How sure are you?
You know the scale: من الممكن أن possible, من المحتمل أن likely, لا بد أن it must be. At the top sits من المؤكد أن(mina al-mu'akkadi anna), it is certain that. Like من المعروف أن it states a fact, so a noun or an attached pronoun follows: أنه, أن الامتحان.
| It is certain that he will be late; he is always late. | من المؤكد أنه سيتأخر، فهو يتأخر دائما.mina al-mu'akkadi annahu sayata'akhkharu, fahuwa yata'akhkharu dâ'iman. |
Here لا بد أن is a deduction (with أنْ + a verb it also means must, have to: لا بد أن تذهب); من المؤكد أن is what you know. As a one-word answer, say أكيد.
| Is it certain that the meeting is tomorrow? — Yes, definitely. | هل من المؤكد أن الاجتماع غدا؟ — نعم، أكيد.hal mina al-mu'akkadi anna al-ijtimâ'a ghadan? — na'am, akeed. |
Supposed to
من المفروض أن(mina al-mafrûdi an) + subjunctive is supposed to: what the plan or the rule says. It is softer than يجب, and it often hints that it is not happening. With كان in front it is was supposed to: something that did not happen. Said to someone, it is a reproach.
| The children are supposed to be asleep now, but they are playing. | من المفروض أن ينام الأطفال الآن، لكنهم يلعبون.mina al-mafrûdi an yanâma al-atfâlu al-âna, lâkinnahum yal'abûna |
| You were supposed to call me yesterday! | كان من المفروض أن تتصل بي أمس!kâna mina al-mafrûdi an tattasila bî amsi! |
Considering, and taking responsibility
اعتبر(i'tabara) to consider takes two objects: the person or thing, then what you consider it. عد to count can do this in formal writing; اعتبر is the everyday word.
| I consider him my best friend. | أعتبره أفضل صديق لي.a'tabiruhu afdala sadîqin lî. |
تحمل المسؤولية(tahammala l-mas'ûliyyah) is to take responsibility; تحمل alone is to endure. What it is for follows with عن.
| Nobody took responsibility for the accident. | لم يتحمل أحد المسؤولية عن الحادث.lam yatahammal ahadun al-mas'uliyyata 'ani al-hadithi |
Too late, and still
فات الأوان(fâtal-awân) (the time has passed) is it is too late, often after a regret. Negated: لم يفت الأوان بعد, it's not too late yet.
| I regretted my words, but it was too late. | ندمت على كلامي، لكن فات الأوان.nadimtu 'alâ kalâmî, lâkin fâta al-'awân. |
ما برح(mâ bariha) means what ما زال means, still, kept on, but belongs to written Arabic. It works the same way, with an accusative predicate (an adjective or a noun) or a present verb.
| The child has kept on crying since the morning. | ما برح الطفل يبكي منذ الصباح.mâ bariha-ttiflu yabkî mundhu-ssabâh |
