I'rab of Surah Al-Kawthar Ayah 1: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Al-Kawthar (الكوثر) · Meccan · Ayah 1
إِنَّآ أَعْطَيْنَٰكَ ٱلْكَوْثَرَ TransliterationInnā aʿṭaynāka l-kawthar(a)
MeaningIndeed, We have granted you the abundance (al-Kawthar).
The verse is an emphatic nominal sentence built on the particle inna. Its written form إِنَّآ fuses inna with the attached pronoun nā, which serves as inna's noun (its subject). The predicate is the verbal clause aʿṭaynāka l-kawthar, where the verb carries two objects: the addressee pronoun ka and the noun al-kawthar.
Word by word i'rab
emphatic particle (inna) + its noun (ism inna)
This single written form combines the emphatic particle inna, which governs a nominal sentence, with the attached pronoun nā ("We") that functions as its noun in the accusative position.
indeclinableperfect verb with attached subject pronoun, forming the predicate (khabar inna)
A past-tense verb fixed on a vowelless ending because it is joined to the subject pronoun nā ("We"), and the whole verbal clause stands as the predicate of inna.
indeclinablefirst direct object (maf'ul bihi awwal)
The attached second-person pronoun "you" sits in the accusative position as the first object of the doubly-transitive verb aʿṭā.
accusativesecond direct object (maf'ul bihi thani)
This noun is the second object of the verb, marked accusative by the visible fatha on its final letter.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The ayah is an emphatic nominal sentence introduced by inna. In writing, إِنَّآ merges two elements: the particle inna, which puts what follows into the accusative and gives emphasis, and the suffixed pronoun nā ("We"), which serves as the noun of inna and occupies the accusative position. The predicate of inna is the verbal clause that follows. أَعْطَيْنَا is a perfect verb built on a quiescent ending because it attaches to the subject pronoun nā, the doer of the action. The verb aʿṭā takes two objects: كَ, the attached pronoun "you," stands as the first object in the accusative position, and ٱلْكَوْثَرَ is the second object, shown accusative by the fatha on its end. The verbal sentence as a whole functions as the predicate (khabar) of inna.
Frequently asked
Why is the word إِنَّآ written as one piece, and what are its grammatical parts?
It is the emphatic particle inna joined in writing to the attached pronoun nā ("We"). Inna provides emphasis and governs the sentence, while nā is its noun (ism inna) and holds the accusative position. The verbal clause after it serves as inna's predicate.
Why does the verb aʿṭā take two objects (ka and al-kawthar)?
The verb ʿaṭā (to give/grant) is doubly transitive, meaning it naturally requires two objects: the recipient and the thing given. Here ka ("you") is the first object and al-kawthar ("the abundance") is the second, both in the accusative: ka by position and al-kawthar by the visible fatha.
What is the predicate (khabar) of inna in this verse?
The predicate is the entire verbal sentence aʿṭaynāka l-kawthar. When inna's predicate is a verbal clause, that clause as a whole fills the predicate slot, even though it has no single case ending of its own.