Breakdown of عيد ميلادي في شهر مارس.
فيfî
in / about, regarding
يi
my / me (after a preposition)
شهرshahr
month
عيد ميلاد'îdu mîlâd
birthday
Questions & Answers about عيد ميلادي في شهر مارس.
Why does "my birthday" translate to two words (عيد ميلادي) in Arabic?
In Arabic, "birthday" is expressed using a combination of two words: عيد (meaning "festival" or "holiday") and ميلاد (meaning "birth"). To say "my birthday", you add the "my" suffix (ـي) to the second word, making it عيد ميلادي (literally "the celebration of my birth"). This is a common structure in Arabic called an Idafa, which links nouns together to show possession or a relationship.
Where is the verb "is" in this sentence?
There is no word for "is" because Arabic doesn't use the verb "to be" in present-tense sentences like this one. You simply place the subject (عيد ميلادي, "my birthday") right next to the information about it (في شهر مارس, "in March"). This creates what is known as a nominal sentence.
Why is the word شهر (month) included before March?
While English speakers usually just say "in March", it is very common and natural in formal Arabic to say "in the month of March" (في شهر مارس). You will frequently see شهر used right before the name of a month, though just saying في مارس is also correct and perfectly understood.
Is مارس the only way to say "March" in Arabic?