I'rab of Surah An-Naba Ayah 40: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah An-Naba (النبأ) · Meccan · Ayah 40
إِنَّآ أَنذَرْنَٰكُمْ عَذَابًۭا قَرِيبًۭا يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ ٱلْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ ٱلْكَافِرُ يَٰلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَٰبًۢا TransliterationInna andharnakum 'adhaban qariban yawma yanzuru al-mar'u ma qaddamat yadahu wayaqulu al-kafiru ya laytani kuntu turaba
MeaningIndeed, We have warned you of a near punishment, on the Day a person will see what his hands have sent ahead, and the disbeliever will say, "O, I wish I were dust!"
This concluding ayah warns of a near punishment, on a Day when each person sees what his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever cries out wishing he were dust. "Adhaban" is the second object of "warned," "yawma" is an adverb of time, "ma" is the object of "sees," and "ya" is a particle of alerting.
Word by word i'rab
emphatic particle with noun (inna wa ismuha)
The particle "inna" with its attached pronoun "we" as its noun, giving emphasis to the statement.
accusativeverb, subject and first object (fi'l, fa'il, maf'ul)
A past-tense verb "we warned" with the suffixed "you" as its first object; the clause is the predicate of "inna."
indeclinablesecond object (maf'ul thani)
The accusative second object of "warned," meaning "a punishment."
accusativeadjective (na't)
An adjective describing "punishment," agreeing in the accusative case, meaning "near."
accusativeadverb of time (zarf zaman)
An accusative adverb of time linked to "punishment," meaning "on the Day."
accusativeverb (fi'l)
A present-tense verb "sees/looks," here carrying the sense of perceiving, forming the clause of the adverb "Day."
indeclinablesubject (fa'il)
The nominative subject of "sees," meaning "the person."
nominativedirect object (maf'ul bihi)
A relative pronoun in the accusative position as the object of "sees," since the verb carries the sense of "perceives."
accusativeverb (fi'l madi)
A past-tense verb "sent forth/put forward," forming the relative clause of "ma."
indeclinablesubject (fa'il)
The nominative subject of "sent forth," a dual noun meaning "his two hands."
nominativeconjoined verb (ma'tuf)
A present-tense verb "and says," joined by "and" to the preceding clause.
indeclinablesubject (fa'il)
The nominative subject of "says," meaning "the disbeliever."
nominativeparticle of alerting with wishing particle (ya wa layta)
"Ya" is a particle of alerting, and "layta" expresses a wish, with the attached "me" as its noun.
indeclinabledefective verb with subject (kana wa ismuha)
The verb "I was" with its attached subject pronoun, functioning as the predicate of "layta."
indeclinablepredicate of kana (khabar kana)
The accusative predicate of "I was," meaning "dust," expressing the wish to be mere dust.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The verse opens with "inna" and its attached pronoun "we" as its noun. The clause "andharnakum" (we warned you) is its predicate, the suffixed "you" being the first object. "Adhaban" is the accusative second object, qualified by the adjective "qariban" (near), also accusative. "Yawma" is an accusative adverb of time tied to "punishment," and its clause is "yanzuru al-mar'u," with "al-mar'u" the nominative subject; the verb carries the sense of perceiving, so "ma" is a relative pronoun in the accusative position as its object. "Qaddamat" forms the relative clause, with the dual "yadahu" (his two hands) as its nominative subject. "Wa yaqulu al-kafiru" is conjoined, "al-kafir" being its subject. "Ya" is a particle of alerting, "layta" a wishing particle with attached "me," "kuntu" the defective verb "I was," and "turaban" its accusative predicate.
Frequently asked
Why is "ma" in the accusative position in this verse?
Because the verb "yanzuru" here carries the meaning of "perceives/sees," so "ma" functions as its direct object (maf'ul bihi) in the accusative position.
What is the grammatical role of "yadahu"?
It is the nominative subject (fa'il) of the verb "qaddamat," and being a dual noun it is marked by the alif, meaning "his two hands."
Why is "turaban" in the accusative case?
It is the predicate (khabar) of the defective verb "kuntu" (I was), which puts its predicate in the accusative, expressing the wish "I were dust."