What does "then" mean in Arabic?
English "then" does several jobs. It can mark the next step in a sequence ("I ate, then I slept"), a consequence ("if you are tired, then rest"), or a point in time ("I was young then"). Arabic gives each of these jobs a different word. This lesson teaches the first and most frequent one: ثُمَّ (thumma), "then, and after that."
Grammatically, ثُمَّ is not an adverb but a حرف عطف (ḥarf ʿaṭf), a coordinating particle, like و (wa) "and," which you met in Lesson 3. It joins two words or two clauses and says two things about them. The second comes after the first (الترتيب, at-tartīb, "order"), and there is an interval between them (التراخي, at-tarākhī, "delay, slackness"). Its partner فَـ (fa-) also marks order, but with no interval: the second thing follows at once (التعقيب, at-taʿqīb, "immediate succession"). So أكلنا ثم نمنا (akalnā thumma nimnā) means "we ate, and then (some time later) we slept," while أكلنا فنمنا (akalnā fa-nimnā) means "we ate and straight away slept."
In writing, ثُمَّ is a separate word of two letters: ث (thāʾ, the "th" of thin) and م (mīm) carrying a shadda (ّ), which doubles the m. The shadda and the vowels are normally left unwritten: you will see ثم. Take care not to confuse it with ثَمَّ (thamma), written with the same two letters and meaning "there." Only the first vowel tells them apart, and the context almost always settles it.
Because ثُمَّ is a conjunction, it never changes its form, and whatever follows it takes the same grammatical case as the word it is joined to: جاء أحمدُ ثم عليٌّ (jāʾa Aḥmadu thumma ʿAliyyun), "Ahmad came, then Ali." In the examples below it links verbs, nouns, prepositional phrases and whole sentences. It also opens a sentence ("And then…"), and in formal prose ثم إنّ (thumma inna) means "moreover, furthermore."
- ثُمَّ (thumma) = "then, afterwards": sequence with an interval - It is a coordinating particle (حرف عطف), not an adverb, and never changes form - فَـ (fa-) = "and then at once": sequence without an interval; it is written joined to the next word - "Then" as a consequence ("if…, then…") is فَـ, not ثُمَّ; "then" meaning "at that time" is حينئذٍ (ḥīna-ʾidhin) or وقتها (waqtahā) - ثُمَّ (thumma, "then") and ثَمَّ (thamma, "there") share a spelling; the vowel differs - ثم إنّ (thumma inna) in formal prose = "moreover"
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52.1a أكلنا we-ate ثم then نمنا we-slept
52.1b akalnā (a-KAL-naa) we-ate-PAST.1PL thumma (THUM-ma) then nimnā (NIM-naa) we-slept-PAST.1PL
52.2a اقرأ read ثم then اكتب write
52.2b iqraʾ (IQ-ra') read-IMP.M.SG thumma (THUM-ma) then uktub (UK-tub) write-IMP.M.SG
52.3a جاء came أحمد Ahmad ثم then علي Ali
52.3b jāʾa (JAA-'a) came-PAST.3M.SG Aḥmad (AH-mad) Ahmad-NOM thumma (THUM-ma) then ʿAlī (A-lee) Ali-NOM
52.4a ثم then ماذا؟ what
52.4b thumma (THUM-ma) then mādhā (MAA-dhaa) what-INTERROG
52.5a شربت I-drank الشاي the-tea ثم then خرجت I-went-out
52.5b sharibtu (sha-RIB-tu) I-drank-PAST.1SG ash-shāy (ash-SHAAY) the-tea-ACC thumma (THUM-ma) then kharajtu (kha-RAJ-tu) I-went-out-PAST.1SG
52.6a درس studied الطالب the-student الطب the-medicine ثم then عمل worked في in المستشفى the-hospital
52.6b darasa (DA-ra-sa) studied-PAST.3M.SG aṭ-ṭālib (at-TAA-lib) the-student-NOM aṭ-ṭibb (at-TIBB) the-medicine-ACC thumma (THUM-ma) then ʿamila (A-mi-la) worked-PAST.3M.SG fī (fee) in al-mustashfā (al-mus-TASH-faa) the-hospital-GEN
52.7a سافرت I-travelled إلى to القاهرة the-Cairo ثم then إلى to الإسكندرية the-Alexandria
52.7b sāfartu (SAA-far-tu) I-travelled-PAST.1SG ilā (I-laa) to al-Qāhira (al-QAA-hi-ra) the-Cairo-GEN thumma (THUM-ma) then ilā (I-laa) to al-Iskandariyya (al-is-kan-da-RIY-ya) the-Alexandria-GEN
52.8a اغسل wash يديك your-two-hands ثم then اجلس sit إلى at المائدة the-table
52.8b ighsil (IGH-sil) wash-IMP.M.SG yadayka (ya-DAY-ka) hands-DUAL.ACC-your-M.SG thumma (THUM-ma) then ijlis (IJ-lis) sit-IMP.M.SG ilā (I-laa) at al-māʾida (al-MAA-'i-da) the-table-GEN
52.9a انتظرنا we-waited طويلاً long ثم then وصل arrived القطار the-train
52.9b intaẓarnā (in-ta-ZAR-naa) we-waited-PAST.1PL ṭawīlan (ta-WEE-lan) long-ACC.ADV thumma (THUM-ma) then waṣala (WA-sa-la) arrived-PAST.3M.SG al-qiṭār (al-qi-TAAR) the-train-NOM
52.10a سكت he-fell-silent قليلاً a-little ثم then قال he-said نعم yes
52.10b sakata (SA-ka-ta) he-fell-silent-PAST.3M.SG qalīlan (qa-LEE-lan) a-little-ACC.ADV thumma (THUM-ma) then qāla (QAA-la) he-said-PAST.3M.SG naʿam (NA-am) yes
52.11a تخرجت I-graduated في in الجامعة the-university ثم then عملت I-worked مدرسةً teacher في in قريتي my-village
52.11b takharrajtu (ta-khar-RAJ-tu) I-graduated-PAST.1SG fī (fee) in al-jāmiʿa (al-JAA-mi-'a) the-university-GEN thumma (THUM-ma) then ʿamiltu (a-MIL-tu) I-worked-PAST.1SG mudarrisatan (mu-DAR-ri-sa-tan) teacher-F.ACC fī (fee) in qaryatī (QAR-ya-tee) village-GEN-my
52.12a بنى built الناس the-people البيوت the-houses الأولى the-first من of الطين the-mud ثم then من of الحجر the-stone
52.12b banā (BA-naa) built-PAST.3M.SG an-nās (an-NAAS) the-people-NOM al-buyūt (al-bu-YOOT) the-houses-PL.ACC al-ūlā (al-OO-laa) the-first-F min (min) of aṭ-ṭīn (at-TEEN) the-mud-GEN thumma (THUM-ma) then min (min) of al-ḥajar (al-HA-jar) the-stone-GEN
52.13a ولد he-was-born في in دمشق Damascus ثم then انتقل he-moved مع with أسرته his-family إلى to بيروت Beirut وهو and-he صغير small
52.13b wulida (WU-li-da) he-was-born-PASS.PAST.3M.SG fī (fee) in Dimashq (di-MASHQ) Damascus-GEN thumma (THUM-ma) then intaqala (in-TA-qa-la) he-moved-PAST.3M.SG maʿa (MA-'a) with usratihi (US-ra-ti-hi) family-GEN-his ilā (I-laa) to Bayrūt (bay-ROOT) Beirut-GEN wa-huwa (wa-HU-wa) and-he ṣaghīr (sa-GHEER) small-M.SG
52.14a قرأت I-read الرسالة the-letter مرةً once ثم then قرأتها I-read-it مرةً time أخرى another ثم then مزقتها I-tore-it
52.14b qaraʾtu (qa-RA'-tu) I-read-PAST.1SG ar-risāla (ar-ri-SAA-la) the-letter-ACC marratan (MAR-ra-tan) once-ACC.ADV thumma (THUM-ma) then qaraʾtuhā (qa-RA'-tu-haa) I-read-PAST.1SG-it-F marratan (MAR-ra-tan) time-ACC.ADV ukhrā (UKH-raa) another-F thumma (THUM-ma) then mazzaqtuhā (maz-ZAQ-tu-haa) I-tore-PAST.1SG-it-F
52.15a هذا this المشروع the-project مكلف costly جداً very ثم then إنه indeed-it لا not يفيد benefits أحداً anyone
52.15b hādhā (HAA-dhaa) this-M.SG al-mashrūʿ (al-mash-ROO') the-project-NOM mukallif (mu-KAL-lif) costly-M.SG jiddan (JID-dan) very-ACC.ADV thumma (THUM-ma) then innahu (IN-na-hu) indeed-it-M lā (laa) not yufīdu (yu-FEE-du) benefits-PRES.3M.SG aḥadan (A-ha-dan) anyone-ACC
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52.1 أكلنا ثم نمنا — akalnā thumma nimnā — "We ate, then we slept."
52.2 اقرأ ثم اكتب — iqraʾ thumma uktub — "Read, then write."
52.3 جاء أحمد ثم علي — jāʾa Aḥmad thumma ʿAlī — "Ahmad came, and then Ali."
52.4 ثم ماذا؟ — thumma mādhā? — "And then what?"
52.5 شربت الشاي ثم خرجت — sharibtu ash-shāy thumma kharajtu — "I drank the tea, then I went out."
52.6 درس الطالب الطب ثم عمل في المستشفى — darasa aṭ-ṭālib aṭ-ṭibb thumma ʿamila fī al-mustashfā — "The student studied medicine and then worked in the hospital."
52.7 سافرت إلى القاهرة ثم إلى الإسكندرية — sāfartu ilā al-Qāhira thumma ilā al-Iskandariyya — "I travelled to Cairo, then on to Alexandria."
52.8 اغسل يديك ثم اجلس إلى المائدة — ighsil yadayka thumma ijlis ilā al-māʾida — "Wash your hands, then sit down at the table."
52.9 انتظرنا طويلاً ثم وصل القطار — intaẓarnā ṭawīlan thumma waṣala al-qiṭār — "We waited a long time, and then the train arrived."
52.10 سكت قليلاً ثم قال: نعم — sakata qalīlan thumma qāla: naʿam — "He was silent for a moment, then he said: yes."
52.11 تخرجت في الجامعة ثم عملت مدرسةً في قريتي — takharrajtu fī al-jāmiʿa thumma ʿamiltu mudarrisatan fī qaryatī — "I graduated from university, then worked as a teacher in my village."
52.12 بنى الناس البيوت الأولى من الطين ثم من الحجر — banā an-nās al-buyūt al-ūlā min aṭ-ṭīn thumma min al-ḥajar — "People built the first houses of mud, and later of stone."
52.13 ولد في دمشق ثم انتقل مع أسرته إلى بيروت وهو صغير — wulida fī Dimashq thumma intaqala maʿa usratihi ilā Bayrūt wa-huwa ṣaghīr — "He was born in Damascus, then moved with his family to Beirut when he was small."
52.14 قرأت الرسالة مرةً ثم قرأتها مرةً أخرى ثم مزقتها — qaraʾtu ar-risāla marratan thumma qaraʾtuhā marratan ukhrā thumma mazzaqtuhā — "I read the letter once, then read it again, then tore it up."
52.15 هذا المشروع مكلف جداً، ثم إنه لا يفيد أحداً — hādhā al-mashrūʿ mukallif jiddan, thumma innahu lā yufīdu aḥadan — "This project is very expensive; and besides, it benefits no one."
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52.1 أكلنا ثم نمنا
52.2 اقرأ ثم اكتب
52.3 جاء أحمد ثم علي
52.4 ثم ماذا؟
52.5 شربت الشاي ثم خرجت
52.6 درس الطالب الطب ثم عمل في المستشفى
52.7 سافرت إلى القاهرة ثم إلى الإسكندرية
52.8 اغسل يديك ثم اجلس إلى المائدة
52.9 انتظرنا طويلاً ثم وصل القطار
52.10 سكت قليلاً ثم قال: نعم
52.11 تخرجت في الجامعة ثم عملت مدرسةً في قريتي
52.12 بنى الناس البيوت الأولى من الطين ثم من الحجر
52.13 ولد في دمشق ثم انتقل مع أسرته إلى بيروت وهو صغير
52.14 قرأت الرسالة مرةً ثم قرأتها مرةً أخرى ثم مزقتها
52.15 هذا المشروع مكلف جداً، ثم إنه لا يفيد أحداً
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1. What kind of word it is. ثُمَّ is one of the Arabic حروف العطف (ḥurūf al-ʿaṭf), the coordinating particles. The commonest are:
- و (wa) — "and": joins, says nothing about order - فَـ (fa-) — "and then (at once)": order without interval - ثُمَّ (thumma) — "then, afterwards": order with interval - أو (aw) — "or"
Like all of these, ثُمَّ is indeclinable. It never takes an ending and never changes its shape.
2. What it means: order with an interval. The classical grammarians sum up ثُمَّ in three words: الترتيب مع التراخي (at-tartīb maʿa at-tarākhī), "order with delay." What follows ثُمَّ happens after what comes before it, and not immediately:
- انتظرنا طويلاً ثم وصل القطار (intaẓarnā ṭawīlan thumma waṣala al-qiṭār) — "We waited a long time, then the train arrived" (52.9) - درس الطالب الطب ثم عمل في المستشفى (darasa aṭ-ṭālib aṭ-ṭibb thumma ʿamila fī al-mustashfā) — years pass between the two verbs (52.6)
3. ثُمَّ versus فَـ. This contrast is the heart of the lesson.
- جاء أحمد فعلي (jāʾa Aḥmad fa-ʿAlī) — "Ahmad came, and Ali right after him" - جاء أحمد ثم علي (jāʾa Aḥmad thumma ʿAlī) — "Ahmad came, and later Ali" (52.3)
فَـ is a single letter written joined to the following word. ثُمَّ is a separate word. When you narrate a series of quick actions, Arabic prefers فَـ. Where there is a pause, a stage or a new episode, it uses ثُمَّ. The literary citation in Section F shows the two used side by side in one verse.
4. What it joins. ثُمَّ joins like with like, and the joined word takes the same case as its partner:
- Two verbs: أكلنا ثم نمنا (akalnā thumma nimnā) (52.1) - Two imperatives: اقرأ ثم اكتب (iqraʾ thumma uktub) (52.2) - Two nouns in the nominative: جاء أحمدُ ثم عليٌّ (jāʾa Aḥmadu thumma ʿAliyyun) (52.3) - Two prepositional phrases: إلى القاهرة ثم إلى الإسكندرية (ilā al-Qāhira thumma ilā al-Iskandariyya) (52.7); من الطين ثم من الحجر (min aṭ-ṭīn thumma min al-ḥajar) (52.12) - Whole clauses: ولد في دمشق ثم انتقل… (wulida fī Dimashq thumma intaqala…) (52.13)
The verb after ثُمَّ normally keeps the tense of the first verb: past with past, imperative with imperative.
5. At the head of a sentence. ثُمَّ can open a sentence and carry the story forward, like English "And then…":
- ثم ماذا؟ (thumma mādhā?) — "And then what?" (52.4) - ثم شعر بثقل في الشبكة (thumma shaʿara bi-thiqal fī ash-shabaka) — "Then he felt a weight in the net" (52.21)
6. Order in the argument, not in time: ثم إنّ. In formal prose ثُمَّ can add a new point to an argument. It is then usually followed by إنّ (inna) with a pronoun suffix:
- هذا المشروع مكلف جداً، ثم إنه لا يفيد أحداً — "This project is very expensive; and besides, it benefits no one" (52.15)
The grammarians call this الترتيب الذِّكري (at-tartīb adh-dhikrī), "order in the telling." It is the order of the speaker's points, not of events.
7. Other Arabic words for English "then." When English "then" does not mean "next," Arabic uses a different word:
- Consequence, "if…, then…": إذا تعبت فاسترح (idhā taʿibta fa-stariḥ) — "If you are tired, then rest." The فَـ introduces the answer to the condition, and ثُمَّ is impossible here. - Inference, "so then": إذن (idhan) — إذن أنت موافق (idhan anta muwāfiq) — "So then, you agree." - "At that time": حينئذٍ (ḥīna-ʾidhin), عندئذٍ (ʿinda-ʾidhin), آنذاك (ān-dhāka), and colloquially وقتها (waqtahā) — كنت صغيراً آنذاك (kuntu ṣaghīran ān-dhāka) — "I was small then." - "Hence, therefore": ومن ثَمَّ (wa-min thamma) — literally "and from there." Note the a: this is ثَمَّ "there," not ثُمَّ "then."
8. The variant ثُمَّتَ. Classical poetry and prose sometimes add a feminine ت to the particle: ثُمَّتَ (thummata). It means the same, and it joins clauses rather than single words. You will meet it in older texts, but you do not need to use it.
- Using ثُمَّ for "if…, then." English speakers write *إذا تعبت ثم استرح. Arabic answers a condition with فَـ: إذا تعبت فاسترح. - Using ثُمَّ for immediate succession. In a rapid chain ("he opened the door and went in"), فَـ is more natural: فتح الباب فدخل (fataḥa al-bāba fa-dakhala). ثُمَّ there implies that he hesitated first. - Adding و before ثم. *أكلنا وثم نمنا is an anglicism ("and then"). ثُمَّ already contains the "and." Write أكلنا ثم نمنا. - Confusing ثُمَّ and ثَمَّ. ثُمَّ (thumma) = "then"; ثَمَّ / ثَمَّة (thamma / thammata) = "there." ومن ثَمَّ = "hence." - Using ثُمَّ for "then" = "at that time." *كنت صغيراً ثم is wrong for "I was small then." Use آنذاك or وقتها. - Changing the tense after ثُمَّ. Keep the second verb in step with the first unless the sense truly changes.
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ثُمَّ is one of the commonest function words of written Arabic. It appears on nearly every page of news reports, biographies, instructions and recipes: "Heat the oil, then add the onion." Teachers of Arabic composition drill the difference between فَـ and ثُمَّ from primary school onward. A pupil who writes ثم at every step of a quick action is told to vary it with فـ, and one who uses فـ across a gap of years is corrected the other way.
In everyday spoken Arabic, ثُمَّ is uncommon outside educated or formal speech. The dialects prefer بعدين (baʿdēn, "afterwards"), used from Cairo to Damascus to the Gulf, as in وبعدين؟ (w-baʿdēn?) "and then?" Many Maghrebi speakers use من بعد (men baʿd). When ثُمَّ is spoken in dialect-coloured speech in Egypt or the Levant, the ث is often pronounced as t or s, as speakers there do with this sound generally; Gulf and Iraqi speakers usually keep the "th." A learner who says ثم in conversation will sound bookish but correct. A learner who uses بعدين in an essay will sound colloquial.
The Qurʾān uses ثُمَّ several hundred times. Its interplay with فَـ is a classic subject of Arabic rhetoric (البلاغة, al-balāgha). Commentators ask why one verse says فَـ where another says ثُمَّ. Their answer is that ثُمَّ can mark a gap in rank or importance as well as a gap in time: the thing after ثُمَّ is weightier or more astonishing. The citation below is the standard example used to teach this.
- ثم ماذا؟ (thumma mādhā?) — "And then what? So what?" (can be impatient) - ثم إنّ… (thumma inna…) — "Moreover…" - ومن ثَمَّ (wa-min thamma) — "hence, consequently" (with ثَمَّ "there") - أولاً… ثم… (awwalan… thumma…) — "first… then…," the standard frame for instructions
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The citation is from the Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Muʾminūn (The Believers), 23:12–14. The passage describes human creation in stages, and in the space of three verses it alternates ثُمَّ and فَـ. For that reason Arabic grammarians and teachers use it as their standard illustration of the difference between the two particles. The text below is given in standard vowelled script, and was checked against two published sources.
F.1a وَلَقَدْ and-indeed خَلَقْنَا we-created الْإِنْسَانَ the-human مِنْ from سُلَالَةٍ an-extract مِنْ of طِينٍ clay
F.1b wa-laqad (wa-LA-qad) and-indeed khalaqnā (kha-LAQ-naa) we-created-PAST.1PL al-insān (al-in-SAAN) the-human-ACC min (min) from sulāla (su-LAA-la) extract-GEN min (min) of ṭīn (teen) clay-GEN
F.2a ثُمَّ then جَعَلْنَاهُ we-made-him نُطْفَةً a-drop فِي in قَرَارٍ a-resting-place مَكِينٍ firm
F.2b thumma (THUM-ma) then jaʿalnāhu (ja-'al-NAA-hu) we-made-PAST.1PL-him nuṭfa (NUT-fa) drop-ACC fī (fee) in qarār (qa-RAAR) resting-place-GEN makīn (ma-KEEN) firm-GEN
F.3a ثُمَّ then خَلَقْنَا we-created النُّطْفَةَ the-drop عَلَقَةً a-clinging-clot فَخَلَقْنَا and-at-once-we-created الْعَلَقَةَ the-clot مُضْغَةً a-lump
F.3b thumma (THUM-ma) then khalaqnā (kha-LAQ-naa) we-created-PAST.1PL an-nuṭfa (an-NUT-fa) the-drop-ACC ʿalaqa (A-la-qa) clinging-clot-ACC fa-khalaqnā (fa-kha-LAQ-naa) and-at-once-we-created-PAST.1PL al-ʿalaqa (al-A-la-qa) the-clot-ACC muḍgha (MUD-gha) lump-ACC
F.4a فَخَلَقْنَا and-at-once-we-created الْمُضْغَةَ the-lump عِظَامًا bones فَكَسَوْنَا and-at-once-we-clothed الْعِظَامَ the-bones لَحْمًا flesh
F.4b fa-khalaqnā (fa-kha-LAQ-naa) and-at-once-we-created-PAST.1PL al-muḍgha (al-MUD-gha) the-lump-ACC ʿiẓāman (i-ZAA-man) bones-PL.ACC fa-kasawnā (fa-ka-SAW-naa) and-at-once-we-clothed-PAST.1PL al-ʿiẓām (al-i-ZAAM) the-bones-ACC laḥman (LAH-man) flesh-ACC
F.5a ثُمَّ then أَنْشَأْنَاهُ we-brought-him-forth خَلْقًا a-creation آخَرَ other فَتَبَارَكَ so-blessed-be اللَّهُ God أَحْسَنُ the-best الْخَالِقِينَ of-the-creators
F.5b thumma (THUM-ma) then anshaʾnāhu (an-sha'-NAA-hu) we-brought-forth-PAST.1PL-him khalqan (KHAL-qan) creation-ACC ākhar (AA-khar) other-ACC fa-tabāraka (fa-ta-BAA-ra-ka) so-blessed-be-PAST.3M.SG Allāh (al-LAAH) God-NOM aḥsanu (AH-sa-nu) best-NOM al-khāliqīn (al-khaa-li-QEEN) the-creators-PL.GEN
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ طِينٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُطْفَةً فِي قَرَارٍ مَكِينٍ ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنْشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ ۚ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ
wa-laqad khalaqnā al-insān min sulāla min ṭīn. thumma jaʿalnāhu nuṭfa fī qarār makīn. thumma khalaqnā an-nuṭfa ʿalaqa fa-khalaqnā al-ʿalaqa muḍgha fa-khalaqnā al-muḍgha ʿiẓāman fa-kasawnā al-ʿiẓām laḥman thumma anshaʾnāhu khalqan ākhar, fa-tabāraka Allāh aḥsanu al-khāliqīn.
"And indeed We created man from an extract of clay. Then We placed him as a drop in a firm resting-place. Then We made the drop into a clinging clot, and made the clot into a lump, and made the lump into bones, and clothed the bones with flesh; then We brought him forth as another creation. So blessed be God, the best of creators."
— Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Muʾminūn 23:12–14 (translation: Latinum Institute, kept close to the Arabic)
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ طِينٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُطْفَةً فِي قَرَارٍ مَكِينٍ ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنْشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ ۚ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ
Count the joining particles. The passage uses ثُمَّ three times and فَـ four times, and the pattern is deliberate.
- ثُمَّ marks the large transitions: from clay to the first drop, from the drop to the clot, and finally to "another creation." - فَـ links the quick stages inside the development: clot → lump → bones → flesh. Each one follows on from the one before.
Classical commentators, among them al-Ṭabarī, report that the last ثُمَّ, ثُمَّ أَنْشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ, refers to the breathing of the spirit into the embryo (نفخ الروح, nafkh ar-rūḥ). That change is greater in kind than all the stages before it. Here ثُمَّ marks a gap in time and also a gap in rank: what follows is weightier. This is the "delay" of ثُمَّ used rhetorically, as described in Section E.
Grammar notes:
- وَلَقَدْ (wa-laqad): و + لَـ (an oath or emphasis particle) + قَدْ (with a past verb: "certainly, already"). It is a strong opening, "and indeed." - خَلَقْنَا / جَعَلْنَا / أَنْشَأْنَا — the past tense, first person plural (the "We" of majesty), ending ـنا (-nā). - جَعَلْنَاهُ (jaʿalnāhu) and أَنْشَأْنَاهُ (anshaʾnāhu): the object pronoun ـهُ (-hu, "him") attached to the verb. - Verbs of making take two accusatives: خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً, "We made the drop (into) a clot." Both nouns end in ـَ / ـً. - فَتَبَارَكَ (fa-tabāraka): here فَـ gives the conclusion, "so blessed be…". This is the consequence use of فَـ from Section D §7, which ثُمَّ cannot do.
This passage is one of the best-known in the Qurʾān. It is recited widely, and in Arabic it is quoted in textbooks on grammar and rhetoric as much as in religious settings. For a learner it shows clearly that choosing between ثُمَّ and فَـ is a choice about meaning, not a matter of style. Read the Arabic aloud and listen to the rhythm: the long ثُمَّ stages, then the rapid فَـ… فَـ… فَـ of the embryo taking shape, then one final ثُمَّ before the doxology.
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52.16a استيقظ woke-up الصياد the-fisherman قبل before الفجر the-dawn ثم then صلى prayed
52.16b istayqaẓa (is-TAY-qa-za) woke-up-PAST.3M.SG aṣ-ṣayyād (as-say-YAAD) the-fisherman-NOM qabla (QAB-la) before al-fajr (al-FAJR) the-dawn-GEN thumma (THUM-ma) then ṣallā (SAL-laa) prayed-PAST.3M.SG
52.17a شرب he-drank قهوته his-coffee ثم then حمل he-carried شبكته his-net
52.17b shariba (SHA-ri-ba) he-drank-PAST.3M.SG qahwatahu (QAH-wa-ta-hu) coffee-ACC-his thumma (THUM-ma) then ḥamala (HA-ma-la) he-carried-PAST.3M.SG shabakatahu (sha-BA-ka-ta-hu) net-ACC-his
52.18a مشى he-walked إلى to الشاطئ the-shore ثم then دفع he-pushed قاربه his-boat إلى into الماء the-water
52.18b mashā (MA-shaa) he-walked-PAST.3M.SG ilā (I-laa) to ash-shāṭiʾ (ash-SHAA-ti') the-shore-GEN thumma (THUM-ma) then dafaʿa (DA-fa-'a) he-pushed-PAST.3M.SG qāribahu (QAA-ri-ba-hu) boat-ACC-his ilā (I-laa) into al-māʾ (al-MAA') the-water-GEN
52.19a جدف he-rowed بعيداً far عن from الميناء the-harbour ثم then ألقى he-cast الشبكة the-net
52.19b jaddafa (JAD-da-fa) he-rowed-PAST.3M.SG baʿīdan (ba-'EE-dan) far-ACC.ADV ʿan (an) from al-mīnāʾ (al-mee-NAA') the-harbour-GEN thumma (THUM-ma) then alqā (AL-qaa) he-cast-PAST.3M.SG ash-shabaka (ash-SHA-ba-ka) the-net-ACC
52.20a انتظر he-waited ساعةً an-hour ثم then ساعةً an-hour أخرى another
52.20b intaẓara (in-TA-za-ra) he-waited-PAST.3M.SG sāʿatan (SAA-'a-tan) hour-ACC thumma (THUM-ma) then sāʿatan (SAA-'a-tan) hour-ACC ukhrā (UKH-raa) another-F
52.21a ثم then شعر he-felt بثقل with-a-weight في in الشبكة the-net
52.21b thumma (THUM-ma) then shaʿara (SHA-'a-ra) he-felt-PAST.3M.SG bi-thiqal (bi-THI-qal) with-weight-GEN fī (fee) in ash-shabaka (ash-SHA-ba-ka) the-net-GEN
52.22a سحبها he-pulled-it ببطء with-slowness ثم then رأى he-saw السمك the-fish يلمع shining
52.22b saḥabahā (sa-HA-ba-haa) he-pulled-PAST.3M.SG-it-F bi-buṭʾ (bi-BUT') with-slowness-GEN thumma (THUM-ma) then raʾā (RA-'aa) he-saw-PAST.3M.SG as-samak (as-SA-mak) the-fish-ACC yalmaʿu (YAL-ma-'u) shines-PRES.3M.SG
52.23a ملأ he-filled سلاله his-baskets ثم then رجع he-returned نحو toward الشاطئ the-shore
52.23b malaʾa (MA-la-'a) he-filled-PAST.3M.SG silālahu (si-LAA-la-hu) baskets-PL.ACC-his thumma (THUM-ma) then rajaʿa (RA-ja-'a) he-returned-PAST.3M.SG naḥwa (NAH-wa) toward ash-shāṭiʾ (ash-SHAA-ti') the-shore-GEN
52.24a هبت blew الريح the-wind فجأةً suddenly ثم then هدأت it-calmed
52.24b habbat (HAB-bat) blew-PAST.3F.SG ar-rīḥ (ar-REEH) the-wind-F.NOM fajʾatan (FAJ-'a-tan) suddenly-ACC.ADV thumma (THUM-ma) then hadaʾat (HA-da-'at) calmed-PAST.3F.SG
52.25a وصل he-arrived إلى at الميناء the-harbour ثم then باع he-sold السمك the-fish في in السوق the-market
52.25b waṣala (WA-sa-la) he-arrived-PAST.3M.SG ilā (I-laa) at al-mīnāʾ (al-mee-NAA') the-harbour-GEN thumma (THUM-ma) then bāʿa (BAA-'a) he-sold-PAST.3M.SG as-samak (as-SA-mak) the-fish-ACC fī (fee) in as-sūq (as-SOOQ) the-market-GEN
52.26a اشترى he-bought خبزاً bread ثم then اشترى he-bought حلوى sweets لابنته for-his-daughter
52.26b ishtarā (ISH-ta-raa) he-bought-PAST.3M.SG khubzan (KHUB-zan) bread-ACC thumma (THUM-ma) then ishtarā (ISH-ta-raa) he-bought-PAST.3M.SG ḥalwā (HAL-waa) sweets-ACC li-bnatihi (LIB-na-ti-hi) for-daughter-GEN-his
52.27a رجع he-returned إلى to بيته his-house ثم then جلس he-sat مع with أسرته his-family
52.27b rajaʿa (RA-ja-'a) he-returned-PAST.3M.SG ilā (I-laa) to baytihi (BAY-ti-hi) house-GEN-his thumma (THUM-ma) then jalasa (JA-la-sa) he-sat-PAST.3M.SG maʿa (MA-'a) with usratihi (US-ra-ti-hi) family-GEN-his
52.28a أكلوا they-ate العشاء the-supper معاً together ثم then حكى he-told لهم to-them قصة story البحر the-sea
52.28b akalū (A-ka-loo) they-ate-PAST.3M.PL al-ʿashāʾ (al-'a-SHAA') the-supper-ACC maʿan (MA-'an) together-ACC.ADV thumma (THUM-ma) then ḥakā (HA-kaa) he-told-PAST.3M.SG lahum (LA-hum) to-them-M.PL qiṣṣat (QIS-sat) story-ACC.CONSTRUCT al-baḥr (al-BAHR) the-sea-GEN
52.29a ضحك laughed الأطفال the-children ثم then ناموا they-slept
52.29b ḍaḥika (DA-hi-ka) laughed-PAST.3M.SG al-aṭfāl (al-at-FAAL) the-children-PL.NOM thumma (THUM-ma) then nāmū (NAA-moo) they-slept-PAST.3M.PL
52.30a ثم then نام slept الصياد the-fisherman وهو and-he يحلم dreams بالبحر of-the-sea
52.30b thumma (THUM-ma) then nāma (NAA-ma) slept-PAST.3M.SG aṣ-ṣayyād (as-say-YAAD) the-fisherman-NOM wa-huwa (wa-HU-wa) and-he yaḥlumu (YAH-lu-mu) dreams-PRES.3M.SG bi-l-baḥr (bil-BAHR) of-the-sea-GEN
52.16 استيقظ الصياد قبل الفجر ثم صلى — istayqaẓa aṣ-ṣayyād qabla al-fajr thumma ṣallā — "The fisherman woke before dawn, then prayed."
52.17 شرب قهوته ثم حمل شبكته — shariba qahwatahu thumma ḥamala shabakatahu — "He drank his coffee, then picked up his net."
52.18 مشى إلى الشاطئ ثم دفع قاربه إلى الماء — mashā ilā ash-shāṭiʾ thumma dafaʿa qāribahu ilā al-māʾ — "He walked down to the shore, then pushed his boat into the water."
52.19 جدف بعيداً عن الميناء ثم ألقى الشبكة — jaddafa baʿīdan ʿan al-mīnāʾ thumma alqā ash-shabaka — "He rowed far out from the harbour, then cast the net."
52.20 انتظر ساعةً ثم ساعةً أخرى — intaẓara sāʿatan thumma sāʿatan ukhrā — "He waited an hour, then another hour."
52.21 ثم شعر بثقل في الشبكة — thumma shaʿara bi-thiqal fī ash-shabaka — "Then he felt a weight in the net."
52.22 سحبها ببطء ثم رأى السمك يلمع — saḥabahā bi-buṭʾ thumma raʾā as-samak yalmaʿu — "He hauled it in slowly, then saw the fish glinting."
52.23 ملأ سلاله ثم رجع نحو الشاطئ — malaʾa silālahu thumma rajaʿa naḥwa ash-shāṭiʾ — "He filled his baskets, then headed back toward the shore."
52.24 هبت الريح فجأةً ثم هدأت — habbat ar-rīḥ fajʾatan thumma hadaʾat — "Suddenly the wind blew up, and then it died down."
52.25 وصل إلى الميناء ثم باع السمك في السوق — waṣala ilā al-mīnāʾ thumma bāʿa as-samak fī as-sūq — "He reached the harbour, then sold the fish in the market."
52.26 اشترى خبزاً ثم اشترى حلوى لابنته — ishtarā khubzan thumma ishtarā ḥalwā li-bnatihi — "He bought bread, then bought sweets for his daughter."
52.27 رجع إلى بيته ثم جلس مع أسرته — rajaʿa ilā baytihi thumma jalasa maʿa usratihi — "He went home, then sat with his family."
52.28 أكلوا العشاء معاً ثم حكى لهم قصة البحر — akalū al-ʿashāʾ maʿan thumma ḥakā lahum qiṣṣat al-baḥr — "They ate supper together, then he told them the story of the sea."
52.29 ضحك الأطفال ثم ناموا — ḍaḥika al-aṭfāl thumma nāmū — "The children laughed, then fell asleep."
52.30 ثم نام الصياد وهو يحلم بالبحر — thumma nāma aṣ-ṣayyād wa-huwa yaḥlumu bi-l-baḥr — "Then the fisherman slept, dreaming of the sea."
52.16 استيقظ الصياد قبل الفجر ثم صلى
52.17 شرب قهوته ثم حمل شبكته
52.18 مشى إلى الشاطئ ثم دفع قاربه إلى الماء
52.19 جدف بعيداً عن الميناء ثم ألقى الشبكة
52.20 انتظر ساعةً ثم ساعةً أخرى
52.21 ثم شعر بثقل في الشبكة
52.22 سحبها ببطء ثم رأى السمك يلمع
52.23 ملأ سلاله ثم رجع نحو الشاطئ
52.24 هبت الريح فجأةً ثم هدأت
52.25 وصل إلى الميناء ثم باع السمك في السوق
52.26 اشترى خبزاً ثم اشترى حلوى لابنته
52.27 رجع إلى بيته ثم جلس مع أسرته
52.28 أكلوا العشاء معاً ثم حكى لهم قصة البحر
52.29 ضحك الأطفال ثم ناموا
52.30 ثم نام الصياد وهو يحلم بالبحر
- A chain of ثُمَّ. The story is a string of actions, each separated from the next by a stretch of time: a walk, an hour's wait, the row home. That is why ثُمَّ, not فَـ, joins them. A native writer would vary the chain with a few فَـ (e.g. سحبها ببطء فرأى السمك يلمع, "he hauled it in and at once saw the fish"). Here every link is ثُمَّ, so that the headword is practised. - ثُمَّ joining nouns. In 52.20, انتظر ساعةً ثم ساعةً أخرى, ثُمَّ joins two accusative nouns, not two verbs. The second ساعةً takes the same case as the first. - ثُمَّ opening a sentence. 52.21 and 52.30 begin with ثُمَّ, the storyteller's "And then…." - Verb before subject. Arabic narrative usually puts the verb first: استيقظ الصياد, "woke the fisherman." A verb placed before its subject stays singular even when the subject is plural: ضحك الأطفال (52.29). Once the children have been named, the next verb carries their plural in its own ending: ناموا, "they slept." - Feminine agreement. الريح (the wind) is feminine, so both verbs in 52.24 take ـت: هبت… هدأت. - The ḥāl clause. وهو يحلم بالبحر (52.30), "and he dreaming of the sea," is a circumstantial clause (جملة حالية). It describes the state of the subject while the main action happens. Compare 52.13, وهو صغير. - Adverbial accusatives. بعيداً, فجأةً, معاً (like طويلاً and قليلاً in Section A) are nouns or adjectives in the accusative with tanwīn (ـاً / ـةً) doing the work of English adverbs.
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- IPA: /ˈθum.ma/ - ث (thāʾ) = /θ/, the voiceless "th" of English thin, not the "th" of this, and not t or s (which are dialect pronunciations). - ـمّ (shadda on mīm) = a doubled m. Hold the m for twice its normal length, as in English "hom made": thum-ma, never thu-ma. - Stress falls on the first syllable: THUM-ma.
- ثُمَّ (thumma) /ˈθum.ma/ "then" vs ثَمَّ (thamma) /ˈθam.ma/ "there": the only difference is u vs a. - فَـ (fa-) /fa/ is a light, unstressed prefix: فَخَلَقْنَا /fa.xa.ˈlaq.naː/.
- ع (ʿayn) /ʕ/ in عمل (ʿamila), نعم (naʿam), رجع (rajaʿa): a voiced constriction deep in the throat. Written ' in the respellings. - ح (ḥāʾ) /ħ/ in أحمد, حمل, البحر: a breathy, whispered h from the throat, as when fogging a glass. - خ (khāʾ) /x/ in خرجت, خبز: as in Scottish loch. - ق (qāf) /q/ in القطار, قهوة: a k made further back, at the uvula. - The emphatics ص ض ط ظ /sˤ dˤ tˤ ðˤ/ in الصياد, ضحك, الطالب, انتظرنا: pronounced with the back of the tongue raised, which darkens the neighbouring vowels. - Hamza (ء) /ʔ/ in قرأت, الشاطئ, بطء: a glottal stop, the catch in uh-oh, written ' in the respellings.
Before a word beginning with al- the article joins the preceding word, and before "sun letters" (ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن) the l assimilates: الشاي → ash-shāy, الطين → aṭ-ṭīn, الريح → ar-rīḥ. Before "moon letters" the l is heard: القطار → al-qiṭār.
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