Core
Use core masculine and feminine singular commands.
A
Why this matters لِمَاذَا نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْأَمْرِ وَالنَّهْيِ؟
Commands and prohibitions appear in role plays, signs, directions, recipes, instructions and everyday requests.
Develop
Control dual, masculine/mixed plural and feminine plural commands and prohibitions.
Stretch
Explain derivation from the jussive and choose a suitable tone or formal alternative.
Communication target: Give clear, polite instructions that another person can follow successfully.
B
Diagnostic start
Test positive and negative instructions.
🔎 Entry Check
0/61. Choose the command “Write!” to one male.
The masculine singular imperative is اُكْتُبْ.
2. Choose “Write!” to one female.
The feminine singular command takes ـي.
3. Choose “Write!” to a masculine/mixed group.
The group imperative takes ـوا.
4. Choose “Do not write!” to one male.
Prohibition uses لا الناهية + jussive.
5. Choose “Do not write!” to one female.
The nūn drops in the jussive five-verb form.
6. A polite instruction can use…
Politeness can be added without changing the core command grammar.
1
How the imperative is built
The imperative is based on second-person present/jussive forms, not on the English command.
Derivation route: Start from the second-person jussive present, remove the prefix تـ, then add a helping vowel if the word would begin with a difficult consonant cluster.
| Step | كَتَبَ / يَكْتُبُ | دَرَسَ / يَدْرُسُ | جَلَسَ / يَجْلِسُ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd person present | تَكْتُبُ | تَدْرُسُ | تَجْلِسُ |
| jussive base | تَكْتُبْ | تَدْرُسْ | تَجْلِسْ |
| remove تـ | كْتُبْ | دْرُسْ | جْلِسْ |
| imperative | اُكْتُبْ | اُدْرُسْ | اِجْلِسْ |
Helping vowel: The initial vowel is not always the same. Learn common imperatives with their present pair: يَكْتُبُ / اُكْتُبْ، يَدْرُسُ / اُدْرُسْ، يَجْلِسُ / اِجْلِسْ.
🛠️ Build the Imperative
0/41. Imperative of يَفْتَحُ
Common command: اِفْتَحْ.
2. Imperative of يَقْرَأُ
Common command: اِقْرَأْ.
3. Imperative of يَخْرُجُ
Common command: اُخْرُجْ.
4. Best study method
The lexical pair protects accuracy.
2
Imperative endings for different addressees
The command stem combines with a small, reusable ending family.
| Addressee | كَتَبَ | ذَهَبَ | قَرَأَ |
|---|---|---|---|
| أَنْتَ | اُكْتُبْ | اِذْهَبْ | اِقْرَأْ |
| أَنْتِ | اُكْتُبِي | اِذْهَبِي | اِقْرَئِي |
| أَنْتُمَا | اُكْتُبَا | اِذْهَبَا | اِقْرَآ |
| أَنْتُمْ | اُكْتُبُوا | اِذْهَبُوا | اِقْرَؤُوا |
| أَنْتُنَّ | اُكْتُبْنَ | اِذْهَبْنَ | اِقْرَأْنَ |
Commands have an audience. Choose the ending according to one male, one female, two people, a masculine/mixed group or a feminine group.
👥 Command Audience Check
0/41. “Go!” to one female
Feminine singular command.
2. “Read!” to two people
Dual imperative; the hamza spelling contracts with alif.
3. “Write!” to a feminine group
Feminine plural ending ـنَ.
4. “Open!” to a group
Masculine/mixed plural imperative.
3
Negative commands with لَا النَّاهِيَةُ
A prohibition tells the addressee not to perform an action.
| Positive command | Negative prohibition | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اُكْتُبْ | لَا تَكْتُبْ | write / do not write (m.s.) |
| اُكْتُبِي | لَا تَكْتُبِي | write / do not write (f.s.) |
| اُكْتُبَا | لَا تَكْتُبَا | write / do not write (dual) |
| اُكْتُبُوا | لَا تَكْتُبُوا | write / do not write (m./mixed pl.) |
| اُكْتُبْنَ | لَا تَكْتُبْنَ | write / do not write (f. pl.) |
Different structures: Positive commands use the imperative. Negative commands use لَا النَّاهِيَةُ followed by a jussive second-person present form.
⛔ Prohibition Check
0/41. “Do not be late!” m.s.
Prohibitive لا + jussive.
2. “Do not be late!” f.s.
Nūn drops.
3. “Do not leave!” group
Jussive five-verb form.
4. Which is future negation, not prohibition?
لن refers to future non-occurrence.
4
Commands in real contexts
Instructions, directions, recipes, notices and role plays require both accurate form and appropriate tone.
Classroom request
مِنْ فَضْلِكِ، اِقْرَئِي النَّصَّ بِصَوْتٍ وَاضِحٍ.
Directions
اِذْهَبْ مُسْتَقِيمًا، ثُمَّ اِنْعَطِفْ يَمِينًا.
Safety rule
لَا تَعْبُرُوا الطَّرِيقَ هُنَا.
Formal impersonal instruction
يُرْجَى إِغْلَاقُ الْهَاتِفِ.
Useful alternative when no direct addressee is foregrounded.
Tone matters: Add مِنْ فَضْلِكَ / مِنْ فَضْلِكِ, a greeting or a reason when a direct command could sound abrupt.
🧭 Functional Command Check
0/41. Best polite request to one female
Correct feminine form and politeness.
2. Best road prohibition to a group
Do not stand/park here.
3. Best direction to one male
Direct command.
4. Best formal notice
Impersonal formal prohibition/request.
!
Imperative misconception clinic
A useful correction explains the form, not only the answer.
Past versus command
✗ ذَهَبْ!
✓ اِذْهَبْ!
The command is derived from the present/jussive, not the past base.
Feminine command
✗ أَنْتِ اُكْتُبْ
✓ أَنْتِ اُكْتُبِي
Add the feminine singular ending.
Prohibition mood
✗ لَا تَكْتُبُ عَلَى الْجِدَارِ
✓ لَا تَكْتُبْ عَلَى الْجِدَارِ
Prohibitive لا requires the jussive.
Future versus prohibition
✗ لَنْ تَذْهَبْ!
✓ لَا تَذْهَبْ!
لن states future negation; لا الناهية gives a negative command.
G
Replayable command game
Match purpose, addressee and form.
🎮 Command or Prohibition?
Choose the form that matches the addressee and purpose.
Press start.
A
Apply the grammar across skills
Grammar becomes useful when it helps you understand and communicate.
📖 Reading workshop
Read signs, recipes and digital instructions. Classify each as positive command, prohibition or impersonal formal request.
🎧 Listening workshop
Follow a partner’s route or drawing instructions, then identify whether each command addressed one person or a group.
🗣️ Speaking workshop
Perform a role play giving directions or explaining a process. Add polite openings and clarification questions.
🛠️ Editing workshop
Repair instructions with past forms used as commands, wrong addressee endings and retained nūn after prohibitive لا.
✍️ Integrated production task
Create a 12-step Arabic guide for a school activity, recipe, journey or digital task. Include at least three negative instructions and vary the addressee in a short second section.
Model: أَوَّلًا، اِفْتَحْ الْمِلَفَّ. بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ اُكْتُبْ عُنْوَانَكَ. لَا تَنْسَ أَنْ تَحْفَظَ الْعَمَلَ، وَلَا تُغْلِقِ الْمُتَصَفِّحَ قَبْلَ الْحِفْظِ.
Success checklist: Use accurate opening vowels, at least one feminine command, one group command, three prohibitions and polite language where appropriate.
Plan the verb changes as a timeline, root map or sentence flowchart. Label each form in Arabic.
Write the instructions as numbered steps. Underline positive imperatives once and negative prohibitions twice.
✓
Final mastery check
Choose the correct command and prohibition forms.
⭐ Imperative Mastery
0/101. Write! m.s.
Imperative.
2. Write! f.s.
Feminine ending.
3. Write! dual
Dual.
4. Write! group
m./mixed plural.
5. Write! f. group
feminine plural imperative.
6. Do not write! m.s.
Jussive prohibition.
7. Do not write! f.s.
Nūn drops.
8. Do not write! group
Prohibition.
9. Take! m.s.
Irregular command.
10. Polite request
Feminine polite command.
Lesson mastery summary
- derive and recognise common imperatives;
- select endings for singular, dual and plural addressees;
- form prohibitions with لا الناهية and the jussive;
- use direct and polite instructions in practical contexts.
Return in 3–7 days and repeat the final check without reviewing first. Retrieval, not recognition alone, builds secure verb control.