Breakdown of أخذ الطبيب نفسه قياس عيني.
الal
the
طبيبtabîb
doctor
يi
my / me (after a preposition)
هhu
his / him (object) / it (dummy pronoun after لأن)
Questions & Answers about أخذ الطبيب نفسه قياس عيني.
How does نفسه mean "himself" here, and what case ending does it take?
The word نفس usually means "soul" or "self". When placed directly after a noun and given a matching pronoun, it acts as an emphasis meaning "himself" (or herself, itself, etc.). Because it emphasizes the subject الطبيب (the doctor), it copies its nominative case, making it نفسُهُ (nafsu-hu).
Is it common to use the verb أخذ for measurements in Arabic?
Yes! Just like in English, Arabic uses the verb أخذ (to take) for taking a measurement, taking notes, or taking medicine. It is a very versatile verb.
How does the phrase قياس عيني work grammatically?
This is an Idafa (possession or "of") chain with three parts: قياس (measurement) + عين (eye) + ـي (my). The word قياس is the direct object of the verb, so it gets an accusative fatha ending. The word عين is technically in the genitive case as the second part of the Idafa, but its case ending is swallowed by the attached pronoun ـي.
If the English meaning was "my eyes" instead of "my eye", would the Arabic spelling change?
Surprisingly, no! The spelling عيني in this sentence can mean either "my eye" or "my eyes" (using the dual form). Because it is in the genitive case, the dual form "my eyes" is spelled exactly the same but pronounced differently (aynayya instead of aynī).