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Let's look at some foundational vocabulary for discussing art and craftsmanship:

{{item:1162396}}

### The Restrictive Particle (إنّما) and Suspended Governance

To express "only," "merely," or absolute essence in Arabic, use the restrictive particle **إنما**. It is formed by attaching **ما** to the emphatic particle **إن**.

This addition of **ما** triggers a grammatical shift. Normally, **إن** forces the subject of a nominal sentence into the accusative case. However, when **ما** attaches to form **إنما**, it acts as a barrier that suspends this case governance. The subject reverts to its default nominative state.

Look at this sentence, which uses both particles to contrast their effects:

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Notice how the noun following **إن** takes the accusative case (**العمل**), but the phrase following **إنما** operates as a regular nominative clause.

Here are more examples of **إنما** restricting a nominal sentence to an absolute truth or essence:

{{item:1162406}}

{{item:1162412}}

### Using (إنّما) with Verbs

Adding **ما** also allows the particle to enter verbal sentences. 

While the base particle **إن** is strictly limited to nominal sentences, **إنما** can comfortably precede verbs to emphasize that an action is limited entirely to a specific object or subject.

{{item:1162404}}

{{item:1162415}}

In these examples, the restrictive particle focuses the action, clarifying that the sculptor crafts *nothing but* her inspiration, and the artisan sells *only* pottery.

### Seeing the endings

This course writes Arabic the way books and newspapers print it, without the short-vowel marks, so the ending this lesson is about is usually something you hear in the audio but cannot see in the drills. Here are some of them with every vowel written out:

| as written | fully vocalized | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| قالت إن الإلهام ينتج تفردا. | قَالَتْ إِنَّ الإِلْهَامَ يُنْتِجُ تَفَرُّدًا. | She said that the inspiration produces uniqueness. |
| إنما التماثل الكامل حلم. | إِنَّمَا التَّمَاثُلُ الكَامِلُ حُلْمٌ. | Perfect symmetry is only a dream. |
| قال الصانع إن العمل إنما هو شغف. | قَالَ الصَّانِعُ إِنَّ العَمَلَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ شَغَفٌ. | The artisan said that the work is only a passion. |

After إِنَّ the noun is accusative: **الإِلْهَامَ**, **العَمَلَ**. After **إِنَّمَا** it stays nominative, as in any plain sentence: **التَّمَاثُلُ الكَامِلُ حُلْمٌ**. The last drill has both: **إِنَّ العَمَلَ** with a fatha, then **إِنَّمَا هُوَ شَغَفٌ**.

Restriction (إنّما)

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
passion	شغفshaghaf
Art is not merely a job, but rather it is a passion.	ليس الفن مجرد وظيفة، بل هو شغف.laysa al-fannu mujarrada wazîfatin, bal huwa shaghafun
maker / artisan (manufacturer)	صانعsâni'
only / merely (restrictive particle)	إنماinnamâ
The artisan said that the work is only a passion.	قال الصانع إن العمل إنما هو شغف.qâla s-sâni'u 'inna l-'amala 'innamâ huwa shaghafun
to craft / to fashion	صاغsâgha
pottery / earthenware	فخارfakhkhâr
The artisan crafts the pottery slowly.	يصوغ الصانع الفخار ببطء.yasûghu ssâni'u lfakhkhâra bibut'in
inspiration	إلهامilhâm
The sculptor only crafts her inspiration.	إنما تصوغ النحاتة إلهامها.innamâ taṣûghu an-naḥḥâtatu ilhâmahâ
raw material	خامةkhâma
The raw material is merely a block of stone.	إنما الخامة كتلة من الحجر.innamâ al-khâmatu kutlatun mina al-hajar.
workmanship / craft (craftsmanship)	صنعةsan'ah
I do not buy raw materials, but rather I buy workmanship.	لا أشتري خامات، بل أشتري صنعة.lâ ashtarî khâmâtin, bal ashtarî san'atan
uniqueness	تفردtafarrud
True workmanship is uniqueness.	الصنعة الحقيقية تفرد.as-san'atu al-haqiqiyyatu tafarrudun.
symmetry	تماثلtamâthul
Perfect symmetry is only a dream.	إنما التماثل الكامل حلم.innamâ at-tamâthulu al-kâmilu hulmun
The maker searches for a symmetry that distinguishes the pottery.	يبحث الصانع عن تماثل يميز الفخار.yabhathu assâni'u 'an tamâthulin yumayyizu alfakhâra.
She said that the inspiration produces uniqueness.	قالت إن الإلهام ينتج تفردا.qâlat inna al-ilhâma yuntiju tafarrudan
The artisan only sells pottery.	إنما تبيع الصانعة الفخار.innamâ tabî'u aṣ-ṣâni'atu l-fakhkhâra
This raw material needs a new inspiration.	تحتاج هذه الخامة إلى إلهام جديد.tahtâju hâdhihil khâmatu ilâ ilhâmin jadîdin

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