Adverbs in Arabic differ from those in English due to the structural differences between the two languages, making it challenging to have a direct one-to-one translation between grammatical categories or parts of speech. In Arabic, adverbs can appear in several forms:
- Particles such as the word for “only.”
- Indeclinable nouns that end in –u.
- Indefinite accusative nouns like the words for “very” or “how.”
When translating adverbial phrases from one language to another, several factors need to be considered:
- The type of adverbial being used.
- Whether the adverbial consists of a single word or multiple words.
- The appropriate equivalent in the target language.
- The placement of the adverbial within the sentence.
Types of Adverbs
Adverbs are commonly used to describe how, when, where, or why an action is performed. One of the most frequent types of adverbs is:
- Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs of manner describe the way in which an action is carried out. In English, these often end in “-ly,” such as in “quickly” or “efficiently.” Arabic uses different structures to express these ideas.
Examples:
- “You must leave quickly.”
- “يجب أن تغادر بسرعة.”
- “They were working efficiently.”
- “كانوا يعملون بكفاءة.”
How Adverbs of Manner Are Formed in Arabic
In Arabic, adverbs of manner can be expressed in various ways:
- Indefinite noun in the accusative case: This is a common way to describe the manner in which something is done.
- Indefinite adjective in the accusative case: This can also serve as an adverb of manner.
- Prepositional phrases: Using بـ (bi-) or في (fi-) followed by an indefinite noun to indicate how something is done.
Some common Arabic phrases for expressing manner include:
- بصورة (bi-ṣūra): “in the manner of”
- بشكل (bi-shakl): “in the form of”
- بطريقة (bi-ṭarīqa): “in the method of”
- بصفة (bi-ṣifa): “in the quality of”
Examples:
- English: “We did it together.”
- Arabic: “فعلناه معًا.”
- English: “I studied my lessons well.”
- Arabic: “ذاكرت دروسي جيدًا.”
- English: “Generally, I don’t like to travel by plane.”
- Arabic: “لا أحب السفر بالطائرة بشكل عام.“
- English: “This is a problem, particularly in the Gulf countries.”
- Arabic: “هذه مشكلة خاصة في دول الخليج.”
Note: In Arabic, adverbs of manner usually follow the direct object or the verb when there is no object.
The Circumstantial Clause (الحال)
A common and traditional way to express manner in Arabic is through a circumstantial clause (الحال), which describes the state of the subject during the action. The hāl often appears as an indefinite accusative participle and can be introduced by و (wa-) if it involves a pronoun or verb.
Examples:
- English: “He sat down despondently.”
- Arabic: “جلس مكتئبًا.”
- English: “He listened to music while he was dancing.”
- Arabic: “استمع إلى الموسيقى وهو يرقص.”
In these sentences, the circumstantial clause describes the condition or manner of the subject at the time of the action.