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Questions & Answers about درسوا ثم ناموا.
How do the words درسوا and ناموا show that "they" did the action?
In the past tense, you add the suffix ـوا (waaw + alif) to the end of the verb to mean "they". The base verbs are درس (he studied) and نام (he slept), so adding ـوا makes them "they studied" and "they slept".
Why is there an 'alif' at the end of درسوا and ناموا if it isn't pronounced?
That extra 'alif' at the very end is silent! It is a spelling rule in Arabic used specifically to show that the و (waaw) is a plural verb suffix, so you don't confuse it with a word that naturally ends in a و. You just pronounce the ending as a long "uu" sound.
Can درسوا refer to a group of women?
It can refer to a mixed group of men and women, or a group of just men. In Arabic, if there is even one man in the group, you use this masculine plural ـوا ending. If it were a group of only women, the verbs would use a different plural suffix (ـن).
What is the difference between using ثم here instead of just و (and)?
While و (wa) simply joins two things together ("and"), ثم (thumma) means "then". It emphasizes the order of events, often implying a gap in time. It shows they completed their studying, and then afterwards, they went to sleep.