Breakdown of ننتظر أمام محطة الحافلة.
الal
the
أمامamâma
in front of
حافلةhâfila
bus
انتظرintazir
to wait
محطةmahatta
station
Questions & Answers about ننتظر أمام محطة الحافلة.
Why is the word for station (محطة) in the genitive case here?
The word محطة comes directly after أمام (in front of). Words that show location, like أمام, act like prepositions and force the following noun into the genitive case. If we read it with full endings, it sounds like maHattati, ending with a Kasra.
Isn't bus station (محطة الحافلة) an Idafa? How does that affect the case endings?
Why doesn't the word for station (محطة) have the word for the (ال) attached to it?
Because it is the first word in an Idafa. In Arabic, the first word of an Idafa never takes the definite article ال. We know it is a specific station because the second word, الحافلة (the bus), has ال.
How do we know ننتظر means we wait?
The verb ننتظر is in the present tense and starts with the letter ن (noon). This prefix is the standard marker for the we form in Arabic present tense verbs.
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