لن + Subjunctive Verb

Will Not

Level 2

لن (lan) is the standard way to negate the future in Modern Standard Arabic. It translates to 'will not' and requires the verb to change to the subjunctive mood.

How It Works

The particle لن is used to negate actions in the future. It is a core feature of Standard Arabic while everyday dialects generally use their own future-negation constructions.

Grammatical Impact:
When لن precedes a present tense verb, it changes the verb's mood from indicative to subjunctive (al-manṣūb). This results in the following changes:

  • Forms Without Agreement Suffixes, Including نحن: The final vowel changes from a ḍamma (-u) to a fatḥa (-a). For example: يكتبُ (he writes) becomes لن يكتبَ (he will not write); نكتبُ becomes لن نكتبَ (we will not write).
  • The Five Verbs: In the 2nd person feminine singular (anti), both 2nd and 3rd person dual forms, and both 2nd and 3rd person masculine plural forms, the final ن (nūn) is dropped. For example: تكتبينَ (you fem. write) becomes لن تكتبي, and يكتبونَ (they write) becomes لن يكتبوا. Note that in the masculine plural, a silent 'Alif of Protection' (alif al-wiqāya) is added after the wāw to distinguish it as a plural marker.
  • Feminine Plural: The ending remains unchanged (e.g., يكتبنَ stays لن يكتبنَ).

Weak Verbs:
The behavior of the fatḥa depends on the final letter:

  • If the verb ends in و or ي, the fatḥa is visible. For example: لن يجريَ (he will not run).
  • If the verb ends in ى (alif maqṣūra), the fatḥa is hidden. For example: لن ينسى (he will not forget).

Nuance:
While لن simply means 'will not,' it often carries a sense of strong emphasis. To express 'never,' you can add the word أبداً (abadan) at the end of the sentence.

Examples (4)

  1. لَنْ أَذْهَبَ إِلَى المَكْتَبَةِ اليَوْمَ.

    I will not go to the library today.

    Word by Word: Will not I go to the library the day.

    Notice the fatḥa on the end of the verb 'adhhaba' because of 'lan'.

  2. لَنْ يَقْبَلُوا هَذَا الِاقْتِرَاحَ.

    They will not accept this proposal.

    Word by Word: Will not they accept this the proposal.

    The final 'nūn' is dropped from the plural verb 'yaqbalūna' after 'lan'.

  3. لَنْ نَنْسَى هَذَا المَعْرُوفَ أَبَداً.

    We will never forget this favor.

    Word by Word: Will not we forget this the favor ever.

    The verb 'nansā' ends in an alif maqṣūra, so the fatḥa is 'hidden' and not written, unlike regular verbs.

  4. لَنْ تَسْمَحَ الحُكُومَةُ بِذَلِكَ.

    The government will not allow that.

    Word by Word: Will not allow the government with that.

    A standard formal sentence structure using VSO (Verb-Subject-Object) order.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the future prefix 'sa-' or 'sawfa' with 'lan'.

    لَنْ سَيَذْهَبَ
    لَنْ يَذْهَبَ

    The particle 'lan' already indicates the future. Adding 'sa-' or 'sawfa' is redundant and grammatically incorrect.

  • Forgetting to change the verb ending to the subjunctive.

    لَنْ يَذْهَبُ
    لَنْ يَذْهَبَ

    In MSA, 'lan' must be followed by the subjunctive mood, which has a fatḥa in sound-ending forms without agreement suffixes, including first-person plural.

  • Confusing 'lan' (future) with 'lam' (past).

    لَنْ يَذْهَبَ أَمْسِ
    لَمْ يَذْهَبْ أَمْسِ

    'Lan' is only for the future. To say 'he did not go yesterday,' use 'lam' with the jussive, or 'mā' with a past-tense verb.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

لن + Subjunctive VerbLevel 2Will Not

Learn This First

To use 'lan' correctly, you must first be comfortable with the present tense verb conjugation. You also need to understand the concept of 'mansub' (the subjunctive mood), as 'lan' is a particle that forces the verb into this specific grammatical state, changing its ending. Finally, knowing how to express the future in the affirmative provides the necessary context for this negative future construction.

Words in This Pattern

لن