Breakdown of أتمنى أن أصبح مديرا.
مديرmudîr
manager
أنan
to (with verbs)
تمنىtamannâ
to wish
أصبحasbaha
to become
Questions & Answers about أتمنى أن أصبح مديرا.
Why is there an أن between the two verbs?
In Arabic, when you want to use two verbs together like "I wish to become", you cannot just put them side-by-side. You must use the connecting word أن (which translates to "to" or "that") to link them. So, the sentence literally reads "I wish that I become".
Does the word أن change the verb أصبح (I become)?
Yes! When a present tense verb comes directly after أن, its final short vowel changes. Normally, "I become" would end in a "u" sound (أصبحُ). But because of أن, the ending changes to an "a" sound (أصبحَ). This is a special grammar rule for verbs following this particle.
Both أتمنى and أصبح start with the letter alif (أ). Is that a coincidence?
No, it is not a coincidence. In the Arabic present tense, starting a verb with the letter alif (أ) is how you show that "I" am doing the action. Even though English only uses "I" once in "I wish to become", Arabic requires you to conjugate both verbs for "I": "I wish that I become".
Why does مديرا (manager) end with an extra alif?
The base word is مدير (mudir). The extra alif is added to hold the "an" sound (called tanwin fatha) at the end of the word, making it مديراً (mudiran). Arabic uses this "an" ending on a noun when it describes what someone "is" or "becomes". Since the verb is أصبح (to become), the word for manager must take this special ending.