Breakdown of سمعت همسا مريبا، كأن شبحا هنا.
هناhunâ
here
سمعsami'a
to hear
كأنka'anna
as if
همسhamsun
whisper
مريبmurîb
suspicious
شبحshabah
ghost
Questions & Answers about سمعت همسا مريبا، كأن شبحا هنا.
Why do both همسا and مريبا end with an extra alif?
These words form the direct object of the verb سمعت (I heard). In Arabic, direct objects take the accusative case. Because they are indefinite (a suspicious whisper, not the suspicious whisper), they get the 'tanwin fatha' ending, which sounds like '-an' and is usually written with an extra alif at the end of the word.
What is the grammatical role of كأن here?
The word كأن translates to 'as if' or 'like' and is one of the 'sisters of Inna'. These particles introduce a nominal sentence but change the subject of that sentence into the accusative case.
Is the rule for كأن the reason why شبحا (ghost) also has an alif at the end?
Where is the predicate (khabar) for the كأن clause in this sentence?
The predicate is the spatial adverb هنا (here). In a regular nominal sentence, you would say 'a ghost is here'. After كأن, 'ghost' becomes the accusative subject, and 'here' provides the information about it, completing the meaning.
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