Breakdown of أرسل الرسالة إليها بالبريد.
الal
the
إلىilâ
to
هاhâ
her / her (object) / it (feminine)
بbi
by, with (attached)
أرسلarsala
to send
رسالةrisâla
letter / message
بريدbarîd
mail
Questions & Answers about أرسل الرسالة إليها بالبريد.
How does the preposition إلى (to) become إليها (to her)?
The preposition إلى ends in a special letter (ى) that sounds like 'a'. When you attach a pronoun suffix like ـها (her) to it, that letter changes into a regular ي so it can physically connect to the next letter. That is why it is spelled and pronounced إليها (ilayhaa).
Where is the word for 'he' in this sentence?
In Arabic, the subject 'he' is already built into the verb أرسل (arsala), which is the default past tense form meaning 'he sent'. You do not need a separate pronoun for 'he' unless you want to add extra emphasis.
Why is 'by mail' written as بالبريد instead of just ببريد?
The sentence actually translates more literally to 'by THE mail'. The word for 'mail' is بريد and 'the mail' is البريد. When we add the one-letter preposition بـ (meaning 'by' or 'with') to a word starting with الـ (the), it attaches directly to the front. You still write the first letter of 'the' (the tall ا), even though you glide right past it when speaking.
Do the words for 'sent' (أرسل) and 'letter' (الرسالة) look similar on purpose?
Yes! Arabic vocabulary is built on a root system. Both of these words share the same three core letters: ر - س - ل (r-s-l), which relate to sending or messages. Spotting these root letters is a great trick for remembering new vocabulary.
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