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### Expressing Intentions with أن

In English, when you want to link two verbs together—such as "I want to study" or "he hopes to travel"—you connect them with the word "to". Arabic does the exact same thing using the particle أن.

When using verbs of intention or desire, simply place أن between the two verbs. The second verb will always be in the present tense, and it must be conjugated to match the same subject as the first verb (literally: *I* want to *I* study, or *He* wishes to *He* becomes).

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### Other Common Connecting Verbs

Besides wanting and wishing, you will use أن frequently with verbs like فضل (to prefer), حاول (to try), and استطاع (to be able to).

Notice that even though English says "I can read" (without "to"), Arabic phrasing translates closer to "I am able to read" and still requires the connecting أن.

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### Future Goals and Negation

When talking about future intentions or things you cannot do, future markers (like سـ or سوف) and negative particles (like لا) are only attached to the *first* verb. The second verb after أن remains a regular present tense verb.

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Combine these structures with vocabulary like وظيفة (job) and شركة (company) to share your personal ambitions and goals!

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Intentions and desires (أن)

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)

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)

Expressing purpose (لـ)

Question	Answer
to want	أرادarâda
to (with verbs)	أنan
I want to study in the school.	أريد أن أدرس في المدرسة.urîdu an adrusa fî al-madrasah.
Does he want to travel to Egypt?	هل يريد أن يسافر إلى مصر؟hal yurîdu an yusâfira ilâ misra?
to wish	تمنىtamannâ
to become	أصبحasbaha
He wishes to become an engineer.	يتمنى أن يصبح مهندسا.yatamannâ an yusbiha muhandisan
I wish to become a manager.	أتمنى أن أصبح مديرا.atamannâ an usbiha mudîran
to prefer	فضلfaddala
We prefer to play football.	نحن نفضل أن نلعب كرة القدم.nahnu nufaddilu an nal'aba kurata al-qadam
She prefers to drink coffee in the morning.	هي تفضل أن تشرب القهوة صباحا.hiya tufaddilu an tashraba al-qahwata sabâhan
to try	حاولhâwala
The student tries to read the book.	يحاول الطالب أن يقرأ الكتاب.yuhâwilu attâlibu an yaqra'a alkitâba
I will try to help you tomorrow.	سأحاول أن أساعدك غدا.sa'uhâwilu an usâ'idaka ghadan
to be able to	استطاعistatâa
Can you help the volunteer?	هل تستطيع أن تساعد المتطوع؟hal tastatî'u an tusâ'ida al-mutatawwi'a?
I can read this newspaper.	أستطيع أن أقرأ هذه الصحيفة.astatî'u an aqra'a hâdhihi as-sahîfah
to obtain	حصل علىhasala 'alâ
job	وظيفةwazhîfa
He wants to get a new job.	يريد أن يحصل على وظيفة جديدة.yurîdu an yahsula 'alâ wazîfatin jadîdatin
company	شركةsharika
I will try to get a job in this company.	سوف أحاول أن أحصل على وظيفة في هذه الشركة.sawfa uhâwilu an ahsula 'alâ wadhîfatin fî hâdhihi ash-sharikah
The guest wishes to visit the museum tomorrow.	يتمنى الضيف أن يزور المتحف غدا.yatamannâ ad-dayfu an yazûra al-mathafa ghadan
Do you prefer to stay in the hotel?	هل تفضل أن تبقى في الفندق؟hal tufaddilu an tabqâ fî l-funduqi?
I cannot understand this political article.	لا أستطيع أن أفهم هذا المقال السياسي.lâ astatî'u an afhama hâdha al-maqâla as-siyâsiyya
I want to get a job in a big company.	أريد أن أحصل على وظيفة في شركة كبيرة.urîdu an ahsula 'alâ wazîfatin fî sharikatin kabîratin
must / has to	يجبyajibu
I must study now.	يجب أن أدرس الآن.yajibu an adrusa l-âna
You must drink water.	يجب أن تشرب الماء.yajibu an tashraba al-mâ'a
can / it is possible	يمكنyumkinu
Can I sit here?	هل يمكن أن أجلس هنا؟hal yumkinu an ajlisa hunâ?
We can travel tomorrow.	يمكن أن نسافر غدا.yumkinu an nusâfira ghadan.

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