Double emphasis in Arabic - نُونُ التَّوْكِيد - لامُ التَّوْكِيد | Arabic Free Course

Introduction

To add extra emphasis to the imperfect tense in Arabic, the prefix لَ is used along with نّ (Noon Thaqeela) or نْ (Noon Khafeefa) as a suffix. This linguistic structure expresses strong emphasis or certainty.

Table with نْ — Noon Khafeefa

3rd Person Masculine

3rd Person Feminine

2nd Person Masculine

2nd Person Feminine

1st Person (Masculine & Feminine)

Double Emphasis in Arabic — نُونُ التَّوْكِيد and لَامُ التَّوْكِيد

Both نّ (Noon Thaqeela) and لَ (Lam Attakeed) can also be attached to the imperative and passive forms of verbs.

وَلَئِن لَّمْ يَفْعَلْ مَا آمُرُهُ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ وَلَيَكُونًا مِّنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ

And if he does not do what I order him, he will surely be imprisoned and will be among those humiliated. (12:32)

Emphasizing Verb Forms — نّ and لام التوكيد

The Noon Thaqeela (نّ) and Lam Attakeed (لَ) are powerful grammatical tools used to emphasize the certainty of an action.

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ

O Children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you. (7:27)

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ إِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي

O Children of Adam, if there come to you messengers from among you reciting My verses to you. (7:35)

Emphasizing Nouns, Pronouns, and Prepositions with لام التوكيد

Lam Attakeed (لام التوكيد) can also emphasize nouns, pronouns, and prepositions.

وَإِن تَعْجَبْ فَعَجَبٌ قَوْلُهُمْ أَإِذَا كُنَّا تُرَابًا أَإِنَّا لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ

And if you are astonished, then astonishing is their saying: “When we are dust, will we indeed be in a new creation?” (13:5)

إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ

Indeed, mankind is in loss. (103:2)

وَمَن جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ

And whoever strives only strives for himself. Indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds. (29:6)

لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

I will surely punish him severely or slaughter him unless he brings me clear proof. (27:21)

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. Indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (29:69)

Conclusion

This lesson on Arabic emphasis concludes here. In the next lesson, we will study the active participle in Arabic.

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