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### Explaining the "Why": The Adverbial Accusative of Purpose

In Arabic, you can express the underlying motivation for an action—doing something "out of love," "in hopes of," or "for fear of"—using a structure known as the Adverbial Accusative of Purpose (**المفعول لأجله**).

To create this, you take a verbal noun (a noun that represents an action or emotion, like "desire" or "hope") and place it in the **indefinite accusative case**. This means the word will take the double *fatha* marker, written as **ـًا** or **ـةً**.

For example, taking the noun **رغبة** (desire) and using it in the accusative makes it "out of a desire":

{{item:1122160}}

### Pairing with Prepositions

Because these adverbs describe internal feelings directed at something, they are almost always followed by a specific preposition that links the emotion to its target (just like we say "fear *of*" or "respect *for*" in English).

For instance, **أمل** (hope) pairs with the preposition **في**:

{{item:1122163}}

Words expressing positive regard, like **حب** (love), **احترام** (respect), and **تقدير** (appreciation), typically pair with the preposition **لـ**:

{{item:1122165}}

{{item:1122167}}

{{item:1122171}}

On the other hand, a feeling like **خوف** (fear) pairs with the preposition **من** (from/of):

{{item:1122169}}

You can use this structure alongside any verb tense or sentence type, as long as the adverb itself remains in the accusative case to answer the question, "Why did you do it?"

Adverbs of purpose

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

interrogative

noun

numeral

particle

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The definite article and locatives (الـ)

Basic noun gender (ة)

Sun and moon letters

Singular subject pronouns (أنا، أنت، هو، هي)

Indefinite nouns and nominal sentences (ـٌ)

Demonstrative pronouns for 'this' (هذا / هذه)

Separate prepositions (في، من، إلى، على)

Attributive adjectives

Predicative adjectives

Yes/No questions (هل، أ)

Basic questions (من، ما، أين)

Singular possessive pronouns (ـي، ـك، ـه، ـها)

Plural subject pronouns (نحن، أنتم، هم)

Plural possessive pronouns (ـنا، ـكم، ـهم)

Noun possession

Attached prepositions (بـ، لـ، كـ)

Pronouns with prepositions

Having and possessing (عند، لـ، مع)

Regular plural nouns (ـون، ـين، ـات)

Broken plurals

Dual nouns (ـان / ـين)

Plural and distant demonstratives (هؤلاء، ذلك، تلك)

Non-human plural agreement

Present tense singular verbs

Verbal sentences (VSO)

Present tense plural verbs

Topicalized sentences (SVO)

The indefinite accusative case (ـاً)

Verb object pronouns (-ني، -ك، -ه)

Present tense negation (لا)

Question words with verbs (متى، كيف...)

Adverbs of time and place

The future tense (سـ / سوف)

Intentions and desires (أن)

Negating states and possession (ليس)

Past tense singular suffixes

Past tense plural suffixes

Negating past events (ما)

Singular commands

Numbers 1 to 10

Number agreement for 1 and 2 (واحد، اثنان)

Asking how many (كم)

Numbers 3 to 10 (ثلاثة إلى عشرة)

Ordinal numbers 1 to 10 (الأول، الثاني)

Basic conjunctions (فـ، أو، لكن)

Ordering at a café (واحد، اثنان)

Food and drink with conjunctions (و، ف، أو، لكن)

There is and there are (هناك / ليس هناك)

Direct address (يا)

Giving reasons (لأنّ)

Relative pronouns (الذي / التي)

Quantifiers (كل / بعض)

The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

Past possession

Numbers 11 to 19 and tens to 80

Telling time (الساعة)

This book vs this is a book (هذا الكتاب، هذا كتاب)

Greetings (مرحبا، السلام عليكم)

How are you? and goodbye (كيف حالك، مع السلامة)

Nationalities (مصري، مصرية)

Roots and patterns (كتب، كتاب، مكتب)

Politeness (من فضلك، آسف)

Complex possession chains

Colors and traits (أفعل / فعلاء)

Plural colors and traits (فُعْل)

Comparative adjectives (أفعل من)

Superlative adjectives (أفعل)

Adverbs of manner (ـاً)

The nominative case (ـُ)

The genitive case (ـِ)

The accusative case (ـَ)

Dual noun cases (ـان / ـين)

Masculine plurals and 'the best of' (أفضل النجارين)

Emphasizing sentences (إنّ)

Connecting clauses (أنّ)

Reporting speech (قال إنّ)

Expressing contrast (لكنّ)

Comparison and probability (كأنّ, لعلّ)

Distant plural pointing (أولئك)

Plural relative pronouns (الذين, اللواتي)

Past habits (كان + present)

Ongoing actions (ما زال)

Masculine plurals online (مبرمجون، مؤثرون)

Perfective past (قد)

Probability (قد)

The subjunctive mood (أن)

Question	Answer
to donate	تبرع بtabarra'a bi
association	جمعيةjam'iyya
charitable	خيريkhayriyy
desire	رغبةraghba
I donated money to the charitable association out of a desire to help.	تبرعت بالمال للجمعية الخيرية رغبة في المساعدة.tabarra'tu bil-mâli lil-jam'iyyati al-khayriyyati raghbatan fil-musâ'adati
hope	أملamal
needy person	محتاجmuhtâj
The rich man built a hospital in hopes of helping the needy.	بنى الرجل الغني مستشفى أملا في مساعدة المحتاج.banâ ar-rajulu al-ghaniyyu mustashfan amalan fî musâ'adati al-muhtâj
orphan	يتيمyatîm
We were donating food to the orphan out of love for him.	كنا نتبرع بالطعام لليتيم حبا له.kunnâ natabarrau bittaâmi lilyatîmi hubban lahu
respect	احترامihtirâm
Did you visit the old professor out of respect for him?	هل زرت الأستاذ القديم احتراما له؟hal zurta al-ustâdha al-qadîma ihtirâman lahu?
fear	خوفkhawf
We did not leave the city for fear of the war.	ما تركنا المدينة خوفا من الحرب.mâ taraknâ al-madînata khawfan mina al-harb.
appreciation	تقديرtaqdîr
The boy who won the prize stood up in appreciation of the professor.	وقف الولد الذي فاز بالجائزة تقديرا للأستاذ.waqafa al-waladu alladhî fâza bil-jâ'izati taqdîran lil-ustâdhi
The charitable association helps the needy out of a desire for justice.	تساعد الجمعية الخيرية المحتاج رغبة في العدل.tusâ'idu al-jam'iyyatu al-khayriyyatu al-muhtâja raghbatan fi al-'adli
I asked the professor in hopes of a solution.	سألت الأستاذ أملا في حل.sa'altu al-ustâdha amalan fî hallin
The needy person thanked the doctor out of respect for him.	شكر المحتاج الطبيب احتراما له.shakara al-muhtâju at-tabîba ihtirâman lahu
The orphan gave a gift to the volunteer in appreciation of him.	أعطى اليتيم هدية للمتطوع تقديرا له.a'tâ al-yatîmu hadiyyatan lil-mutatawwi'i taqdîran lahu.
He hid the money for fear of the thief.	أخفى المال خوفا من اللص.akhfâ al-mâla khawfan mina l-lissi.
I donate money to the association in hopes of helping the orphan.	أتبرع بالمال للجمعية أملا في مساعدة اليتيم.atabarra'u bil-mâli lil-jam'iyyati amalan fî musâ'adati al-yatîm
to wish, to want	رغب فيraghiba fî
The boy wanted to help.	رغب الولد في المساعدة.raghiba al-waladu fi al-musâ'ada.
I wish to donate money.	أرغب في التبرع بالمال.arghabu fit-tabarru'i bil-mâli
Would you like some tea?	هل ترغب في الشاي؟hal targhabu fi ash-shây?

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