Lesson 99 · ثُمَّ
Then, or, rather, but: joining words
You know وَ (and). Other joining words add meaning, and the word after each one copies the ending of the word it joins to: جَاءَ أَحْمَدُ ثُمَّ خَالِدٌ (Ahmad came, then Khalid). Grammarians call these حُرُوفُ الْعَطْفِ.
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
دَرَسْتُ ثُمَّ نِمْتُdarastu thumma nimtuI studied, then slept.
دَخَلَ الْمُدَرِّسُ فَسَلَّمَdakhala l-mudarrisu fa-sallamaThe teacher came in and greeted us.
خُذْ كِتَابًا أَوْ قَلَمًاkhudh kitaaban aw qalamanTake a book or a pen.
أَتَشْرَبُ الشَّايَ أَمِ الْقَهْوَةَ؟a-tashrabu sh-shaaya ami l-qahwata?Do you drink tea or coffee?
مَا جَاءَ خَالِدٌ بَلْ أَحْمَدُmaa jaa’a khaalidun bal aḥmaduKhalid didn’t come; Ahmad did.
أَكَلْتُ السَّمَكَةَ حَتَّى رَأْسَهَاakaltu s-samakata ḥattaa ra’sahaaI ate the fish, even its head.
Key points
- Order and time: فَـ (and straight away) · ثُمَّ (then, later): دَخَلَ فَسَلَّمَ (he came in and greeted at once) · دَرَسْتُ ثُمَّ نِمْتُ (I studied, then slept). حَتَّى can mean “even”: أَكَلْتُ السَّمَكَةَ حَتَّى رَأْسَهَا (I ate the fish, even its head).
- Choice: أَوْ (or) in statements and requests · أَمْ (or) in questions asking which one: خُذْ كِتَابًا أَوْ قَلَمًا (take a book or a pen) · أَتَشْرَبُ الشَّايَ أَمِ الْقَهْوَةَ؟ (do you drink tea or coffee?).
- Correction: بَلْ (rather) · لٰكِنْ (but, after a negative) · لَا (and not): مَا جَاءَ خَالِدٌ بَلْ أَحْمَدُ (Khalid didn’t come; Ahmad did) · جَاءَ خَالِدٌ لَا أَحْمَدُ (Khalid came, not Ahmad). Before a full sentence use لٰكِنَّ, a sister of إِنَّ (lesson 43).
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Say “I prayed, then had breakfast.” Have breakfast: أَفْطَرَ.
صَلَّيْتُ ثُمَّ أَفْطَرْتُ ṣallaytu thumma afṭartu
Ask “Is he a teacher or a student?”
أَمُدَرِّسٌ هُوَ أَمْ طَالِبٌ؟ a-mudarrisun huwa am ṭaalibun?
Say “I didn’t buy a car, but a house.”
مَا اشْتَرَيْتُ سَيَّارَةً لٰكِنْ بَيْتًا ma shtaraytu sayyaaratan laakin baytan
