لم أخرج إلا بسبب الأرق.lam akhruj illâ bisababi al-araqi
I did not go out except because of insomnia.
Questions & Answers about لم أخرج إلا بسبب الأرق.
Why is this translated as "I did not go out except..." instead of "I only went out because..."?
Translating it as "I only went out because of insomnia" is actually a very natural English equivalent! In Arabic, the structure using لم (did not) paired with إلا (except) is the standard way to express "only." This negative-plus-exception pattern creates a strong restriction.
Why is the verb أخرج used here when the sentence talks about a past event?
The negative particle لم forces the meaning into the past tense, even though it must always be followed by a present-tense verb. It also puts the verb in the jussive mood (majzoom), which is why the normal final vowel is dropped, leaving a silent sukuun on the last letter of أخرج.
Could I use لأن instead of بسبب to say "because"?
Not directly with the noun الأرق (insomnia). The phrase بسبب translates to "because of" and is specifically used before nouns. The word لأن means "because" and must be followed by a full clause or an attached pronoun, such as in "because I could not sleep."
Why is there no separate word for "I" in this sentence?
In Arabic, the subject "I" is already built into the verb أخرج, which starts with the prefix alif indicating the first person. You could add the pronoun أنا at the beginning of the sentence for extra emphasis, but it is not grammatically required and is usually left out.