Lesson 27 · لَا تَكْتُبْ
Don’t! لَا تَفْعَلْ
To tell someone not to do something, put لَا before the “you” form of the present verb and make its ending silent: تَكْتُبُ → لَا تَكْتُبْ (don’t write). This is different from لَا تَكْتُبُ (you don’t write), which only describes.
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
لَا تَتَأَخَّرْlaa tata’akhkharDon’t be late.
لَا تَتَكَلَّمْ فِي الْفَصْلِlaa tatakallam fil-faṣliDon’t talk in class.
لَا تَنْسَيْ كِتَابَكِlaa tansay kitaabakiDon’t forget your book (to a woman).
لَا تَلْعَبُوا هُنَاlaa talʿabuu hunaaDon’t play here (to a group).
لَا تَخَفْlaa takhafDon’t be afraid.
لَا تَحْزَنْlaa taḥzanDon’t be sad.
لَا تَفْتَحِ النَّافِذَةَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَlaa taftaḥi n-naafidhata min faḍlikaPlease don’t open the window.
Key points
- To a man: لَا تَجْلِسْ · to a woman: لَا تَجْلِسِي · to a group: لَا تَجْلِسُوا.
- Add مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (please) to sound polite: لَا تُدَخِّنْ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (please don’t smoke).
- Two you will often hear: لَا تَخَفْ (don’t be afraid) and لَا تَحْزَنْ (don’t be sad). The second appears in the Quran: لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَنَا.
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Tell a man “Don’t sit here.”
لَا تَجْلِسْ هُنَا laa tajlis hunaa
Say “Don’t write on the door.”
لَا تَكْتُبْ عَلَى الْبَابِ laa taktub ʿala l-baabi
Tell a group “Don’t go.”
لَا تَذْهَبُوا laa tadhhabuu