Breakdown of هل عند النادل قائمة واحدة فقط؟
هلhal
is / are (question marker)
عند'inda
at / to have
واحدةwâhida
one
نادلnâdil
waiter
قائمةqâ'ima
menu / list
فقطfaqat
only
Questions & Answers about هل عند النادل قائمة واحدة فقط؟
Why do we use واحدة instead of واحد for "one"?
In Arabic, the numbers 1 and 2 act like adjectives, so they must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because "menu" (قائمة) is a feminine word, which we can tell from the taa marbuuta (ة) at the end, the word for "one" must also be feminine: واحدة.
Why does "one" come after "menu" (قائمة واحدة) instead of before it?
Unlike English where we say "one menu", Arabic places the numbers 1 and 2 after the noun. Because these two numbers behave like adjectives, they follow the normal Arabic rule for adjectives: the noun comes first, followed by the word describing it.
Where is the verb for "have" in this sentence?
Arabic doesn't have a direct verb for "to have". Instead, it uses prepositions like عند (at/with) to show possession. In this sentence, عند النادل literally translates to "at the waiter", which is the standard way to express "the waiter has".
Why is فقط (only) placed at the very end of the sentence?
The word فقط (only) usually comes directly after the word or phrase it is emphasizing. Here, it emphasizes the entire phrase "one menu" (قائمة واحدة), so it is placed right after it.
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