Breakdown of هي تعمل في المكتب صباحا.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
مكتبmaktab
office
هيhiya
she / her (attached)
صباحاsabâhan
in the morning
عمل'amila
to work
Questions & Answers about هي تعمل في المكتب صباحا.
Why does the verb تعمل start with the letter ت?
In Arabic, present tense verbs use prefixes (letters added to the beginning) to show who is doing the action. The prefix تـ is used for 'she' (and also 'you' masculine singular). The base root is عمل (work), so adding the تـ makes it 'she works'.
Do I have to use the pronoun هي (she) before the verb?
Not necessarily! Because the verb تعمل already contains the meaning of 'she' through its تـ prefix, you could simply say تعمل في المكتب صباحا if it is already clear from context who you are talking about. Including هي here just adds a little extra emphasis to the subject.
I recognize the letters ك-ت-ب in المكتب (the office). Is it related to the word for book?
Yes! Many Arabic words are built from three-letter roots. The root ك-ت-ب has to do with writing. Adding the prefix مـ to a root often creates a noun for the physical place where that action happens. So, a place of writing is an office or desk (مكتب).
Why does the word صباحا (in the morning) end with an extra ا (alif)?
The word actually ends with two small diagonal lines called a 'tanween fatha' (pronounced '-an'), and the extra alif is added at the end just to support that sound. In Arabic, words used to describe when an action happens (adverbs of time) usually take this '-an' ending. That is why صباح (morning) becomes صباحا (in the morning).
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