Breakdown of القلم الأحمر على الطاولة.
الal
the
قلمqalam
pen
طاولةtâwilatun
table
على'ala
on / of (evidence of) / to (lie to someone) / for (difficult for someone)
أحمرahmar
red
Questions & Answers about القلم الأحمر على الطاولة.
Why is the word for red here الأحمر and not حمراء?
Colors in Arabic have different forms depending on the gender of the noun. Because القلم (the pen) is a masculine noun, we use the masculine color pattern, which gives us أحمر. If we were describing a feminine noun, we would use the feminine pattern to make حمراء.
Why does the adjective for red have ال attached to the front?
In Arabic, an adjective must match its noun exactly when it comes to being definite (having "the"). Since القلم has ال, the adjective describing it must also have ال. This matching rule is how we know القلم الأحمر goes together as the phrase "the red pen".
If القلم الأحمر means "the red pen", how would I say "The pen is red"?
To make it a full sentence meaning "The pen is red," you just remove the ال from the adjective, making it القلم أحمر. Because the adjective no longer perfectly matches the noun's "the", it acts as the new information being told about the pen, rather than just a tag-along description.
Where is the word "is" in this sentence?
Arabic does not use a word for "is" or "are" in present tense sentences. The Arabic literally reads "The red pen on the table." The "is" is naturally understood to be right before the location phrase على الطاولة (on the table).
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