# I am not reading / I don't read



## greg from vancouver

Hello everyone.  How does Arabic differentiate between the following 2 sentences, which carry very different meanings.

I am not reading a book 
لا اقرؤ كتاب​  I don't read books

 لا اقرؤ كتب​ 
Without context, the second sentence could be translated as "I am not reading books". How does one shade the meaning to be closer to "I don't read books [meaning 'never']. Is it done simply by adding context?

Thanks,
Greg


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## Josh_

For the continuous present you would use the word *الآن* (al2aan) which means now.

So, "I am not reading a book" would be:
*لا أقرأ كتاب الآن*

Your second sentence is correct, but note the spelling of the verb: أقرأ


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## elroy

I am not reading a book = *لست أقرأ* كتاباً.

Josh's suggestion works in theory but it sounds kind of awkward (if intended to have a progressive meaning). Also, it doesn't really avoid ambiguity because "now" could be understood to mean a general "now" as in

في العام الماضي كنت أقرأ بكثرة ولكنني لا أقرأ كتباً الآن.
Last year I read a lot, but now I don't read books (anymore).


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## Josh_

Well, of course, context is a must. Rarely does a sentence appear in isolation. For example, I could have gotten a phone call from my friend in which he asks me if I am reading a book to which I could respond with the phrase I suggested. I'm curious -- how would you say "I am reading a book" if the al2aan is a bit awkward?


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## elroy

Josh Adkins said:
			
		

> For example, I could have gotten a phone call from my friend in which he asks we if I am reading a book to which I could respond with the phrase I suggested.


 
I still think my sentence would sound better in that context.



> how would you say "I am reading a book" if the al2aan is a bit awkward?


 
For some reason, the al2aan is not awkward in the positive, so I'm perfectly happy with أنا أقرأ كتاباً الآن.

I think there's something about *لا* أقرأ that suggests "I do not read (generally)," and that's why I prefer ليس for the progressive and find that الآن doesn't go well with لا for a progressive meaning.


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## Josh_

Yes, I see your point and I agree that *لست* is a better translation in the negative sense.


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## Ibn Nacer

elroy said:


> I am not reading a book = *لست أقرأ* كتاباً.
> 
> Josh's suggestion works in theory but it sounds kind of awkward (if intended to have a progressive meaning). Also, it doesn't really avoid ambiguity because "now" could be understood to mean a general "now" as in
> 
> في العام الماضي كنت أقرأ بكثرة ولكنني لا أقرأ كتباً الآن.
> Last year I read a lot, but now I don't read books (anymore).





Josh_ said:


> Yes, I see your point and I agree that *لست* is a better translation in the negative sense.



Est-ce qu'en utilisant maa à la place du verbe laysa on obtient le même sens ?
By using maa instead of the verb laysa, Do we get the same sense?

مَا أقرأ كتاباً


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## Ibn Nacer

Mon fil ici : *Différence entre ما , لست et  لا ?* a été fermé, je ne comprends pas pourquoi, est-ce qu'un modérateur pourrait m'expliquer ? Ma question est différente que celle de ce présent fil qui est "I am not reading vs. I don't read".

Est-ce possible d'ouvrir mon fil ? En attendant je poste ma question ici :

---​ Quelle est (l'éventuelle) différence entre ces trois mots de la négation ?
Par exemple Quelle est (l'éventuelle) différence entre ces phrases :

For example what is (the possible) difference between these sentences:


مَا أقرأ كتاباً
لست أقرأ كتاباً
لاَ أقرأ كتاباً

Merci.


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## PlanC

Ibn Nacer said:


> Mon fil ici : *Différence entre ما , لست et  لا ?* a été fermé, je ne comprends pas pourquoi*,* est-ce qu'un modérateur pourrait m'expliquer ? Ma question est différente que celle de ce présent fil qui est "I am not reading vs. I don't read".
> Est-ce possible d'ouvrir mon fil ? En attendant je poste ma question ici :
> ---


Je me le demande aussi?!, autant pour votre fil concernant ليس quand  elle introduit une phrase verbale je ne le trouve nulle part, 


Ibn Nacer said:


> Quelle est (l'éventuelle) différence entre ces trois mots de la négation ?
> Par exemple Quelle est (l'éventuelle) différence entre ces phrases :
> For example what is (the possible) difference between these sentences:
> مَا أقرأ كتاباً
> لست أقرأ كتاباً
> لاَ أقرأ كتاباً
> Merci.


According to the Arabic grammar book (الكفاف) of. Yussuf Seedawi





> ليــس
> Comes in two ways:
> The first before nominal sentence: As a rigid (Incomplete) past verb *1  expressing denials, It raises ترفع the name (المبتدأ) and turns the annexed informaions الخبر to the accusative (case), i.e: ليس خالدٌ مقصِّراً
> The second as a tool of denial before the verbal sentence, However it does nothing like the rule above, It is simply considered as the standard tools [ما] and [لا] of negation, i.e: [ليس يعلم الغيبَ إلاّ الله] و[ليس خلَق الله مثلَه . please read more.


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## Interprete

But as you were pointing out yourself Greg, I think this is a false problem that appears only in theory and without any context. Practically speaking I think it would be rather rare to find instances in which the context does not suffice to tell if it's a progressive action or a habit.
For example, in what kind of context would you ever say 'I am not reading a book'? To me it would sound like you want to describe what you are reading (ie. I am indeed reading something, but it is not a book) in which case I don't think 'la aqra' kitaban' would be a proper translation to render that idea. If not, then even in English you would probably specify 'right now/at the moment' after 'I am not reading a book', at least in real life.


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## Ibn Nacer

PlanC said:


> Je me le demande aussi?!, autant pour votre fil concernant ليس quand  elle introduit une phrase verbale je ne le trouve nulle part,
> 
> According to the Arabic grammar book (الكفاف) of. Yussuf Seedawi


Merci. Le fil concernant ليس est ici : *Negation of verbal sentence with the verb *




Interprete said:


> But as you were pointing out yourself Greg, I think this is a false problem that appears only in theory and without any context. Practically speaking I think it would be rather rare to find instances in which the context does not suffice to tell if it's a progressive action or a habit.
> For example, in what kind of context would you ever say 'I am not reading a book'? To me it would sound like you want to describe what you are reading (ie. I am indeed reading something, but it is not a book) in which case I don't think 'la aqra' kitaban' would be a proper translation to render that idea. If not, then even in English you would probably specify 'right now/at the moment' after 'I am not reading a book', at least in real life.


Le problème est que l'usage de *الآن *sonne mal aux oreilles d'un arabophone si j'ai bien compris la réponse de elroy...

En fait je pense que dans la phrase affirmative on peut mettre الآن mais pour mettre cette phrase à la forme négative on utilisera مَا sans (forcément utiliser) الآن, regardez ceci :
فائدة: (ما) النافیة غیر العاملة عند دخولها على الفعل المضارع تخلص زمنه للحال (الحاضر) *بدون قرینة زمانیة (الآن)* نحو:ا
 یشارك فؤاد الآن في المباراة  --- ما یشاركُ فؤاد في المباراة ​Qu'en pensez-vous ?

On aurait donc : أقرأ كتاباً الآن ---> مَا أقرأ كتاباً


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## PlanC

Ibn Nacer said:


> Le problème est que l'usage de *الآن *sonne mal aux oreilles d'un arabophone si j'ai bien compris la réponse de elroy...
> En fait je pense que dans la phrase affirmative on peut mettre الآن mais pour mettre cette phrase à la forme négative on utilisera مَا sans (forcément utiliser) الآن, regardez ceci :
> فائدة: (ما) النافیة غیر العاملة عند دخولها على الفعل المضارع تخلص زمنه للحال (الحاضر) *بدون قرینة زمانیة (الآن)* نحو:ا
> یشارك فؤاد الآن في المباراة  --- ما یشاركُ فؤاد في المباراة
> ​Qu'en pensez-vous ?
> On aurait donc : أقرأ كتاباً الآن ---> مَا أقرأ كتاباً


Au contraire, الآن is absolutely necessary in your example:  ما یشاركُ فؤاد في المباراة الآن or  فؤاد لا يشارك في المباراة الآن   Otherwise it would carry the meaning Fouaad don't participate in the game since the very beginning.
Meanwhile the negation of أقرأ كتاباً الآن should be ---> مَا  / لا / لست أقرأ أي  كتاب حاليا / في الوقت الراهن 
Please also remark حاليا & الوقت الراهن have two different shades of meaning.
 حاليا : expresses that the course of the event has changed in the near futur, meanwhile 
الوقت الراهن :expresses the normally (the habit).


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## Ibn Nacer

PlanC said:


> Au contraire, الآن is absolutely necessary in your example:  ما یشاركُ فؤاد في المباراة الآن or  فؤاد لا يشارك في المباراة الآن  Otherwise it would carry the meaning Fouaad don't participate in the game since the very beginning.
> Meanwhile the negation of أقرأ كتاباً الآن should be ---> مَا  / لا / لست أقرأ أي  كتاب حاليا / في الوقت الراهن
> Please also remark حاليا & الوقت الراهن has to defferent shades of meaning >  حاليا : express that the course of the event has changed in the near futur, meanwhile الوقت الراهن : expresses the normally (the habit).


Le passage que j'ai cité ne vient pas de moi, ce n'est pas moi l'auteur... Voici la source page 5 : http://www.talaam.com/pdf/2.pdf

Et il est bien dit بدون قرینة زمانیة (الآن) ا et ensuite dans l'exemple on a la négation sans الآن : 

یشارك فؤاد الآن في المباراة  --->  ما یشاركُ فؤاد في المباراة
​Ai-je bien compris ?



PlanC said:


> Meanwhile the negation of أقرأ كتاباً الآن should be ---> مَا  / لا / لست أقرأ أي  كتاب حاليا / في الوقت الراهن
> Please also remark حاليا & الوقت الراهن has to defferent shades of meaning >  حاليا : express that the course of the event has changed in the near futur, meanwhile الوقت الراهن : expresses the normally (the habit).


We use the particle لا to the habit? If so then you should not use لا & الوقت الراهن  to negate the sentence أقرأ كتاباً الآن, right?

 Since this sentence (أقرأ كتاباً الآن) does not express a habit, right?


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## PlanC

Ibn Nacer said:


> Le passage que j'ai cité ne vient pas de moi, ce n'est pas moi l'auteur... Voici la source page 5 : http://www.talaam.com/pdf/2.pdf
> Et il est bien dit بدون قرینة زمانیة (الآن) ا et ensuite dans l'exemple on a la négation sans الآن :
> 
> یشارك فؤاد الآن في المباراة  --->  ما یشاركُ فؤاد في المباراة
> ​Ai-je bien compris ?


Droping الآن when turning an affirmative sentence that carries an event happening now الآن into negation; is kind of pretence, What I've mentionned before:





> Au contraire, الآن is absolutely necessary in your example:  ما یشاركُ فؤاد في المباراة الآن or  فؤاد لا يشارك في المباراة الآن  Otherwise it would carry the meaning Fouaad don't participate in the game since the very beginning.


"Est aussi clair que du cristal", I can't imagine your sentence when commenting a soccer match (for exemple) without using الآن  in way to deny the fact that certain player is not in the game anymore because he have been sanctioned, remplaced or suffering of some injuries...etc.


Ibn Nacer said:


> We use the particle لا to the habit? If so then you should not use لا & الوقت الراهن  to negate the sentence أقرأ كتاباً الآن, right?
> Since this sentence (أقرأ كتاباً الآن) does not express a habit, right?


Yes you get it right, when the original confirmative sentence doesn't imply the meaning of "habit" the combination لا & الوقت الراهن could overstates the fact


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## Ibn Nacer

Thank you.

Yes I understand your argument, but how to explain the words of the author of this text : http://www.talaam.com/pdf/2.pdf page 5, is that he made a mistake?


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## PlanC

Ibn Nacer said:


> Thank you.
> Yes I understand your argument, but how to explain the words of the author of this text : http://www.talaam.com/pdf/2.pdf page 5, is that he made a mistake?


You're welcome, frankly I can't speak on behalf of him, and even less, the fact of judging him. Nonetheless my point is still: before adopting a concept, sometimes it would be judicious and prolific to juxtapose it to logic according a given context.


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## Ibn Nacer

PlanC said:


> You're welcome, frankly I can't speak on behalf of him, and even less, the fact of judging him. Nonetheless my point is still: before adopting a concept, sometimes it would be judicious and prolific to juxtapose it to logic according a given context.


Ok merci.

J'ai trouvé un autre auteur qui semble penser la même chose :


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## Cilquiestsuens

Ibn Nacer said:


> Ok merci.
> 
> J'ai trouvé un autre auteur qui semble penser la même chose : View attachment 15172




Pouvez-vous nous dire de quelle grammaire provient cette page?

Merci.


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