Breakdown of انكسر مقبض الباب فاستعنا بقفال.
الal
the
بابbâbun
door
فfa
so, then / for (giving a reason)
انكسرinkasara
to break (intransitive)
مقبضmiqbad
doorknob
استعان بista'âna bi
to seek help from
قفالqaffâl
locksmith
Questions & Answers about انكسر مقبض الباب فاستعنا بقفال.
Why is انكسر used here instead of the basic verb كسر?
انكسر is a Form VII verb, which makes the action reflexive or passive. While كسر means "he broke [something]", انكسر simply means "[the object] broke" or "was broken". This form is perfectly suited for things that break on their own or when the person who broke it isn't mentioned.
Why does مقبض lack a definite article when it means "the doorknob"?
This is an idafa (possessive construction) meaning "the handle of the door". In an idafa, the first word (مقبض) never takes the definite article الـ. It automatically becomes definite because it belongs to the second word (الباب), which does have the definite article.
How does the verb استعنا break down, and why is its middle vowel missing?
The word starts with the prefix فـ meaning "so" or "then". The verb itself is استعان (to seek help), a Form X verb built on the root for help. Because the root has a weak middle letter (a hollow verb), that long vowel disappears when we attach the "we" suffix ـنا in the past tense. This prevents two unvoweled letters from clashing.
Why is there a بـ attached to the word for locksmith (قفال)?
The verb استعان (to seek help) always pairs with the preposition بـ (with/by means of) to indicate who or what you are getting help from. So, استعنا بقفال literally translates to "we sought help by means of a locksmith".
How does the word قفال relate to the word for "lock"?
The basic Arabic word for a lock is قفل. By taking its root letters and putting them into the فَعَّال pattern, which is commonly used to indicate a person's profession or habitual action, we get قفال, meaning "locksmith".
Learn انكسر مقبض الباب فاستعنا بقفال and more in Arabic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free