Word
طرق شخص ما الباب، لكنه لم يدخل.
Meaning
Someone knocked on the door, but he did not enter.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of طرق شخص ما الباب، لكنه لم يدخل.
الal
the
بابbâbun
door
هhu
his / him (object) / it (dummy pronoun after لأن)
دخلdakhala
to enter
Questions & Answers about طرق شخص ما الباب، لكنه لم يدخل.
How does شخص ما translate to "someone"?
The word شخص means "a person". Adding the particle ما immediately after an indefinite noun creates the meaning of "some" or "a certain". Therefore, شخص ما translates to "some person" or "someone".
In English we say "knocked on the door". Why is there no Arabic word for "on" here?
Unlike English, the Arabic verb طرق (to knock or strike) connects directly to its object without needing a preposition. You just say طرق الباب (literally "struck the door").
Why is the pronoun attached directly to the word "but" in لكنه?
The word لكن (but) requires a noun or an attached pronoun right after it. Since the sentence refers back to "someone", we attach the pronoun ـه (he), making لكنه (but he).
Why is a present tense verb (يدخل) used when the English translation says "did not enter"?
To say "did not" do something in Arabic, we use the negative particle لم followed by a present tense verb. The word لم automatically shifts the meaning of the action into the past, so لم يدخل means "did not enter".