Breakdown of قال إنه وجد أربع عشرة نبتة جديدة.
جديدjadeed
new
هhu
his / him (object) / it (dummy pronoun after لأن)
وجدwajada
to find / to exist, there is (passive)
قالqâla
to say
إنinna
indeed / truly / that (after قال)
نبتةnabta
plant
أربع عشرةarba'a 'ashrata
fourteen
Questions & Answers about قال إنه وجد أربع عشرة نبتة جديدة.
Why is the number fourteen written as أربع عشرة instead of أربعة عشر?
This highlights the reverse gender agreement rule for compound numbers from 13 to 19. The counted noun, نبتة (plant), is feminine. For the units digit (four), we use the opposite gender, which is the masculine أربع. But for the tens digit (ten), we match the noun's gender, using the feminine عشرة.
Why is the word for plants, نبتة, singular here when the English translation says 'plants'?
In Arabic, the counted noun that comes immediately after numbers 11 through 99 must be singular and in the accusative case. Even though there are fourteen of them, you must use the singular form نبتة rather than the plural.
Why do we use إنه here for 'that he' instead of أنه?
The particle إنّ is almost always used instead of أنّ immediately after the verb قال (to say) and its variations. Since we want to say 'that he', we attach the pronoun suffix ـه to make إنه.
Why is the adjective جديدة (new) feminine and singular?
جديدة is an adjective describing نبتة. Because the number rules force نبتة to be singular and feminine in this sentence, its adjective must simply match it. Therefore, it also takes the feminine singular form.
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