Questions & Answers about الرصاص أثقل من القصدير.
Why do both 'lead' and 'tin' have the definite article ال attached to them when the English translation just says 'lead' and 'tin'?
In English, we usually drop 'the' when talking about materials or categories in a broad, general sense. However, Arabic requires the definite article ال for general concepts and materials. So, to say 'Lead is heavier than tin', you literally say 'The lead is heavier than the tin'.
How is the word for 'heavier' (أثقل) formed?
Arabic creates comparative adjectives ('more...' or '-er') using a specific word pattern that sounds like 'af'al' (أَفْعَل). To change the regular adjective ثقيل (heavy) into its comparative form, you extract its core root letters (ث-ق-ل) and plug them into this pattern, giving you أثقل.
Doesn't من usually mean 'from'? Why is it used here for 'than'?
You are right that من normally means 'from'. However, Arabic builds comparisons by pairing a comparative adjective (like أثقل) directly with من. So, أثقل من literally translates to 'heavier from', which is how Arabic expresses 'heavier than'.
Why is the ال pronounced differently in الرصاص compared to القصدير?
This is a great reminder of 'Sun' and 'Moon' letters. The letter ر in الرصاص is a Sun letter, meaning it blends with the 'L' sound of the ال, making it sound like 'ar-raṣāṣ'. The letter ق in القصدير is a Moon letter, meaning it does not blend, so the 'L' is pronounced clearly: 'al-qaṣdīr'.