Breakdown of سمعنا عن الفندق من خلال صديق.
الal
the
صديقsadîq
friend
فندقfunduq
hotel
سمعsami'a
to hear
عن'an
about / from (far from) / on the basis of (merit)
من خلالmin khilâli
through, by means of
Questions & Answers about سمعنا عن الفندق من خلال صديق.
Why does the sentence use من خلال for 'through' instead of عبر?
The phrase من خلال is typically used for abstract intermediaries or methods, like hearing news 'through' a friend or doing something 'via' the internet. If you are talking about physical movement, like walking 'through' a door or a tunnel, عبر is usually the better choice.
Why do we need the preposition عن after سمعنا?
The verb سمع (to hear) takes a direct object when you physically hear a sound, like 'I heard the music'. However, when you want to say you heard 'about' a topic, a place, or news, you must use the preposition عن.
Could I just say من صديق (from a friend) instead of من خلال صديق?
Yes, you could say من صديق, and it would be perfectly correct. Using من خلال (through or via) just puts a slightly stronger emphasis on the friend being the channel or intermediary for the information.
What grammatical case is the word صديق in at the end of the sentence?
It is in the genitive case (majrour) because it follows the word خلال. In Arabic, words like خلال act as the first part of a possessive phrase (idaafa), which forces the noun that immediately follows them into the genitive case. With full vowels, it would be pronounced 'sadeeqin'.
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