Lām of Command with the Jussive | Arabic (Modern Standard) Grammar

Arabic's positive imperative directly addresses a second person. To express “let him/her/them do” or “let us do,” formal MSA uses لام الأمر, an attached لـ followed by a jussive imperfect: لِيَكْتُبْ كلُّ مشاركٍ اسمَه “Let each participant write their name”; لِنَبْدَأْ “Let us begin.”

The particle is not a lexical verb and has no root or Form. It contributes directive or exhortative force, while the imperfect retains person, gender, number, voice, stem class, and complements. In contemporary usage it is especially at home in instructions, resolutions, formal recommendations, speeches, and elevated self-exhortation (formal).

The prohibitive لا page gives the negative counterpart. Both constructions govern the jussive, but only lām of command supplies positive “let...” force.

Core persons and uses

Person	Form with كتب	Typical English rendering
3rd masculine singular	لِيَكْتُبْ	let him write / he is to write
3rd feminine singular	لِتَكْتُبْ	let her write / she is to write
3rd masculine plural	لِيَكْتُبُوا	let them write
1st plural	لِنَكْتُبْ	let us write
1st singular	لِأَكْتُبْ	let me write

Second-person forms are grammatically possible in elevated directives, but the ordinary imperative is normally simpler: اكتبْ rather than formal لتكتبْ. The lām construction is most useful precisely where the imperative paradigm has no first- or third-person cell.

ليكتب كل مشارك اسمه ورقم المجموعة أعلى الصفحة.

li-yaktub kullu mushārikin smahu wa-raqma l-majmūʿati ʾaʿlā ṣ-ṣafḥa(h).

Let each participant write their name and group number at the top of the page. (Formal instruction.)

لتراجع اللجنة الصيغة النهائية قبل نشر البيان.

li-turājiʿi l-lajnatu ṣ-ṣīghata n-nihāʾiyyata qabla nashri l-bayān.

Let the committee review the final wording before publishing the statement. (Formal recommendation.)

Underlying jussive تراجعْ gains support i before the sun-letter article. The support vowel does not turn it indicative.

لينتظر الضيوف في القاعة حتى يفتح المنظم الباب.

li-yantaẓiri ḍ-ḍuyūfu fī l-qāʿati ḥattā yaftaḥa l-munaẓẓimu l-bāb.

Let the guests wait in the hall until the organizer opens the door. (Formal instruction.)

The command verb is singular before the overt human plural subject. Jussive mood does not cancel neutral VSO agreement.

💡

Use lām of command when English begins with “let him/her/them/us...” or when a formal rule says someone “is to” act. For a direct request to “you,” prefer the ordinary imperative unless the elevated register is intentional.

First-person exhortation

With first-person plural, the construction gives the formal MSA equivalent of “let's.”

لنبدأ بمراجعة القرارات التي لم تنفذ بعد.

li-nabdaʾ bi-murājaʿati l-qarārāti llatī lam tunaffadh baʿd.

Let us begin by reviewing the decisions that have not yet been implemented. (Formal meeting language.)

Hamzated بَدَأَ / يَبْدَأُ, root ب د أ, has jussive نبدأْ. Root hamza remains.

لنتحقق من مصدر الأرقام قبل أن نعتمدها في التقرير.

li-nataḥaqqaq min maṣdari l-ʾarqāmi qabla ʾan naʿtamidahā fī t-taqrīr.

Let us verify the source of the figures before using them in the report.

First-person singular is possible for self-directed deliberation or an offer (formal/elevated):

لأتحقق من رقم الملف أولا، ثم لنكمل النقاش.

li-ʾataḥaqqaq min raqmi l-malaffi ʾawwalan, thumma l-nukmili n-niqāsh.

Let me verify the file number first; then let us continue the discussion. (Formal/elevated.)

After ثمّ, the lām is shown here with sukūn. Underlying نكملْ gains support i before the article.

The lām's vowel after conjunctions

The basic lām is pronounced with kasra when it opens the expression: لِيَكْتُبْ، لِنَبْدَأْ. After conjunctions—especially و and ف, and also ثمّ—sukūn is licensed and very common.

Environment	Typical vocalization	Example
initial	لِـ	لِيَكْتُبْ
after و	وَلْـ	وَلْيَكْتُبْ
after ف	فَلْـ	فَلْيَكْتُبْ
after ثمّ	ثُمَّ لْـ; kasra is also attested	ثُمَّ لْيَكْتُبْ

These are pronunciation variants conditioned by the preceding conjunction, not different moods. Do not mark an attested kasra after a conjunction as ungrammatical; recognize the especially common reduced وَلْـ / فَلْـ forms.

وليحتفظ كل قسم بنسخة موقعة من الاتفاق.

wa-l-yaḥtafiẓ kullu qismin bi-nuskhatin muwaqqaʿatin mina l-ittifāq.

And let each department keep a signed copy of the agreement. (Formal directive.)

فلتعرض الباحثة النتيجة الأساسية قبل التفاصيل.

fa-l-taʿriḍi l-bāḥithatu n-natījata l-ʾasāsiyyata qabla t-tafāṣīl.

Then let the researcher present the main result before the details. (Formal; female researcher.)

ثم ليوقع المدير النسخة المخصصة للأرشيف.

thumma li-yuwaqqiʿi l-mudīru n-nuskhata l-mukhaṣṣaṣata li-l-ʾarshīf.

Then let the director sign the copy designated for the archive. (Formal.)

The last example retains basic kasra after ثمّ, illustrating the valid alternative to reduced ثمّ لْـ.

Five-verb and feminine-plural forms

Lām of command governs nūn deletion in the five verbs.

أما المديران فليوقعا النسخة الأصلية معا.

ʾammā l-mudīrāni fa-l-yuwaqqiʿā n-nuskhata l-ʾaṣliyyata maʿan.

As for the two directors, let them sign the original copy together.

Dual يوقّعانِ loses nūn: فليوقّعا. Because the dual is a fronted topic, full dual agreement is required.

ليكتبوا ملاحظاتهم في النموذج الإلكتروني قبل المغادرة.

li-yaktubū mulāḥaẓātihim fī n-namūdhaji l-ʾilikturūniyyi qabla l-mughādara(h).

Let them write their comments in the electronic form before leaving.

Feminine-plural nūn is invariant:

أما الموظفات فليراجعن المواعيد قبل الاتصال بالعملاء.

ʾammā l-muwaẓẓafātu fa-l-yurājiʿna l-mawāʿīda qabla l-ittiṣāli bi-l-ʿumalāʾ.

As for the female employees, let them check the appointments before calling the clients.

Weak-final and geminate jussives

The lām requires the same verified jussive stems as لم and prohibitive لا.

فليسع الفريق إلى حل يحفظ حقوق الطرفين.

fa-l-yasʿa l-farīqu ʾilā ḥallin yaḥfaẓu ḥuqūqa ṭ-ṭarafayn.

Then let the team seek a solution that preserves both parties' rights.

Final-weak سَعَى / يَسْعَى, root س ع ي, deletes alif maqṣūra in jussive يسعَ.

وليدع المنظم المتحدثين إلى المنصة حسب الترتيب.

wa-l-yadʿu l-munaẓẓimu l-mutaḥaddithīna ʾilā l-minaṣṣati ḥasaba t-tartīb.

And let the organizer invite the speakers to the platform in order.

Final-wāw دَعَا / يَدْعُو, root د ع و, becomes يدعُ. Geminate رَدَّ / يَرُدُّ uses a contracted jussive naturally:

وليرد المدير على الاعتراض بعد مراجعة الوثائق.

wa-l-yarudda l-mudīru ʿalā l-iʿtirāḍi baʿda murājaʿati l-wathāʾiq.

And let the director respond to the objection after reviewing the documents.

The cluster-releasing fatḥa on يردَّ does not change its jussive status.

💡

Attach lām first, identify the required person, then retrieve that verb's jussive form. This prevents three frequent errors at once: separated spelling, default third singular, and an indicative ending.

Common Mistakes

Writing command lām as a separate word

❌ ل يكتب كل مشارك اسمه.

Incorrect spelling — لام الأمر attaches directly to the imperfect.

✅ ليكتب كل مشارك اسمه بوضوح.

li-yaktub kullu mushārikin smahu bi-wuḍūḥ.

Let each participant write their name clearly.

Pronouncing the following verb as indicative

❌ لتراجع اللجنة التقرير.

li-turājiʿu l-lajnatu t-taqrīr

Incorrect pronunciation — command lām governs jussive تراجعْ.

✅ لتراجع اللجنة التقرير قبل اعتماده.

li-turājiʿi l-lajnatu t-taqrīra qabla ʿtimādih.

Let the committee review the report before approving it.

Retaining dual nūn

❌ أما المديران فليوقعان العقد.

Incorrect — jussive dual يوقعان loses nūn after command lām.

✅ أما المديران فليوقعا العقد أمام الشاهدين.

ʾammā l-mudīrāni fa-l-yuwaqqiʿā l-ʿaqda ʾamāma sh-shāhidayn.

As for the two directors, let them sign the contract before the two witnesses.

Keeping the final weak letter

❌ فليسعى الفريق إلى حل سريع.

Incorrect — سعى / يسعى deletes alif maqṣūra in jussive يسعَ.

✅ فليسع الفريق إلى حل قابل للتنفيذ.

fa-l-yasʿa l-farīqu ʾilā ḥallin qābilin li-t-tanfīdh.

Then let the team seek an implementable solution.

Giving a preposed command verb full plural agreement

❌ ليكتبوا المشاركون أسماءهم في القائمة.

Incorrect in neutral formal-MSA VSO — use singular ليكتب before the explicit human plural subject.

✅ ليكتب المشاركون أسماءهم في قائمة الحضور.

li-yaktubi l-mushārikūna ʾasmāʾahum fī qāʾimati l-ḥuḍūr.

Let the participants write their names on the attendance list.

Key Takeaways

Attached لام الأمر governs a jussive imperfect and supplies positive directive force.
It is most useful for third-person commands and first-person exhortations such as لنبدأ.
Basic لِـ commonly becomes وَلْـ / فَلْـ after conjunctions; both licensed vowel patterns must be recognized.
Five-verb nūn is deleted, feminine-plural nūn remains, and final weak letters delete according to the jussive paradigm.
The construction is productive in formal instructions and recommendations; direct second-person speech usually prefers the imperative.

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