This lesson teaches you how to ask negative questions and how to properly answer them in the affirmative. We will practice this in the context of parents setting rules and discussing chores with teenagers.
Negative Questions: ألا and أليس
To ask a negative question such as "Don't you...?" or "Isn't it...?", Arabic combines the question prefix (أ) with a negation word.
When asking a negative question about a present tense action, use (ألا) — a combination of (أ) and (لا).
| Don't you tidy this mess, teenager? | ألا ترتب هذه الفوضى يا مراهق؟alâ turattibu hâdhihi l-fawdâ yâ murâhiq? |
When asking a negative question about a noun or adjective, use (أليس) or its feminine form (أليست) — combining (أ) and (ليس). Because it uses (ليس), the predicate of the sentence takes the accusative case, just like a regular (ليس) sentence.
The Affirmative Response: بلى
In English, if someone asks "Don't you obey your father?", answering "Yes" means "Yes, I do."
In Arabic, answering a negative question affirmatively requires a special word: (بلى) (Yes indeed / On the contrary). If you answer a negative question with the standard word for yes (نعم), it means you agree with the negative statement ("Yes, you are right, I do not obey").
Therefore, always use (بلى) to contradict the negative question and confirm that the positive statement is true.
| Don't you obey your father? Yes indeed, I always obey him. | ألا تطيع والدك؟ بلى، أطيعه دائما.alâ tutii'u wâlidaka? balâ, utii'uhu dâ'iman. |
| Aren't the house rules important? Yes indeed, they are very important. | أليست قواعد البيت مهمة؟ بلى، هي مهمة جدا.alaysat qawâ'idu al-bayti muhimmatan? balâ, hiya muhimmatun jiddan. |
Rules and Consequences
As you practice these negative questions and their affirmative responses, you will also use new vocabulary related to raising a teenager (مراهق), such as complaining, being firm (حازم), and managing an allowance (مصروف).
| Don't you complain when you wash the dishes, Maryam? Yes indeed, I complain daily. | ألا تتذمرين عندما تغسلين الأطباق يا مريم؟ بلى، أتذمر يوميا.alâ tatadhammarîna indamâ taghsilîna al'atbâqa yâ maryamu? balâ, atadhammaru yawmiyyan. |
| Isn't this allowance small? Yes indeed, but it is enough. | أليس هذا المصروف قليلا؟ بلى، ولكنه يكفي.alaysa hâdha al-masrûfu qalîlan? balâ, walâkinnahu yakfî. |
| Don't I deprive you of the phone if you are late? Yes indeed, you do that. | ألا أحرمك من الهاتف إذا تأخرت؟ بلى، تفعل ذلك.alâ ahrimuka mina l-hâtifi idhâ ta'akhkharta? balâ, tafalu dhâlika. |