Breakdown of في البداية ما فهمت الدرس، ثم فهمته.
الal
the
هhu
his / him (object) / it (dummy pronoun after لأن)
فهمfahima
to understand
ماmâ
not (negating a past verb or a sentence)
Questions & Answers about في البداية ما فهمت الدرس، ثم فهمته.
Why is ما used here to mean 'didn't'? I thought 'didn't' was لم?
In Arabic, there are two common ways to say you didn't do something in the past. You can use لم with the present tense verb, or you can use ما directly with the past tense verb. This sentence uses ما before the past tense فهمت to mean 'I didn't understand'.
How is the word فهمته broken down to mean 'I understood it'?
It combines the past tense verb فهمت (I understood) with the attached object pronoun ـه (it). Since the word for lesson, الدرس, is a masculine noun, the masculine pronoun ـه is used to refer back to it.
Is في البداية a set phrase for 'at first'?
Yes! Literally, it translates to 'in the beginning', but it is the standard, natural phrase used in Arabic to mean 'at first' or 'initially'.
Why use ثم here instead of just و (and)?
ثم translates to 'then' and is used to show a sequence of events where some time has passed between them. Using ثم emphasizes that you spent a little time not understanding before it finally clicked, whereas و would just link the phrases without stressing the time gap.