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لا

Root entry · 4 derived lemmas

The root لا primarily functions as a particle of negation, indicating that an action did not occur or will not occur. It can also serve as a prohibition, a conjunction, or even a filler word in certain contexts. The entry also discusses related particles like لو and لولا, which express conditions and wishes.

Derived headwords

لاparticle
  1. 1.
    a particle of negation for your saying 'he does' and the action has not occurredboth

    a particle of negation for your saying 'he does' and the action has not occurred

  2. 2.
    and it can be the opposite of 'balā' and 'naʿam'both

    and it can be the opposite of 'balā' and 'naʿam'

  3. 3.
    and it can be for prohibition, like your saying 'do not stand' and 'let Zayd not stand'both

    and it can be for prohibition, like your saying 'do not stand' and 'let Zayd not stand'

  4. 4.
    and it can be 'afwā' as in His saying, 'What prevented you from not prostrating?' meaning 'What prevented you from prostrating?'both

    and it can be 'afwā' as in His saying, 'What prevented you from not prostrating?' meaning 'What prevented you from prostrating?'

  5. 5.
    and it can be a conjunction to exclude the second from what the first entered, like your saying 'I saw Zayd'both

    and it can be a conjunction to exclude the second from what the first entered, like your saying 'I saw Zayd'

  6. 6.
    a conjunctionboth

    a conjunction

لاتparticle
  1. 1.
    a particle with an added tāʾboth

    a particle with an added tāʾ

لوparticle
  1. 1.
    a particle of wishing, indicating the prevention of the second due to the prevention of the firstboth

    a particle of wishing, indicating the prevention of the second due to the prevention of the first

لولاparticle
  1. 1.
    conditional particle (preventive)both

    A compound particle formed from the meanings of 'in' and 'law'. It indicates that the second part is prevented from occurring due to the existence of the first part. For example, 'Were it not for Zayd, we would have perished' (لولا زيد لهلكنا).

  2. 2.
    equivalent to 'hala' (why not?)classical

    Can be used in the sense of 'why not?' or 'if only!', often found in poetry and the Quran.

Parallel reading

يفعل ولم يقع الفعل، إذا قال هو يفعل غدا
an action did not occur, if he says he will do it tomorrow.
وقد يكون ضدا لبلى ونعم
And it may be the opposite of 'balā' and 'na'am'.
وقد يكون للنهى، كقولك: لا تقم ولا يقم زيد
And it may be for prohibition, as in your saying: 'Do not stand up' and 'Let Zayd not stand up'.
ينهى به كل منهى من غائب أو حاضر
It is used to prohibit everything that is prohibited, whether from an absent or present person.
وقد يكون لغوا
And it may be superfluous.
في بئر لا حور سرى وما شعر
in a well where there were no companions, he traveled at night and did not realize.
ما منعك أن لا تسجد
What prevented you from not prostrating?
أي ما منعك أن تسجد
Meaning: What prevented you from prostrating?
وقد يكون حرف عطف لاخراج الثاني مما دخل فيه الاول
And it may be a conjunction to exclude the second from what the first entered into.
كقولك: رأيت زيدا لا عمرا
As in your saying: 'I saw Zayd, not 'Amr'.
فإن أدخلت عليها الواو خرجت من أن تكون حرف عطف
If you add 'wa' to it, it ceases to be a conjunction.
لم يقم زيد ولا عمرو
Zayd did not stand, nor did 'Amr.
فتكون الواو للعطف ولا إنما هي لتوكيد النفى
So the 'wa' is for conjunction, and 'la' is only for emphasizing the negation.
وقد تزاد فيه التاء فيقال: لات
And sometimes 'ta' is added to it, so it is said: 'lata'.
أبى جوده لا البخل واستعجلت نعم
His generosity refused, not stinginess, and you hastened to say 'yes'.
به من فتى لا يمنع الجوع قاتله
With him is a young man whom hunger does not prevent from killing his opponent.
فإن جعلتها لغوا نصبت البخل بالفعل
If you make it superfluous, you make 'al-bukhl' (stinginess) accusative by the verb.
وإن شئت نصبته على البدل
And if you wish, you make it accusative by way of substitution.
إما لى فافعل كذا، بالامالة، أصله إن لا
If it is not for me, then do such-and-such, with imalah, its origin is 'in la'.
وما صلة، ومعناه إن لا يكون ذلك الامر فافعل كذا
And 'ma' is an attachment, and its meaning is: if that matter is not so, then do such-and-such.
كلا وكذا تغميضة ثم هجتم
No, and like this is a closing of the eyes, then you are stirred up.
فيقول: كان نومهم في القلة والسرعة كقول القائل: لا وذا
So he says: Their sleep was in scarcity and speed, like the saying of the sayer: 'La wa dha'.
وهو لامتناع الثاني من أجل امتناع الأول
And it is for the impossibility of the second due to the impossibility of the first.
تقول: لو جئتني لأكرمتك
You say: If you had come to me, I would have honored you.
وهو خلاف إن التي للجزاء، لانها توقع الثاني من أجل وجود الاول
And it is contrary to 'in' which is for consequence, because it causes the second to occur due to the existence of the first.
وأما لولا فمركبة من معنى إن ولو
As for 'lawla', it is composed of the meanings of 'in' and 'law'.
وذلك أن لولا يمنع الثاني من أجل وجود الأول
And that is because 'lawla' prevents the second due to the existence of the first.
تقول: لولا زيد لهلكنا
You say: Were it not for Zayd, we would have perished.
أي امتنع وقوع الهلاك من أجل وجود زيد هناك
Meaning: The occurrence of perishing was prevented due to Zayd's presence there.
وقد تكون بمعنى هلا
And it may be in the sense of 'hala' (why not?).
تعدون عقر النيب أفضل مجدكم
You consider the hamstringing of the she-camel the best of your glory.
بنى ضوطرى لولا الكمي المقنعا
Sons of Dawtara, if only the armored warrior was present.
وإن جعلت لو اسما شددته فقلت قد أكثرت من اللو
And if you make 'law' a noun, you intensify it and say 'you have used 'law' excessively'.
لان حروف المعاني والاسماء الناقصة إذا صيرت أسماء تامة، بإدخال الالف واللام عليها أو بإعرابها، شدد ما هو منها على حرفين
Because particles and defective nouns, when made into complete nouns by adding 'al-' or by inflection, are intensified if they consist of two letters.
لانه يزاد في آخره حرف من جنسه فيدغم ويصرف
Because a letter of its kind is added to its end, and it is assimilated and declined.
إلا الالف فإنك تزيد عليها مثلها فتمدها
Except for 'alif', you add another like it and lengthen it.
لأنها تنقلب عند التحريك لاجتماع الساكنين همزة
Because it turns into a hamza when vocalized due to the meeting of two silent letters.
فتقول في لا: كتبت لاء جيدة
So you say for 'la': 'I wrote a good 'laa'.
ليت شعري وأين مني ليت
I wish I knew, and where is 'layta' from me.
إن ليتا وإن لوا عناء
Indeed, 'layta' and indeed 'lawā' are hardship.