Breakdown of كان المسجد الضخم مفتوحا.
الal
the
مفتوحmaftûhun
open
كانkâna
to be
ضخمdakhm
huge
مسجدmasjid
mosque
Questions & Answers about كان المسجد الضخم مفتوحا.
Why does the word for open have an extra alif at the end (مفتوحا instead of مفتوح)?
This is the main rule for كان (to be)! While the subject remains in the default nominative case, the predicate (the part giving information, like open) changes to the accusative case. For indefinite masculine words, this adds an extra alif to the end.
Why do both mosque (المسجد) and huge (الضخم) start with ال?
In Arabic, an adjective must match its noun. Because you are talking about a specific mosque, the adjective huge must also take the definite article ال. This links them tightly together to mean the huge mosque.
If adjectives have to match, why doesn't open (مفتوحا) also get an ال?
Because open is the predicate (the news about the mosque), not a linked descriptive adjective. If you added ال to it, the phrase would mean the huge open mosque, leaving the sentence incomplete. Being indefinite makes it the 'was open' part of the sentence.
Why does the verb كان (was) come at the very beginning of the sentence?
Arabic frequently uses a Verb-Subject word order. It is standard to start the sentence with the verb كان, so it literally translates as: Was the mosque the huge open.
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