Past Possession: "Had"
In Arabic, there is no single verb for "to have." Instead, you use a preposition of possession like عند (with/at) or لـ (to/for) with attached pronouns. To talk about possession in the past ("had"), place the past tense verb كان (was) before the prepositional phrase.
Because the possessed item is grammatically the subject of the sentence, the verb must agree with the gender of the possessed item, not the owner. Use كان for masculine items and كانت for feminine items.
When discussing cars, you will often use adjectives like automatic (أوتوماتيكي) or comprehensive (شامل). Adjectives follow the nouns they modify and agree in gender.
| When I visited Egypt, I had an automatic car. | عندما زرت مصر، كانت عندي سيارة أوتوماتيكية.'indama zurtu misra, kânat 'indî sayyâratun ûtûmâtîkiyyah |
| He had comprehensive insurance when he rented the car. | كان عنده تأمين شامل عندما استأجر السيارة.kâna 'indahu ta'mînun shâmilun 'indamâ ista'jara as-sayyârata. |
| When he paid the deposit, he had a rental contract. | عندما دفع الوديعة، كان له عقد إيجار.indamâ dafa'a al-wadî'ata, kâna lahu 'aqdu îjârin. |
Fuel and Deposits
When arranging a rental, you will likely need to leave a deposit (وديعة). Pay attention to the vehicle's fuel (وقود) and remember to fill the tank (خزان) before returning it.
| The company requires a deposit of one hundred dollars. | تطلب الشركة وديعة مئة دولار.tatlubu ash-sharikatu wadee'ata mi'ati doolarin |
| You must fill the fuel tank before you return the car. | يجب أن تملأ خزان الوقود قبل أن ترجع السيارة.yajibu an tamla'a khazzâna al-waqûdi qabla an turji'a as-sayyârata |
Distance and Limits
Rental contracts often have rules about the distance (مسافة) you can drive. Check if the mileage is limited (محدود) and find out what the charge is for an additional (إضافي) kilometer (كيلومتر).
| Is the distance limited in the rental contract? | هل المسافة محدودة في عقد الإيجار؟hal al-masâfatu mahdûdatun fî 'aqdi al-'îjâr? |
| The additional kilometer is expensive. | الكيلومتر الإضافي غال.al-kîlûmitru al-'iDâfiyyu ghâlin |
