Conditional Structure in the Arabic Language
The conditional structure is recognized as one of the expressive styles in the Arabic language. It unequivocally conveys the essence of the statement, which is why it is categorized as expressive. As is well-known, expressive structures derive from the meaning conveyed by the text, allowing us to identify conditional styles, inquiries, prohibitions, and others.
Definition of Conditional Structure
A conditional structure consists of a linguistic construction requiring a connector between two sentences, where the first serves as a condition for the answer of the second. This structure indicates that one event occurs as a result of another. It comprises three essential components: the conditional particle, the condition clause, and the result clause.
For example:
If you study, you will succeed.
Where:
“إذا” is the conditional particle;
“تدرس” is the condition verb;
“تنجح” is the result of the condition.
The tools of conditional structures can be categorized into two sections: those that are affirmative and those that are not. In this article, we will examine each category in detail.
Affirmative Conditional Particles
The affirmative conditional particles are termed as such because they affirm two verbs—the condition verb and the result verb. It is important to note the signs of affirmation for the present verb:
- Sukun (the absence of vowel) for a regular verb (يكتبْ).
- Dropping the “n” for the five special verbs.
- Dropping the vowel when dealing with irregular verbs.
The main affirmative conditional particles include (إن، إذ، ما، لو), which are used at the beginning of a conditional statement. Additionally, the conditional nouns are (مَنْ، مهما، كيفما، أينما، أين، أنّى، أيان، أي), which can be detailed as follows:
- مَنْ: used to indicate a rational being. Example: “مَن يَهُن يسهل الهوانُ عليه.”
- مهما: used for indicating non-rational beings. Example: “مهما عَلَت الشجرة فلن تصل السماء.”
- (متى، أيان): these refer to time, and they are indicative of the temporal condition, either for a complete sentence or for an incomplete one. Example: “متى تهتم بنفسك تتحسن ظروفك.” “أيَان تطع الله يعينك.”
- (أين، أينما، حيثما، أنّى): signal location, being related to the spatial condition for complete sentences or for the news if incomplete. Example: “وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ” {البقرة، 144}.
- كيفما: indicates manner, serving as a condition for the scenario where the verb is complete, or as news if incomplete. Example: “كيفما تُحْسِن يُحْسَن إليك.”
- أيّ: signifies the meaning of what is added to it. Example: “أيَاً ما تدعوا فله الأسماء الحسنى” {الإسراء، 110}.
Non-Affirmative Conditional Particles
The non-affirmative conditional particles include (إذا، لما، كلّما، لو، لولا), which will be examined more closely:
- إذا: refers to time, and in most contexts, it precedes a past tense verb in both the condition and result. Example: “إذا قرأتَ استفدت.”
- كلّما، لما: both signal time, with past tense verbs following them in condition and result. Example: “كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا رِزْقًا” {آل عمران، 37}.
- (لو، لولا): are particles of denial due to lack of conditions, meaning the result cannot occur without the condition being met. Example: “لولا محمدٌ لضربتك,” where “لولا” introduces a nominative sentence with an implied subject. Here, the statement is estimated as, “لولا محمد (موجود) لضربتك,” with omitted information usually being common in such discourse.
Conclusions
In conclusion, we arrive at several clear points:
- The affirmative conditional particles require a present verb and affirm it with known markers of affirmation.
- The non-affirmative conditional particles necessitate a past tense verb for both the condition and the result.
- There are two conditional particles, (لو، لولا), which function differently, typically introducing a nominative sentence that includes a subject and omits the predicate due to the necessity of the condition.