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To express that a situation or action continues "as long as" a specific condition is met, Arabic uses the verb **ما دام**.

Because **ما دام** belongs to the grammatical family known as the "sisters of Kaana" (**أخوات كان**), it affects the sentence structure that follows it. Specifically, while the subject remains in the nominative case, the predicate (the word describing the subject) changes to the accusative case (**منصوب**). 

For indefinite masculine nouns and adjectives, this accusative case is typically marked by adding an extra *alif* at the end of the word.

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Notice how the predicate "harmonious" becomes **منسجما** instead of **منسجم**.

### Gender Agreement

Just like a regular past-tense verb, **ما دام** must agree with the gender of its subject. If the noun immediately following it is feminine, you must add the feminine marker **ت** to make it **ما دامت**.

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### Linking Outcomes to Conditions

You will frequently see **ما دام** used in the middle of a sentence to link an ongoing result to its required condition. The first half of the sentence establishes a fact or an expectation, and **ما دام** introduces the condition keeping it true. 

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Conditional duration (ما دام)

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
as long as	ما دامmâ dâma
harmonious	منسجمmunsajim
The show is excellent as long as the team is harmonious.	العرض ممتاز ما دام الفريق منسجما.al-'ardu mumtâzun mâ dâma al-fariiqu munsajiman.
rehearsal	بروفةbrôfa
orchestra	أوركستراorkestra
playing (music)	عزفazf
collective	جماعيjamâ'î
The rehearsal is ongoing as long as the orchestra is ready for collective playing.	البروفة مستمرة ما دامت الأوركسترا جاهزة للعزف الجماعي.al-burûfatu mustamirratun mâ dâmati l-'urkistrâ jâhizatan lil-'azfi l-jamâ'iyyi
harmony	تناغمtanâghum
Harmony is non-existent without concentration.	التناغم غير موجود بدون تركيز.at-tanâghumu ghayru mawjûdin bidûni tarkîzin
musical note	نوتةnôta
Aisha reads the musical note with concentration as if she were in an exam.	تقرأ عائشة النوتة بتركيز كأنها في امتحان.taqra'u â'ishatu n-nûtata bitarkîzin ka'annahâ fî imtihânin.
dissonance	نشازnashâz
We will not hear any dissonance as long as the playing is harmonious.	لن نسمع أي نشاز ما دام العزف منسجما.lan nasma'a ayya nashâzin mâ dâma al-'azfu munsajiman
maestro	مايستروmâystroo
The maestro requests harmony from the orchestra.	يطلب المايسترو التناغم من الأوركسترا.yatlubu al-maystro at-tanâghuma mina al-orkestra.
We heard everything in the rehearsal except dissonance.	سمعنا في البروفة كل شيء إلا النشاز.sami'nā fī al-burūfati kulla shay'in illā an-nashāza
Collective work is enjoyable as long as the team is interested in the musical note.	العمل الجماعي ممتع ما دام الفريق مهتما بالنوتة.al-'amalu al-jamâ'iyyu mumti'un mâ dâma al-farîqu muhtamman bi-n-nûtati.
The orchestra is quiet as long as the maestro is silent.	الأوركسترا هادئة ما دام المايسترو صامتا.al-'urkistrâ hâdi'atun mâ dâma al-mâyistrû sâmitan
The rehearsal was excellent thanks to the collective harmony.	كانت البروفة ممتازة بفضل التناغم الجماعي.kânati l-barûfatu mumtâzatan bifadli t-tanâghumi l-jamâ'iyy
This dissonance is unacceptable in the orchestra.	هذا النشاز غير مقبول في الأوركسترا.hâdhâ an-nashâzu ghayru maqbûlin fî al-'ûrkestrâ
Collective singing is wonderful as long as the voice is clear.	الغناء الجماعي رائع ما دام الصوت واضحا.al-ghinâ'u al-jamâ'iyyu râ'i'un mâ dâma as-sawtu wâdihan