Breakdown of كان الانتظار في المحطة طويلا.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
طويلtawîl
tall / long
كانkâna
to be
محطةmahatta
station
انتظارintizâr
waiting
Questions & Answers about كان الانتظار في المحطة طويلا.
Why does طويلا have an alif at the end instead of just being طويل?
The word طويلا is the predicate (the describing part) of the verb كان. In Arabic, كان (was) forces its predicate into the accusative case. For indefinite masculine words, this case is marked by adding an alif and an -an sound at the end.
The word المحطة is feminine. Why are كان and طويلا in their masculine forms?
The main subject of the sentence is الانتظار (the waiting), which is masculine. Both the verb كان and the adjective طويلا must agree in gender with the subject. They simply ignore the prepositional phrase في المحطة that comes in between them.
What kind of word is الانتظار and how does it relate to verbs?
It is a verbal noun, known as a masdar, derived from the verb انتظر (to wait). Arabic frequently uses a definite masdar to express the concept of an action, acting much like the English -ing gerund form used here for waiting.
Why use the preposition في (in) if the translation says at the station?
Arabic typically uses في for buildings, transportation hubs, and enclosed public spaces. While English prefers at the station, using a word like عند in Arabic would imply waiting near or outside the station rather than being inside the facility.
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