Questions & Answers about ينظفون الملابس القديمة.
How can we tell that ينظفون means "they clean" and not "he cleans"?
The verb has two clues: it starts with يـ which is often used for "he" or "they", and it ends with the plural suffix ـون. Whenever you see this يـ ... ـون pattern on a present tense verb, it means "they" (for a masculine or mixed group).
Is it wrong to say هم ينظفون instead of just ينظفون?
It is not wrong, but it is usually unnecessary. In Arabic, the verb ينظفون already has "they" built into it. Adding the separate pronoun هم is generally only done if you want to add emphasis, like saying "THEY are the ones cleaning."
Why does the adjective القديمة have the singular feminine ending ـة if it describes plural clothes?
This is a very important Arabic rule: non-human plurals (like objects, animals, or concepts) are treated grammatically as singular feminine. Since الملابس (clothes) is a non-human plural, its adjective must take the singular feminine form القديمة.
Both الملابس and القديمة start with الـ (the). What happens if we drop الـ from the adjective?
Adjectives must match their noun in being definite or indefinite. If you drop the الـ and say الملابس قديمة, the phrase breaks its link and becomes a full sentence meaning "The clothes are old." By keeping الـ on both words, they stick together to mean "the old clothes."
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