اِسْتَطَاعَbe able

Example sentences

• فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَسْتَطِيع أَن يحبس عَنْك الْمَدّ

  For he will not be able to hold back the tide from you.

  يَسْتَطِيعُ — he is able. Present-tense verb, subject 'he' built in.

  From: Luqman's Response to Injustice →

• وَهُمْ مَعَ ذَلِكَ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ تَرْكَهَا

  Yet they are unable to give them up.

  يَسْتَطِيعُونَ — they are unable. Present-tense verb with '-una' 'they' built into the ending; negated to 'they cannot'. The prefixed shape marks the 'have the power to' pattern.

  From: The Discipline of Foresight →

• وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ، وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ، وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إنْ اسْتَطَعْت إلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا

  And give the obligatory charity, fast during Ramadan, and perform the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to find a way to it.

  اِسْتَطَعْتَ — are able. The verb of the 'if'-clause, 'you were able'. Although past in shape, after a conditional 'if' it reads as a present/future possibility, which is how Arabic expresses 'if you are able'. The 'you' subject is fused into the verb's ending, so no separate pronoun is needed.

  From: When Gabriel Came to Teach →