Breakdown of ظلت الأم تغني للرضيع حتى نام.
الal
the
لli
for, to (attached)
نامnâma
to sleep
أمumm
mother
حتىhattâ
until
غنىghannâ
to sing
رضيعradî'
baby, infant
ظلdhalla
to keep on, remain (+ present verb)
Questions & Answers about ظلت الأم تغني للرضيع حتى نام.
Why does ظلت mean "kept" here instead of "stayed" or "remained"?
The verb ظل literally means "he remained" or "he stayed". However, when it is followed by a present tense verb, it acts as a helping verb to mean "kept doing" or "continued doing" that action. Since the subject is the mother, it takes the feminine past tense form ظلت.
Why is the main verb تغني (sings) in the present tense if the action happened in the past?
Arabic does not have a single past continuous tense like English. Instead, it builds this meaning by using a past tense helping verb (like كان or ظلت) followed by the main verb in the present tense. The past tense of ظلت sets the time frame, and the present tense of تغني shows that the action was ongoing.
Where did the word for "the" (الـ) go in للرضيع (to the baby)?
It is hidden in the spelling! When the preposition لـ (to/for) attaches to a definite noun starting with الـ (the), the first letter (the alif) is dropped entirely in writing. This is a common spelling rule to remember. So, instead of being written with an alif, it merges into للرضيع.
After حتى (until), why is the verb نام (fell asleep) in the past tense instead of the present?
Because the baby actually fell asleep in the past. When حتى (until) describes an event that successfully finished in the past, it is followed by a past tense verb. If it were a future goal (like "I will sing until he sleeps"), it would be followed by a present tense verb.
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