Negation
The word mishmish مـِش is used to negate a phrase. It is either placed in front of the verb or preposition, or wrapped around it.
| Structure | English | Arabic |
| Preposition | I have cigarettes |  Aandi sagaayarAandy sagaayarعـَندي سـَجا َيـَر |
| I don't have any cigarettes | maAandeesh sagaayarmaAandysh sagaayar مـَعـَنديش سـَجا َيـَر | |
| There is water | fi mayaahfy mayaah في مـَيا َه | |
| There is no water | mafeesh mayaahmafysh mayaah مـَفيش مـَيا َه | |
| kaan | I was there | 'ana kunt hinaakaacnaa kunt hinaak أنا َ كـُنت هـِنا َك |
| I was not there | 'ana makuntish hinaakaacnaa makuntish hinaak أنا َ مـَكـُنت ِش هـِنا َك | |
| perfect | I saw Ahmed | 'ana shuft 'ahmadaacnaa shuft aacHmad أنا َ شـُفت أحمـَد |
| I did not see Ahmed | 'ana mashuftish 'ahmadaacnaa mashuftish aacHmad أنا َ مـَشـُفت ِش أحمـَد | |
| participle | I know | 'ana Aaarifaacnaa Aaarif أنا َ عا َر ِف |
| I do not know | 'ana mish Aaarifaacnaa mish Aaarif أنا َ مـِش عا َر ِف 'ana maAaarifshaacnaa maAaarifsh أنا َ مـَعا َر ِفش | |
| imperfect | He wants to eat | Aaayiz yaakulAaayiz yaakul عا َيـِز يا َكـُل |
| He does not want to eat | mish Aaayiz yaakulmish Aaayiz yaakul مـِش عا َيـِز يا َكـُل | |
| he must not eat | mayaakulshmayaakulsh مـَيا َكـُلش | |
| bi-imperfect | I like this book | bahibb ilkitaab dahbaHibb iil-kitaab dah بـَحـِبّ ا ِلكـِتا َب د َه |
| I do not like this book | mabahibbsh ilkitaab dahmabaHibbsh iil-kitaab dah مـَبـَحـِبّش ا ِلكـِتا َب د َه less common... mish bahibb ilkitaab dahmish baHibb iil-kitaab dahمـِش بـَحـِبّ ا ِلكـِتا َب د َه ] | |
| Ha-imperfect | I will buy the book | hashtiri ilkitaabhaashtiry iil-kitaab ها َشتـِري ا ِلكـِتا َب |
| I will not buy the book | mish hashtiri ilkitaabmish haashtiry iil-kitaab مـِش ها َشتـِري ا ِلكـِتا َب | |
| imperative | go away! | iimshy! |
| don't go! | use mish+you-imperfectmatimsheeshmatimshysh مـَتـِمشيش |
Sometimes ma- is used on it own- the -sh does not appear after the word. There are no rules about when this can happen.