Negating Nominal Sentences with مَا

Read the bilingual lesson for Negating Nominal Sentences with مَا and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. What Will We Learn?

● We will use مَا to negate a nominal sentence. ● We will identify اسمُ مَا and خبرُ مَا. ● We will see why the predicate becomes accusative. ● We will use an additional بِ with the predicate when stronger negation is intended.

2. Negation with مَا

Place مَا at the beginning to make a nominal statement negative. The original statement and its negative form describe the same subject, but the second denies the predicate. Affirmative Negative with مَا Natural meaning زَيْدٌ صَالِحٌ مَا زَيْدٌ صَالِحًا Zayd is pious → Zayd is not pious الرَّجُلُ طَوِيلٌ مَا الرَّجُلُ طَوِيلًا The man is tall → The man is not tall هَذَا بَشَرٌ مَا هَذَا بَشَرًا This is a human → This is not a human

3. The Noun and Predicate of مَا

After مَا enters the nominal sentence, the former subject is called اسمُ مَا and remains nominative. The predicate is called خبرُ مَا and becomes accusative. Word Role after مَا Case زَيْدٌ اسمُ مَا nominative صَالِحًا خبرُ مَا accusative

4. The Predicate across Number and Gender

The accusative form of خبرُ مَا changes according to number and gender. Keep the noun of مَا nominative. Affirmative Negative with مَا Predicate change الْوَلَدُ مُجْتَهِدٌ مَا الْوَلَدُ مُجْتَهِدًا singular: ـٌ → ـًـا الْبِنْتَانِ صَادِقَتَانِ مَا الْبِنْتَانِ صَادِقَتَيْنِ dual: ـانِ → ـيْنِ الْأَوْلَادُ صَالِحُونَ مَا الْأَوْلَادُ صَالِحِينَ sound masculine plural: ـونَ → ـينَ النِّسَاءُ كَاذِبَاتٌ مَا النِّسَاءُ كَاذِبَاتٍ sound feminine plural: ـاتٌ → ـاتٍ

5. Pronouns and Demonstratives as اسمُ مَا

A pronoun or demonstrative may serve as اسمُ مَا. It remains in its familiar form; the predicate takes the required form. Pattern Negative sentence Meaning pronoun + emphatic بِ مَا هُمْ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ They are certainly not believers feminine plural pronoun مَا هُنَّ أُمَّهَاتِهِمْ They are not their mothers addressed pronoun + emphatic بِ مَا أَنْتَ بِمَجْنُونٍ You are certainly not mad demonstrative مَا هَؤُلَاءِ مُنَافِقِينَ These are not hypocrites

6. Stronger Negation with بِ

An additional بِ may enter before خبرُ مَا. It strengthens the negation. The natural translation may use “certainly not,” “by no means,” or “not at all,” according to context. Plain negation Stronger negation with بِ مَا اللَّهُ غَافِلًا مَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ Allah is not unaware Allah is certainly not unaware مَا الْوَلَدُ مُجْتَهِدًا مَا الْوَلَدُ بِمُجْتَهِدٍ The boy is not hardworking The boy is not hardworking at all

7. The Predicate after بِ

Without بِ, خبرُ مَا is accusative. When بِ enters, the same predicate remains the predicate of مَا but appears in the genitive form because it follows a preposition. Structure Predicate Visible case مَا الْوَلَدُ مُجْتَهِدًا مُجْتَهِدًا accusative مَا الْوَلَدُ بِمُجْتَهِدٍ بِمُجْتَهِدٍ genitive after بِ مَا هُمْ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ genitive plural form

8. Applying the Pattern

Choose the plain or emphatic pattern according to the intended meaning, while keeping the noun of مَا nominative and forming the predicate correctly. Intended meaning Arabic pattern The two girls are not truthful مَا الْبِنْتَانِ صَادِقَتَيْنِ The women are not liars مَا النِّسَاءُ كَاذِبَاتٍ The female students are not present مَا الطَّالِبَاتُ حَاضِرَاتٍ They are certainly not believers مَا هُمْ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ You are certainly not mad مَا أَنْتَ بِمَجْنُونٍ These are not hypocrites مَا هَؤُلَاءِ مُنَافِقِينَ

9. Avoid These Common Errors

Check the case of both parts. مَا keeps its noun nominative, makes its predicate accusative in the plain pattern, and requires a genitive form after بِ. Incorrect Correct Reason مَا الْوَلَدُ مُجْتَهِدٌ مَا الْوَلَدُ مُجْتَهِدًا the plain predicate must be accusative مَا الْبِنْتَيْنِ صَادِقَتَيْنِ مَا الْبِنْتَانِ صَادِقَتَيْنِ the noun of مَا remains nominative مَا هُمْ بِمُؤْمِنُونَ مَا هُمْ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ the word after بِ must be genitive

10. Lesson Summary

● مَا makes a nominal sentence negative. ● The former subject becomes اسمُ مَا and remains nominative. ● The predicate becomes خبرُ مَا and is accusative in the plain pattern. ● Number and gender determine the visible accusative form of the predicate. ● An additional بِ strengthens the negation and makes the following predicate appear in the genitive form. ● A pronoun or demonstrative may serve as اسمُ مَا.

Practice questions

Question 1

What does مَا do to the nominal sentence in this lesson?

  • It adds emphasis
  • It makes the sentence negative
  • It turns the sentence into a question

Question 2

In مَا الْوَلَدُ مُجْتَهِدًا, what is the role and case of الْوَلَدُ?

  • It is the nominative noun of مَا
  • It is the accusative predicate of مَا
  • It is a genitive noun after a preposition

Question 3

In مَا الْوَلَدُ مُجْتَهِدًا, what is مُجْتَهِدًا?

  • A nominative subject
  • A genitive noun
  • The accusative predicate of مَا

Question 4

Build the negative sentence: The boy is not hardworking.

Question 5

Which is the correct negative form of الْبِنْتَانِ صَادِقَتَانِ?

  • مَا الْبِنْتَيْنِ صَادِقَتَانِ
  • مَا الْبِنْتَانِ صَادِقَتَيْنِ
  • مَا الْبِنْتَيْنِ صَادِقَتَيْنِ

Question 6

Sort each highlighted form by its role in the sentence with مَا.

Question 7

Which sentence correctly means: The women are not liars?

  • مَا النِّسَاءُ كَاذِبَاتٍ
  • مَا النِّسَاءَ كَاذِبَاتٌ
  • مَا النِّسَاءُ كَاذِبَاتٌ

Question 8

Build the emphatic negative sentence: They are certainly not believers.

Question 9

What does the additional بِ do in مَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ?

  • It turns the sentence into a question
  • It changes the sentence into an affirmative statement
  • It strengthens the negation

Question 10

In مَا الْوَلَدُ بِمُجْتَهِدٍ, بِمُجْتَهِدٍ still functions as the predicate of مَا.

Question 11

Match each term with its grammatical function.

Question 12

Build the emphatic negative sentence: You are certainly not mad.

Question 13

Which sentence correctly means: These are not hypocrites?

  • مَا هَؤُلَاءِ مُنَافِقُونَ
  • مَا هَؤُلَاءِ مُنَافِقِينَ
  • مَا هَؤُلَاءِ بِمُنَافِقُونَ

Question 14

Sort the sentences by whether the negation is plain or strengthened with بِ.

Question 15

Build the negative sentence: The women are not liars.

Question 16

Sort the transformations as correct or incorrect.

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