Breakdown of لن أكنس الغرف ما خلا غرفة واحدة.
الal
the
غرفةghurfa
room
واحدةwâhida
one
لنlan
will not
ما خلاmâ khalâ
except
كنسkanasa
to sweep
Questions & Answers about لن أكنس الغرف ما خلا غرفة واحدة.
Why do we use ما خلا here, and how does it affect the noun غرفة?
The phrase ما خلا is made of the particle ما and the past tense verb خلا. When used together to mean "except," the noun following it is treated as the direct object of that verb. Because of this, it must be in the accusative case (mansub). If you were reading this aloud with full vowel endings, it would be pronounced غرفةً (ghurfatan).
Why would the word واحدة also be in the accusative case?
The word واحدة is an adjective describing غرفة. In Arabic, adjectives must exactly match the noun they describe in case, gender, and definiteness. Since غرفة is accusative because it follows ما خلا, the adjective واحدة must also be accusative (واحدةً).
Why does the verb أكنس (I sweep) take a fatha ending instead of a damma?
The particle لن (will not) forces the present tense verb right after it into the subjunctive case (mansub). For a standard verb like أكنس, this changes its default ending from a damma (أكنسُ) to a fatha (أكنسَ).
Can I use خلا without ما to mean "except"?
Yes, but it changes the grammar rules. If you use خلا without ما, it can act as either a verb (keeping the next noun accusative) or a preposition (making the next noun genitive/majrur). Adding ما locks it in as a verb, which is why the noun after it here is strictly accusative.
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