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When you need to protect a deep secret or uphold a solemn covenant, a simple promise might not be enough. In Arabic, swearing formal oaths (أسلوب القسم) is a powerful way to assert absolute truth and assure your friends that their secrets are safe.

### Particles of Swearing (حروف القسم)

To swear "by" someone or something, Arabic uses three specific single-letter particles that attach directly to the beginning of a noun: **و** , **تـ** , and **بـ**.

Because these function grammatically just like prepositions, the noun immediately following them is forced into the genitive case.

The most common swearing particle is **و**. You will most frequently see it attached to the word God (**الله**) to mean "By God."

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You can also use **و** to swear by other revered concepts, such as the "Lord" (**رب**).

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### The Formal Particle تـ

The particle **تـ** has the exact same meaning, but it is highly formal and has a very specific restriction: it is ONLY ever attached to the word **الله**.

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### Explicit Swearing with بـ

The particle **بـ** can be used on its own to form an oath (**بالله**). 

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Additionally, **بـ** is the particle you must use when you want to explicitly state the verb "to swear." Whether you are using the verb **أقسم** or **حلف**, it pairs directly with **بـ**.

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Oaths (والله / تالله)

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
by (swearing an oath)	وwa
to reveal (a secret)	باح بbâḥa bi
By God, I did not reveal this secret to anyone.	والله لم أبح بهذا السر لأحد.wallâhi lam abuh bihâdhâ as-sirri li'ahadin
by (oath particle)	تta
to conceal	كتمkatama
By God, if I had known the truth, I would not have concealed it.	تالله لو عرفت الحقيقة ما كتمتها.tallâhi law 'araftu l-haqîqata mâ katamtuhâ
to preserve (safeguard)	صانsâna
covenant	عهدahd
I swear by God that I will preserve this covenant without you asking that of me.	أقسم بالله أنني سأصون هذا العهد دون أن تطلب مني ذلك.uqsimu billâhi annanî sa'asûnu hâdhâ al-ahda dûna an tatluba minnî dhâlika
Lord	ربrabb
By the Lord of the heaven, this betrayal has made me very angry.	ورب السماء، لقد جعلتني هذه الخيانة غاضبا جدا.wa rabbi s-samâ'i, laqad ja'alatnî hâdhihi l-khiyânatu ghâdiban jiddan.
By God, do you think I am a liar?	بالله، هل تظنني كاذبا؟billâhi, hal tazhunnunî kâdhiban?
to betray (act treacherously)	غدر بghadara bi
By God, I have never betrayed my friend.	تالله ما غدرت بصديقي أبدا.tallâhi mâ ghadartu bisadîqî abadan
My friend preserved the covenant without talking with anyone.	لقد صانت صديقتي العهد دون أن تتحدث مع أحد.laqad sânat sadîqatî al-ahda dûna an tatahaddatha maʿa ahad.
By the Lord of this universe, I did not reveal the secret to the police.	ورب هذا الكون، لم أبح بالسر للشرطة.wa rabbi hâdha al-kawni, lam abuh bis-sirri lish-shurtati.
If the employee had concealed the news, the manager would have found the situation easy.	لو كتمت الموظفة الخبر، لوجدت المديرة الموقف سهلا.law katamati l-muwadhdhafatu l-khabara, lawajadati l-mudiratu l-mawqifa sahlan
to divulge	أفشىafshâ
Who divulged this secret to the manager?	من أفشى هذا السر للمديرة؟man afshâ hâdhâ s-sirra lil-mudîrah?
By God, I will not betray you and I will not betray the covenant.	والله لن أغدر بك ولن أخون العهد.wallâhi lan aghdira bika wa lan akhûna al-'ahda.
He swore before the judge, but he divulged the secret.	أقسم أمام القاضي، لكنه أفشى السر.aqsama amâma al-qâdî, lakinnahu afshâ as-sirra.
By God, I will not reveal your secret, my friend.	والله لن أفشي سرك يا صديقتي.wallâhi lan ufshiya sirraki yâ sadîqatî
pact	ميثاقmîthâq
By God, I will always protect our pact.	تالله سأصون ميثاقنا دائما.tallâhi sa'asûnu mîthâqanâ dâ'iman.
to break (a promise)	نقضnaqada
to swear	حلفhalafa
Did he break the pact after he swore by the Lord of the sky?	هل نقض الميثاق بعدما حلف برب السماء؟hal naqada al-mithâqa ba'damâ halafa birabbi s-samâ'?
I want to swear by God that I am innocent.	أريد أن أحلف بالله أنني بريئة.uridu an ahlifa billâhi annani bari'ah
By God, no one will break this secret pact.	والله لا أحد سينقض هذا الميثاق السري.wallâhi lâ ahada sayanqudu hâdhâ al-mîthâqa as-sirriyya
Swear to me by God that you will not betray the promise.	احلف لي بالله أنك لن تغدر بالعهد.ihlif lî billâhi annaka lan taghdira bil-ahdi.