To express that an action is the direct result or intended consequence of another, Arabic uses the Faa of Causality (فاء السببية).
This prefix (ف) attaches directly to a present-tense verb and forces it into the subjunctive mood.
For the Faa of Causality to work, it must be preceded by a request (such as a command or a wish), a question, or a negation.
After Commands
When it follows a positive command, the Faa of Causality shows the desired outcome, translating to "so that" or "with the result that."
| Prune the tree so that it bears apples. | شذب الشجرة فتثمر تفاحا.shadhdhibi ash-shajarata fatuthmira tuffâhan |
| Water the seedling always so that it blooms. | اسقوا الشتلة دائما فتزهر.isqū ash-shatlata dâ'iman fatuzhira. |
After Negative Commands
When the Faa of Causality follows a negative command (لا + present tense), it introduces the negative consequence of ignoring the warning. In English, this often translates to "or else" or "lest."
| Do not leave the flower in the sun or it will wilt. | لا تترك الزهرة في الشمس فتذبل.lâ tatruki az-zahrata fi ash-shamsi fatadhbula |
| Do not cut the roots of the seedling or it will wilt. | لا تقطعوا جذور الشتلة فتذبل.lâ taqta'û judhûra ash-shatlati fatadhbula. |
After Questions and Wishes
This structure is also commonly used to show the potential result following a question (هل) or a wish (ليت).
| Will you water the soil so that the trees bear fruit? | هل ستسقي التربة فتثمر الأشجار؟hal satasqee at-turbata fatuthmira al-ashjâru؟ |
| I wish the rain would fall so the garden would grow like a forest. | ليت المطر ينزل فتنمو الحديقة كالغابة.layta al-mataru yanzilu fatanmuwa al-hadîqatu kal-ghâbati |
The Subjunctive Mood Reminder
Because the Faa of Causality places the verb in the subjunctive mood, remember to apply the correct subjunctive endings. For most singular verbs, this means a fatha on the final letter. However, for verbs conjugated for "you" (feminine singular), "you" (dual/plural), and "they" (dual/plural), you must drop the final nuun (ن).
Notice how the verb تكتشفين (you discover, feminine) drops its nuun to become فتكتشفي:
| Examine the soil so that you discover the pest. | افحصي التربة فتكتشفي الآفة.ifhasi at-turbata fataktashifi al-âfata |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| شذب الشجرة فتثمر تفاحا. | شَذِّبِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتُثْمِرَ تُفَّاحًا. | Prune the tree so that it bears apples. |
| لا تترك الزهرة في الشمس فتذبل. | لَا تَتْرُكِ الزَّهْرَةَ فِي الشَّمْسِ فَتَذْبُلَ. | Do not leave the flower in the sun or it will wilt. |
| ليت المطر ينزل فتنمو الحديقة كالغابة. | لَيْتَ المَطَرَ يَنْزِلُ فَتَنْمُوَ الحَدِيقَةُ كَالغَابَةِ. | I wish the rain would fall so the garden would grow like a forest. |
After this ف the verb is subjunctive. On most forms that is a final fatha, which you cannot see without the vowel marks, not even on the و of تنمو: فَتُثْمِرَ, فَتَذْبُلَ, فَتَنْمُوَ. The forms for you (one woman), for men or a mixed group, and for two drop their final ن instead, and that you can see: افحصي التربة فتكتشفي الآفة (not تكتشفين). The feminine plural keeps its ن. The verb before ف keeps its own ending: يَنْزِلُ in the wish.
