Breakdown of أغلب الطلاب يمشون إلى المدرسة.
الal
the
طالبtâlib
student
إلىilâ
to
مدرسةmadrasah
school
مشىmashâ
to walk / to go, to move along (of a vehicle)
أغلبaghlab
most (+ noun)
Questions & Answers about أغلب الطلاب يمشون إلى المدرسة.
Why does أغلب (most) come before the noun instead of after it like a regular adjective?
أغلب is acting as the first part of an Idafa (possessive construction), literally meaning "the majority of". In an Idafa, the first word always comes right before the second word, which is why it precedes الطلاب.
Why is the verb conjugated as يمشون instead of "yamshiyuun"?
The root verb مشى (to walk) ends in a weak letter. When conjugating these types of "defective" verbs in the plural, Arabic drops the weak letter before adding the ون suffix to make pronunciation much smoother.
I've learned that verbs are often singular even with plural subjects. Why is يمشون plural here?
The "singular verb with a plural subject" rule only applies when the verb comes before the subject. Because this sentence starts with the subject أغلب الطلاب, it is a nominal sentence. In nominal sentences, the verb comes after the subject and must fully match its number, so the plural يمشون is required.
What root does أغلب come from, and are there related words I should know?
It comes from the root (غ - ل - ب), which relates to being dominant or the majority. You will likely recognize its related adverb غالباً, which means "often" or "usually".
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