Breakdown of كم تذكرة بقيت في الصندوق؟
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
تذكرةtadhkira
ticket
صندوقsundûq
box
بقيbaqiya
to stay
كمkam
how many
Questions & Answers about كم تذكرة بقيت في الصندوق؟
Why is تذكرة singular when the English translation says 'tickets'?
In Arabic, the question word كم (how many) must always be followed by a singular noun. Even though we ask about multiple items in English, you must use the singular تذكرة (ticket) here.
Why is the verb بقيت in the feminine form?
The verb must match the gender of what it describes. The subject here is تذكرة (ticket), which is feminine because it ends with the letter taa marbuta (ة). To match it, the past tense verb gets the feminine ending ـت, making it بقيت.
What does الصندوق mean in the context of tickets?
While الصندوق translates directly to the box or the chest, in the context of buying and selling tickets, it is commonly used to mean the box office or ticket booth.
Could we put the verb before the noun here, like we do in some other Arabic sentences?
Not in this case. In questions starting with كم, the strict rule is that كم is immediately followed by the singular noun you are asking about, and only then comes the rest of the sentence or the verb.
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