أنّ

That (After Verbs of Saying)

Level 3

أنّ (anna) is the Arabic equivalent of the English conjunction 'that' (as in 'I know that...'). It is used to link a main verb to a subordinate clause that states a fact.

How It Works

أَنَّ is a fundamental tool in Modern Standard Arabic for reporting information and creating subordinate clauses. Unlike English, where 'that' is often optional, أَنَّ is obligatory.

1. Grammatical Structure:
أَنَّ introduces a nominal sentence. The subject of this sentence (called Ism Anna) must be in the accusative case. The predicate (Khabar Anna) remains in the nominative case.

2. Attachment to Pronouns:
If the subject of the 'that' clause is a pronoun, it must be attached directly to أَنَّ as a suffix (specifically, the object-style suffixes used with particles). For the first person, two forms are acceptable: أَنِّي or أَنَّنِي (that I) and أَنَّا or أَنَّنَا (that we). You cannot say أَنَّ هُوَ; you must say أَنَّهُ.

3. The Substantive Clause (Al-Masdar al-Mu'awwal):
A key feature of أَنَّ is that the entire clause it introduces functions as a single noun (a substantive clause). This explains why it can follow prepositions or act as the object of a verb.

4. The Subject Requirement:
The 'heavy' أَنَّ (with shadda) must be followed by a noun or a pronoun suffix. If you want to follow it with a verb, you must use a 'dummy' third-person masculine singular pronoun suffix (-hu) attached to أَنَّ (e.g., أَنَّهُ نَسِيَ - that he forgot). If you see a verb immediately following a word that looks like 'an' without a pronoun, it is likely the subjunctive particle or the lightened version of the particle.

5. Usage Constraints:

  • It is used after verbs of perception and cognition like 'to know' (عَرَفَ), 'to think' (ظَنَّ), and 'to hear' (سَمِعَ).
  • It cannot be used after the active verb 'to say' (قَالَ) for direct speech; for that, use إِنَّ. However, أَنَّ is used after the passive 'qila' (قِيلَ) or when 'qala' is used with the preposition 'bi' (قَالَ بِأَنَّ) to paraphrase an idea.

6. أَنَّ vs. أَنْ:
Distinguish between أَنَّ (followed by a noun or pronoun) and أَنْ (followed by a verb in the subjunctive). Use أَنَّ for facts and statements, and أَنْ for actions you want or need to do.

Examples (6)

  1. أعرِفُ أنَّ العاصِمةَ جَميلةٌ

    I know that the capital is beautiful.

    Word by Word: I know that the capital (acc.) beautiful (nom.).

    Here, 'al-asimata' takes the accusative case because it follows أنّ.

  2. يَبدو أنَّكَ مَشغولٌ اليَومَ

    It seems that you are busy today.

    Word by Word: It seems that-you busy today.

    The pronoun 'ka' (you) is attached directly to أنّ as a suffix.

  3. أعرِفُ أنَّ الطالِبَينِ مُجتَهِدانِ

    I know that the two students are hardworking.

    Word by Word: I know that the two students (acc. dual) hardworking (nom. dual).

    This shows the dual accusative ending '-ayni' for the subject of أنّ.

  4. غادَرتُ لِأنَّ الجَوَّ بارِدٌ

    I left because the weather is cold.

    Word by Word: I left because the weather (acc.) cold (nom.).

    The preposition 'li-' (for) combines with أنّ to mean 'because'.

  5. يَبدو أنَّهُ قَد نَسِيَ المَوعِدَ

    It seems that he forgot the appointment.

    Word by Word: It seems that-he [particle] he forgot the appointment.

    When a verb follows أنّ, a separator like the 'dummy pronoun' -hu or the particle 'qad' is used.

  6. قيلَ أنَّ الاِمتِحانَ صَعبٌ

    It was said that the exam is difficult.

    Word by Word: It was said that the exam (acc.) difficult (nom.).

    While 'qala' (active) takes 'inna', the passive 'qila' (it was said) is followed by 'anna'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using أنّ after the verb 'to say' (qāla) for direct speech.

    قالَ أنَّهُ طالِبٌ
    قالَ إنَّهُ طالِبٌ

    In Modern Standard Arabic, the verb 'to say' (قال) is followed by 'inna' (with a kasra) for direct reporting. However, you can use 'bi-anna' (بأنّ) after 'qala' when paraphrasing an opinion or idea.

  • Leaving the subject in the nominative case.

    أعرِفُ أنَّ البيتُ كَبيرٌ
    أعرِفُ أنَّ البيتَ كَبيرٌ

    The noun immediately following أنّ must be in the accusative case (al-bayta), not the nominative (al-baytu).

How It Connects

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أنّLevel 3That (After Verbs of Saying)

Learn This First

To understand أنّ, you need to be familiar with how nominal sentences (Subject and Comment) are structured. You also need to understand the accusative case (al-mansub), as أنّ requires the noun immediately following it to take the -a ending. Finally, familiarity with its sister particle 'inna' is helpful as they share the same grammatical function.

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أن