Grammar term · Nahw · syntax
حَرْف جَوَاب
harf jawab
Answer particle (jawab)
Nahw · syntaxParticle typeadvanced term363+ in the Qur'an
In one line
An answer particle — the “yes / indeed / no” words: نَعَمْ، بَلَى، لَا، كَلَّا.
Classical definition
حُرُوفُ الجَوَابِ مَا يُجَابُ بِهِ، كَنَعَمْ وَبَلَى وَأَجَلْ وَلَا وَكَلَّا.
“The answer particles are those with which one replies — like na'am (yes), bala (yes indeed), ajal (certainly), la (no) and kalla (by no means).”
(بتصرف من ابن هشام)
Key words in the Arabic
بَلَىyes indeed — the answer that flips a negative question
Understand it
One distinction here matters enormously in the Quran: نَعَمْ agrees with a question as asked, but بَلَى overturns a negative. When Allah asks أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ (“Am I not your Lord?”), the souls answer بَلَى — “Indeed You are!” Answering نَعَمْ there would have agreed with the negation. One particle, and the covenant depends on it.
How to spot it
Recognition test
A standalone reply-word opening a response — نَعَمْ، بَلَى، أَجَلْ، لَا، كَلَّا.
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