Expressing "Still": ما زال and لا يزال
To say that a situation is ongoing, use ما زال followed by a present tense verb. Even though ما زال is a past tense verb, combining it with a present tense verb describes a continuous action in the present.
| The driver is still waiting because of the traffic. | ما زال السائق ينتظر بسبب المرور.mâ zâla s-sâ'iqu yantazhiru bisababi l-murûri. |
You can also use لا يزال to mean the exact same thing. Both phrases are completely interchangeable.
| The train is still standing in the station because of a long delay. | لا يزال القطار يقف في المحطة بسبب تأخير طويل.lâ yazâlu alqitâru yaqifu fî almahattati bisababi ta'khîrin tawîl |
Gender Agreement
Both the "still" phrase and the main present tense verb must match the gender of the subject. For a feminine subject like الحافلة (the bus), لا يزال changes to its feminine form لا تزال, and the main verb also takes the feminine prefix (تتحرك):
| The driver said that the bus is still moving without delay. | قال السائق إن الحافلة لا تزال تتحرك بدون تأخير.qâla as-sâ'iqu inna al-hâfilata lâ tazâlu tataharraku bidûni ta'khîr. |
Asking Questions
To ask if an action is still happening, place a question word like هل at the beginning of the sentence. The sentence structure remains exactly the same:
| Is the policeman still working on the bridge after the accident? | هل ما زال الشرطي يعمل على الجسر بعد الحادث؟hal mâ zâla ash-shurtiyyu ya'malu 'alal-jisri ba'dal-hâdithi? |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io
