Lesson 43 · لٰكِنَّ
But, as if, perhaps, if only: the sisters of إِنَّ
Four words work exactly like إِنَّ (lesson 21): the noun after them ends in -a and the rest of the sentence stays as it was. لٰكِنَّ but · كَأَنَّ as if · لَعَلَّ perhaps, hopefully · لَيْتَ if only.
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Examples
الْجَوُّ بَارِدٌ لٰكِنَّ الشَّمْسَ مُشْرِقَةٌal-jawwu baaridun laakinna sh-shamsa mushriqatunThe weather is cold but the sun is shining.
كَأَنَّ الْقَمَرَ مِصْبَاحٌka’anna l-qamara miṣbaaḥunIt is as if the moon were a lamp.
لَعَلَّ الْمُدَرِّسَ مَرِيضٌlaʿalla l-mudarrisa mariiḍunPerhaps the teacher is ill.
لَعَلَّكَ بِخَيْرٍlaʿallaka bikhayrinI hope you are well.
لَيْتَ الشَّبَابَ يَعُودُlayta sh-shabaaba yaʿuuduIf only youth would return.
لَيْتَنِي ذَهَبْتُ مَعَكُمْlaytanii dhahabtu maʿakumI wish I had gone with you.
Key points
- الْبَيْتُ صَغِيرٌ لٰكِنَّ الْحَدِيقَةَ كَبِيرَةٌ (the house is small but the garden is big).
- With pronouns: لَعَلَّكَ perhaps you · كَأَنَّهُ as if he · لَيْتَنِي if only I.
- لَعَلَّ can also come before a verb sentence: لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ (so that you may be mindful of Allah, 2:183).
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Say “Perhaps the shop is open.”
لَعَلَّ الْمَحَلَّ مَفْتُوحٌ laʿalla l-maḥalla maftuuḥun
Say “The car is old but it is fast.”
السَّيَّارَةُ قَدِيمَةٌ لٰكِنَّهَا سَرِيعَةٌ as-sayyaaratu qadiimatun laakinnahaa sariiʿatun
Say “If only I knew.”
لَيْتَنِي أَعْرِفُ laytanii aʿrifu