Read the bilingual lesson for Introduction to Mansubat and the Ism of Inna and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. A New Case: Mansub
An inflected noun can appear in raf, nasb or jarr. A noun in the state of nasb is called mansub. This level begins the topic of الْمَنْصُوبَاتُ - nouns that become mansub for a grammatical reason. We will first connect this new topic to the raf and jarr roles you already know, then learn the first reason for nasb.
2. The Three Case States
Use this three-way map before studying individual reasons. StateTerm for the nounSimple examplerafmarfuزَيْدٌnasbmansubزَيْدًاjarrmajrurزَيْدٍ The ending is read together with the noun's grammatical role; an ending is not identified in isolation.
3. Quick Recall: Why a Noun Is Majrur
Recall two familiar reasons for jarr. After a preposition: فِي كِتَابِ زَيْدٍ - كِتَابِ is majrur because it follows فِي. As mudaf ilayh: كِتَابُ زَيْدٍ - زَيْدٍ is majrur because it is the mudaf ilayh. These two reasons explain jarr; they are not reasons for nasb.
4. Quick Recall: Common Marfu Roles
Recall three roles in which a noun is marfu. RoleExampleMarfu nounmubtada or khabarزَيْدٌ صَالِحٌزَيْدٌ، صَالِحٌfa'ilضَرَبَ زَيْدٌزَيْدٌna'ib al-fa'ilضُرِبَ زَيْدٌزَيْدٌ The same spelling زَيْدٌ can serve different roles; the sentence tells us which role it has.
5. Mansub Has More Than One Reason
A noun does not become mansub merely because it appears in a sentence. A specific grammatical reason causes nasb. There are several important mansub roles. We will learn them in manageable steps. The first reason in this level is: the ism of a particle resembling a verb. Other reasons remain for later levels.
6. The Basic Change with Inna
A particle such as إِنَّ enters a nominal sentence. In the examples here, its ism is mansub and its khabar remains marfu. Before: زَيْدٌ صَالِحٌ - زَيْدٌ is mubtada and marfu. - صَالِحٌ is khabar and marfu. After: إِنَّ زَيْدًا صَالِحٌ - زَيْدًا is now ism of inna and mansub. - صَالِحٌ is khabar of inna and remains marfu. So the visible change is زَيْدٌ ← زَيْدًا.
7. Inna and Anna
Both particles make their ism mansub; the surrounding sentence determines which particle is used. إِنَّ زَيْدًا صَالِحٌ زَيْدًا is the ism of إِنَّ, so it is mansub with fathah. صَالِحٌ is the marfu khabar. أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مُحَمَّدًا is the ism of أَنَّ, so it is mansub. The coordinated words عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ form the khabar.
8. Ka'anna and Lakinna
The same ism-mansub and khabar-marfu relationship appears with كَأَنَّ and لَكِنَّ. كَأَنَّ زَيْدًا مَرِيضٌ زَيْدًا is the mansub ism; مَرِيضٌ is the marfu khabar. لَكِنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ جَاهِلُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ is the mansub ism; جَاهِلُونَ is the marfu khabar. Notice that this mansub ism does not end in fathah.
9. Layta and La'alla
لَيْتَ and لَعَلَّ complete the six particles shown here. لَيْتَ الْإِسْلَامَ غَالِبٌ الْإِسْلَامَ is the mansub ism; غَالِبٌ is the marfu khabar. لَعَلَّ الصِّحَّةَ دَائِمَةٌ الصِّحَّةَ is the mansub ism; دَائِمَةٌ is the marfu khabar. Read the pair together: particle, mansub ism, then marfu khabar.
10. Two Visible Signs of Nasb Here
Mansub does not mean that every noun must display the same ending. Fathah in these singular nouns: زَيْدًا، مُحَمَّدًا، الْإِسْلَامَ، الصِّحَّةَ. Each is the ism of one of the six particles. Ya in the sound masculine plural: الْكَافِرِينَ. It is also mansub, but ya is its sign of nasb. First identify the grammatical reason; then read the case sign appropriate to the noun's form.
11. Find the Ism Before the Khabar
Do not label every noun in the sentence as the ism of the particle. In إِنَّ زَيْدًا صَالِحٌ, ask: which noun came directly under the effect of إِنَّ? It is زَيْدًا. What is being said about Zayd? صَالِحٌ, the khabar. In لَكِنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ جَاهِلُونَ, the same questions identify الْكَافِرِينَ as the mansub ism and جَاهِلُونَ as the marfu khabar.
12. A Reliable Three-Step Check
Use these three steps with the simple noun-predicate examples in this level. 1. Find إِنَّ، أَنَّ، كَأَنَّ، لَكِنَّ، لَيْتَ or لَعَلَّ. 2. Identify its ism: this noun is mansub. 3. Identify what is stated about that ism: in these examples, it is a marfu noun serving as khabar. Then check the visible sign. It may be fathah, or another sign such as ya in الْكَافِرِينَ. This level has taught only the first reason for nasb.
Practice questions
Question 1
What is an inflected noun in the state of nasb called?
Question 2
Which word is the mansub ism in إِنَّ زَيْدًا صَالِحٌ?
- إِنَّ
- زَيْدًا
- صَالِحٌ
- the whole sentence
Question 3
Choose the sentence with the correct case after إِنَّ.
- إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ نَافِعٌ
- إِنَّ الْعِلْمُ نَافِعٌ
- إِنَّ الْعِلْمِ نَافِعًا
- إِنَّ الْعِلْمُ نَافِعًا
Question 4
Why is الْكَافِرِينَ mansub in لَكِنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ جَاهِلُونَ?
- It is a mudaf ilayh.
- It is the fa'il.
- It is the ism of لَكِنَّ, with ya as its sign of nasb.
- It is the khabar of لَكِنَّ.
Question 5
What is the khabar in لَعَلَّ الصِّحَّةَ دَائِمَةٌ?
- لَعَلَّ
- الصِّحَّةَ
- دَائِمَةٌ
- الصِّحَّةَ دَائِمَةٌ
Question 6
Which highlighted noun is majrur because it follows a preposition?
- فِي الْبَيْتِ
- إِنَّ الْبَيْتَ
- الْبَيْتُ وَاسِعٌ
- فَتَحَ حَامِدٌ الْبَيْتَ
Question 7
What must be corrected in لَيْتَ الطَّالِبُ حَاضِرٌ?
- Change لَيْتَ to a preposition.
- Make both nouns majrur.
- Make the khabar mansub.
- Make the ism mansub: لَيْتَ الطَّالِبَ حَاضِرٌ.
Question 8
Match each term with its exact meaning in this level.
Question 9
Match each sentence with its grammatical analysis.
Question 10
In إِنَّ زَيْدًا صَالِحٌ, both زَيْدًا and صَالِحٌ are mansub.
Question 11
Every mansub noun must be the ism of one of the six particles taught here.
Question 12
Sort each highlighted noun by its case in the visible sentence.
Question 13
Sort the mansub isms by the visible sign of nasb.
Question 14
Arrange a sentence in which الطَّالِبَ is the mansub ism of إِنَّ.
Question 15
Arrange a sentence in which a sound masculine plural is the mansub ism of لَكِنَّ.
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