Learn Arabic (Modern Standard): هل شفطت المرأة داخل السيارة؟ - Did the woman vacuum the inside of the car?

Normally, the feminine past tense ending ـت has a "sukun" (a marker meaning no vowel is played), so it is pronounced شفطتْ (shafaTat). However, because المرأة starts with a silent "alif" (hamzat wasl) followed by a consonant, we get two consonant sounds clashing. To fix this, we add a "kasra" (short 'i' sound) to the verb ending, making the pronunciation شفطتِ المرأة (shafaTati l-mar'a).

Does the verb شفطت specifically mean "to vacuum"?

The root verb شفط literally means "to suck," "to absorb," or "to inhale." In modern everyday contexts, it is the standard verb used for vacuuming dust or dirt. You will also see this same root used for drinking with a straw or in medical terms like liposuction.

Why isn't there a preposition like في (in) before داخل السيارة?

In Arabic, داخل (inside) acts as a spatial noun. Here, it is grouped with السيارة in an "Idafa" (possessive) construction, literally meaning "the inside of the car." Because the phrase as a whole is acting as the direct object of the verb شفطت (it is the specific thing being vacuumed), you do not need an extra preposition like في.

If I want to pronounce the full grammatical endings, what vowel goes on the end of داخل?