Choosing Between Options: أو
To offer a choice or say "or", use the standalone word أو.
| or | أوaw |
| They drink tea or juice. | يشربون الشاي أو العصير.yashrabûna ash-shâya aw al-aseera. |
| Are you hungry or thirsty? | هل أنت جائع أو عطشان؟hal anta jâ'i'un aw 'atshânu? |
Expressing Contrast: لكن
To show contrast and say "but", use the conjunction لكن.
| but | لكنlâkin |
When followed by a regular noun, لكن stands alone:
| The restaurant is open but the food is cold. | المطعم مفتوح لكن الطعام بارد.al-mat'amu maftûhun lâkinna at-ta'âma bâridun. |
When followed by a pronoun, the pronoun attaches directly to لكن as a suffix. For example, adding the suffix ه (he/it) creates لكنه (but he / but it).
| The dog is hungry but it does not eat bread. | الكلب جائع لكنه لا يأكل الخبز.al-kalbu jâ'i'un lâkinnahu lâ ya'kulu al-khubza |
Similarly, to say "but I", attach the suffix ني:
| I am thirsty but I do not drink juice. | أنا عطشان لكنني لا أشرب العصير.ana atshânu lakinnani lâ ashrabu al-asîra |
Sequence and Result: فـ
To express "so" (cause and effect) or "then" (a sequence of events), use the conjunction فـ.
| so, then / for (giving a reason) | فfa |
Like the Arabic word for "and" (و), فـ is a prefix that attaches directly to the beginning of the following word. It is commonly attached to verbs to show that the second action happened immediately after, or as a result of, the first.
| He found water so he drank it. | وجد ماء فشربه.wajada mâ'an fasharibahu |
| He woke up late so he ran to the school. | استيقظ متأخرا فركض إلى المدرسة.istayqaza muta'akhkhiran farakada ilâ al-madrasah. |
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