَا طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ».
Translation: The verbal clause is preferred, e.g. “I will come to you when the sun rises.”
Compare the previous nominal clause with the preferred verbal one. The temporal meaning is similar, but the internal syntactic structure differs.
Book example: آتِيكَ إِذَا طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ.
I shall come to you when the sun rises.
Ātī: imperfect with implicit “I”; -ka: object; idhā: time adverb; ṭalaʿat: perfect with feminine marker; al-shamsu: nominative subject.
16. Sudden-event idhā
وَقَدْ تَكُونُ لِلْمُفَاجَأَةِ، فَيُخْتَارُ بَعْدَهَا الْمُبْتَدَأُ، نَحْوُ: «خَرَجْتُ فَإِذَا السَّبُعُ وَاقِفٌ».
Translation: Idhā may express surprise; a subject follows it, e.g. “I went out, and suddenly a wild beast was standing there.”
Idhā can mark a sudden discovery; this is idha al-fujāʾiyyah. The source prefers a following nominal structure in this use.
17. Full parsing of the surprise construction
The sequence al-sabuʿu wāqifun is a nominal sentence after sudden-event idhā. The subject of kharajtu is the attached first-person pronoun, not al-sabuʿ.
Book example: خَرَجْتُ فَإِذَا السَّبُعُ وَاقِفٌ.
I went out and suddenly a wild beast was standing.
Kharajtu: perfect + subject suffix; fa: connective; idhā: sudden-event particle; al-sabuʿu: nominative subject; wāqifun: nominative predicate.
18. Do not confuse the two uses of idhā
Temporal/conditional idhā introduces a time or condition. Sudden-event idhā introduces an unexpected situation. Identical spelling does not guarantee identical syntax.
Additional example: أَزُورُكَ إِذَا رَجَعَ أَبُوكَ.
I shall visit you when your father returns.
Idhā: future-time adverb; rajaʿa: verb; abūka: subject nominative by wāw and muḍāf.
Book example: خَرَجْتُ فَإِذَا السَّبُعُ وَاقِفٌ.
I went out and suddenly a beast was standing.
Here idhā expresses surprise; al-sabuʿu is subject and wāqifun its predicate.
19. Idh: an adverb referring to the past
وَمِنْهَا: «إِذْ» وَهِيَ لِلْمَاضِي، وَتَقَعُ بَعْدَهَا الْجُمْلَتَانِ: الِاسْمِيَّةُ وَالْفِعْلِيَّةُ.
Translation: Idh refers to the past, and both nominal and verbal clauses can follow it.
The text uses idh for past time, followed by either nominal or verbal clauses. Its primary time reference contrasts with future-oriented idhā.
20. Idh with a verbal clause
Both the main event and the event inside the idh clause are past. Distinguish the subject of the main verb from that in the following subordinate clause.
Book example: جِئْتُكَ إِذْ طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ.
I came to you when the sun rose.
Jiʾtu: past + first-person subject; -ka: object; idh: indeclinable past-time adverb in an accusative adverbial position; ṭalaʿat: verb + feminine marker; al-shamsu: subject.
21. Idh with a nominal clause
نَحْوُ: «جِئْتُكَ إِذْ طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ» وَ«إِذِ الشَّمْسُ طَالِعَةٌ».
Translation: For example, “I came when the sun rose,” or “when the sun was rising.”
The example idh al-shamsu ṭāliʿatun contains a nominal clause: al-shamsu is subject and ṭāliʿatun the predicate. Idh introduces the temporal frame but does not itself make those words nominative.
22. Idhā versus idh
The source’s central contrast is future/condition for idhā versus past time for idh. More specialized usages exist, but learners should first master this primary distinction.
Additional example: أَفْرَحُ إِذَا نَجَحْتَ.
I will be happy when you succeed.
Idhā: future time; najaḥta: formally past but future in meaning, suffix as subject.
Additional example: فَرِحْتُ إِذْ نَجَحْتَ.
I was happy when you succeeded.
Idh: past-time adverb; najaḥta: perfect verb with subject suffix.
23. Ayna and annā in place questions
وَمِنْهَا: «أَيْنَ» وَ«أَنَّى» لِلْمَكَانِ بِمَعْنَى الِاسْتِفْهَامِ، نَحْوُ: «أَيْنَ تَمْشِي؟» وَ«أَنَّى تَقْعُدُ؟».
Translation: Ayna and annā can ask about place: “Where do you walk?” and “Where do you sit?”
Here ayna and annā ask about place. The source groups them among indeclinable place expressions; their syntactic position depends on their role in the sentence.
24. Parsing ayna tamshī
Ayna asks about location; it is not the subject. In tamshī the implicit second-person pronoun is the subject.
Book example: أَيْنَ تَمْشِي؟
Where do you walk?
Ayna: interrogative place adverb built on fatḥ, in accusative adverbial position; tamshī: indicative verb with hidden “you” subject.
25. Parsing annā taqʿudu
Annā has other meanings in wider Arabic usage, but the passage here explicitly treats it as a place question; the lesson follows that usage.
Book example: أَنَّى تَقْعُدُ؟
Where do you sit?
Annā: indeclinable interrogative in the accusative place-adverb position; taqʿudu: imperfect, with hidden second-person subject.
26. Ayna and annā as conditional words
وَبِمَعْنَى الشَّرْطِ، نَحْوُ: «أَيْنَ تَجْلِسْ أَجْلِسْ» وَ«أَنَّى تَقُمْ أَقُمْ».
Translation: As conditional words: “Wherever you sit, I sit,” and “Wherever you stand, I stand.”
These words can also introduce conditions. Then they relate one action to the resulting action and can govern two jussive imperfect verbs.
Second example parsed: annā: conditional place word; taqum: jussive imperfect of the condition with implied “you”; aqum: jussive consequence with implied “I”.
27. Two jussive verbs after conditional ayna
The first imperfect expresses the condition, the second the result. This is not an ordinary “where?” question, as shown by the jussive forms.
Book example: أَيْنَ تَجْلِسْ أَجْلِسْ.
Wherever you sit, I will sit.
Ayna: indeclinable jussive conditional word in adverbial position; tajlis: jussive condition with implicit “you”; ajlis: jussive result with implicit “I”.
28. Matā asks or conditions time
وَمِنْهَا: «مَتَى» لِلزَّمَانِ شَرْطًا أَوِ اسْتِفْهَامًا، نَحْوُ: «مَتَى تَصُمْ أَصُمْ» وَ«مَتَى تُسَافِرُ؟».
Translation: Matā is used for time, conditionally or interrogatively: “Whenever you fast, I fast,” and “When will you travel?”
Matā concerns time, not place. It can ask “when?” or introduce a temporal condition (“whenever”).
29. Matā in a genuine question
Here there is just one imperfect and matā asks a time question. Tusāfiru stays indicative; it is not a jussive conditional verb.
Book example: مَتَى تُسَافِرُ؟
When will you travel?
Matā: interrogative time adverb in the accusative adverbial position; tusāfiru: indicative imperfect with implicit “you”.
30. Matā in a temporal condition
Both imperfects are jussive because matā introduces a condition and a consequent. Matā is a temporal adjunct, not an agent or object.
Book example: مَتَى تَصُمْ أَصُمْ.
Whenever you fast, I shall fast.
Matā: conditional time adverb; taṣum: jussive verb of the condition; aṣum: jussive result, each with an implicit subject.
31. Kayfa asks about a state
وَمِنْهَا: «كَيْفَ» لِلِاسْتِفْهَامِ حَالًا، نَحْوُ: «كَيْفَ أَنْتَ؟» أَيْ فِي أَيِّ حَالٍ أَنْتَ؟
Translation: Kayfa asks about a state, as in “How are you?”—that is, “In what state are you?”
Kayfa asks about someone’s state or manner, not a location or a time. The source paraphrases kayfa anta as “in what state are you?”
32. Parsing kayfa anta
Anta is the subject of the nominal clause. Kayfa is an indeclinable interrogative expressing state, syntactically in the predicate position, not a place adverb.
Book example: كَيْفَ أَنْتَ؟
How are you?
Kayfa: indeclinable interrogative in the nominative predicate position; anta: independent pronoun in the nominative subject position.
33. Ayyāna asks about time
وَمِنْهَا: «أَيَّانَ» لِلزَّمَانِ اسْتِفْهَامًا، نَحْوُ: «أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الدِّينِ؟».
Translation: Ayyāna is used to ask about time: “When is the Day of Recompense?”
Ayyāna is another temporal interrogative. In ayyāna yawmu d-dīn, the question concerns when the Day of Recompense will occur.
Book example: أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الدِّينِ؟
When is the Day of Recompense?
Ayyāna: indeclinable temporal interrogative with the force of a fronted predicate; yawmu: postponed nominative subject and muḍāf; al-dīni: genitive complement.
34. Mudh and mundhu refer to duration
وَمِنْهَا: «مُذْ» وَ«مُنْذُ» بِمَعْنَى أَوَّلِ الْمُدَّةِ، إِنْ صَلَحَ جَوَابًا لِـ«مَتَى».
Translation: Mudh and mundhu refer to the start of a period when they can answer a “since when?” question.
Mudh and mundhu can refer to a starting point or the whole period. The book tests the difference using the questions “since when?” and “how long?”
35. A starting point with mundhu
If the meaning is “since Friday,” the expression names the starting point, not the total number of days. The source’s criterion is whether it answers “since when?”
Book example: مَا رَأَيْتُهُ مُنْذُ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ.
I have not seen him since Friday.
Mā: negator; raʾaytu: past verb and subject; -hu: object; mundhu: preposition marking the start here; yawmi: genitive noun and muḍāf; al-jumuʿati: genitive complement.
36. A whole span with mudh/mundhu
وَمَعْنَى جَمِيعِ الْمُدَّةِ، إِنْ صَلَحَ جَوَابًا لِـ«كَمْ»، نَحْوُ: «مَا رَأَيْتُهُ مُذْ أَوْ مُنْذُ يَوْمَانِ».
Translation: For the whole duration, when answering “how long?”, as in “I have not seen him for two days.”
When the answer measures how long, the entire elapsed span is intended. The book’s example uses nominative yawmāni, not the genitive form yawmaini.
37. Why yawmāni is nominative
Do not force the book’s mundhu yawmāni into an ordinary preposition+genitive pattern. One classical analysis treats mudh/mundhu and the duration as a nominal predication; the source’s principal point is the semantic contrast.
Book example: مَا رَأَيْتُهُ مُنْذُ يَوْمَانِ.
I have not seen him for two days.
Mā: negator; raʾaytuhu: verb with subject and object; mundhu yawmāni: duration expression; yawmāni is nominative by alif, analysed as a predicate in a classical construction.
38. Ladā and ladun versus ʿinda
وَالْفَرْقُ بَيْنَهُمَا أَنَّ «عِنْدَ» لَا يُشْتَرَطُ فِيهِ الْحُضُورُ، وَيُشْتَرَطُ ذَلِكَ فِي «لَدَى» وَ«لَدُنْ».
Translation: The distinction is that presence is not required with ʿinda, but is required with ladā and ladun.
All three can express nearness or possession, but the book distinguishes ʿinda from ladā/ladun by a stronger condition of presence in the latter two.
39. ʿIndī and ladayya in sentences
ʿIndī and ladayya often translate similarly, yet the source assigns a narrower presence implication to ladā/ladun; they should not be treated as exact synonyms in every grammatical discussion.
Additional example: الْكِتَابُ عِنْدِي.
The book is with me.
Al-kitābu: subject; ʿinda: accusative place adverb and muḍāf; -ī: genitive complement; phrase functions as predicate.
Additional example: الْكِتَابُ لَدَيَّ.
The book is here with me.
Al-kitābu: subject; ladayya: place adverb linked to first-person suffix; phrase serves as predicate.
40. Qaṭṭ in past negative contexts
وَمِنْهَا: «قَطُّ» لِلْمَاضِي الْمَنْفِيِّ، نَحْوُ: «مَا رَأَيْتُهُ قَطُّ».
Translation: Qaṭṭ is used with a negated past: “I have never seen him.”
The source uses qaṭṭ with negative past statements: “never (up to now / in the past).” Its fixed final ḍamma is not automatically a nominative case ending.
Book example: مَا رَأَيْتُهُ قَطُّ.
I have never seen him.
Mā: negator; raʾaytu: past verb + subject suffix; -hu: object; qaṭṭu: indeclinable time adverb in an accusative adverbial position.
41. ʿAwaḍ in future negative contexts
وَمِنْهَا: «عَوْضُ» لِلْمُسْتَقْبَلِ الْمَنْفِيِّ، نَحْوُ: «لَا أَضْرِبُهُ عَوْضُ».
Translation: ʿAwaḍ is used for a negated future: “I shall never strike him.”
The source assigns ʿawaḍ to negative future statements. Distinguish it from qaṭṭ by temporal reference, not just by translating both as “never.”
Book example: لَا أَضْرِبُهُ عَوْضُ.
I shall never strike him.
Lā: negator; aḍribu: indicative imperfect with implicit “I”; -hu: object; ʿawaḍu: indeclinable time adverb in adverbial position.
42. Qaṭṭ versus ʿawaḍ
Remember the source’s base contrast: negated past + qaṭṭ; negated future + ʿawaḍ. Do not project the pattern indiscriminately onto unrelated adverbs.
Book example: مَا رَأَيْتُهُ قَطُّ.
I never saw him.
Past negation with qaṭṭ.
Book example: لَا أَضْرِبُهُ عَوْضُ.
I will never strike him.
Future negation with ʿawaḍ.
43. When adverbs are linked to a clause
وَاعْلَمْ: أَنَّهُ إِذَا أُضِيفَتِ الظُّرُوفُ إِلَى الْجُمْلَةِ، أَوْ إِلَى «إِذْ» جَازَ بِنَاؤُهَا عَلَى الْفَتْحِ.
Translation: When adverbs are annexed to a clause or to idh, building them on fatḥ can be permitted.
The closing rule allows building on fatḥ for certain adverbs annexed to a clause or idh. This concerns specified constructions, not a blanket rule for every adverb.
44. Parsing a time word followed by a clause
نَحْوُ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: «هَذَا يَوْمَ يَنْفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ».
Translation: As in the cited Qurʾānic expression: “This is the day when the truthful benefit from their truthfulness.”
Yawm introduces a time expression followed by a verbal clause. The book cites the phrase under the discussion of adverbs linked to clauses and possible building.
Book example: يَنْفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ.
Their truthfulness benefits the truthful.
Yanfaʿu: verb; al-ṣādiqīna: object, accusative by yāʾ; ṣidqu: nominative subject and muḍāf; -hum: genitive complement.
Reading and syntax distinction: Both nominative yawmu and accusative yawma readings are transmitted here. With yawmu it can be the predicate of hādhā; the accusative has adverbial and other classical grammatical analyses. The source cites the passage in its discussion of building, not as evidence for one exclusive reading.
45. Yawmāʾidhin and ḥīnāʾidhin
وَكَـ«يَوْمَئِذٍ» وَ«حِينَئِذٍ».
Translation: And expressions such as yawmāʾidhin and ḥīnāʾidhin.
The closing text includes yawmāʾidhin and ḥīnāʾidhin, combinations of a time noun with idh. Their internal composition matters to the analysis.
46. Special closing examples: mithl and ghayr
«مِثْلُ» وَ«غَيْرُ» مَعَ «مَا» وَ«أَنْ» وَ«أَنَّ».
Translation: Similarly, mithl and ghayr with mā, an and anna.
The final lines also cite mithl and ghayr with particles introducing clauses. These are tied to the chapter’s special discussion of building; do not turn the remark into an unlimited rule.
47. Amsi in the Hijazi usage
وَمِنْهَا: «أَمْسِ» بِالْكَسْرِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْحِجَازِ.
Translation: Amsi is built on kasra in the Hijazi usage.
The source finally notes the Hijazi building of amsi on kasra. The ending is a fixed building vowel; it does not automatically indicate the genitive case.
48. Fixed ending versus syntactic position
The governing principle of this chapter is the distinction between a fixed ending and syntactic case position. An indeclinable form can keep its vowel while occupying a different grammatical slot.
Book example: مِنْ قَبْلُ.
From before.
Qablu: fixed ḍamma, syntactically genitive after min.
Book example: مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ.
From where they do not know.
Ḥaythu: indeclinable on ḍamma in genitive position, followed by a verbal clause.
49. Three diagnostic questions
Use three diagnostic questions: when? (time), where? (place), and in what state? (condition). Next ask whether the word is interrogative or conditional, then locate its syntactic role.
Additional example: مَتَى تَعُودُ؟
When will you return?
Matā: interrogative time adverb.
Book example: أَيْنَ تَمْشِي؟
Where do you walk?
Ayna: interrogative place adverb.
Book example: كَيْفَ أَنْتَ؟
How are you?
Kayfa: interrogative in a predicate position.
50. Final contrast: condition and question
For ayna and matā, distinguish questions from conditions through meaning and verb forms; do not classify them from the first word alone.
Book example: مَتَى تُسَافِرُ؟
When will you travel?
One indicative imperfect: question.
Book example: مَتَى تَصُمْ أَصُمْ.
Whenever you fast, I shall fast.
Jussive condition and result.
51. Chapter map for revision
Omitted complements: qabl, baʿd, etc.
Place: ḥaythu, ayna, annā.
Time: idhā, idh, matā, ayyāna, mudh, mundhu, qaṭṭ, ʿawaḍ.
State: kayfa.
Presence/nearness: ladā, ladun.
Special building: adverbs joined to clauses and amsi.
52. A five-step parsing checklist
1. Identify time, place, state, or condition.
2. Decide whether the form is indeclinable here.
3. State its fixed building vowel where applicable.
4. State the syntactic position separately.
5. Parse the following clause on its own: verb, subject, or nominal subject and predicate.