Breakdown of كم شخصا حضر الاجتماع؟
الal
the
اجتماعijtimâ'
meeting
حضرhadara
to attend
كمkam
how many
شخصshakhs
person
Questions & Answers about كم شخصا حضر الاجتماع؟
Why is the word for "person" (شخصا) singular when the English translation says "people"?
This is a strict rule in Arabic! After the question word كم (how many), you must always use a singular noun. So instead of saying "how many people," Arabic literally asks "how many a person."
Why is there an extra alif at the end of شخصا?
The noun following كم doesn't just have to be singular; it also takes a specific grammatical state (the accusative case). This is marked by the "an" sound at the end of the word, called Tanween Fatha. For most words ending in a regular consonant, this sound is written with an extra alif, changing شخص to شخصا.
Since the question asks about multiple people, why is the verb حضر in the singular "he" form?
The verb in Arabic matches the grammar of the noun it refers to, not just the logical meaning. Because the rule for كم forces the word شخصا to be grammatically singular, the verb حضر (attended) must also be in the singular form to match it.
Is the verb حضر in the past or present tense here?
It is in the past tense, meaning "attended." حضر is the basic, three-letter root form of the verb, which corresponds to the 3rd person masculine singular ("he") form in the past tense.
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