Breakdown of تحتاج الديمقراطية إلى الشفافية.
الal
the
احتاج إلىihtâja ilâ
to need
ديمقراطيةdîmuqrâtiyya
democracy
شفافيةshafâfiyyah
transparency
Questions & Answers about تحتاج الديمقراطية إلى الشفافية.
How is the word الشفافية (transparency) constructed in this sentence?
It is an Artificial Verbal Noun (المصدر الصناعي). It takes the adjective شفّاف (transparent) and adds the suffix ـيَّة to create the abstract concept of transparency. This is the standard way to form abstract nouns from adjectives in Arabic.
Does the same rule apply to الديمقراطية even though it is a foreign loanword?
Yes! Adding ـيَّة is highly productive in Arabic. Here, the Arabized adjective ديمقراطي (democratic) takes the suffix to form the abstract noun الديمقراطية (democracy). It is exactly how Arabic absorbs modern international concepts into its own grammatical system.
Why do we need the preposition إلى here? English just says "needs transparency".
The verb احتاج (to need) almost always requires the preposition إلى after it. Think of it literally as "has a need to" or "has a need for". Memorizing these specific verb-preposition combinations is a major part of reaching fluency at this level.
Why is the verb تحتاج conjugated in the feminine?
Because the subject is الديمقراطية. The Artificial Verbal Noun suffix ـيَّة ends in a taa' marbuuTa (ة), which makes these newly coined abstract nouns grammatically feminine. Therefore, the verb gets the 3rd-person feminine prefix تـ.
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