Lesson 31 · أَنْ
I want to…: أَنْ + verb
To join two verbs, as in “I want to go”, put أَنْ (an, to) before the second verb and change its last vowel from -u to -a: أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ (I want to go). Both verbs match the person: يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَذْهَبَ (he wants to go).
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَشْرَبَ الْمَاءَuriidu an ashraba l-maa’aI want to drink water.
هَلْ تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تَكْتُبَ بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ؟hal tastaṭiiʿu an taktuba bil-ʿarabiyyati?Can you write in Arabic?
أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَقْرَأَ الْقِصَصَuḥibbu an aqra’a l-qiṣaṣaI like to read stories.
يَجِبُ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَyajibu ʿalaynaa an nuṣalliyaWe must pray.
يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُسَافِرَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِyuriidu an yusaafira ila l-madiinatiHe wants to travel to Madinah.
يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَنَامُواyuriiduuna an yanaamuuThey want to sleep.
Key points
- Verbs that often come before أَنْ: أُرِيدُ I want · أُحِبُّ I like · أَسْتَطِيعُ I can · أُحَاوِلُ I try · يَجِبُ عَلَيَّ I must.
- Verbs ending in -uuna lose the -na after أَنْ: يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَنَامُوا (they want to sleep).
- يَجِبُ عَلَى + person means “must”: يَجِبُ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَدْرُسَ (you must study).
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Say “I want to go to the mosque.”
أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ uriidu an adhhaba ila l-masjidi
Say “She wants to read.”
تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَقْرَأَ turiidu an taqra’a
Ask “Can you open the door?”
هَلْ تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تَفْتَحَ الْبَابَ؟ hal tastaṭiiʿu an taftaḥa l-baaba?