Breakdown of استخدمنا ملقطا معقما كي نخرج الزجاج.
الal
the
ناnâ
our / us (object) / we (subject suffix on past verb)
زجاجzujâj
glass
استخدمistakhdama
to use
Questions & Answers about استخدمنا ملقطا معقما كي نخرج الزجاج.
Why is the word for "tweezers" singular in this Arabic sentence?
In English, tools with two parts like "tweezers", "scissors", or "glasses" are always plural. In Arabic, ملقط refers to the tool as a single unit, so it's treated as a singular noun. Its plural is ملاقط. By the way, it follows a common pattern for "tools" in Arabic: starting with a "mi-" sound, from the root meaning "to pick up".
Why do the words ملقطا and معقما end with an "alif" (ا)?
Both words are indefinite and in the accusative case because ملقطا (tweezers) is the direct object of the verb "we used", and معقما (sterile) is the adjective describing it. In Arabic, indefinite accusative nouns and adjectives take an "alif" at the end to hold the "an" sound (tanwin fatha), pronounced "milqatan mu'aqqaman".
What is the purpose of the word كي here?
كي (kay) means "in order to" or "so that". It is a conjunction used to show purpose. When placed before a present tense verb like نخرج (we take out), it changes the verb's mood to the subjunctive (mansub), which means the verb will end with a "fatha" (an "a" sound) instead of a "damma" (a "u" sound).
The verb نخرج looks exactly like the verb for "we go out". How do we know it means "we take out" here?