Breakdown of كان الانفجار المفاجئ عاليا جدا.
الal
the
جداjiddan
very
عالي3âli
high / loud
كانkâna
to be
انفجارinfijâr
explosion
مفاجئmufâji'
sudden
Questions & Answers about كان الانفجار المفاجئ عاليا جدا.
I see the Form VII verbal noun pattern in الانفجار, but what is its root and verb?
The root is ف ج ر (f-j-r), which relates to bursting or erupting. The Form VII verb is انفجر (infajara), meaning to explode. By applying the Form VII verbal noun pattern (in-fi-aa-l), we get انفجار (infijaar) for explosion.
Why does عاليا end with an extra alif?
It is in the accusative case because it is the predicate of كان (kāna - was). Remember that while regular sentences have nominative subjects and predicates, introducing كان forces the predicate (the part describing what the subject was) into the accusative case. The indefinite word عالي therefore takes a double fatha and an alif to become عاليا.
If عاليا is accusative, why isn't المفاجئ accusative too?
Because المفاجئ (sudden) is an adjective attached directly to the subject, الانفجار (the explosion). The subject of كان always stays in the nominative case, so any adjectives describing it must match that case. Only the predicate (عاليا) changes to accusative.
Doesn't عاليا normally mean high?
Yes, the adjective عالي literally means high or elevated. However, when describing a sound, a voice, or an explosion, Arabic uses high to mean loud.
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