Question 1

This lesson is about asking "how many" (كم). How would I ask the question that gets this sentence as an answer?

Accepted Answer

You would ask كم طفلا رأيت؟ (kam tiflan ra'ayta?). Notice that after كم, the noun must be singular and take the "-an" sound ending. That is exactly why we use طفلا in our sentence to answer it!

Question 2

Why is there an extra alif (ا) added to the end of طفلا (a child) and واحدا (one)?

Accepted Answer

That alif acts as a "chair" for the double-fatha symbol (the "-an" sound). Arabic adds this alif to the end of most words when they are the direct object of a verb (the thing that you saw). You do not pronounce the alif as a long "a" vowel; it just holds the "-an" sound.

Question 3

The words translate literally to "child one" (طفلا واحدا). Why does the number come after the noun?

Accepted Answer

In Arabic, the number 1 (واحد) acts exactly like an adjective. Just like you would say "a tall child" by putting the Arabic word for "tall" after "child", you say "one child" by placing واحدا after the noun it describes.

Question 4

I remember the letter ت at the end of a verb often means "you" or "she". How does رأيت mean "I saw"?

Accepted Answer

In the past tense, adding the suffix ـتُ (pronounced with a "u" sound) means "I". If you wanted to say "you saw" to a male, you would write the exact same word, رأيت, but pronounce it with an "a" ending (رأيتَ). When reading without vowel marks, context tells you if it is "I saw" or "you saw".

رأيت طفلا واحدا في الحديقة.

Breakdown of رأيت طفلا واحدا في الحديقة.

Questions & Answers about رأيت طفلا واحدا في الحديقة.

Learn رأيت طفلا واحدا في الحديقة and more in Arabic