Breakdown of كان قرار الحكم حاسما في المباراة.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
مباراةmubârâh
match
كانkâna
to be
قرارqarâr
decision
حكمhakam
referee
حاسمhâsim
decisive
Questions & Answers about كان قرار الحكم حاسما في المباراة.
Why does حاسما (Haasiman) have that extra alif with two fatHahs at the end?
Because it is the predicate (the news or Khabar) of the verb كان (was). In Arabic, when you use كان to describe how something was, the describing word must take the accusative case. For indefinite nouns and adjectives like حاسم, this is marked by the -an ending (tanwin fatHa) and written with an extra alif.
Why isn't there an الـ (al-) attached to قرار to make it the decision?
Because قرار الحكم (the referee's decision) forms an Idafa (a possession or of phrase). In an Idafa, the first word (the possessed thing) never takes the definite article الـ. The entire phrase is made definite by the second word, الحكم (the referee), which does have الـ.
Since this lesson focuses on كان يمكن أن (it could have been), why is just كان used here?
This sentence is a helpful refresher on how كان works on its own as the simple past tense verb was. Unlike كان يمكن أن, which is followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood to express a missed opportunity, this sentence uses كان followed by a noun subject (قرار) and an adjective predicate (حاسما) to state a direct fact about the past.
The word حاسما means decisive. Is it related to the word for computer (حاسوب)?
They look very similar, but they have different roots! حاسما (decisive) comes from the root ح-س-م (H-s-m), which means to settle, cut, or conclude a matter. The word for computer (حاسوب) comes from the root ح-س-ب (H-s-b), which means to calculate or compute.
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