Diagnosis: Grammar, Meaning
Arabic text in question
ุงูู ุณุญ ูุงูุฐูุงุจ
Arabic text as it should be
ุงูู ูุณูุญู ููุงูููุทููููู
Note: You don’t use diacritics (ุชุดููู) in everyday Arabic. We use them here to clearly explain the grammar, spelling and meaning of words. To avoid confusion, we generally ignore auxiliary vowels that are necessary for pronunciation to avoid consonant clusters.
Analysis
Direct translations often lead to awkward phrasing in Arabic. The phrase ุงูู ุณุญ ูุงูุฐูุงุจ (al-Masแธฅ wa al-Dhahฤb), literally meaning The Scanning/Wiping and The Going, is a prime example of this.
It feels unnatural for much the same reason that using ุชุฑุญูุจ (tarแธฅฤซb) as a greeting is incorrect. Why? Because ุชุฑุญูุจ is a verbal noun (ู ูุตูุฏูุฑู) meaning the act of welcoming. Similarly, ุงูู ุณุญ ูุงูุฐูุงุจ uses verbal nouns to describe actions, rather than employing the dynamic and natural language typically used for instructions or naming such a process.
The power of the imperative (ููุนููู ุงููุฃูู ูุฑู)
For a process like Scan and Go, which involves user action, the imperative verb form is far more suitable and idiomatic in Arabic. The imperative provides a direct instruction to the user, making it clearer and more natural.
The core meaning of the I-verb ู ูุณูุญู – ููู ูุณูุญู is to wipe; to clear/clean. But there are many more meanings, such as to survey; to anoint (in Christianity) – and also: to scan (electronically).
To form the imperative of ู ูุณูุญู – ููู ูุณูุญู, we take the present tense stem for “you (masculine singular)” which is ู ูุณูุญู (msaแธฅ) from ุชูู ูุณูุญู. Since it begins with a consonant cluster that requires a helping vowel, we add a ููู ูุฒูุฉู ุงูููุตููู (Hamzat al-Wasl, a connecting Hamza) with a ููุณูุฑูุฉ (kasra, i-sound), resulting in ุงูู ุณูุญู (imsaแธฅ – Scan! or Wipe!).
This command form ุงูู ุณูุญู (scan!) is concise and clear, unlike the descriptive noun ุงููู ูุณูุญู (the scanning).
Choosing the right “Go”: Why ุงููุทููููู (inแนญaliq) works better
Furthermore, while ุงูุฐูุงุจ is the verbal noun of ุฐูููุจู – ููุฐูููุจู, the verb itself might not be the most dynamic choice for the second part of the instruction. The imperative ุงูุฐููุจู (Go!) is quite generic and neutral.
A potentially better fit for the context of quickly moving on after scanning is the VII-verb ุงูููุทููููู – ููููุทููููู which means to start; get going; take off; ~go.
Its imperative form, ุงููุทููููู (Set off!/Go!), is derived from the present tense ุชูููุทููููู. This form carries a sense of proceeding efficiently to the next step rather than simply leaving. Therefore, a phrase like ุงูู ุณูุญู ููุงูุทููููู (imsaแธฅ wanแนญaliq – Scan and Go/Set off!) feels much more natural, action-oriented, and contextually appropriate than the awkward noun-based construction ุงูู ุณุญ ูุงูุฐูุงุจ.
Source: Real Place
Time the picture was taken: unknown
Location: Poland
Zakopane, Poland
Latitude: 49.299181
Longitude: 19.9495621
Credit
Picture credit: Paul Ammann
Added: 04/05/2025 by Paul Ammann
