Breakdown of البنت المجتهدة في المدرسة.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
مدرسةmadrasah
school
مجتهدmujtahid
hardworking
بنتbint
girl; daughter
Questions & Answers about البنت المجتهدة في المدرسة.
Why does the word for "hardworking" (المجتهدة) start with "al-" (الـ)?
In Arabic, adjectives must match the noun they describe. Because "the girl" (البنت) is definite and starts with "al-", the adjective describing her must also start with "al-". This matching is what connects them together to mean "the hardworking girl" rather than "the girl is hardworking".
"Girl" (البنت) doesn't end in a "taa marbuuta" (ة). Why does the adjective المجتهدة have one?
Adjectives must match their nouns in gender. Even though البنت is an exception that doesn't end in the typical feminine letter "taa marbuuta" (ة), it is still a feminine word because of its meaning. Therefore, any adjective describing it must take the regular feminine ة ending.
Why does the Arabic literally say "The girl the hardworking" instead of "The hardworking girl"?
In Arabic, adjectives always come after the noun they are describing. You introduce the noun you are talking about first (البنت), and then you give the descriptive word (المجتهدة).
Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?
Arabic does not use a word for "is" or "are" in present-tense sentences. You simply put the subject phrase ("The hardworking girl") next to the location information ("in the school"). The "is" is naturally understood by the listener!
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