Breakdown of المطعم على اليمين يا آنسة.
الal
the
على'ala
on / of (evidence of) / to (lie to someone) / for (difficult for someone)
مطعمmat'am
restaurant
ياyâ
Questions & Answers about المطعم على اليمين يا آنسة.
Why doesn't the word for "miss" have the "al-" (the) prefix here?
This is a strict rule for the calling word يا (ya). When you use يا to address someone directly, you must drop the ال (al-) from their title. That is why it is يا آنسة and never يا الآنسة.
How does the phrase على اليمين translate?
It translates perfectly word-for-word! على (ala) means "on", and اليمين (al-yameen) means "the right". Simple directions like this often match English grammar exactly.
Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?
Arabic does not use a word for "is" or "are" in present tense sentences. You just put the subject (المطعم) and its location (على اليمين) next to each other, and the "is" is naturally understood by the listener.
Is يا آنسة a polite way to call a waitress to our table?
Yes! Using يا with a title like آنسة (miss) is the standard, polite way to say "Excuse me, miss" to a female restaurant worker or shop assistant whose name you do not know.