Breakdown of الطعام لذيذ، غير أن الخدمة بطيئة.
الal
the
طعامta'âm
food
لذيذlazîz
delicious
بطيءbatee'
slow
خدمةkhidma
service
غير أنghayra anna
however (except that)
Questions & Answers about الطعام لذيذ، غير أن الخدمة بطيئة.
How does the phrase غير أن (ghayra anna) translate to "however"?
Literally, غير means "other than" and أن means "that." Together, they form a fixed connector meaning "except that" or "however." It is used to introduce a contrasting statement.
Because we used أن in غير أن, how does this affect the grammar of the following words?
The particle أن (anna) is one of the "sisters of Inna." This means it changes the subject of the clause right after it into the accusative case (mansub). Therefore, الخدمة (the service) takes a fatha at the end, becoming الخدمةَ (al-khidmata). The predicate بطيئة (slow) stays in the default nominative case.
Could I just use لكن (lakinna) instead of غير أن here?
Yes! لكن (lakinna) and غير أن (ghayra anna) are perfectly interchangeable in this sentence and follow the exact same grammar rules. غير أن is simply a slightly more formal, written-style way to express contrast, which is great for expanding your vocabulary at this level.
Why is the hamza written on a little "chair" (nabira) in the middle of the word بطيئة (slow)?
In Arabic spelling rules, when a middle hamza is preceded by a long "ee" sound (the letter ي), the hamza is written on a nabira (which looks like a dotless yaa: ئـ). The root of the word ends in a regular standalone hamza, but in this feminine adjective form, the long ي forces the hamza onto the nabira to make بطيئة.
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