Breakdown of أبي طباخ ممتاز.
أبabun
father
يi
my / me (after a preposition)
ممتازmumtâz
excellent
طباخtabbâkh
cook
Questions & Answers about أبي طباخ ممتاز.
Why is there no word for 'is' in this sentence?
In Arabic, simple equational sentences that describe someone do not use a present tense verb for 'to be'. You simply place the subject, أبي (my father), directly before the description, طباخ ممتاز (an excellent cook).
How does the word أبي (my father) break down?
It is made of the basic noun for father, أب, attached to the possessive suffix ـي, which means 'my'.
The word for cook (طباخ) looks related to cooking. Is there a specific pattern for professions?
Yes! Many professions and habitual actions in Arabic are formed by doubling the middle letter of the root verb and adding a long 'aa' sound. From the root for cooking, طبخ, we get someone who cooks professionally: طباخ.
Why is ممتاز (excellent) placed after طباخ (cook)?
In Arabic, adjectives always come directly after the noun they describe. Notice that because طباخ is a masculine, indefinite noun (it does not have 'al-' for 'the'), the adjective ممتاز is also masculine and indefinite to match it perfectly.
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