Lesson 88 – الدَّرْسُ الثَّامِنُ والثَّمانون

The Style of Request - أُسلوبُ الطَّلَبِ

The verb and the answer to the request– فِعْلُ الطَّلَبِ وجَوَابُه

  • We are still in lesson eighty eight of our free Arabic language course. This Arabic course with images and audios will help you learn Arabic.
  • The answer to the request is not an essential part in the request structure, i.e. in many Arabic sentences we may find the imperative or the negated imperative without being followed by the sentence of the answer, as in the following examples:

Verb

English

Arabic

حافِظْ

Take care of your health

حافِظْ عَلَى صِحَّتِكَ

مارِسِ

Practice sport

مارِسِ الرِّياضَةَ

واتَّبِعْ

And follow the diet regime (dietary)

واتَّبِعْ الْحِمْيَةَ

  • In other request structures we may find the answer to the request as in the following example:

English

Arabic

Practice sport, you will keep healthy

مارِسْ الرِّياضَةَ تُحافِظْ عَلَى صِحَّتِكَ

  • The sentence of answer (تُحافِظْ عَلَى صِحَّتِكَ) indicates the result of doing the action requested by the preceding imperative.
  • You may notice that the answer to the request in the above mentioned structure is a present verb in the jussive case (i.e. signed originally with sukūn on its last letter).
  • Therefore we clearly understand that in addition to the situations in which the present verb is in the jussive case, there is one more situation when it is an answer to the request. We studied some of the situations in which the present verb is in the jussive case in lessons: 36 – 49 – 87.
  • And now let’s see more examples:

Structure analysis

Example

The answer to the request

The type of request

The verb of request

English

Arabic

تَنْجُ

Imperative

تَعَلَّمِ

Learn swimming, you will be saved of sinking

تَعَلَّمِ السِّباحَةَ تَنْجُ مِنَ الْغَرَقِ

تَنالا

Imperative

ساعِدَا

Help your mother, you will win her satisfaction

ساعِدَا أُمَّكُما تَنالا رِضاهَا

يُحِبُّوكَ

Imperative

أَكْرِمِ

Be generous with people, they will love you

أَكْرِمِ النَّاسَ يُحِبُّوكَ

تَنْجُ

Imperative

اِلْزَمِ

Stick to truthfulness, you will be safe (saved)

اِلْزَمِ الصِّدْقَ تَنْجُ

نُمارِسِ

Imperative verbal noun

هَيَّا

Let’s practice sport

هَيَّا بِنا نُمارِسِ الرِّياضَةَ

تَكُنْ

Imperative verbal noun

دَعِ

Leave (stop) lying, you will be beloved (by others)

دَعِ الْكَذِبَ تَكُنْ مَحْبُوبًا

تَجِدْ

Imperative verbal noun

هَلُمَّ

Come on to us, you will find what you like

هَلُمَّ إِلَيْنا تَجِدْ ما يَسُرُّكَ

تَتَفَوَّقْ

Negated imperative

لاتُهْمِلْ

Do not neglect your duties (home works) you will excel

لا تُهْمِلْ وَاجِباتِكَ تَتَفَوَّقْ

تُحْبِبْكَ

Negated imperative

لاتُهِنْ

Do not insult your wife, she will love you

لا تُهِنْ زَوْجَتَكَ تُحْبِبْكَ

يَقْتَرِبُوا

Negated imperative

لاتَضْرِبْ

Do not hit your sons, they will be near to you

لا تَضْرِبْ أَوْلادَكَ يَقْتَرِبُوا مِنْكَ

تُصْبِحْ

Negated imperative

لاتَأْكُلِ

Do not eat the white meat, you will be thin

لا تَأْكُلِ اللَّحْمَ الأَبْيَضَ تُصْبِحْ نَحِيفًا

  • From the above mentioned examples we notice that the verb of request can be imperative verb, imperative verbal noun or negated imperative, but it cannot be a present verb which is preceded by the (lām) of the imperative لام الأمْر learnt earlier in this lesson as (لِتَكْتُبْ - لِتَشْرَبْ).
  • You may also notice that the answer to the request is always a present verb in the jussive case.