I'rab of Surah An-Naba Ayah 4: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Naba (النبأ) · Meccan · Ayah 4
كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ Transliterationkallā sa-yaʿlamūn(a)
MeaningNo! They will soon know.
A stern rebuttal: "No! They will come to know." Kalla is a particle of deterrence and rebuke, checking their questioning. The sin prefixed to the verb is the future particle, and ya'lamuna is an imperfect indicative verb with its plural subject pronoun. The verse warns that certainty about the resurrection is coming.
Word by word i'rab
particle of deterrence (radʿ wa zajr)
A particle that rebukes and restrains, here checking the disbelievers from their doubtful questioning.
indeclinablefuture particle + verb with subject
The prefixed sin marks near future; ya'lamuna is an imperfect indicative verb whose subject is the attached plural pronoun waw.
nominativeDetailed i'rab
The verse opens with kalla, an indeclinable particle expressing deterrence and rebuke; it cuts off the disbelievers' doubtful questioning with a firm "No!" It carries no case and governs nothing grammatically. The following word combines two elements: the particle sa- (the sin of futurity) prefixed to the verb, indicating that the coming event is near, and the verb ya'lamuna ("they will know"), an imperfect verb in the indicative mood, marked by the retained nun, with the attached plural pronoun (the waw) as its subject. The threat is deliberately left unspecified, intensifying the warning: they will indeed come to know the reality they now dispute.
Frequently asked
What does kalla mean grammatically?
It is an indeclinable particle of rebuke and deterrence, used to firmly reject or check the preceding attitude.
What is the sin attached to ya'lamuna?
It is the particle of futurity (sin al-istiqbal), showing the knowing will occur in the near future.