Breakdown of كان علينا أن نلغي الرحلة لأن الطقس ساء.
الal
the
على'ala
on / of (evidence of) / to (lie to someone) / for (difficult for someone)
ناnâ
our / us (object) / we (subject suffix on past verb)
رحلةriħla
trip / journey / flight
أنan
to (with verbs)
لأنli'anna
because
كانkâna
to be
طقسtaqs
weather
ألغىalghâ
to cancel
ساءsâ'a
to worsen
Questions & Answers about كان علينا أن نلغي الرحلة لأن الطقس ساء.
The lesson is about 'was going to' (Future in the Past). How does كان work here with علينا أن?
While the lesson focuses on using كان with a future verb, the same 'time machine' principle applies here. The phrase علينا أن means 'we must' (literally: 'it is upon us to'). To move this obligation into the past to mean 'we had to', you simply put كان (it was) in front of it. The word كان sets the past tense for the entire structure.
Since the sentence is about a past event, why is the verb نلغي (we cancel) in the present tense?
Because of the word أن (to/that). In Arabic, أن must be followed by a present-tense verb (specifically in the subjunctive mood). Since كان already established the past tense at the beginning of the sentence, نلغي stays in the present tense. Literally, it translates to 'It was upon us that we cancel'.
What kind of word is ساء (worsened)? Is it related to the Arabic word for 'bad'?
Yes! ساء is a past-tense verb meaning 'it worsened' or 'became bad'. It is a hollow verb (a verb with a long vowel in the middle of its root) and comes from the exact same root as the common adjective سيء (bad).
Could we flip the word order at the end and say لأن ساء الطقس?
No, because of the strict grammar rules for لأن (because). Just like the words إن and أن, لأن must be followed immediately by a noun or an attached pronoun. Therefore, the noun الطقس (the weather) must come right after لأن, pushing the verb ساء to the end of the sentence.
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