I'rab of Surah An-Naba Ayah 35: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Naba (النبأ) · Meccan · Ayah 35
لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًۭا وَلَا كِذَّٰبًۭا TransliterationLa yasma'una fiha laghwan wa la kidhaba
MeaningThey will hear no idle talk therein, nor any lying.
This verse states that in paradise the people hear no idle talk or lying. La is a negating particle on the verb yasma'un, fiha is an adverbial phrase, and laghwan and kidhaban are accusative objects, the second negation being added for emphasis.
Word by word i'rab
particle of negation (harf nafy)
It negates the present-tense verb yasma'un; the second la later in the verse is added to reinforce the negation.
indeclinablepresent-tense verb with its subject
It is a present-tense verb in the indicative (marfu'), and the attached waw is the plural subject pronoun.
nominativeadverbial phrase (jar wa majrur)
The preposition fi with the pronoun -ha is linked to a circumstantial state of the verb's subject.
genitivedirect object (maf'ul bihi)
It is the object of yasma'un and takes the accusative with tanwin.
accusativeconjunction wa with extra negating la
The wa joins the next noun, and the second la is added to strengthen the negation already present.
indeclinablenoun joined by conjunction (ma'tuf)
It is linked to laghwan and shares its accusative case as a further object of the verb.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The verse is a verbal sentence opened by the negating particle la, which simply negates the indicative present verb yasma'un without changing its ending. Yasma'un is marfu' with the retained nun, and its attached waw is the plural subject. The prepositional phrase fiha (in it) attaches to a circumstantial clause describing the subject's state. Laghwan is the direct object of the verb and takes the accusative with tanwin. The conjunction wa then joins kidhaban to laghwan, with a second la inserted purely to reinforce the negation; this extra la is not a separate operative particle but an emphatic repetition. Kidhaban accordingly remains accusative as a coordinated object, so the verse denies both vain speech and falsehood in paradise.
Frequently asked
Does the negating la change the verb's ending?
No, this la merely negates the meaning; the present verb yasma'un stays in the indicative (marfu').
Why is there a second la before kidhaban?
The second la is added to emphasize and reinforce the negation; it does not introduce a new grammatical operation.