Emphasizing the Subject (SVO Word Order)
In Arabic, sentences describing an action usually start with the verb (Verb-Subject-Object). However, you can change the word order to Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) to emphasize the subject or to establish it as the main topic of your sentence.
When you start the sentence with a noun, it technically becomes a "nominal sentence" in Arabic grammar.
| The rain is falling now. | المطر ينزل الآن.al-mataru yanzilu al-ân |
| The snow falls in the winter. | الثلج ينزل في الشتاء.ath-thalju yanzilu fish-shitâ'i |
Talking about Weather and Seasons
This topicalized word order is frequently used when setting a scene, describing a state, or talking about general facts, making it perfect for discussing the weather and the seasons.
| The man wears heavy clothes in the winter. | الرجل يلبس ملابس ثقيلة في الشتاء.ar-rajulu yalbasu malâbisa thaqîlatan fi ash-shitâ'i |
| The girl wears new clothes in the autumn. | البنت تلبس ملابس جديدة في الخريف.al-bintu talbasu malâbisa jadîdatan fî al-kharîfi. |
| The family travels in the summer season. | العائلة تسافر في فصل الصيف.al-â'ilatu tusâfiru fî fasli as-sayfi. |
Verb Agreement in Topicalized Sentences
When you use the standard Verb-Subject order, the verb stays singular even if the subject is plural. However, in this Subject-Verb order, the verb comes after the noun. Because of this, the verb must fully agree with the subject in both gender and number.
If you start your sentence with a plural subject, you must use a plural verb.
| The friends sit in the garden in the spring. | الأصدقاء يجلسون في الحديقة في الربيع.al-asdiqâ'u yajlisûna fî al-hadîqati fî ar-rabî' |