Learn Arabic › A1 › لَم
لَم
did not (negates a verb in the past) /ˈlam/
particleA1#19 most common
Also: has not, didn't, has not yet
Example sentences
لَمْ أَفْهَمْ.
I did not understand.
لَمْ يَذْهَبْ إِلَى الْعَمَلِ أَمْسِ.
He did not go to work yesterday.
لَمْ نَرَ هَذَا الْفِيلْمَ مِنْ قَبْلُ.
We have not seen this film before.
لَمْ تَرُدَّ عَلَى رِسَالَتِي مُنْذُ أُسْبُوعَيْنِ.
You have not replied to my message for two weeks.
لَمْ يَكُنْ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الِاجْتِمَاعَ قَدْ أُلْغِيَ.
He did not know that the meeting had been cancelled.
لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيَتَخَيَّلَ أَنَّ الْأُمُورَ سَتَؤُولُ إِلَى هَذَا الْحَدِّ.
He could never have imagined that things would come to such a point.
Word family
لاno; not
لَنْwill not (negates the future)
لَمَّاnot yet; when
ماnot (negates the past, esp. in speech)لَيْسَis not; to not beEtymology
لَمْ is a negative particle inherited from the common Semitic negator *lā, the same base that yields Arabic لا 'not'. It governs a following imperfect (present-form) verb but shifts its meaning to the past, putting that verb in the jussive (majzūm) mood. The origin of the final -m element (distinguishing it from لا) is debated among grammarians, some treating لَمْ as a simplex particle rather than a true compound.
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