Breakdown of كانت المديرة تحتكر السوق، لذلك لنوقفنها.
الal
the
سوقsûq
market
مديرmudîr
manager
هاhâ
her / her (object) / it (feminine)
كانkâna
to be
لذلكlithâlika
therefore
أوقفawqif
to stop (someone or something)
لla
truly, surely (emphatic prefix)
احتكرihtakara
to monopolize
Questions & Answers about كانت المديرة تحتكر السوق، لذلك لنوقفنها.
How is the heavy emphatic suffix used in the word لنوقفنها?
The base verb is نوقف (we stop). To make a strong assertion ("we will definitely stop"), we add the heavy emphatic suffix ـنَّ. When adding this to a present tense verb, the verb's final vowel changes to a fatha, making it نوقفَنَّ (nuwqifanna). The object pronoun ها (her) is then added at the very end.
What is the prefix لـ at the beginning of لنوقفنها?
This is the Emphatic Lam (لام التوكيد, pronounced with a fatha as "la-"). It is almost always paired with the heavy emphatic suffix to strongly reinforce an action. It acts as an intensifier, often implying an unspoken oath (as if saying "By God, we will definitely...").
Why does the object pronoun ها appear after the emphatic suffix ـنَّ instead of before it?
The emphatic suffix ـنَّ is considered a grammatical part of the verb's conjugation, meaning it must attach directly to the verb stem. Object pronouns like ها (her) must always be attached to the very end of the completed verb structure, never interrupting the verb and its conjugation suffixes.
Why is the present tense verb تحتكر used when the sentence translates to the past tense "she was monopolizing"?
This is how Arabic forms the past continuous tense. By using the past tense verb كانت (she was) followed by a present tense verb like تحتكر (she monopolizes), it describes a continuous or ongoing action that happened in the past.
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