Ma farq bayna lam wa lamma?

[Editor]

as-salamu 'alaykum

What's the difference between lam and lamma? My teacher explained at length the differences in theory, how one is continuous, etc. But I still don't get the difference in usage. So if someone can explain with examples from ayaat, jazakumullahu khair...

Also what's the difference between them and lan? Lan is never?

[Catalyst]

i think:

lamma - when

lam - no (negative like laa)

lan - never ever

wAllaahu a'alam

i hope someone will put up the quraan aayaat, in shaa Allaah ...

[Worship None But Allaah]

"ولن ترضى عنك اليهود ولا النصارى حتى تتبع ملتهم "

"ولما رأى المؤمنون الأحزاب قالوا هذا ما وعدنا الله ورسوله وصدق الله ورسوله وما زادهم إلا إيمانا وتسليما "

[Editor]

Jazakum Allahu khair.

Isn't lam more like have not, at least when paired up with a fi3l? And I would like to know/see the difference when lamma means not; not yet.

[Ibn El-Sheikh]

Ma-l farqu bayna lam wa lamma.

[Shajaa3ah]

Wa alaikum as salaam.


What's the difference between lam and lamma? My teacher explained at length the differences in theory, how one is continuous, etc. But I still don't get the difference in usage.

Lam is used to negate the past tense, so it means 'have not, did not' etc. The tricky thing about it is, people assume that because it is being used to negate the past, it should be followed by a past tense fi3l maadi verb. But, rather, it has to be followed by a fi3l mudaari3, yet the meaning is still of the past. It also makes the following verb majzoom

e.g. (i) lam yaktub al-risaalah - He has not written/did not write the letter.

Using lammaa is equal to using lam plus the word ba3du ('yet') in a sentence. That is the only difference.

So if I wanted to say, 'he has not written the letter yet' I could say:

e.g. (iia)Lam yaktub al-risaalah ba3du

Or I could simply say:

e.g. (iib) Lammaa yaktub al-risaalah

Examples (iia) and (iib) have the same meaning.

The way to distinguish this lammaa from the lammaa that means 'when' is because this laamaa is a 3aamil that makes the following verb majzoom, whereas the lammaa that means 'when' is a simple harf that has no effect on the words in the sentence.


Also what's the difference between them and lan? Lan is never?

Just as lam is used to negate the past, lan is used to negate the future - 'will not'. It does not necessarily mean 'never', it might actually happen in the future, unless coupled with a word like abadan ('ever').

It is also followed by a fi3l mudaari3, but makes the verb mansoob.

e.g. (iii) Lan yaktuba al-risaalah - He will not write the letter.

(iiib) Lan yaktuba al-risaalah abadan - He will never write the letter.

Worship None But Allah has provided examples from the Qur'aan, jazaahullaahu khairan.

If it needs more explanation, just ask in shaa' Allaah.

[Editor]

Jazakillahu khair kathir.

Ok I pretty much get all that, alhamdulillah, but I was looking back at the notes I have and this is what confused me. My teacher said there are 4 differences between lam and lamma. The first of which is that lam does not necessarily negate continuously while lamma is a continuous negation.

So for example you have "lam yalid wa lam yoolad" which is a continuous form of negation. But you can also have in a sentence lam af3alu thumma fa3altu. Whereas for lamma, you cannot have the thumma bit, because it has to be a continuous negation.

That part I think I understand. Until comes the second difference which is lam negates something which is not possible to happen whereas lamma negates something which can (is possible to) happen. This seems to contradict the first difference? It fits your explanation that lamma is for something yet to happen but what's this whole continuous, not continuous thing :confused:



The way to distinguish this lammaa from the lammaa that means 'when' is because this laamaa is a 3aamil that makes the following verb majzoom, whereas the lammaa that means 'when' is a simple harf that has no effect on the words in the sentence.

This is with the fi3l mudaari3 right? If paired with a fi3l madi, it will be known that it means 'when' straight away innit?

Btw I deleted a line in my first post where I said you were right, that in learning nahw, I can tell that lam wa lamma are from the jawazim and that lan is from the nawasib etc but I don't know their correct application :o.

And also, jazakallahu khair Ibn El-Sheikh for the correction.