The Arabic Nominal Sentence: Five Things You Need to Know
1. The nominal sentence is composed of two parts: the subject (mubtada’ مبتدأ , from the verb bada’a بدأ , to start) and the predicate (khabar خبر , meaning: news).
2. The subject (mubtada’) can be a noun or a pronoun: aTTalibu jadiidun,الطالب جديد / huwa jadiidun,هو جديد .
3. The subject (mubtada’) is always definite (either a proper noun, with a definite article, with a possessive pronun suffix or with and additional noun, iDaafa). See my article and podcast on “How to Define a Noun”.
4. The predicate (khabar) can be:
· a noun: aTTallibu Tabiibun,الطالب طبيب .
· an adjective: aTTaalibu mumtaazun, الطالب ممتاز.
· an adverb: aTTalibu hunaa, الطالب هنا .
· a verb (or verbal sentence), aTTalibu yadrusu, الطالب يدرس .
5. The predicate (khabar) (if it is a noun or an adjective) is usually indefinite. The fact that the predicate is indefinite makes this a sentence. It automatically creates an invisible verb “to be” before the predicate.
· aTTallibu Tabiibun,الطالب طبيب .
· aTTaalibu mumtaazun, الطالب ممتاز.
See my blog and podcast on “What if my Predicate is Definite?”
Bonus tip:
Both the subject (mubtada’) and the predicate (khabar) take the nominative case. There are exceptions to this rule. In the singular:
· a noun: aTTallibu Tabiibun,الطالب طبيب .
· an adjective: aTTaalibu mumtaazun, الطالب ممتاز.
The ”u” or “un” suffix is the nominative declension in the singular. See my blog and podcast on Nunation.
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