Breakdown of قامت أمي بكل العمل في المطبخ.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
يi
my / me (after a preposition)
مطبخmatbakh
kitchen
Questions & Answers about قامت أمي بكل العمل في المطبخ.
I thought قام meant "to stand up". Why is it translated as "did" here?
You are right that قام usually means "to stand." However, when paired with the preposition بـ (which you see attached to the next word as بكل), the phrase قام بـ means "to undertake," "to carry out," or "to do." This is a very common way to express doing a task or activity in Arabic.
How does بكل break down, and why is the بـ prefix there?
The word بكل consists of the preposition بـ (with/by) and the word كل (all). The بـ is there because the verb قامت requires it to mean "undertook." Since كل is the first word of the phrase "all the work," the preposition attaches directly to it.
Why is it كل العمل with the definite article, rather than just كل عمل?
When كل is followed by a definite noun (a noun starting with الـ, like العمل), it translates to "all of the" noun. If it were followed by an indefinite singular noun like عمل, it would mean "every" or "each" job.
Could I use a standard verb for "did", like فعلت, instead of قامت بـ?
Yes, you could say فعلت أمي كل العمل using the verb فعل (to do). However, قام بـ is often preferred in Modern Standard Arabic for chores, duties, and projects because it implies "undertaking" a responsibility, whereas فعل is a more general word for doing an action.