Breakdown of عندنا امتحان الأسبوع القادم.
الal
the
ناnâ
our / us (object) / we (subject suffix on past verb)
عند'inda
at / to have
أسبوعusbû'
week
قادمqâdim
next / coming
امتحانimtihân
exam
Questions & Answers about عندنا امتحان الأسبوع القادم.
Why doesn't this sentence use a verb for 'to have'?
Arabic doesn't have a direct verb for 'to have' in the present tense. Instead, we use the word عند (at/with) and attach the pronoun suffix ـنا (us) to make عندنا. Literally, the sentence means 'At us is an exam'.
Why does عندنا come before the word for exam (امتحان)?
In Arabic, if the thing you have is indefinite (just 'an exam' instead of 'the exam'), the phrase meaning 'to have' must come first. You cannot say امتحان عندنا because Arabic grammar requires the 'at us' part to lead the sentence when the subject is indefinite.
Why do both 'week' (الأسبوع) and 'next' (القادم) have the 'al-' prefix?
In Arabic, adjectives must match the noun they describe. Because 'week' is specific and has the definite article الـ (the), the adjective describing it as 'next' must also take الـ. It literally translates to 'the week the next'.
Should there be a word for 'in' or 'on' before 'next week'?
No, you don't need a preposition here. In Arabic, words that express time, like الأسبوع (the week) or اليوم (today), can show when something happens all by themselves without needing words like 'in' or 'on' in front of them.
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