Breakdown of علينا أن ندعم مشاريع الاستدامة في مدينتنا.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
مدينةmadîna
city
على'ala
on / of (evidence of) / to (lie to someone) / for (difficult for someone)
ناnâ
our / us (object) / we (subject suffix on past verb)
أنan
to (with verbs)
مشروعmashrû'
project / draft (bill)
دعمda'ama
to support / support (noun)
استدامةistidâma
sustainability
Questions & Answers about علينا أن ندعم مشاريع الاستدامة في مدينتنا.
Why do we use علينا to mean "we must" here instead of a regular verb?
In Arabic, obligation is very often expressed using the preposition على (on) attached to a pronoun suffix. So, علينا literally means "on us" or "upon us", which translates naturally to "we must" or "we have to".
What effect does the word أن have on the verb ندعم (we support)?
The particle أن (that/to) puts the following present tense verb into the subjunctive mood (called mansub in Arabic). For a regular verb like ندعم, this means its final short vowel changes from a damma (u sound) to a fatha (a sound), making it pronounced ندعمَ (nad'ama) instead of ندعمُ (nad'amu).
In the phrase مشاريع الاستدامة (sustainability projects), why doesn't the word for "projects" take the definite article "ال"?
This is an idafa (possession or construct) phrase, literally translating to "the projects of sustainability". In an idafa, the first word (مشاريع) never takes the definite article ال (al-). The whole phrase is already considered definite because the second word (الاستدامة) is definite.
The word مشاريع (projects) is a broken plural. What is its singular form?
The singular is مشروع (mashruu'). The plural follows a very common broken plural pattern that is often used for singular nouns containing a long vowel.
What is the structural origin of the word الاستدامة (sustainability)?
It is a Form X verbal noun (masdar). Form X patterns often carry the meaning of seeking, requesting, or maintaining a state. It shares the same root letters (د - و - م) as the common word دائماً (always), giving it the core meaning of something continuous, lasting, or enduring.
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