Question 1

Why is القديم (old) masculine when the word right before it, الشجرة (tree), is feminine?

Accepted Answer

Because القديم is actually modifying the masculine word جذع (trunk), not الشجرة (tree). In an iḍāfa (possession phrase) like جذع الشجرة (the trunk of the tree), any adjective modifying the first noun must be placed at the very end of the entire phrase. Since جذع is masculine, the adjective matches it and remains masculine.

Question 2

Why is the preposition لـ (li-) used here to mean "of" the tree trunk?

Accepted Answer

Prepositions rarely translate one-to-one between English and Arabic. While we take a picture of something in English, the Arabic verb phrase التقط صورة (to take a picture) idiomatically requires the preposition لـ (li-), which usually means "to" or "for". Think of it literally as taking a picture for the object.

Question 3

How do we find the root of the verb التقطت?

Accepted Answer

This is a Form VIII verb, which is characterized by an extra ت (ta) inserted right after the first root letter, plus a prefix alif. If we remove the feminine ending ـت (-at) for "my sister", the prefix alif, and the infixed ت, we are left with the root letters ل-ق-ط (l-q-ṭ). This root relates to picking up or gathering.

Question 4

Why does the word صورا (pictures) have an extra alif at the end?

Accepted Answer

صورا (ṣuwaran) is the direct object, making it accusative. Because it is indefinite, it takes the double "a" vowel (tanwīn fatḥ). In Arabic spelling, this double vowel usually requires a silent alif as a "seat". You might remember that its singular form, صورة, doesn't take an alif when accusative because it ends in a taa marbuta (ة) — but the broken plural صور acts like a standard consonant-ending word and needs the alif.

التقطت أختي صورا لجذع الشجرة القديم.

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