Breakdown of الطالب يدرس في المدرسة.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
طالبtâlib
student
مدرسةmadrasah
school
درسdarasa
to study
Questions & Answers about الطالب يدرس في المدرسة.
Why does the word for studies, يدرس, start with the letter ي (ya)?
In Arabic, present tense verbs change their beginning to match who is doing the action. The prefix يـ (ya-) is the marker for he or a singular masculine noun. Since الطالب (the male student) is doing the studying, we use this prefix.
Are the words for studies (يدرس) and school (المدرسة) related?
Yes! Arabic words are built from root letters. Both of these words share the core letters د - ر - س (d-r-s), which have to do with studying or learning. يدرس is the action of studying, and المدرسة is the physical place where studying happens.
Why does the noun الطالب come before the verb يدرس? I thought Arabic sentences usually start with the verb.
Arabic actually allows both! You can start with the verb (يدرس الطالب) or with the noun (الطالب يدرس). Starting with the noun is completely natural and is often used when you want to establish the subject of the sentence first.
How do I pronounce the word for the student, الطالب? Do I pronounce the L in the Al- prefix?
No, you skip the L sound here and pronounce it at-taalib. The letter ط is a sun letter, which means it absorbs the L sound from the word the (الـ). You simply double the ط sound instead.
Learn الطالب يدرس في المدرسة and more in Arabic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free