Last updated 1 year ago.
How to Use the Nun of Emphasis – نون التوكيد – in Arabic
Arabic uses نُون التَّوْكِيد (Nun of Emphasis) to add strong emphasis to present tense and imperative verbs. This article explains how to form both the “light” Nun (ن with sukūn) and the more common “heavy” Nun (نَّ with shadda), providing step-by-step instructions and examples to help you master this emphatic mood.
In Arabic, you can convey strong emphasis with present tense (الْمُضارِع) and imperative (أَمْر) verbs using a special grammatical device called نُون التَّوْكِيد (Nun of Emphasis).
This article details how to form both the less common “light” Nun (نون خفيفة ساكِنة) and the more frequent “heavy” or “strong” Nun (نون ثقيلة), providing clear rules and examples for this energetic mood in Arabic verbs.
Here is how it works.
| The light نون | نون خفيفة ساكِنة |
It is formed by adding a ن with a سُكُون.
| Obey your parents! | أَطْيَعَنْ والِدَّيْكَ |
Now, let’s see the other option.
| The strong نون or heavy نون | نون ثقيلة |
This form is more common. Here is how you build it:
- Delete the ضمّة on the verb (marker for present tense) or delete the final ن if the verb-form belongs to the so called الْأفْعال الْخَمْسة (“five verbs”)
- Add a fatha (فَتْحة) on the last letter
- Finally, add نَّ → Note: do the same for the imperative
| Do you (really) help your friend? | هَلْ تُساعِدَنَّ زَمِيلَكَ؟ |
Did you know? There are many ways to emphasize in Arabic. You could use the letter ب or the word من or use separate pronouns.
In case you want to dive deeper into the grammar ocean…
- Omar al-Mukhtar and the Airplanes Under the Throne
- Lexicalization in Arabic: The Secret Life of Broken Plurals
- The Truth About Emphatic Consonants in Arabic: Are They Really That Different?
Wanna cite this article?
Drißner, G. (2016, March 3). How to Use the Nun of Emphasis – نون التوكيد – in Arabic. Arabic for Nerds. https://arabic-for-nerds.com/grammar/nun-emphasis-arabic/
Published: March 3, 2016
Please check the citation before use, especially if your style guide has local requirements.
Publication ISSN: 3055-1730
Join the discussion: Sign in with social media for instant commenting, or register with email (comments require approval):