Questions & Answers about المخبر مراقب دائما.
How do we know مراقب means 'monitored' rather than 'monitoring' or 'observer'?
This is where the vowels in derived participles are crucial! Both active and passive participles in Forms II-X use the مُـ (mu-) prefix. The difference is the short vowel on the second-to-last letter. A kasra (short i) makes it active: مُراقِب (mu-raa-qib) means 'observer'. A fatha (short a) makes it passive: مُراقَب (mu-raa-qab) means 'monitored'. Since the translation is passive, we know it is pronounced with a fatha.
Is المخبر (the informant) also one of these derived participles?
Yes, it is an active participle from a Form IV verb. The root is خ ب ر (related to news or knowing). The Form IV verb is أخبر (to inform). By adding the مُـ prefix and using a kasra (short i) on the middle root letter, we get مُخْبِر (mukhbir), meaning 'the one who informs' or 'informant'.
Why doesn't مراقب have the definite article الـ (al-) like the first word?
This is a classic Arabic nominal (noun) sentence. The subject, المخبر (the informant), is definite. The predicate, مراقب (monitored), is indefinite. This contrast between definite and indefinite is what creates the invisible 'is' in Arabic. If both had الـ, it would just be a descriptive phrase: المخبر المراقب (the monitored informant).
What is the grammatical role of the ending on دائما?
That is a tanwin fatha, which makes an '-an' sound (da'iman). Here, it marks the word as an adverb of time meaning 'always'. In Arabic, words that act as adverbs take this accusative ending. Fun fact: the base word دائم is actually a Form I active participle meaning 'lasting'!
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