Nahw - The concept of ‫ حال‬and ‫ذوالحال‬

The concept of ‫ ﺣﹷﺎﻝ‬in ‫ ﻧﹷﺤﹿﻮ‬is used to answer the question “How” or “in what condition”. Thus,

‫ ﺣﹷﺎﻝ‬is the adjective which describes the state of the ‫ ﻓﺎﻋﹻﻞ‬or ‫ ﻣﻔﻌﻮﻝ‬or both. It is always in the state of

‫ ﻧﺼﺐ‬. Additionally, the one being described by the condition is called ‫ ﺫﹸﻭﺍﻟﹿﺤﹷﺎﻝ‬.

Some examples of this kind of structure are:

• ‫( ﺟﹷﺎﺀﹶ ﺯﹶﻳﹿﺪﹲ ﺭﹶﺍﻛﹻﺒﹷﺎﹰ‬Zaid came riding) Here ‫ ﺭﹶﺍﻛﹻﺒﹷﺎﹰ‬is ‫ ﺣﹷﺎﻝ‬for ‫ ﺯﹶﻳﹿﺪﹲ‬which is the ‫ﻓﺎﻋﹻﻞ‬

• ‫( ﺟﹻﺌﹿﺖﹸ ﺯﻳﹿﺪﺍﹰ ﻧﹷﺎﺋﹻﻤﺎﹰ‬I came to Zaid while he was sleeping). Here the word ‫ ﻧﹷﺎﺋﹻﻤﺎﹰ‬is the

‫ ﺣﹷﺎﻝ‬for the ‫ ﻣﻔﻌﻮﻝ‬, which is ‫ﺯﻳﹿﺪﺍﹰ‬

• ‫( ﻛﹷﻠﳲﻤﹿﺖﹸ ﺯﻳﹿﺪﺍﹰ ﺟﺎﻟﹻﺴﹷﻴﹿﻦﹺ‬I talked to Zaid while we were both sitting). Here the word

‫ ﺟﺎﻟﹻﺴﹷﻴﹿﻦﹺ‬is the ‫ ﺣﹷﺎﻝ‬for both the ‫ ﻓﺎﻋﹻﻞ‬and the ‫ﻣﻔﻌﻮﻝ‬

Notes on the usage of ‫ ﺣﹷﺎﻝ‬and ‫ﺫﹸﻭﺍﻟﹿﺤﹷﺎﻝ‬

It is essential to have a connector between the ‫ ﺣﹷﺎﻝ‬and the ‫ﺫﹸﻭﺍﻟﹿﺤﹷﺎﻝ‬. Sometimes this connector is

depicted by using a ‫ ﻭ‬and at other times it is simply the ‫ ﺿﹷﻤﹻﻴﺮﹾ‬hidden within the verb. For example,
we can say ‫ ﺟﹷﺎﺀﹶ ﺯﹶﻳﹿﺪﹲ ﻳﹷﻀﹿﺤﹷﻚﹸ‬or

‫ ﺟﹷﺎﺀﹶ ﺯﹶﻳﹿﺪﹲ ﻭﹶ ﻫﹹﻮﹶ ﻳﹷﻀﹿﺤﹷﻚﹸ‬. In both the cases it means Zaid came laughing. However, the first

sentence is the case where the connector is the hidden ‫ ﻫﹹﻮﹶ‬inside the verb whereas in the second

sentence the connector is apparent.

‫ ﺣﹷﺎﻝ‬has to be ‫ﻧﹷﻜﹻﺮﻩ‬, it cannot be ‫ﻣﻌﹿﺮﹺﻓﻪ‬. On the other hand, even though ‫ﺫﹸﻭﺍﻟﹿﺤﹷﺎﻝ‬

is usually ‫ ﻣﻌﹿﺮﹺﻓﻪ‬but if it has to come as ‫ ﻧﹷﻜﹻﺮﻩ‬then the structure has to change and the ‫ ﺣﹷﺎﻝ‬has to

come beofre the ‫ ﺫﹸﻭﺍﻟﹿﺤﹷﺎﻝ‬i.e.

‫( ﺟﹷﺎﺀﹶﻧﻲﹾ ﺭﹶﺍﻛﹻﺒﹷﺎﹰ ﺭﹶﺟﹹﻞﹲ‬a man came to me riding).

Also, ‫ ﺣﹷﺎﻝ‬can be a sentence as well: If it is a ‫ ﺟﹹﻤﻠﻪ ﺍﹺﺳﻤﹻﻴﳲﻪ‬then a ‫ ﻭ‬is added to give the meaning of

condition e.g.

ٰ‫( ﻻﹶ ﺗﹷﻘﹿﺮﹶﺑﹹﻮﹾﺍ ﺍﻟﺼﳲﻠٰﻮﺓﹶ ﻭﹶ ﺍﹶﻧﹿﺘﹹﻢﹾ ﺳﹹﻜٰﺮﻯ‬Do not come near the prayers when you are intoxicated); if

it is a ‫ ﺟﹹﻤﻠﺔ ﻓﹻﻌﹿﻠﹻﻴﹽﺔ‬and the ‫ ﻓﹻﻌﹿﻞ‬is in ‫ ﻣﹷﺎﺿﹻﻰ‬then a ‫ ﻗﹷﺪﹾ‬has to appear before the ‫ ﻓﹻﻌﹿﻞ‬e.g.

‫( ﺟﹷﺎﺀﹶ ﺯﹶﻳﹿﺪﹲ ﻭﹶ ﻗﹷﺪﹾ ﺧﹷﺮﹶﺝﹶﻏﹹﻼﹶﻣﹹﻪﹸ‬Zaid came while his servant went)

Hopefully this very brief introduction to the concept of ‫ ﺣﹷﺎﻝ‬will be sufficient for the students of

Classical Arabic as a starting point, Insha Allah.