Breakdown of قيل إن رجلا شجاعا دخل الكهف.
رجلrajul
man
دخلdakhala
to enter
قالqâla
to say
إنinna
indeed / truly / that (after قال)
كهفkahf
cave
شجاعshujâ'
brave
Questions & Answers about قيل إن رجلا شجاعا دخل الكهف.
How do we get the passive verb قيل (it was said) from the active verb قال (he said)?
قال is a hollow verb, meaning its middle root letter is a weak vowel. To form the past tense passive of a hollow verb, the first letter takes a kasra (short 'i' sound). This sound change forces the middle weak letter to turn into a yaa (ي) to match the 'i' sound. So, قال transforms into قيل.
Since the sentence means 'It was said THAT...', why do we use إن (inna) instead of أن (anna)?
You normally use أنّ (anna) to mean 'that' in the middle of a sentence. However, there is a special rule for the verb قال (to say): you must always use إنّ (inna) after any of its forms, including the passive قيل.
Why are رجلا and شجاعا written with the extra alif at the end?
They are in the accusative case (mansub), which is marked by the '-an' sound and an extra alif. They take this case because رجلا (a man) is the subject of إنّ (inna), which always forces its subject into the accusative case. شجاعا (brave) is an adjective modifying the man, so it simply copies the same case ending.
How does دخل الكهف (entered the cave) fit into the grammar of the إن (inna) clause?
Sentences using إنّ need a subject and a predicate. The subject here is رجلا شجاعا. The predicate (the news or action about the subject) can be a whole verbal sentence. Here, the verb phrase دخل الكهف (he entered the cave) acts as the predicate to complete the meaning.
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