Breakdown of سعر ذلك التفاح رخيص.
الal
the
سعرsi'r
price
ذلكzâlika
that (masculine)
رخيصrakhîs
cheap
تفاحtuffâh
apples
Questions & Answers about سعر ذلك التفاح رخيص.
The English translation says 'those apples', so why does the Arabic use ذلك which means 'that'?
In Arabic, the word for apples, التفاح, is a 'collective noun.' It refers to apples as a whole group or category rather than individual objects. Because of this, it is usually treated grammatically as a masculine singular noun. Literally, the Arabic translates to 'that apple [in general].'
How does the grammar work for ذلك التفاح? Why does 'apples' have الـ (the) attached?
When a demonstrative like ذلك (that/those) is followed directly by a noun with الـ (the), they link together to mean 'that [noun]' or 'those [noun]s'. If you dropped the الـ and just wrote ذلك تفاح, it would change the meaning into a full sentence: 'That is an apple.'
Where is the word for 'of' in 'the price of those apples'?
There is no separate word for 'of' here. The sentence uses a common Arabic possession structure (often called an Idafa). By placing سعر (price) directly before the phrase ذلك التفاح (those apples), the 'of' is naturally understood. Notice that سعر does not have الـ (the) at the beginning, which is the rule for the first word in this structure.
Why is the word for cheap (رخيص) masculine singular?
The adjective رخيص describes the word سعر (price), not the apples! The sentence is saying that the price is cheap. Because سعر is a masculine singular noun, its describing adjective رخيص must also be masculine singular.
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