In Arabic, exceptions can be formed using different types of words. While some exception words act as nouns, others function as verbs. The most common verbal phrases used to mean "except" are ما عدا and ما خلا.
| except | ما عداmâ 'adâ |
| except | ما خلاmâ khalâ |
The Accusative Rule for Exception Verbs
The particle ما in these phrases locks the words عدا and خلا into acting strictly as verbs. Because of this, the noun that immediately follows them—the thing being excluded—is treated grammatically as the direct object of the verb.
In Arabic, direct objects must always take the accusative case (منصوب).
You can easily spot this case on indefinite nouns, which typically take the tanween fatha ending, often written with an extra alif (like قميصا or معطفا).
| I ironed the clothes except a shirt. | كويت الملابس ما عدا قميصا.kawaytu al-malâbisa mâ 'adâ qamîsan. |
| I will not iron these clothes except a coat. | لن أكوي هذه الملابس ما خلا معطفا.lan akwiya hâdhihi-l-malâbisa mâ khalâ mitafan |
Definite Nouns and Flexibility
The accusative rule applies exactly the same way to definite nouns, which take a single fatha (though this short vowel is usually unwritten in everyday text). Whether your sentence is affirmative (stating what you did) or negative (stating what you won't do), the noun following ما عدا or ما خلا remains accusative.
| We washed everything except the carpets. | غسلنا كل شيء ما عدا السجاد.ghasalnâ kulla shay'in mâ 'adâ as-sajjâda |
| She swept the whole house except the kitchen. | هي كنست البيت كله ما خلا المطبخ.hiya kanasati l-bayta kullahu mâ khalâ l-matbakha |
Seeing the endings
This course writes Arabic the way books and newspapers print it, without the short-vowel marks, so the ending this lesson is about is something you hear in the audio but never see in the drills. Here are some of them with every vowel written out:
| as written | fully vocalized | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| غسلنا كل شيء ما عدا السجاد. | غَسَلْنَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ مَا عَدَا السَّجَّادَ. | We washed everything except the carpets. |
| هي كنست البيت كله ما خلا المطبخ. | هِيَ كَنَسَتِ البَيْتَ كُلَّهُ مَا خَلَا المَطْبَخَ. | She swept the whole house except the kitchen. |
| لن أكنس الغرف ما خلا غرفة واحدة. | لَنْ أَكْنُسَ الغُرَفَ مَا خَلَا غُرْفَةً وَاحِدَةً. | I will not sweep the rooms except one room. |
Here عدا and خلا are verbs, so the noun after them is their object and is accusative. On an indefinite masculine noun the alif shows it (قميصا, معطفا). Otherwise it is only heard: السَّجَّادَ, غُرْفَةً. Compare سوى in the previous lesson, which takes the genitive.
