أن + Subjunctive Verb

Wanting to Do Something

Level 2

The particle أن (an) acts as a bridge between two verbs. It is the standard way to express intentions, desires, and necessities in Modern Standard Arabic. When أن is used, the following verb must change its ending to the subjunctive mood.

How It Works

The particle أَنْ (an) is a subordinating conjunction that typically triggers the subjunctive mood in the present tense verb that follows it. Here are the key rules for its usage:

  • The Subjunctive Shift: For the five conjugations that normally end in a damma (أنا، نحن، أنتَ، هو، هي), the final vowel changes to a fatha (-a). For example, يَذْهَبُ becomes أَنْ يَذْهَبَ. Note that for defective verbs, the fatha is visible on verbs ending in Waw or Ya (e.g., أَنْ يَجْرِيَ), but remains hidden on verbs ending in Alif (e.g., أَنْ نَنْسَى).
  • Dropping the Nun: In the Five Verbs, the final Nun is dropped. For masculine plural forms, a silent Alif is added, such as أَنْ يَكْتُبُوا.
  • The Masdar Function: The construction of أَنْ + verb is known as a interpreted verbal noun. It can often be replaced by a single verbal noun (Masdar) without changing the meaning. For example, أُريدُ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ (I want to go) is equivalent to أُريدُ الذَّهابَ.
  • Negation: To say "not to do something," أَنْ combines with لا to become أَلّا. It still triggers the subjunctive mood, as in أُريدُ أَلّا يَذْهَبَ (I want him not to go).
  • Advanced Note: While usually used for wanting or intending, أَنْ can also be found "hidden" after other particles like li- or ḥattā, which is why those verbs also take the subjunctive ending.

Feminine Plural Keeps Its Nun: With هُنَّ and أَنْتُنَّ, the final نَ is the subject marker, not the deletable mood nun of the Five Verbs. Thus هُنَّ يَكْتُبْنَ → أُرِيدُ أَنْ يَكْتُبْنَ, and أَنْتُنَّ تَكْتُبْنَ → عَلَيْكُنَّ أَنْ تَكْتُبْنَ. The verb remains built on sukūn (مبني على السكون), in a subjunctive position (في محل نصب).

Examples (6)

  1. أُريدُ أَنْ أُسافِرَ إِلى مِصْر.

    I want to travel to Egypt.

    Word by Word: I-want that I-travel to Egypt.

    The verb 'travel' (usafira) ends in a fatha because it follows 'an'.

  2. يَجِبُ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَأْكُلَ الآن.

    You must eat now.

    Word by Word: It-is-necessary upon-you that you-eat now.

    The construction 'yajibu 'alayka an...' is the standard way to express 'you must'.

  3. يُريدونَ أَنْ يَذْهَبوا إِلى المَكْتَبَة.

    They want to go to the library.

    Word by Word: They-want that they-go to the library.

    Notice that the 'Nun' is dropped from the end of 'yadhhabuna' because of 'an'.

  4. عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَمْشِيَ بِسُرْعَة.

    You must walk quickly.

    Word by Word: Upon-you that you-walk with-speed.

    For verbs ending in 'ya', the fatha is visible and pronounced after 'an'.

  5. أَتَمَنَّى أَنْ نَنْسَى المُشْكِلَة.

    I hope that we forget the problem.

    Word by Word: I-hope that we-forget the problem.

    For verbs ending in alif maqsura, the fatha is estimated/implicit (muqaddara) and not written.

  6. عَلَيْكُنَّ أَنْ تَكْتُبْنَ أَسْمَاءَكُنَّ.

    You women must write your names.

    Word by Word: Upon you women that you write your names.

    تكتبن retains ن النسوة after أن. This nun identifies the feminine plural subject and cannot be dropped like the mood ending in يكتبون.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'an' before a noun instead of a verb.

    أُريدُ أَنْ الكِتاب.
    أُريدُ الكِتابَ.

    The infinitival أَنْ introduces a clause, not a bare noun. It can also follow nonverbal expressions such as عليك. If you want a noun, you use the verb directly with the noun in the accusative case.

  • Forgetting to change the verb ending to the subjunctive (fatha).

    يَجِبُ أَنْ تَذْهَبُ.
    يَجِبُ أَنْ تَذْهَبَ.

    In Modern Standard Arabic, 'an' requires the following verb to take the subjunctive ending (-a).

  • Confusing 'an' with 'anna'.

    أَعْتَقِدُ أَنْ هُوَ طالِب.
    أَعْتَقِدُ أَنَّهُ طالِب.

    Use 'anna' (with a shadda) when followed by a noun or pronoun suffix. In this beginner contrast, use أَنْ for a verbal complement. The advanced lightened أَنْ from أَنَّ has separate rules and is not the construction taught here.

How It Connects

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أن + Subjunctive VerbLevel 2Wanting to Do Something

Learn This First

To understand how to say 'to do something' using 'أن', you first need to be comfortable with the basic present tense verb (al-mudari'). You also need to understand the concept of 'mansub' (the -a ending), as 'أن' is a particle that specifically changes the verb's ending to this mood. Finally, familiarity with basic sentence structure helps in placing this construction correctly between two verbs.

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Words in This Pattern

أن