Questions & Answers about ماذا كتبتن أمس؟
Why is ماذا used here for "what" instead of ما?
In Arabic, ماذا is generally used before verbs (like كتبتن, meaning "you wrote"). On the other hand, ما is mostly used before nouns or pronouns in sentences without verbs (like in ما اسمك؟ meaning "What is your name?").
How do you break down the verb كتبتن?
It is built from the past tense root كتب (to write). The suffix ـتن (pronounced "-tunna") is added to show that the subject is "you" for a group of three or more females. Together, كتبتن means "you (feminine plural) wrote".
How would this sentence change if I were asking a group of men?
For a group of men (or a mixed group of men and women), you use the masculine plural suffix ـتم (pronounced "-tum"). The sentence would become ماذا كتبتم أمس؟.
Is the word أمس (yesterday) pronounced with a specific grammatical ending?
Yes, أمس is a fixed word in Modern Standard Arabic. It does not change its case endings like regular nouns do. When read aloud fully, it always ends with a "kasra" (an "i" sound), pronounced as أمسِ ('amsi), no matter its role in the sentence.
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