Breakdown of تناول الجميع اللحم إلا النباتي.
الal
the
لحمlahm
meat
إلاillâ
except
تناولtanâwala
to eat / to consume (a meal, medicine)
جميعjamî'
all / everyone (collectively)
نباتيnabâtî
vegetarian
Questions & Answers about تناول الجميع اللحم إلا النباتي.
Why is the word after إلا in the accusative case here?
In Arabic, when إلا (except) is used in a positive, affirmative sentence like this one, the excluded noun after it must be in the accusative case. If fully vocalized, النباتي would end with a fatha (an-nabātiyya).
Why did we use the verb تناول instead of أكل for 'ate'?
While أكل means 'to eat', تناول is very common in Modern Standard Arabic for 'having' or 'partaking in' food, meals, or even medicine. It is a slightly more formal but extremely standard way to talk about consuming something.
The word الجميع means 'everyone', so why is the verb تناول singular?
Even though الجميع refers to multiple people, it is grammatically a singular masculine noun. Therefore, the verb before it must take the singular 'he' form.
How do we get the word النباتي for 'vegetarian'?
It comes from the noun نبات which means 'plant'. By adding the relational suffix ي (the nisba ending) and the definite article, it becomes النباتي, literally meaning 'the plant-related one'.
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