Breakdown of لو واظبنا على الحضور، ما زاد الغياب.
الal
the
ماmâ
not (negating a past verb or a sentence)
زادzâda
to increase / to gain
لوlaw
if (hypothetical/unreal)
حضورhudûr
presence
واظب علىwâzaba 'alâ
to attend regularly
غيابghiyâb
absence
Questions & Answers about لو واظبنا على الحضور، ما زاد الغياب.
Why is لو used here instead of إذا or إن for the word 'if'?
In Arabic, لو is used specifically for hypothetical or unreal conditions—things that didn't actually happen. Because the speakers didn't attend regularly in reality (and the absences did increase), it is a contrary-to-fact statement. If the condition was possible or a future likelihood, you would use إذا or إن.
Usually, the result part of a لو sentence starts with the prefix لـ (la-). Why is it missing before ما زاد?
The prefix لـ (la-) is attached to the result clause of a لو sentence only when the result is affirmative, such as لَزاد (it would have increased). Because this result clause is negative, using the particle ما (not), the لـ prefix is dropped.
Why is the preposition على used after the verb واظبنا?
The verb واظب (a Form III verb meaning to persevere, or to do something consistently) naturally pairs with the preposition على. While the English translation is simply 'attended regularly', the Arabic phrasing literally means 'we persevered on the attendance'.
Are الحضور (the attendance) and الغياب (the absence) considered standard nouns or gerunds here?
They are verbal nouns (masdars), which function like gerunds or abstract nouns in English. الحضور comes from the verb حضر (to be present), and الغياب comes from غاب (to be absent). In Modern Standard Arabic, using a definite verbal noun is the most natural way to express abstract concepts like 'attending' or 'absence'.
Learn لو واظبنا على الحضور، ما زاد الغياب and more in Arabic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free