Breakdown of طار المنطاد فوق المدينة، مما أعجب الناس.
الal
the
مدينةmadîna
city
فوقfawqa
above
ناسnâsun
people
أعجبa'jaba
to please (someone)
طارtâra
to fly
منطادmintâd
hot air balloon
مماmimmâ
which (referring to a clause)
Questions & Answers about طار المنطاد فوق المدينة، مما أعجب الناس.
How does مما work here to mean "which"?
مما is a contraction of the preposition من (from) and the relative pronoun ما (what). When placed after a complete clause, it is used to refer back to that entire preceding idea—in this case, the fact that the balloon flew over the city. It translates naturally to "which" or "a fact that" in English.
Why can't we just use الذي or التي for "which" in this sentence?
Relative pronouns like الذي or التي must refer back to a specific noun. If you used التي here, it would technically refer back to the closest matching noun, المدينة (the city). But it wasn't the city itself that pleased the people; it was the whole event of the balloon flying! You must use مما when "which" refers to an entire situation or action, rather than a single noun.
How does the verb أعجب work with the people (الناس)?
أعجب is a Form IV verb meaning "to please" or "to impress." In Arabic, the thing causing the impression is the subject, and the person feeling it is the direct object. Here, the hidden subject "it" (referring back to the event via ما) is doing the pleasing, and الناس (the people) is the direct object receiving the action.
As a quick refresher, what case ending does المدينة take after فوق?
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