For an ordinary negative habit, repeated action, general fact, or many verbal states, urban Lebanese uses ما + b-imperfect: بشرب قهوة “I drink coffee” becomes ما بشرب قهوة “I don't drink coffee.” The b- remains. ما reverses polarity; it does not change the viewpoint already selected by the b-form.
English speakers often look for a separate equivalent of don't/doesn't. Lebanese has none here. Person marking and the b-marker stay on the lexical verb, while invariant ما stands before the whole verbal predicate.
Keep b- after ما
The following forms use كتب / بيكتب “write” as a model. Spoken vowels vary by verb class, so learn each imperfect with its perfect rather than generating it from the root alone.
| Person | Affirmative | Negative | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| أنا | بكتب | ما بكتب | baktob / ma baktob |
| إنت | بتكتب | ما بتكتب | btiktob / ma btiktob |
| إنتي | بتكتبي | ما بتكتبي | btiktbe / ma btiktbe |
| هو | بيكتب | ما بيكتب | byiktob / ma byiktob |
| هي | بتكتب | ما بتكتب | btiktob / ma btiktob |
| نحنا | منكتب | ما منكتب | mniktob / ma mniktob |
| إنتو | بتكتبوا | ما بتكتبوا | btiktbo / ma btiktbo |
| هني | بيكتبوا | ما بيكتبوا | byiktbo / ma byiktbo |
بشرب مي أول ما قوم.
bashrab mayy awwal ma ʾūm.
I drink water as soon as I get up. (affirmative habit)
ما بشرب قهوة بعد العصر لأني ما بنام.
ma bashrab ʾahwe baʿd el-ʿaṣer laʾanne ma banēm.
I don't drink coffee late in the day because then I can't sleep. (two negative b-forms)
هني بيكتبوا الملاحظات عدفتر زغير.
hinne byiktbo l-mlāḥaẓāt ʿa-daftar zghīr.
They write the notes in a small notebook. (affirmative plural)
هني ما بيكتبوا كلمات السر عالورق.
hinne ma byiktbo kilmāt es-serr ʿal-waraʾ.
They don't write passwords on paper. (negative plural habit)
Habits, general tendencies, and verbal states
The b-imperfect can cover repeated behavior, schedules, dispositions, and stable verbal relations. Context determines the English translation. One Lebanese form may correspond to English doesn't, never usually, or even a simple negative state.
الباص ما بيمرق من هون نهار الأحد.
el-bāṣ ma byimroʾ min hūn nhār el-aḥad.
The bus doesn't pass here on Sundays. (schedule/general pattern)
أنا ما بفهم عليه لما بيحكي بسرعة.
ana ma bafham ʿalē lamma byiḥke b-sorʿa.
I don't understand him when he speaks quickly. (verbal state in a recurring condition)
هاي الآلة ما بتشتغل بلا كهربا.
hay el-āle ma btishtighel bla kahraba.
This machine doesn't work without electricity. (general property expressed verbally)
The overt subject commonly comes before ما, especially when it is the topic. It can follow the verb when newly identified, but a subject pronoun is normally omitted unless contrast matters because the verb already marks person.
أنا ما بشتغل بالسبت، بس رنا بتشتغل.
ana ma bashtighel bis-sabt, bass Rana btishtighel.
I don't work on Saturday, but Rana does. (contrastive subjects)
Attached objects and scope
Object clitics remain attached: ما بعرفه “I don't know him,” ما بيقلها “he doesn't tell her.” Build the b-form and its clitics first, then add ما.
ما بخبرها الأخبار عالواتساب؛ بفضل إحكي معها.
ma bakhabbera l-akhbār ʿal-wātsēb; bfaḍḍel iḥke maʿa.
I don't tell her news on WhatsApp; I prefer to talk with her. (recipient clitic retained)
مش كل الموظفين بيجوا بكير.
mish kill el-mwaẓẓafīn byizho bkīr.
Not all the employees come early. (negation scopes over the quantifier)
الموظفين كلن ما بيجوا بكير؛ أول واحد بيوصل عالعشرة.
el-mwaẓẓafīn killon ma byizho bkīr; awwal wāḥad byūṣal ʿal-ʿashra.
None of the employees comes early; the first one arrives at ten. (universal subject outside verbal negation)
The scope pair shows why مش may precede a noun phrase even though the clause contains a finite verb. In مش كل..., negation scopes over “all,” so some employees may still come early. In الموظفين كلن ما بيجوا..., the universal subject has wider scope and the negative predicate applies to every employee; the continuation makes the “none” reading explicit. For ordinary verbal negation, ما stays before the b-form. More complex cases belong to negation scope.
A habit is not a prohibition
The presence or absence of b- distinguishes a statement about someone’s behavior from a command addressed to them:
إنت ما بتفتح الإيميلات المجهولة.
inte ma btiftaḥ el-īmēlāt el-mazhhūle.
You don't open unknown emails. (description of a habit; b- retained)
ما تفتح هيدا الملف قبل ما يفحصه قسم التقنية.
ma tiftaḥ hayda l-malaf ʾabel ma yifḥaṣo ʾesm et-tiʾniyye.
Don't open this file before the tech department checks it. (prohibition; bare second-person form)
This is a real grammatical contrast, not a stylistic preference. See prohibitives for commands and warnings.
Dialogue: refusing a routine assumption
بتاكلوا بالمكتب كل يوم؟
btāklo bil-maktab kill yōm?
Nour: Do you eat at the office every day? (habitual question)
لأ، نحنا ما مناكل هونيك غير نهار الخميس.
laʾ, niḥna ma mnākol hūnīk ghēr nhār el-khamīs.
Sami: No, we only eat there on Thursdays. (correction of frequency)
وليش ما بتطلبوا من المطعم اللي حدكن؟
w-lēsh ma btiṭlobo min el-maṭʿam ille ḥadkon?
Nour: And why don't you order from the restaurant next to you? (negative b-imperfect question)
ما منحب أكله؛ منجيب معنا من البيت.
ma mniḥebb aklo; mnizhīb maʿna min el-bēt.
Sami: We don't like its food; we bring food from home. (state plus routine)
Palestinian and Jordanian varieties may use a negative circumfix with a final -ش (regional: Palestine/Jordan). Beirut course production uses ما + b-imperfect without that suffix; do not hybridize the systems.
Common Mistakes
❌ هو ما يروح عالنادي عادة.
Incorrect for an independent habit — the b-marker must remain after ما.
✅ هو ما بيروح عالنادي إلا مرتين بالشهر.
huwwe ma byrūḥ ʿan-nāde illa marrtēn bish-shaher.
He only goes to the gym twice a month.
❌ هي مش بتعرف عنوانه.
Incorrect — بتعرف is a finite b-imperfect, so neutral verbal negation takes ما.
✅ هي ما بتعرف عنوانه الجديد.
hiyye ma btiʿraf ʿenwēno l-zhdīd.
She doesn't know his new address.
❌ ما بتحكي معي بهالطريقة!
Incorrect for the intended command ‘don't talk to me that way’ — b- turns it into a statement or reproach about behavior.
✅ ما تحكي معي بهالطريقة، خلينا نهدى.
ma tiḥke maʿe b-hal-ṭarīʾa, khallīna nihda.
Don't talk to me that way; let's calm down.
❌ نحنا ما منعرفه هو.
Awkward for neutral ‘we don't know him’ — English-style object pronoun placement is unnecessary because the clitic belongs on the verb.
✅ نحنا ما منعرفه شخصيا، بس منعرف اسمه.
niḥna ma mnaʿrfo shakhṣiyyan, bass mnaʿref ismo.
We don't know him personally, but we know his name.
Key Takeaways
Use ما + b-imperfect for negative habits, recurring events, general tendencies, and many verbal states. Retain b-, subject agreement, and object clitics. An overt pronoun signals contrast rather than supplying grammar the verb lacks. A negative command is different: ما + bare second-person imperfect. Regional final -ش is for recognition, not part of the Beirut production baseline.
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Start learning Arabic →Related Topics
- The b-Imperfect for Ordinary Present-Time PredicationA1 — Use the Lebanese b-imperfect for habits, generalizations, states, and ordinary present predication while contrasting progressive and bare forms.
- Basic Imperfect Prefixes and SuffixesA1 — Build the eight Lebanese imperfect persons with prefixes, feminine and plural endings, stem-vowel changes, and the ordinary b-marker.
- Habits and Repeated EventsA1 — Describe routines, recurring schedules, and characteristic behavior with the Lebanese habitual b-imperfect.
- Negating Perfect Verbs with ماA1 — Use ما before the Lebanese perfect to deny completed events, while preserving person endings, clitics, and the intended scope.
- Negative Commands with ماA2 — Form urban Lebanese prohibitions with ما plus an agreeing second-person bare imperfect, then adjust their force with request frames and warnings.