Forming negative sentence in Arabic - Durusul Lughah book 2 - lesson 4

Yesterday, we've learned past tense (fi'l madi) in positive sentence. 

Today we are going to learn forming negative sentence in fi'l madi with مَا (ma an-nafiyah).

Forming negative sentence in Arabic

We are negating the sentence (especially fi'l madi) by putting مَا before fi'l madi.

Examples:

- I went to the school yesterday.

In Arabic : ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى المَدْرَسَةِ أَمْسِ 

How do we form negative sentence from sentence above?

We add harf ma an-nafiyah (مَا النَّافِيَةُ) before fi'l madi (فعل ماضي)

Therefore the negative sentence is:

- I didn't go to the school yesterday : مَا ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى المَدْرَسِةِ أَمْسِ 

Forming negative question with مَا

مَا is can be used for negative question.

The rule of answering negative question

- If the answer "yes", you must answer with بَلَى "balaa"

- If the answer "no", you must answer with نَعَمْ "na'am"

Examples:

- Didn't you go to the school yesterday?

Yes, I went to the school yesterday.

أَمَا ذَهَبْتَ إلَى المَدْرَسَةِ أَمْسِ؟ 

بَلَى , ذَهَبْتُ

- Are you not a student?

No, I'm not student.

أَلَسْتَ طَالِبًا؟ 

نَعَمْ, لَسْتُ بِطَالِبٍ

Exercises

Translate the sentences below into Arabic

1. Did your father come back from Makkah?

No, he didn't come back from Makkah.

2. Did your sister go to the hospital?

No, she didn't go to the hospital.

3. Did your father not go to the market?

No, my father didn't go to the market.

4. Did you open the classroom's door?

No, I didn't open it.

5. Aren't you sick?

Yes, I'm sick.

Answers

1. Did your father come back from Makkah?

No, he didn't come back from Makkah.

أَرَجَعَ أَبُوكَ مِنْ مَكَّةَ؟

لاَ, مَا رَجَعَ أَبِي مِنْ مَكَّةَ

Note: 

In daily conversation, you can say مَا رَجَعَ only.

2. Did your sister go to the hospital?

No, she didn't go to the hospital.

أَ ذَهَبَتْ أُخْتُكَ إِلَى المُسْتَشْفَى؟

لاَ, مَا ذَهَبَتْ أُخْتِيْ إِلَى المُسْتَشْفَى 

3. Did your father not go to the market?

No, my father didn't go to the market.

أَمَا ذَهَبَ أَبُوكَ إِلَى السُّوقِ؟

نَعَمْ, مَا ذَهَبَ أَبِي إِلَى السُّوقِ

4. Did you open the classroom's door?

No, I didn't open it.

أَفَتَحْتَ بَابَ الفَصْلِ؟

لاَ, مَا فَتَحْتُهُ

5. Aren't you sick?

Yes, I'm sick.

أَلَسْتَ بِمَرِيْضٍ؟

بَلَى, أَنَا مَرِيْضٌ