Breakdown of إن اشتريت هذا المعطف، وفرت الكثير.
الal
the
هذاhâdhâ
this (m)
كثيرkathîr
many / a lot
اشترىishtarâ
to buy
Questions & Answers about إن اشتريت هذا المعطف، وفرت الكثير.
Why are the verbs اشتريت and وفرت in the past tense when the translation is about the future?
In Arabic conditional sentences starting with إن (meaning "if" for possible conditions), it is very common to use past tense verbs in both halves of the sentence. Even though the verbs are grammatically past tense, the particle إن shifts their meaning to the future.
Could I use present tense verbs instead of past tense here?
Yes, you can use present tense verbs with إن, but they must be put into the jussive mood (majzoom), which often drops or changes the verb's ending. Using the past tense is frequently easier for learners because the verb form doesn't change, and it is a very natural way to form conditions in Arabic.
How do I know who is doing the buying and saving without vowel marks?
Without short vowels written above the letters, اشتريت and وفرت could be "you" masculine (ishtarayta / waffarta), "you" feminine (ishtarayti / waffarti), or "I" (ishtaraytu / waffartu). The context of giving advice tells us it is addressed to "you". Whichever pronoun you choose when speaking, you must use the same one for both verbs!
Why does المعطف (coat) have ال (the) on it when it follows هذا (this)?
When a demonstrative pronoun like هذا is followed by a definite noun (with ال), they lock together into a single phrase meaning "this coat". If you forgot the ال and wrote هذا معطف, it would become a full sentence meaning "This is a coat."