Breakdown of الأستاذان لم يوافقا على الموضوع.
الal
the
على'ala
on / of (evidence of) / to (lie to someone) / for (difficult for someone)
أستاذustâdh
professor / teacher
لمlam
Questions & Answers about الأستاذان لم يوافقا على الموضوع.
Why does the verb يوافقا end with an alif instead of the usual ان for dual verbs?
Because it comes directly after the negative particle لم. لم forces the following present-tense verb into the Jussive mood. For a dual verb like يوافقان (they both agree), the Jussive mood is formed by dropping the final ن, leaving us with يوافقا.
The translation says "did not agree" (past tense), but isn't يوافقا a present tense verb?
Yes! In Arabic, the particle لم is followed by a present tense verb (in the Jussive mood), but it changes the meaning to the negative past tense. So لم يوافقا translates to "did not agree."
If the subject is الأستاذان (the two professors), why doesn't the verb stay singular?
Because this is a nominal sentence (it starts with a noun). In nominal sentences, the verb must fully match the subject in number. Since الأستاذان is dual, the verb must also be dual. If the sentence had started with the verb instead, it would remain singular: لم يوافق الأستاذان على الموضوع.
Why do we use على here instead of a word for "with"?
The verb وافق (to agree) pairs with the preposition على when you are agreeing "on" or "to" a thing, such as a topic or proposal. If you were agreeing "with" a person, you would use مع instead.