Questions & Answers about الطبيب يذهب إلى المستشفى مبكرا.
Why does the word مبكرا (early) have an extra Alif and two little dashes at the end?
The two dashes represent the '-an' sound, and in Arabic, when a word is used as an adverb to describe how, when, or to what degree something happens (like 'early', 'very', or 'a lot'), it takes this ending. This is called the accusative case. Whenever a word gets this indefinite '-an' ending, spelling rules usually require us to add a silent Alif (ا) at the very end as a placeholder.
Is the '-an' sound in مبكرا pronounced on the letter Ra (ر) or the Alif (ا)?
The '-an' sound is attached to the letter Ra (ر). You pronounce the word as 'mubakkiran'. The final Alif (ا) is just a silent placeholder used in writing this specific grammar case, so you don't actually voice it.
Why does المستشفى (the hospital) end with a shape like a Yaa (ي) but without the two dots?
That letter is called an 'Alif Maqsura' (broken Alif). Even though it looks like a dotless Yaa, it is pronounced exactly like a regular Alif (a long 'aa' sound). You will see it at the end of many common words, including the word إلى (to) right before it!
Can I start this sentence with the verb يذهب (goes) instead of the noun الطبيب (the doctor)?
Yes, you absolutely can! Arabic allows both word orders. You could say يذهب الطبيب إلى المستشفى مبكرا (literally 'Goes the doctor to the hospital early') and it means exactly the same thing. Starting with the noun just puts a tiny bit more focus on the doctor.