Negation
The word mish مـِش is used to negate a phrase. It is either placed in front of the verb or preposition, or wrapped around it.
Structure | English | Arabic |
Preposition | I have cigarettes | Aandi sagaayar عـَندي سـَجا َيـَر |
I don't have any cigarettes | maAandeesh sagaayar مـَعـَنديش سـَجا َيـَر | |
There is water | fi mayaah في مـَيا َه | |
There is no water | mafeesh mayaah مـَفيش مـَيا َه | |
kaan | I was there | 'ana kunt hinaak أنا َ كـُنت هـِنا َك |
I was not there | 'ana makuntish hinaak أنا َ مـَكـُنت ِش هـِنا َك | |
perfect | I saw Ahmed | 'ana shuft 'ahmad أنا َ شـُفت أحمـَد |
I did not see Ahmed | 'ana mashuftish 'ahmad أنا َ مـَشـُفت ِش أحمـَد | |
participle | I know | 'ana Aaarif أنا َ عا َر ِف |
I do not know | 'ana mish Aaarif أنا َ مـِش عا َر ِف 'ana maAaarifsh أنا َ مـَعا َر ِفش | |
imperfect | He wants to eat | Aaayiz yaakul عا َيـِز يا َكـُل |
He does not want to eat | mish Aaayiz yaakul مـِش عا َيـِز يا َكـُل | |
he must not eat | mayaakulsh مـَيا َكـُلش | |
bi-imperfect | I like this book | bahibb ilkitaab dah بـَحـِبّ ا ِلكـِتا َب د َه |
I do not like this book | mabahibbsh ilkitaab dah مـَبـَحـِبّش ا ِلكـِتا َب د َه less common... mish bahibb ilkitaab dah مـِش بـَحـِبّ ا ِلكـِتا َب د َه ] | |
Ha-imperfect | I will buy the book | hashtiri ilkitaab ها َشتـِري ا ِلكـِتا َب |
I will not buy the book | mish hashtiri ilkitaab مـِش ها َشتـِري ا ِلكـِتا َب | |
imperative | go away! | iimshy! |
don't go! | use mish+you-imperfect matimsheesh مـَتـِمشيش |
Sometimes ma- is used on it own- the -sh does not appear after the word. There are no rules about when this can happen.