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Let's look at some foundational programming terminology in action:

{{item:1162349}}

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### The Conditional "Whatever" (ما)

In Arabic, the particle **ما** functions as a generalizing conditional particle meaning "whatever". 

**ما** links two present tense verbs—the condition and the result—forcing both into the jussive mood (المجزوم).

To form the jussive mood:
- For regular verbs, change the final vowel to a *sukun* (ـْ).
- For verbs ending in a weak vowel (like **يستدعي** or **تتلقى**), drop the final weak letter entirely (becoming **يستدع** and **تتلق**).

To specify the target of your condition, add **من** plus a noun after the first verb to mean "whatever [noun]".

{{item:1162357}}

Notice how the condition verb **تتلق** drops its final weak letter, and the result verb **تعالجه** takes a *sukun* on its final root letter (before the attached pronoun).

Here are more examples of algorithmic logic governed by the conditional **ما**:

{{item:1162360}}

{{item:1162361}}

{{item:1162362}}

This strict conditional structure perfectly mirrors programming logic, ensuring that the second verb universally executes whenever the first verb triggers.

### 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 |
|---|---|---|
| ما تقرأ من مصفوفة عشوائية، تجد خطأ. | مَا تَقْرَأْ مِنْ مَصْفُوفَةٍ عَشْوَائِيَّةٍ، تَجِدْ خَطَأً. | Whatever random array you read, you find an error. |
| ما تتلق الدالة من متغير، تعالجه. | مَا تَتَلَقَّ الدَّالَّةُ مِنْ مُتَغَيِّرٍ، تُعَالِجْهُ. | Whatever variable the function receives, it processes it. |
| ما يستدع المطور، ينفذه النظام. | مَا يَسْتَدْعِ المُطَوِّرُ، يُنَفِّذْهُ النِّظَامُ. | Whatever the developer calls, the system executes it. |

Both verbs are jussive. On a regular verb that is a sukun, which no unvoweled text can show: **تَقْرَأْ**, **تَجِدْ**. Before an attached pronoun the sukun sits on the last root letter: **تُعَالِجْهُ**, **يُنَفِّذْهُ**, where the ordinary verb would be تُعَالِجُهُ. A verb ending in a weak letter shows the change in writing, because it drops that letter: **تَتَلَقَّ**, **يَسْتَدْعِ**.

The conditional whatever (ما)

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
to call (a function) / to summon	استدعىistadâ
developer	مطورmutawwir
function (programming)	دالةdâlla
The developer called the function.	استدعى المطور الدالة.istad'aa al-mutawwiru ad-daallah
to repeat	كررkarrara
array / matrix	مصفوفةmasfûfa
random	عشوائيashwa'iyy
The algorithm repeated a random array.	كررت الخوارزمية مصفوفة عشوائية.karraratil-khawârizmiyyatu masfûfatan 'ashwâ'iyyatan
whatever (conditional)	ماmâ
to receive (abstract things, news, education)	تلقىtalaqqâ
variable (programming)	متغيرmutaghayyir
Whatever variable the function receives, it processes it.	ما تتلق الدالة من متغير، تعالجه.mâ tatalaqqa ad-dâllatu min mutaghayyirin, tuâlijhu.
output / result (yield, product)	ناتجnâtij
loop (programming)	حلقةhalqa
Whatever output the function returns, the loop repeats it.	ما ترجع الدالة من ناتج، تكرره الحلقة.mâ turji'i ad-dâllatu min nâtijin, tukarrirhu al-halqatu.
Whatever the developer calls, the system executes it.	ما يستدع المطور، ينفذه النظام.mâ yastadi' al-muṭawwiru, yunaffidh-hu an-niẓâmu
Whatever random array you read, you find an error.	ما تقرأ من مصفوفة عشوائية، تجد خطأ.mâ taqra' min masfoofatin ashwâ'iyyatin, tajid khata'an.
The variable will not change the output.	لن يغير المتغير الناتج.lan yughayyira al-mutaghayyiru an-nâtija
I told the truth, the function is complex.	قلت الحقيقة، الدالة معقدة.qultu alhaqîqata, addâllatu mu'aqqadah
The developer's loop is fast.	حلقة المطور سريعة.halqatu al-mutawwiri sarî'atun
The random array is behind the server.	المصفوفة العشوائية وراء الخادم.al-masfoofatu al-ashwâ'iyyatu warâ'a al-khâdimi.
Whatever you call, the function repeats it.	ما تستدع، تكرره الدالة.mâ tastad'i, tukarrirhu ad-dâllah
The developer received a random output.	تلقت المطورة ناتجا عشوائيا.talaqqatil mutawwiratu nâtijan 'ashwâ'iyyan

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