Breakdown of أنت مثل أخي.
أنتanta
you (singular)
أخakh
brother
يi
my / me (after a preposition)
مثلmithl
like / such as
Questions & Answers about أنت مثل أخي.
The current lesson is about the attached preposition كـ (ka-), meaning "like". Why does this sentence use مثل instead?
Both مثل (mithl) and the attached preposition كـ (ka-) mean "like" or "as" and mean the same thing here. مثل is a standalone word, whereas كـ must attach directly to the word that follows it. If we used the attached preposition from this lesson instead, the sentence would be أنت كأخي (anta ka-akhi).
How do I know if أنت is pronounced "anta" (masculine) or "anti" (feminine) without vowel marks?
Without the short vowel marks, أنت is spelled exactly the same for both "anta" (you, masculine) and "anti" (you, feminine). You have to rely on context! Here, since the speaker is comparing the person to a brother, they are likely speaking to a male, so it would be "anta". If speaking to a female, you would just pronounce it "anti" and keep the same spelling.
What is the exact breakdown of the word أخي (akhi)?
It is made up of two parts: the noun أخ (akh), meaning "brother," and the attached possessive suffix ـي (-i), which means "my."
Where is the word for "are" in this sentence?
Arabic doesn't use words for "am," "is," or "are" in present tense sentences. You just put the subject (أنت - You) and the information about them (مثل أخي - like my brother) next to each other. Literally, it reads "You like my brother."