واو المعية: The "While" Conjunction
You already know that the conjunction و means "and." However, when it appears after a negative command or a question, it can take on a special meaning: "while," "along with," or "at the same time as." In Arabic grammar, this is known as واو المعية (the و of accompaniment).
When you use و to mean "while simultaneously doing," the present tense verb immediately following it must be in the Subjunctive mood (المضارع المنصوب).
As a quick refresher, the subjunctive mood requires:
- Adding the vowel َ to the end of standard singular and first-person plural verbs.
- Dropping the ن at the end of plural verbs and the second-person feminine singular verb.
Following a Negative Command
A common way to set boundaries during negotiations is to tell someone not to do one thing while simultaneously doing another. Notice how the second verb following the و drops its final ن because it is in the subjunctive.
| Do not merge the two entities while marginalizing the shareholders! | لا تدمجوا الكيانين وتهمشوا المساهمين!lâ tadmijû al-kiânayni wa tuhammishû al-musâhimîn |
| Do not dictate arbitrary terms while asking that we cooperate! | لا تملوا شروطا تعسفية وتطلبوا أن نتعاون!lâ tumlû shurûtan taassufiyyatan wa tatlubû an nataâwana |
If the subject is singular, the subjunctive verb simply takes the vowel َ at the end.
| Do not negotiate while dictating an unfair condition. | لا تفاوض وتملي شرطا مجحفا.lâ tufâwid wa tumliya shartan mujhifan. |
Following a Question
You can also use واو المعية after a question to express disbelief or to challenge a proposal. Again, the verb following the و is governed by the subjunctive mood.
In this example, notice how the second-person feminine singular verb تقبلي drops its ن:
| How can you expect profitability while accepting unfair conditions? | كيف تتوقعين الربحية وتقبلي شروطا مجحفة؟kayfa tatawaqqa'îna r-ribhiyyata wa-taqbalî shurûtan mujhifatan? |
And here, the first-person plural verb نقبل takes the vowel َ:
| Are we building an independent entity while accepting arbitrary decisions? | أنبني كيانا مستقلا ونقبل بقرارات تعسفية؟anabnî kiyânan mustaqillan wa naqbala bi qarârâtin ta'assufiyyatin? |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| لا تفاوض وتملي شرطا مجحفا. | لَا تُفَاوِضْ وَتُمْلِيَ شَرْطًا مُجْحِفًا. | Do not negotiate while dictating an unfair condition. |
| أنبني كيانا مستقلا ونقبل بقرارات تعسفية؟ | أَنَبْنِي كِيَانًا مُسْتَقِلًّا وَنَقْبَلَ بِقَرَارَاتٍ تَعَسُّفِيَّةٍ؟ | Are we building an independent entity while accepting arbitrary decisions? |
| كيف تتوقعين الربحية وتقبلي شروطا مجحفة؟ | كَيْفَ تَتَوَقَّعِينَ الرِّبْحِيَّةَ وَتَقْبَلِي شُرُوطًا مُجْحِفَةً؟ | How can you expect profitability while accepting unfair conditions? |
After this و the verb is subjunctive. On an I, he, she, we or you (one man) verb that means a final fatha, which you hear but never see: وَتُمْلِيَ, وَنَقْبَلَ. As plain and, the same letters would be read وَنَقْبَلُ, so here the vowel is what carries the meaning while. The forms for you (one woman), for men or a mixed group, and for two show it in writing, because they drop their final ن: تَتَوَقَّعِينَ keeps its ن, وَتَقْبَلِي loses it. The feminine plural keeps its ن.
