A1 general 3 min de lecture

Maa Daama:

Use `mā dāma` to link an action to the duration of a specific state or condition.

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • Means 'as long as' or 'while'.
  • Connects an action to a duration.
  • Sister of Kana: changes case endings.
  • Subject is Marfū‘, Predicate is Manṣūb.

Quick Reference

Pronoun Verb Form Example Phrase Meaning
I (Anā) mā dumtu mā dumtu hayyan As long as I am alive
You (Anta - m) mā dumta mā dumta huna As long as you are here
You (Anti - f) mā dumti mā dumti mashghūlatan As long as you are busy
He (Huwa) mā dāma mā dāma al-jawwu jamīlan As long as the weather is nice
She (Hiya) mā dāmat mā dāmat al-shamsu mushriqatan As long as the sun is shining
We (Nahnu) mā dumnā mā dumnā ma'an As long as we are together

Exemples clés

3 sur 8
1

لا تخرجْ ما دامَ المطرُ غزيراً

Do not go out as long as the rain is heavy.

2

سأحبُّكَ ما دُمتُ حيّاً

I will love you as long as I am alive.

3

هو سعيدٌ ما دامَ يلعبُ

He is happy as long as he is playing.

💡

The 'Mā' is Key

Never drop the 'mā'. Without it, 'dāma' is just a normal verb meaning 'lasted'. The 'mā' turns it into the conditional connector 'as long as'.

🎯

Accusative Alert

If you want to sound pro, hit that Tanwin Fatha hard on the predicate. Saying 'mā dumtu tālib**an**' sounds much better than a flat 'tālib'.

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • Means 'as long as' or 'while'.
  • Connects an action to a duration.
  • Sister of Kana: changes case endings.
  • Subject is Marfū‘, Predicate is Manṣūb.

Overview

Meet mā dāma (ما دام). It’s the Arabic equivalent of saying "as long as" or "while." It creates a time boundary for your sentences. Use it when one thing depends on another thing continuing to happen. It’s perfect for setting conditions without sounding bossy. Think of it as a "while this is true, that is true" logic gate.

How This Grammar Works

mā dāma belongs to a special VIP club of verbs called "The Sisters of Kana" (Kāna wa akhawātuhā). Just like its big sister kāna, it changes the grammar of the sentence that follows it. It takes a noun sentence (Subject + Predicate) and gives them new roles. The Subject stays "up" (Nominative/Marfū‘), but the Predicate gets pushed "down" (Accusative/Manṣūb).

Formation Pattern

  1. 1Start with your main action or statement.
  2. 2Add mā dāma (the connector).
  3. 3Add the Subject (Ism mā dāma) - keeps its Damma/Nominative ending.
  4. 4Add the Predicate (Khabar mā dāma) - takes a Fatha/Accusative ending.

When To Use It

Use it to express duration or conditionality based on time. "I will stay as long as there is coffee." "He is happy as long as he is winning." It’s great for promises, warnings, or describing states of being. It connects a result to a continuing situation.

When Not To Use It

Don't use it for simple "because" (use li-anna). Don't use it for specific points in time like "when I arrived" (use indama or lammā). mā dāma is strictly about a *span* of time, not a single moment. If the duration doesn't matter, this isn't your guy.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the mā! dāma alone just means "lasted." You need mā to make it "as long as."
  • Forgetting the grammar change. Beginners often leave the predicate with a Damma. It needs to be Accusative (often ending in 'an' sound, like *sa'īdan*).
  • Using it for future tense markers like sa-. mā dāma usually sticks to past tense forms to express the state, even if the meaning feels present.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

  • mā dāma vs. idhā (if): idhā is for a condition that might happen once. mā dāma is for a state that keeps happening.
  • mā dāma vs. ṭālamā: ṭālamā also means "as long as" but is often used in different contexts or slightly different structures. mā dāma is the classic Kana sister.

Quick FAQ

Q. Can I use it at the start of a sentence?

A. Technically yes, but 99% of the time it comes in the middle to link two thoughts.

Q. Does the verb dāma conjugate?

A. Yes! You can say mā dumtu (as long as I...), mā dumta (as long as you...), etc.

Reference Table

Pronoun Verb Form Example Phrase Meaning
I (Anā) mā dumtu mā dumtu hayyan As long as I am alive
You (Anta - m) mā dumta mā dumta huna As long as you are here
You (Anti - f) mā dumti mā dumti mashghūlatan As long as you are busy
He (Huwa) mā dāma mā dāma al-jawwu jamīlan As long as the weather is nice
She (Hiya) mā dāmat mā dāmat al-shamsu mushriqatan As long as the sun is shining
We (Nahnu) mā dumnā mā dumnā ma'an As long as we are together
💡

The 'Mā' is Key

Never drop the 'mā'. Without it, 'dāma' is just a normal verb meaning 'lasted'. The 'mā' turns it into the conditional connector 'as long as'.

🎯

Accusative Alert

If you want to sound pro, hit that Tanwin Fatha hard on the predicate. Saying 'mā dumtu tālib**an**' sounds much better than a flat 'tālib'.

⚠️

Not for Future Tense

Even if you mean 'as long as you *will be* happy', you typically use the past form 'mā dumta' in Arabic. Don't try to force a future tense verb in there.

💬

Dramatic Flair

Arabs love using this for grand statements like 'mā dumtu hayyan' (as long as I live). It adds a nice touch of drama and sincerity to promises.

Exemples

8
#1 Laa takhruj mā dāma al-mataru ghazīran

لا تخرجْ ما دامَ المطرُ غزيراً

Focus: غزيراً (heavy - Accusative)

Do not go out as long as the rain is heavy.

Standard usage.

#2 Sa-uhibbuka mā dumtu hayyan

سأحبُّكَ ما دُمتُ حيّاً

Focus: حيّاً (alive - Accusative)

I will love you as long as I am alive.

A very poetic/common phrase.

#3 Huwa sa'īd mā dāma yal'ab

هو سعيدٌ ما دامَ يلعبُ

Focus: يلعبُ (is playing)

He is happy as long as he is playing.

Here the predicate is a verb sentence (yal'ab).

#4 Mā dumta marīdan, istarih

ما دُمتَ مريضاً، استرِحْ

Focus: ما دُمتَ (As long as you)

As long as you are sick, rest.

Starting the sentence with mā dāma (less common but valid).

#5 Lan nusaafir mā dāma al-jawwu sayyi'

لن نسافرَ ما دامَ الجوُّ سيء

Focus: سيء (bad - Wrong Case)

We won't travel as long as the weather is bad. (Mistake: sayyi' should be sayyi'an)

✗ Incorrect grammar.

#6 Lan nusaafir mā dāma al-jawwu sayyi'an

لن نسافرَ ما دامَ الجوُّ سيئاً

Focus: سيئاً (bad - Correct Case)

We won't travel as long as the weather is bad.

✓ Corrected grammar.

#7 Ishrab al-qahwa mā dāmat sākhinatan

اشربِ القهوةَ ما دامت ساخنةً

Focus: ما دامت (as long as it - fem)

Drink the coffee as long as it is hot.

Note the feminine 't' in mā dāmat to match Qahwa.

#8 Mā dumtum mujtahidīna, sa-tanjahūn

ما دُمتم مجتهدينَ، ستنجحون

Focus: مجتهدينَ (hardworking - Accusative Plural)

As long as you (pl) are hardworking, you will succeed.

Plural masculine usage.

Teste-toi

Choose the correct ending for the predicate.

Lan adhaba mā dāma al-waktu ___ (muta'akhkhir).

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : متأخراً (muta'akhkhiran)

The predicate of mā dāma must be accusative (Manṣūb), usually ending in Fatha/Tanwin Fatha.

Select the correct verb form for 'You (singular masculine)'.

___ (As long as you) fāḍiyan, sā'idnī.

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Mā dumta (ما دُمْتَ)

We are addressing 'You' (Anta), so we use 'Mā dumta'.

Complete the meaning.

Sa-abqā hunā mā ___ (dāma/kāna) al-mā'u mawjūdan.

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : dāma (دام)

We need 'mā dāma' to express 'as long as'. 'Kāna' would just mean 'was'.

🎉 Score : /3

Aides visuelles

Mā Dāma vs. Others

Mā Dāma
Duration Continues
Condition While...
Idhā (If)
Event Happens
Hypothetical Maybe...

When to use it?

1

Is an action continuing?

YES ↓
NO
Use simple verb
2

Does another action depend on it?

YES ↓
NO
Use simple continuous
3

Is it a time boundary?

YES ↓
NO
Use 'Because'

Common Contexts

🌧️

Weather

  • • Rain continues
  • • Sun shines
😊

Emotions

  • • Feeling happy
  • • Being angry
🛒

Availability

  • • Store is open
  • • Food is hot

Questions fréquentes

20 questions

Grammatically, yes! It raises the subject and lowers (accusative) the predicate. But meaning-wise, it adds the condition of time.

Yes, as the predicate. mā dāma itself stays in the past form structure usually, but the following word can be a present verb acting as the news/predicate, e.g., mā dāma yadrusu (as long as he is studying).

The meaning changes completely. dāma al-mataru means 'The rain lasted'. mā dāma al-mataru... means 'As long as the rain...' (waiting for a result).

Yes! In dialects (Levantine, Egyptian), you might hear mā dām or madām. The grammar rules might relax, but the meaning is identical.

Yes, mā dumtu astāṭī'u. It's a very useful phrase for expressing capacity or ability.

Ideally, yes. mā dāma sets a condition, so the listener is waiting for the result. 'As long as you are here...' (Okay, what happens?)

Not at all. It's actually polite because it explains *why* or *under what condition* you will do something.

Yes! lan atakallama mā dumta ghāḍiban (I won't speak as long as you are angry).

The Ism is the noun/pronoun doing the 'lasting' (Subject). The Khabar is the description of that state (Predicate).

Absolutely. mā dāma fī al-bayti (as long as he is *in the house*). This is very common.

It is Fusha, but it's high-frequency Fusha used in media, books, and educated speech.

You could say mā dāma dhalika mumkinan. A very handy phrase for negotiations!

Yes, mā dāma (he), mā dāmat (she). Make sure to match the gender of the noun it refers to.

Haha, yes. 'You won't get dessert *as long as* you haven't finished dinner.' A classic parent move.

Usually nothing visible. Just the juxtaposition. 'I stay [hidden link] as long as you stay.'

It's treated as a defective verb. It has verb-like qualities (conjugation) but functions like a grammatical operator.

Sure. sa-anjahu mā dāma Allāhu ma'ī (I will succeed as long as God is with me).

Because they share the same DNA: they operate on nominal sentences to describe states of being, not actions.

Sometimes it overlaps, but 'since' usually implies a start point. mā dāma implies the *whole* duration.

Remembering to conjugate the dāma part for I, You, We, etc. (mā dumtu, mā dumta). Don't just stick to mā dāma for everyone!

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