Breakdown of هم يسكنون في منطقة واسعة.
فيfî
in / about, regarding
واسعwâsi'
spacious / wide
همhum
they
سكنsakana
to live (reside)
منطقةmintaqah
area
Questions & Answers about هم يسكنون في منطقة واسعة.
How does the preposition في (in) affect the ending of the word منطقة (area)?
The preposition في forces the noun right after it into the genitive case (المجرور). Because منطقة is indefinite (it doesn't have الـ for "the"), it takes a double kasra (kasratayn) at the end, which makes an "-in" sound. So, it is pronounced minṭaqatin.
Why does the adjective واسعة (spacious) also take the genitive case ending?
In Arabic, adjectives must strictly follow the noun they describe in four ways: gender, number, definiteness, and case. Since منطقة is in the genitive case, the adjective واسعة must match it. It also takes a double kasra, becoming wāsiʿatin.
Why does the verb يسكنون (they live) end in ـون (-uuna)?
That ending shows who is doing the action. For a present tense verb, the prefix يـ (ya-) combined with the suffix ـون (-uuna) tells us the subject is "they" (masculine or a mixed group).
Could we drop the pronoun هم (they) at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, you can! The verb يسكنون already has "they" built into its conjugation. Starting the sentence with the separate pronoun هم just adds emphasis, making it feel a bit more like "As for them, they live in a spacious area."
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