Breakdown of لم يصل السائق في الموعد بسبب إغلاق المسار.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
سائقsâ'iq
driver
موعدmaw'id
appointment / scheduled time
لمlam
did not
وصلwasala
to arrive
بسببbisababi
because of
إغلاقighlâq
closure
مسارmasâr
route
Questions & Answers about لم يصل السائق في الموعد بسبب إغلاق المسار.
How does بسبب (due to) connect to إغلاق المسار (the closure of the route) in this sentence?
The word بسبب literally means "by reason of". It acts as the first part of an Idafa (a possession or "of" phrase). This creates a three-part chain meaning "by reason (of) closure (of) the route". Because of this Idafa relationship, the words following it take the genitive case, making it بسببِ إغلاقِ المسارِ (bi-sababi ighlaaqi al-masaar).
Can I swap بسبب with بفضل in this sentence since both express cause?
Grammatically, yes, as both are followed by an Idafa. However, بفضل means "thanks to" and is used for positive outcomes. Since missing an appointment due to a road closure is a negative event, بسبب (due to / because of) is the correct choice here.
Why is the verb يصل in the present tense if the translation says "did not arrive"?
The negation particle لم (did not) forces the following verb into the present tense (specifically the jussive mood) but changes its meaning to the past tense. This is the standard way to express "did not do [something]" in Modern Standard Arabic.
What is the root of يصل, and why does it look so short?
The root is و ص ل (wa-sa-la, to arrive). In Arabic, verbs that start with the letter و (waw) drop that letter in the present tense. Therefore, instead of "yawsil", the verb becomes يصل (yaSil).
How do we know that إغلاق means "closure" rather than "closed"?
The word إغلاق is a verbal noun (masdar), which represents the action itself ("closure" or "closing"). It follows the specific إفعال (if'aal) pattern typical of Form IV verbs. If you wanted to describe the route as "closed" (an adjective), you would use the passive participle مغلق (mughlaq).
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