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To explain the reason or purpose behind an action—such as saying "I went *in order to* buy" or "He looked *to* take"—Arabic uses the prefix لـ. This prefix attaches directly to the beginning of the present tense verb that describes the intended action.

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### لـ and the Subjunctive Mood

Just like the particle أن, the prefix لـ changes the present tense verb it attaches to into the **subjunctive mood** (المضارع المنصوب).

For singular subjects, the verb's final short vowel changes to a *Fatha* (a). The main action in the sentence is conjugated normally; only the verb attached to لـ takes the subjunctive ending.

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### The Plural Subjunctive

When the verb following لـ is plural (such as "they"), the subjunctive mood drops the final ن from the standard present tense conjugation and adds an ا in its place.

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### Answering "Why?"

Because لـ expresses purpose, it is the standard way to answer questions that begin with "Why?" (لماذا). You can use the prefixed verb all by itself as a complete answer.

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Expressing purpose (لـ)

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
tomatoes	طماطمtamâtim
onions	بصلbasal
I went to the market to buy tomatoes and onions.	ذهبت إلى السوق لأشتري الطماطم والبصل.dhahabtu ilâ assûqi li'ashtariya attamâtima walbasala
cart / car (of a train), carriage	عربة'araba
bag	كيسkîs
I want to take the cart to put the bags in it.	أريد أن آخذ العربة لأضع الأكياس فيها.urîdu an âkhudha al'arabata li'ada'a al'akyâsa fîhâ
aisle	ممرmamarr
potatoes	بطاطسbatâtis
The man was walking in this aisle to find the potatoes.	كان الرجل يمشي في هذا الممر ليجد البطاطس.kâna ar-rajulu yamshî fî hâdhâ al-mamarri liyajida al-batâtisa
shelf	رفraff
olives	زيتونzaytôn
He is looking at the shelf to take the olives.	ينظر إلى الرف ليأخذ الزيتون.yanzhuru ilâ ar-raffi liya'khudha az-zaytûn
cashier / accountant	محاسبmuhâsib
Please, I need the cashier to pay the bill.	من فضلك، أحتاج إلى المحاسب لأدفع الحساب.min fadlika, ahtâju ilâ al-muhâsibi li'adfa'a al-hisâb
Do you need a bag to carry the tomatoes?	هل تحتاج إلى كيس لتحمل الطماطم؟hal tahtaju ila keesin litahmila at-tamatema?
The boy took the cart to help his mother.	أخذ الولد العربة ليساعد أمه.akhadha al-waladu al-arabata liyusâ'ida ummahu
I will go to the vegetables section to buy potatoes and onions.	سأذهب إلى قسم الخضار لأشتري البطاطس والبصل.sa'adh-habu ilâ qismil-khudâri li'ashtariyal-batâtisa wal-basala.
The seller is still standing at the shelf to arrange the olives.	لا يزال البائع يقف عند الرف ليرتب الزيتون.lâ yazâlu al-bâ'i'u yaqifu 'inda ar-raffi liyurattiba az-zaytûna.
She went to the cashier to ask about the price.	ذهبت إلى المحاسب لتسأل عن السعر.dhahabat ilâ almuhâsibi litas'ala 'ani ssi'ri.
Did you walk to the aisle to get the bags?	هل مشيت إلى الممر لتأخذ الأكياس؟hal mashayta ilâ al-mamarri lita'khudha al-akyâs?
lunch	غداءghadâ'
We go to the store to buy lunch.	نذهب إلى المتجر لنشتري الغداء.nadhhabu ilâ al-matjari linashtariya al-ghadâ'a
They are in the aisle to buy tomatoes.	هم في الممر ليشتروا الطماطم.hum fi al-mamarri liyashtaru at-tamatima
Why are you taking this big cart? To carry the vegetables.	لماذا تأخذ هذه العربة الكبيرة؟ لأحمل الخضار.limâdhâ ta'khudhu hâdhihi al-'arabata al-kabîrata? li'ahmila al-khudâra.
Do you need a bag to put the potatoes in?	هل تحتاج إلى كيس لتضع فيه البطاطس؟hal tahtâju ilâ kîsin litada'a fîhil batâtis
dinner	عشاء'ashâ'
We eat lunch at home.	نأكل الغداء في البيت.na'kulu al-ghadâ'a fî al-bayti
We went to the restaurant to eat dinner.	ذهبنا إلى المطعم لنأكل العشاء.dhahabnâ ilâ al-mat'ami lina'kula al-'ashâ'i
I bought fish for dinner.	اشتريت السمك للعشاء.ishtaraytu as-samaka lil-'ashâ'i.

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