Deaf, dumb and blind - so they will not return [to the right path].
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
صُمٌّۢ
(Deaf,)
Root صمم — to be deaf, deafness · 15 times in the Quran
صُمٌّۢword 1
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a quality or those who bear it. صُمٌّ names 'deaf ones', from the root صمم, deafness. L1 · R6
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. صُمٌّ is a 'broken' plural — its inner shape reshaped from the singular — naming many deaf ones, not one. L2 · R6
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' something — no particular one — and shows this with the doubled end-vowel tanwīn. صُمٌّ carries the tanwīn ـٌ (a doubled ḍammah), marking it as an unspecified description: deaf. L2 · R8
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes when it completes what is said about a topic, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — or here the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ, a small curl above the last letter. صُمٌّ carries that ـٌ, telling of them: they are deaf. L2 · R10
Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate is the part that tells you something about the topic, and it stands in the nominative, here shown by the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ. صُمٌّ carries that ـٌ and tells what they are: deaf. L6 · R3
They are deaf, and thus cannot hear the guidance.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:18
بُكْمٌ
(…dumb)
Root بكم — dumb, mute, unable to speak · 6 times in the Quran
بُكْمٌword 2
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a quality or those who bear it. بُكْمٌ names 'mute ones', from the root بكم, unable to speak. L1 · R6
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. بُكْمٌ is a 'broken' plural — its inner shape reshaped from the singular — naming many mute ones, not one. L2 · R6
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' something — no particular one — and shows this with the doubled end-vowel tanwīn. بُكْمٌ carries the tanwīn ـٌ (a doubled ḍammah), marking it as an unspecified description: dumb. L2 · R8
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes when it tells something about a topic, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — or here the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ, a small curl above the last letter. بُكْمٌ carries that ـٌ, telling of them: they are dumb. L2 · R10
Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate is the part that tells you something about the topic, standing in the nominative, here the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ. بُكْمٌ carries that ـٌ and tells another thing about them: dumb. L6 · R3
They are dumb, and cannot utter the words that might benefit them.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:18
عُمْىٌۭ
(…and blind -)
Root عمي — to be blind, blindness · 33 times in the Quran
عُمْىٌۭword 3
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a quality or those who bear it. عُمْىٌ names 'blind ones', from the root عمي, blindness. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. عُمْىٌ is a 'broken' plural — its inner shape reshaped from the singular — naming many blind ones, not one. L2 · R6
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' or 'any' something — no particular one — and shows this with the doubled end-vowel tanwīn. عُمْىٌ carries the tanwīn ـٌ (a doubled ḍammah), marking it as an unspecified description: blind. L2 · R8
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes when it tells something about a topic, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ — or here the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ, a small curl above the last letter. عُمْىٌ carries that ـٌ, telling of them: they are blind. L2 · R10
Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate is the part that tells you something about the topic, standing in the nominative, here the doubled tanwīn ḍammah ـٌ. عُمْىٌ carries that ـٌ and tells a third thing about them: blind. L6 · R3
They are blind, in total darkness and deviation.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:18
So far: “Deaf, dumb and blind -”
فَهُمْ
(…so they)
فَهُمْword 4
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word like 'so' or 'and then' that ties one part of speech to another. The prefix فَ here draws the next statement out of what came before: 'so they…'. L4 · R4
Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA detached pronoun is a standalone word for 'they', 'you', 'I', and the like. هُمْ is the standalone word 'they', naming those spoken of. L3 · R2
Subject (Mubtada') · مبتدأThe subject is the word a sentence talks about — its topic — and it stands in the nominative, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. هُمْ 'they' stands as this topic; a pronoun keeps one fixed shape, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one, and 'will not return' is said about them. L6 · R2
لَا يَرْجِعُونَ
(…will not return [to the right path].)
Root رجع — to return, bring back, turn back · 104 times in the Quran
لَاword 5
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. لَا is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Negation Particle · حرف نفيA negation particle is a word meaning 'not'. لَا negates the present-tense verb after it: 'they will not return'. L4 · R5
Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate is the part that tells you something about the topic, and it can be a whole verb-sentence. The topic was هُمْ 'they'; this negated verb-sentence, 'do not return', is what is said about them: so they will not return. L6 · R6
يَرْجِعُونَword 6
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. يَرْجِعُونَ names an action — returning — from the root رجع, to return or turn back. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb describes ongoing or coming action and opens with one of the four prefixes أ ن ي ت. يَرْجِعُونَ opens with يَ; with لَا before it, it means 'they will not return'. L8 · R3
The Five Verbs · الأفعال الخمسةThe Five Verbs are the five present shapes ending in نَ, one being يَفْعَلُونَ 'they do'. يَرْجِعُونَ has that ونَ ending marking 'they', and its kept نَ shows it stands in its plain mood after the simple negation لَا. L10 · R10
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ونَ ending on يَرْجِعُونَ is such a suffix, standing for 'they' — the ones who will not return. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ونَ ending on يَرْجِعُونَ is that doer, 'they'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
Because they cannot get back to the state of guidance they were in — having sold it for misguidance — they will not return to the right path.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:18
So far: “Deaf, dumb and blind - so they will not return [to the right path].”