Lesson 14 · لَيْسَ
Saying “is not”
To say that something is not so, put لَيْسَ (laysa, is not) at the front of the sentence: الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ (the house is big) becomes لَيْسَ الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرًا (the house is not big). Notice that the ending of the describing word changes from -un to -an.
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
لَيْسَ الْبَيْتُ كَبِيرًاlaysa l-baytu kabiiranThe house is not big.
لَسْتُ مُدَرِّسًاlastu mudarrisanI am not a teacher.
لَيْسَتْ هٰذِهِ سَيَّارَتِيlaysat haadhihi sayyaaratiiThis is not my car.
الْمُدِيرُ لَيْسَ فِي الْمَكْتَبِal-mudiiru laysa fil-maktabiThe manager is not in the office.
لَسْنَا مُتْعَبِينَlasnaa mutʿabiinaWe are not tired.
هَلْ أَنْتَ مَرِيضٌ؟ لَا، لَسْتُ مَرِيضًاhal anta mariiḍun? laa, lastu mariiḍanAre you ill? No, I am not ill.
لَيْسَتِ الْقَهْوَةُ حَارَّةًlaysati l-qahwatu ḥaarratanThe coffee is not hot.
لَيْسَ عِنْدَنَا خُبْزٌlaysa ʿindanaa khubzunWe don’t have any bread.
Key points
- لَيْسَ changes with the person: لَسْتُ I am not · لَسْتَ you are not (man) · لَسْتِ you are not (woman) · لَيْسَ he is not · لَيْسَتْ she is not · لَسْنَا we are not
- After لَيْسَ the describing word ends in -an: لَسْتُ طَبِيبًا (I am not a doctor). Words with ـة end in -atan: لَيْسَتْ مَرِيضَةً (she is not ill).
- Before “at”, “in” or “with” nothing changes: لَيْسَ عِنْدِي وَقْتٌ (I don’t have time), لَيْسَ فِي الْبَيْتِ (he is not at home).
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Say “I am not a student.”
لَسْتُ طَالِبًا lastu ṭaaliban
Make this negative: الْمَاءُ بَارِدٌ
لَيْسَ الْمَاءُ بَارِدًا laysa l-maa’u baaridan
بَارِدٌ becomes بَارِدًا after لَيْسَ.
Say “She is not at home.”
لَيْسَتْ فِي الْبَيْتِ laysat fil-bayti