How to Negate Nominal Sentences in Arabic

Negating nominal (verbless) sentences in Arabic is a key grammar skill, and this lesson walks you through the three main tools used for this: ليس, ما, and لا. You’ll start by learning how to use ليس, the standard particle for negating present-tense nominal sentences, including how to conjugate it to match gender and number. The lesson includes sentence examples for each particle so you can see the differences clearly. We’ll also explain how the meaning shifts subtly depending on which word you choose. Understanding these distinctions helps you communicate more precisely and accurately in both formal and conversational Arabic. If you’ve ever been unsure which negation word to use — this lesson will clear it up.