Breakdown of هناك خمس قرى وراء الجبل.
الal
the
هناكhunâka
there
جبلjabal
mountain
وراءwarâ'a
behind
خمسةkhamsah
five
قريةqarya
village
Questions & Answers about هناك خمس قرى وراء الجبل.
Why is the word for 'five' خمس (masculine) when 'villages' are feminine?
In Arabic, numbers 3 to 10 use 'reverse agreement'. The singular word for village is قرية, which is feminine because it ends in a taa marbuta (ة). Because the counted noun is feminine, the number takes the masculine form خمس (without a taa marbuta).
Does قرى (villages) follow the grammar rule for numbers 3-10?
Yes! The rule says that after numbers 3 to 10, the counted noun must be plural and in the genitive case. قرى is the broken plural of قرية. Even though its special ending (ى) prevents it from visibly showing the genitive 'i' vowel sound, it is grammatically correct and following the rule perfectly.
How does the word وراء (behind) affect الجبل (the mountain)?
Location words like وراء force the noun that follows them into the genitive case. This means if you were pronouncing the full grammatical endings, الجبل would end with a kasra (an 'i' sound).
Is there a verb for 'are' in this sentence?
No. هناك literally means 'there', but it is the standard way to say 'there is' or 'there are' in Arabic. Since Arabic doesn't use 'is' or 'are' in the present tense, simply starting the sentence with هناك is all you need.
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