Breakdown of هل الصور الجديدة مهمة؟
الal
the
هلhal
is / are (question marker)
جديدjadeed
new
مهمmuhimm
important
صورةsûra
picture
Questions & Answers about هل الصور الجديدة مهمة؟
Why are the words for new (الجديدة) and important (مهمة) in the feminine singular if pictures (الصور) is plural?
This is the core rule of non-human plurals in Arabic! Because pictures (الصور) are non-human, their plural is treated grammatically as a single female. Therefore, the adjectives describing them, like new (الجديدة) and important (مهمة), must take the feminine singular form ending in a Taa Marbuutaa.
Why does new (الجديدة) have al- (ال) attached to it, but important (مهمة) does not?
This shows the difference between a describing adjective and the predicate (the news of the sentence). الجديدة has ال to match الصور, linking them closely together to mean the new pictures. مهمة does not have ال, which tells us it is the word completing the sentence: the new pictures ARE important.
Is الصور (the pictures) a regular or irregular plural?
It is an irregular (broken) plural. The singular is صورة (picture). Instead of adding a regular plural ending, the word's internal structure changes to صور. You will see broken plurals very often in Arabic, and they usually just need to be memorized.
Does هل literally translate to the word are?
Not exactly. Arabic does not use the verb to be (like am, is, or are) in the present tense. هل is simply a question particle used at the beginning of a yes-or-no sentence. It acts like a spoken question mark to let the listener know they are being asked a question.
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