Breakdown of البنات يلعبن في الحديقة.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
بنتbint
girl
حديقةhadîqa
garden
لعبlaiba
to play
Questions & Answers about البنات يلعبن في الحديقة.
Why does the verb يلعبن start with ي (ya-) if the subject is feminine? Shouldn't feminine verbs start with ت (ta-)?
This is a common trap! In the present tense, the 'they' (feminine plural) form actually starts with يـ (ya-) and ends with ـن (-na). The تـ (ta-) prefix is used for 'she' (singular) and 'you' forms, but not for 'they' (feminine plural). So, يلعبن (yal'abna) is the correct present tense form for a group of females.
What is the ـن (-na) at the end of يلعبن?
That is the feminine plural suffix for verbs. It shows that the action is being done by a group of females (three or more). In Arabic grammar, this specific letter is added to the end of the verb to match it with feminine plural subjects.
Could I put the verb first and say يلعبن البنات في الحديقة?
Not quite! In Arabic, if the verb comes before the subject (a verbal sentence), the verb stays in the singular form. So if you start with the verb, you must use the 'she' form: تلعب البنات في الحديقة (tal'abu al-banāt). Because our sentence starts with the noun البنات (The girls), the verb must fully match it in both gender and number: يلعبن.
Is البنات a regular plural?
Yes, it uses the standard feminine plural ending ـات (-āt). The singular is بنت (bint - girl). When making it plural, the original ت (t) is replaced by the ـات suffix, giving us بنات (banāt) and with the definite article, البنات (al-banāt).
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