Negating Nominal Sentences (ليس laysa)

Level: beginner. You already know the Arabic nominal sentence needs no word for is — البَيْتُ كَبِيرٌ (al-baytu kabīrun), the house is big. To say the house is not big, you add one special little verb: لَيْسَ (laysa).

The rule

A nominal sentence (a sentence that starts with a noun and has no verb) is made negative with لَيْسَ (laysa), the word for is not / am not / are not. It comes at the front, before the subject, and it conjugates — it changes its ending to match who you are talking about.

لَيْسَ (laysa) is unusual. Its endings are the ones you see on a past-tense verb (lastu, lasta, laysat…), yet its meaning is firmly in the present. Grammarians call it a defective verb for this reason; you can simply treat it as the ready-made negative copula.

The second important point is case. In a plain nominal sentence the predicate (the describing word, the khabar) is nominative: كَبِيرٌ (kabīrun), ending in -un. After لَيْسَ (laysa) that predicate turns accusative — it ends in -an (tanwīn fatḥ) instead: كَبِيرًا (kabīran). The subject (the noun laysa governs) stays nominative.

The forms of laysa

Notice the pattern: the he/she/they-masculine forms keep the lays- stem (laysa, laysat, laysū), while the I/you/we forms switch to las- (lastu, lasta, lasnā).

Example sentences

1. لَسْتُ طَالِبًا.
   lastu ṭāliban.
   I am not a student.
   predicate accusative: -an
2. هُوَ لَيْسَ هُنَا.
   huwa laysa hunā.
   He is not here.
3. البَيْتُ لَيْسَ كَبِيرًا.
   al-baytu laysa kabīran.
   The house is not big.
4. هِيَ لَيْسَتْ مُعَلِّمَةً.
   hiya laysat muʿallimatan.
   She is not a teacher.
   feminine subject: laysat
5. لَسْنَا مُتْعَبِينَ.
   lasnā mutʿabīna.
   We are not tired.
   masculine plural predicate: -īna
6. أَنْتَ لَسْتَ وَحْدَكَ.
   anta lasta waḥdaka.
   You are not alone.
7. الطَّقْسُ لَيْسَ بَارِدًا.
   aṭ-ṭaqsu laysa bāridan.
   The weather is not cold.
8. القَهْوَةُ لَيْسَتْ سَاخِنَةً.
   al-qahwatu laysat sākhinatan.
   The coffee is not hot.
9. هُمْ لَيْسُوا جَاهِزِينَ.
   hum laysū jāhizīna.
   They are not ready.
   plural subject: laysū
10. لَسْتُ جَائِعًا.
    lastu jāʾiʿan.
    I am not hungry.
11. هَذَا لَيْسَ صَحِيحًا.
    hādhā laysa ṣaḥīḥan.
    This is not correct.
12. المَطْعَمُ لَيْسَ مَفْتُوحًا.
    al-maṭʿamu laysa maftūḥan.
    The restaurant is not open.
13. أَنْتِ لَسْتِ مُتَأَخِّرَةً.
    anti lasti mutaʾakhkhiratan.
    You (f.) are not late.
14. الدَّرْسُ لَيْسَ صَعْبًا.
    ad-darsu laysa ṣaʿban.
    The lesson is not difficult.
15. نَحْنُ لَسْنَا مِنْ هُنَا.
    naḥnu lasnā min hunā.
    We are not from here.
16. السَّيَّارَةُ لَيْسَتْ جَدِيدَةً.
    as-sayyāratu laysat jadīdatan.
    The car is not new.
17. القِصَّةُ لَيْسَتْ طَوِيلَةً.
    al-qiṣṣatu laysat ṭawīlatan.
    The story is not long.
18. هُمَا لَيْسَا صَدِيقَيْنِ.
    humā laysā ṣadīqayni.
    The two of them are not friends.
    dual predicate: -ayni

Every predicate above wears the accusative ending because لَيْسَ (laysa) demands it.

Common mistakes

• ❌ أَنَا لا طَالِبٌ (anā lā ṭālibun) → ✅ لَسْتُ طَالِبًا (lastu ṭāliban). The particle لا (lā) does not negate a verbless sentence; the copula negator is لَيْسَ (laysa).
• ❌ لَسْتُ طَالِبٌ (lastu ṭālibun) → ✅ لَسْتُ طَالِبًا (lastu ṭāliban). laysa forces the predicate into the accusative (-an), not the nominative (-un).
• ❌ هِيَ لَيْسَ مُعَلِّمَةً (hiya laysa muʿallimatan) → ✅ هِيَ لَيْسَتْ مُعَلِّمَةً (hiya laysat muʿallimatan). laysa agrees with the subject, so a feminine subject needs لَيْسَتْ (laysat).
• ❌ هُمْ لَيْسَ جَاهِزِينَ (hum laysa jāhizīna) → ✅ هُمْ لَيْسُوا جَاهِزِينَ (hum laysū jāhizīna). A masculine-plural subject takes لَيْسُوا (laysū).
• ❌ Using لَيْسَ (laysa) for the past → ✅ laysa is present only. For was not, use مَا كَانَ (mā kāna) or لَمْ يَكُنْ (lam yakun).

A short conversation

— سَامِي (Sāmī): هَلْ أَنْتَ مُتْعَبٌ؟ — hal anta mutʿabun? — Are you tired? — لَيْلَى (Laylā): لا، لَسْتُ مُتْعَبَةً، لَكِنِّي جَائِعَةٌ. — lā, lastu mutʿabatan, lākinnī jāʾiʿatun. — No, I am not tired, but I am hungry. — سَامِي (Sāmī): المَطْعَمُ لَيْسَ بَعِيدًا. — al-maṭʿamu laysa baʿīdan. — The restaurant is not far.

Each negative here is لَيْسَ (laysa) in the right form, with the predicate in the accusative.

Usage notes

• Word order. laysa usually comes first, then the subject, then the predicate: لَيْسَ الوَلَدُ مَرِيضًا (laysa l-waladu marīḍan), the boy is not ill. With a pronoun subject you often drop the pronoun because the laysa ending already shows it: لَسْتُ جَاهِزًا (lastu jāhizan).
• Only the predicate moves. The subject keeps its nominative ending (الوَلَدُ al-waladu, with -u); only the predicate takes the accusative (مَرِيضًا marīḍan, with -an).
• laysa plus a preposition. To say I do not have, Arabic often uses laysa with a possessive phrase: لَيْسَ عِنْدِي وَقْتٌ (laysa ʿindī waqtun), I have no time. Here the thing you lack stays nominative — a special pattern worth recognising.
• Feminine and plural endings. Match the subject: لَيْسَتْ (laysat) for a single female, لَسْنَ (lasna) for a group of females, لَيْسُوا (laysū) for a group of males.

Compared with verb negation

لَيْسَ (laysa) only negates nominal (verbless) sentences. When a sentence has a real verb, you use a different negator:

• لا (lā) + present verb = a general does not: لا أَعْرِفُ (lā aʿrifu), I do not know.
• لَمْ (lam) + jussive verb = did not (the usual past negative): لَمْ أَذْهَبْ (lam adhhab), I did not go.
• مَا (mā) + past verb = another did not: مَا ذَهَبْتُ (mā dhahabtu), I did not go.

Rule of thumb: no verb in the sentence → use laysa; a verb in the sentence → use lā, lam or mā. Review the positive pattern on the Arabic nominal sentence page, or browse the whole Arabic grammar section.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

laysa negation practice

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1 Which word negates a verbless (nominal) sentence?

لا (lā) لَيْسَ (laysa) لَمْ (lam) مَا (mā)

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لَيْسَ (laysa) — laysa is the negative copula for nominal sentences; lā, lam and mā negate verbs.

2 Which correctly says I am not a student?

لَسْتُ طَالِبٌ (lastu ṭālibun) لَسْتُ طَالِبًا (lastu ṭāliban) لا طَالِبٌ (lā ṭālibun) لَيْسَ طَالِبًا (laysa ṭāliban)

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لَسْتُ طَالِبًا (lastu ṭāliban) — First person is lastu, and laysa makes the predicate accusative: ṭāliban.

3 Fill the right form for she: هِيَ ____ مُعَلِّمَةً (type the transliteration).

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Hint: feminine singular subject

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laysat — هِيَ لَيْسَتْ مُعَلِّمَةً (hiya laysat muʿallimatan): laysa agrees with a feminine subject.

4 Give the predicate the right ending — The house is not big: البَيْتُ لَيْسَ ____ (transliteration).

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Hint: accusative, -an

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kabīran — البَيْتُ لَيْسَ كَبِيرًا (al-baytu laysa kabīran): the predicate is accusative after laysa.

5 Order the words: I am not tired. (feminine speaker)

مُتْعَبَةً (mutʿabatan)لَسْتُ (lastu)

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لَسْتُ (lastu) مُتْعَبَةً (mutʿabatan) — لَسْتُ مُتْعَبَةً (lastu mutʿabatan): laysa form first, then the accusative predicate.

6 Match each subject to its laysa form.

• أَنَا (anā) Match for أَنَا (anā) — choose — لَسْتُ (lastu)لَيْسَ (laysa)لَيْسَتْ (laysat)لَيْسُوا (laysū)
• هُوَ (huwa) Match for هُوَ (huwa) — choose — لَسْتُ (lastu)لَيْسَ (laysa)لَيْسَتْ (laysat)لَيْسُوا (laysū)
• هِيَ (hiya) Match for هِيَ (hiya) — choose — لَسْتُ (lastu)لَيْسَ (laysa)لَيْسَتْ (laysat)لَيْسُوا (laysū)
• هُمْ (hum) Match for هُمْ (hum) — choose — لَسْتُ (lastu)لَيْسَ (laysa)لَيْسَتْ (laysat)لَيْسُوا (laysū)

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• أَنَا (anā) → لَسْتُ (lastu)
• هُوَ (huwa) → لَيْسَ (laysa)
• هِيَ (hiya) → لَيْسَتْ (laysat)
• هُمْ (hum) → لَيْسُوا (laysū)

lastu for I, laysa for he, laysat for she, laysū for they (m.).

Quiz

Check yourself

laysa negation quiz

12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

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1. 1laysa negates which kind of sentence?

   A a sentence with a verb B a verbless (nominal) sentence C a question only D a command
   Show answer

   a verbless (nominal) sentence — laysa is the negator for nominal (verbless) sentences.

2. 2What case does laysa give the predicate?

   A nominative (-u) B accusative (-a / -an) C genitive (-i) D no case
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   accusative (-a / -an) — The predicate after laysa is accusative, e.g. كَبِيرًا (kabīran).

3. 3The subject (the noun after laysa) stays…

   A accusative B nominative C genitive D indefinite always
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   nominative — Only the predicate changes; the subject keeps its nominative ending.

4. 4He is not here is…

   A هُوَ لَسْتُ هُنَا (huwa lastu hunā) B هُوَ لَيْسَ هُنَا (huwa laysa hunā) C هُوَ لا هُنَا (huwa lā hunā) D هُوَ لَيْسَتْ هُنَا (huwa laysat hunā)
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   هُوَ لَيْسَ هُنَا (huwa laysa hunā) — Third-person masculine uses laysa.

5. 5The coffee is not hot is…

   A القَهْوَةُ لَيْسَ سَاخِنَةً (al-qahwatu laysa sākhinatan) B القَهْوَةُ لَيْسَتْ سَاخِنَةً (al-qahwatu laysat sākhinatan) C القَهْوَةُ لا سَاخِنَةٌ (al-qahwatu lā sākhinatun) D القَهْوَةُ لَيْسَتْ سَاخِنَةٌ (al-qahwatu laysat sākhinatun)
   Show answer

   القَهْوَةُ لَيْسَتْ سَاخِنَةً (al-qahwatu laysat sākhinatan) — Feminine subject takes laysat and an accusative predicate sākhinatan.

6. 6Why is لَسْتُ طَالِبٌ (lastu ṭālibun) wrong?

   A wrong person form B the predicate should be accusative (ṭāliban) C laysa cannot take a pronoun D it needs a verb
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   the predicate should be accusative (ṭāliban) — After laysa the predicate is accusative: طَالِبًا (ṭāliban).

7. 7They (masculine) are not ready is…

   A هُمْ لَيْسَ جَاهِزِينَ (hum laysa jāhizīna) B هُمْ لَيْسُوا جَاهِزِينَ (hum laysū jāhizīna) C هُمْ لَسْنَا جَاهِزِينَ (hum lasnā jāhizīna) D هُمْ لا جَاهِزِينَ (hum lā jāhizīna)
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   هُمْ لَيْسُوا جَاهِزِينَ (hum laysū jāhizīna) — Masculine plural subject takes laysū.

8. 8To negate a nominal sentence in the PAST (was not), you use…

   A laysa B مَا كَانَ (mā kāna) or لَمْ يَكُنْ (lam yakun) C لا (lā) D nothing changes
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   مَا كَانَ (mā kāna) or لَمْ يَكُنْ (lam yakun) — laysa is present only; the past uses mā kāna or lam yakun.

9. 9Which negator goes with a present-tense verb like أَعْرِفُ (aʿrifu, I know)?

   A لَيْسَ (laysa) B لا (lā) C nothing D accusative ending
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   لا (lā) — A verb takes lā (here), not laysa: لا أَعْرِفُ (lā aʿrifu).

10. 10I am not hungry (male speaker) is…

    A لَسْتُ جَائِعٌ (lastu jāʾiʿun) B لَسْتُ جَائِعًا (lastu jāʾiʿan) C لا جَائِعٌ (lā jāʾiʿun) D لَيْسَ جَائِعًا (laysa jāʾiʿan)
    Show answer

    لَسْتُ جَائِعًا (lastu jāʾiʿan) — First person lastu, accusative predicate jāʾiʿan.

11. 11Complete for we — We are not from here: نَحْنُ ____ مِنْ هُنَا (transliteration).
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    lasnā — نَحْنُ لَسْنَا مِنْ هُنَا (naḥnu lasnā min hunā): first-person plural is lasnā.

12. 12laysa is unusual because…

    A it never changes form B it has past-tense endings but present meaning C it is a noun D it needs two verbs
    Show answer

    it has past-tense endings but present meaning — It conjugates like a past verb yet means the present is not.

Recap cheat-sheet

Next

• Review the positive pattern: The Nominal Sentence (Jumla Ismiyya)
• Back to the Arabic grammar section
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