Lesson 53 · لِأَتَعَلَّمَ
In order to: لِـ and لِكَيْ
To say why you do something, put لِـ or لِكَيْ (in order to) before the present verb and end it in -a: جِئْتُ لِأَتَعَلَّمَ (I came to learn).
Learn with pictures
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Examples
جِئْتُ إِلَى السُّعُودِيَّةِ لِأَعْمَلَji’tu ila s-suʿuudiyyati li-aʿmalaI came to Saudi Arabia to work.
نَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ لِنُصَلِّيَnadhhabu ila l-masjidi li-nuṣalliyaWe go to the mosque to pray.
اِقْرَأْ كَثِيرًا لِكَيْ تَتَعَلَّمَiqra’ kathiiran likay tataʿallamaRead a lot so that you learn.
سَافَرَ طَلَبًا لِلْعِلْمِsaafara ṭalaban lil-ʿilmiHe travelled seeking knowledge.
لَمْ أَحْضُرْ لِأَنِّي كُنْتُ مَرِيضًاlam aḥḍur li’annii kuntu mariiḍanI didn’t attend because I was ill.
ذَهَبُوا إِلَى السُّوقِ لِيَشْتَرُوا طَعَامًاdhahabuu ila s-suuqi li-yashtaruu ṭaʿaamanThey went to the market to buy food.
Key points
- They work like أَنْ: يَذْهَبُ لِيَعْمَلَ (he goes to work). Verbs in -uuna lose the -na: جَاءُوا لِيَدْرُسُوا.
- A verbal noun ending in -an can also give the reason: سَافَرَ طَلَبًا لِلْعِلْمِ (he travelled seeking knowledge).
- Compare لِأَنَّ (because) + a sentence: لَمْ أَحْضُرْ لِأَنِّي مَرِيضٌ (I didn’t attend because I am ill).
Practice
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Say “I study to learn.”
أَدْرُسُ لِأَتَعَلَّمَ adrusu li-ataʿallama
Say “He went to the market to buy dates.”
ذَهَبَ إِلَى السُّوقِ لِيَشْتَرِيَ تَمْرًا dhahaba ila s-suuqi li-yashtariya tamran
Say “because I am tired” (تَعْبَانُ).
لِأَنِّي تَعْبَانُ li’annii taʿbaanu