En capítulo
Precision and Objectivity in Academic Discourse
Here are a few options for a
Use `La al-nafiyah li-l-jins` with an indefinite noun ending in a short 'a' to deny the existence of the entire category.
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- Negates the entire category absolutely.
- Noun must be indefinite (no Al-).
- No separation between La and noun.
- Noun ends in single Fatha (usually).
Quick Reference
| Condition | Noun Case | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Word | Built on Fatha (Mabni) | لا شكَّ (La shakka) | No doubt |
| Construct (Idafa) | Accusative (Mansub) | لا صاحبَ حقٍّ (La sahiba haqqin) | No owner of right... |
| Separated | Nominative (Marfu') | لا في الدارِ رجلٌ (La fi al-dari rajulun) | No man is in the house |
| Preceded by Prep | Genitive (Majrur) | بلا شكٍّ (Bi-la shakkin) | Without doubt |
| Definite Noun | Nominative + Repeat La | لا الشمسُ... ولا القمرُ | Neither the sun... nor the moon |
Ejemplos clave
3 de 9لا إلهَ إلا الله
There is no god but Allah.
لا شكَّ في أننا سننجح
There is no doubt that we will succeed.
الحقيقة مرة ولكن لا مفرَّ منها
The truth is bitter, but there is no escape from it.
The 'Lip-Zip' Rule
Imagine the Fatha on the noun is zipping your lips shut. `La shakka` (No doubt). Short, sharp, final. Don't drag out the vowel into a Tanwin unless you're building a complex phrase.
Don't Translate 'No'
In English, 'No problem' and 'No the problem' sound obviously different. In Arabic, `La mushkila` and `La al-mushkila` are worlds apart structurally. If you see an Al-, abort mission!
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- Negates the entire category absolutely.
- Noun must be indefinite (no Al-).
- No separation between La and noun.
- Noun ends in single Fatha (usually).
Overview
Ready to upgrade your "no"? You know how to say "I don't eat" or "He isn't here." That’s amateur hour. Today we’re handling the nuclear option of negation: La al-nafiyah li-l-jins (The La of Absolute Negation). It doesn't just negate a specific instance; it wipes the entire category off the map. It’s the difference between saying "There isn't a student in the room" (maybe there are two?) and "There is absolutely NO student in the room." Zero. Zilch. It’s rhetorical, powerful, and very satisfying to say.
How This Grammar Works
Think of this La as a bouncer at an exclusive club. It has strict entry requirements. If a noun wants to hang out with this La, it has to strip off its Al- (definite article) and often its Tanwin (double vowel marking). In return, this La gives the sentence a flavor of absolute, categorical denial. It governs the noun following it, putting it into a special accusative-like state. It creates a "topic-comment" structure where the topic is the thing being negated.
Formation Pattern
- 1Getting the structure right is like baking a soufflé—precision matters.
- 2Start with
لا(La). - 3Follow immediately with an indefinite noun (Ism La). It usually takes a single Fatha (
asound) on the end, not a Tanwin. - 4Add the predicate (Khabar La), which describes the noun. This stays in the nominative case (Damma).
- 5*The Formula:*
La+ Indefinite Noun (Fatha) + Predicate (Damma)
When To Use It
Use this when you want to be dramatic or precise. It’s perfect for arguments, formal writing, or when you need to be crystal clear that exceptions do not exist. It's extremely common in set phrases like لا بدَّ (inevitably/no escape from it) or لا شكَّ (no doubt). Use it to sound authoritative. "There is no doubt" sounds much better than "I don't think there is a doubt."
When Not To Use It
Don't use this for casual, specific negations. If you just want to say "I don't have a pen" in a chill way, ما عندي قلم is fine. You don't need to declare "THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO PEN IN EXISTENCE WITH ME." Also, avoid it if your noun is definite (has Al-) or if there's a preposition before the La. The bouncer will kick you out.
Common Mistakes
Here is where even advanced learners trip up.
- The Definite Trap: You cannot say
لا الرجل...(La al-rajul). If the noun hasAl-, this specialLastops working and just becomes a regular "no," and you usually have to repeat it:لا الشمسُ ينبغي لها... - The Separation Anxiety: You cannot put a word between
Laand its noun. They must be glued together. If you sayلا في الدار رجل, the magic spell breaks. It reverts to a normal sentence. - The Preposition Problem: If you put a preposition before
La(likebila- without), theLaloses its power. The noun just takes a genitive case (Kasra) because of the preposition.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
Compare لا رجلَ في الدار (There is absolutely no man in the house) with ما في الدارِ رجلٌ (There isn't a man in the house). The first denies the *gender/category* of man entirely. The second just denies the presence of one specific man (implying there might be a woman, or maybe two men). The Absolute La shuts down the whole discussion.
Quick FAQ
Q: Can I use a proper name?
Nope! Proper names are definite by nature. This La only dates indefinite nouns.
Q: Why do some people say La with a double Fatha (Tanwin)?
Ooh, fancy! That happens if the noun is an "Idafa" (possessive construction) or similar. e.g., لا طالبَ علمٍ كسولٌ (No student of knowledge is lazy). Here taliba takes a Fatha, but it's technically accusative.
Q: Is this used in dialects?
Surprisingly, yes! Phrases like la budd or la shakk survived into dialects, though the grammar rules around them relaxed. But to sound like a C2 boss, stick to MSA rules.
Reference Table
| Condition | Noun Case | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Word | Built on Fatha (Mabni) | لا شكَّ (La shakka) | No doubt |
| Construct (Idafa) | Accusative (Mansub) | لا صاحبَ حقٍّ (La sahiba haqqin) | No owner of right... |
| Separated | Nominative (Marfu') | لا في الدارِ رجلٌ (La fi al-dari rajulun) | No man is in the house |
| Preceded by Prep | Genitive (Majrur) | بلا شكٍّ (Bi-la shakkin) | Without doubt |
| Definite Noun | Nominative + Repeat La | لا الشمسُ... ولا القمرُ | Neither the sun... nor the moon |
The 'Lip-Zip' Rule
Imagine the Fatha on the noun is zipping your lips shut. `La shakka` (No doubt). Short, sharp, final. Don't drag out the vowel into a Tanwin unless you're building a complex phrase.
Don't Translate 'No'
In English, 'No problem' and 'No the problem' sound obviously different. In Arabic, `La mushkila` and `La al-mushkila` are worlds apart structurally. If you see an Al-, abort mission!
The God Phrase
The most famous use of this rule is the Shahada: `La ilaha illa Allah`. It literally means 'Absolutely no deity exists... except Allah.' It establishes the theological concept of Tawhid (Oneness) through grammar.
Fixed Phrases are Your Friend
You don't need to analyze `La budda` (inevitably) every time you use it. Just memorize the hits: `La ba's` (no worries), `La shakk` (no doubt), `La nazir` (unrivaled). Treat them like vocabulary words.
Ejemplos
9لا إلهَ إلا الله
Focus: إلهَ
There is no god but Allah.
The ultimate example. 'Ilaha' is built on fatha.
لا شكَّ في أننا سننجح
Focus: شكَّ
There is no doubt that we will succeed.
A very common phrase used in argumentation.
الحقيقة مرة ولكن لا مفرَّ منها
Focus: مفرَّ
The truth is bitter, but there is no escape from it.
'Mafar' implies a place to flee to.
لا طالبَ علمٍ ممقوتٌ عند الناس
Focus: طالبَ
No student of knowledge is despised by people.
Here the noun is a construct (Idafa), so it's Accusative.
قلت له: لا بأسَ عليك، ستحلو الأيام
Focus: بأسَ
I said to him: No harm on you, days will get sweeter.
Standard phrase for comforting someone.
لا حولَ ولا قوةَ إلا بالله العلي العظيم
Focus: حولَ
There is no power and no strength except by Allah.
Often repeated. Note the repetition of 'La'.
لا الرجلُ في الدار (Incorrect use of Absolute La)
Focus: الرجلُ
No the man is in the house (Broken grammar)
Must repeat La if definite: لا الرجلُ... ولا المرأةُ
لا في الحقيبة كتابَ (Incorrect word order)
Focus: في الحقيبة
No in the bag book (Broken grammar)
Cannot separate La and the noun. Must be: لا كتابَ في الحقيبة
غضبتُ من أخي بلا سببٍ واضح
Focus: بلا سببٍ
I got angry at my brother for no clear reason.
Preposition 'Bi' cancels the special La. 'Sababin' is genitive.
Ponte a prueba
Complete the phrase for 'There is no escape from fate'.
لا ___ من القدر
The noun following Absolute La must be indefinite and built on Fatha (ending in short 'a').
Choose the correct form for 'No teller of lies is trusted'.
لا ___ كذبٍ مصدَّقٌ
This is an Idafa (construct) phrase. The noun 'qa'il' is accusative (fatha) but not tanwin because it is followed by a genitive noun.
Identify the error in this sentence.
لا في الغرفةِ أحدَ
Because 'fi al-ghurfa' separates 'La' and 'ahad', the Absolute Negation is void. The sentence reverts to standard nominative: 'La fi al-ghurfa ahadun'.
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Ayudas visuales
La vs. Ma (The Negation Showdown)
Does Absolute La Apply?
Is the noun Indefinite?
Is it directly after La?
Is there a preposition before La?
Power Phrases with La
Argumentation
- • لا جدال (No argument)
- • لا شك (No doubt)
Necessity
- • لا بد (Must/Inevitable)
- • لا مفر (No escape)
Preguntas frecuentes
20 preguntasYou could say لا مالَ عندي to be dramatic ('I possess absolutely no wealth'), but usually people say ما عندي مال or ليس عندي مال for simple possession. The Absolute La sounds more formal or emphatic.
It sounds weird to a native ear, like saying 'There is no doubts' in English. The grammar requires the light fatha construction to bond the word to the La. Stick to La shakka.
Jins means 'genus' or 'category/species'. It negates the entire species of the noun. If you say La rajula, you are negating the existence of the entire category of 'men' in that context.
Yes! In fact, it's deleted all the time. In La budda (No escape), the predicate is implied to be something like 'mawjood' (existing) or 'minhu' (from it). We usually drop it because it's obvious.
Actually, yes! It's closer to the French 'Il n'y a pas de doute' (absolute) vs 'Il n'y a pas un doute'. It's a categorical negation rather than a numerical one.
You can repeat the La! لا طعامَ ولا شرابَ (La ta'ama wa la sharaba). Both nouns get the single Fatha treatment. It flows very poetically.
Yes, but it gets tricky. If you say 'No lazy student', it becomes لا طالبَ كسولاً or كسولٌ. The adjective can follow the case or the meaning. For C2, just know it's possible, but keeping it simple is safer.
Constantly. La rayba fih (No doubt in it), La tathriba 'alaykum (No blame on you today). It's a key feature of Quranic rhetoric to establish absolute truths.
Laysa is a verb (or behaves like one) that negates a sentence (Laysa al-jawwu harran - The weather isn't hot). La is a particle. La is generally stronger and more categorical in this specific structure.
No. The bond must be immediate. If you introduce Kan (was), the structure changes entirely.
Grammatically, it looks singular (no plural markers usually), but the *meaning* is plural/collective. La rajula means 'no men' generally, not just 'no single man'.
If you stop, you don't pronounce the vowel. La shakk. But if you continue, you pronounce the Damma on the predicate (if present) or the Fatha on the noun. La shakka fi...
It takes the accusative dual ending ya/nun but without the nun usually in constructs, or ya alone. e.g., لا رجلينِ (La rajulayni) - No two men. It’s rare but follows the accusative rules.
Heavily. Poets love it because it sets a definitive mood. 'There is no sword like Zulfiqar' -> La sayfa illa Zulfiqar.
Big NO. Al- is the enemy of this La. If you use Al-, you must change the structure to La al-shakku mawjudun... and you lose the 'absolute' flavor.
You can say Innahu la shakka fi... (Verily, there is no doubt...). The La clause acts as the predicate or part of the sentence structure smoothly.
No! La ta'kul (Don't eat) is La al-nahiyah (Prohibitive La). That one tells someone NOT to do something. Absolute La states that something DOES NOT exist.
You could say La ahada (No one). It's a very succinct way to say 'Not a single soul'.
Absolutely. La hiyalata (No trick/method). The gender doesn't change the grammatical rule, just the matching words.
Yes, La muslimina (No Muslims...). It takes the ya ending of the sound masculine plural because it acts accusative.
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