Allow / Permit / Let
All three verbs convey granting consent for an action, but their usage differs grammatically:
1. Allow and Permit:
• Both can be followed by object + to + infinitive.
• Can take –ing forms when there is no object.
• For impersonal passive constructions, a permit is used.
2. Allow:
• Can be used with adverbial particles.
3. Let:
• Informal and less common than the other two.
• Follows the structure object + base verb (bare infinitive).
• Cannot take –ing or be used in the passive voice. Instead, allow replaces it in such cases.
Usage in Arabic:
In Arabic, all three verbs are translated by the verb سَمَحَ (يَسْمَحُ). Examples:
1. We do not allow/permit people to smoke.
• لَا نَسْمَحُ لِلنَّاسِ بِالتَّدْخِينِ.
• We do not allow smoking.
لَا نَسْمَحُ بِالتَّدْخِينِ.
2. It is not permitted to eat on the premises.
• لَا يُسْمَحُ بِالْأَكْلِ فِي الْمَبْنَى.
3. The rules do not permit cheating.
• لَا تَسْمَحُ الْقَوَاعِدُ بِالْغَشِّ.
4. The dog was not allowed out after 6 p.m.
• لَمْ يُسْمَحْ لِلْكَلْبِ بِالْخُرُوجِ بَعْدَ السَّاعَةِ السَّادِسَةِ مَسَاءً.
5. I cannot let this happen to the company.
• لَا أَسْمَحُ/لَنْ أَسْمَحَ أَنْ يَحْدُثَ هَذَا لِلشَّرِكَةِ.
6. This cannot be allowed to happen.
• لَا يُمْكِنُ السَّمَاحُ بِهَذَا أَنْ يَحْدُثَ.
Notes:
1. In Arabic, سَمَحَ requires the preposition بِـ before an action or concept and لِـ before a person.
2. The translation may vary based on context, but سَمَحَ remains a versatile equivalent for “allow,” “permit,” and “let.”
3. Formality differences (like those between “let” and “permit”) are less emphasized in Arabic and are often context-dependent.