Learn Arabic (Modern Standard): بقدر ما يرتفع التضخم، بقدر ما تقل القوة الشرائية. - The more inflation rises, the more purchasing power decreases.

بقدر ما يرتفع التضخم، بقدر ما تقل القوة الشرائية.biqadri mâ yartafi'u at-tadakhkhumu, biqadri mâ taqillu al-quwwatu ash-shirâ'iyyatu

The more inflation rises, the more purchasing power decreases.

Breakdown of بقدر ما يرتفع التضخم، بقدر ما تقل القوة الشرائية.

الal

the

ارتفعirtafa'a

to rise (ascend, increase)

Questions & Answers about بقدر ما يرتفع التضخم، بقدر ما تقل القوة الشرائية.

How exactly does the phrase بقدر ما translate to 'the more'?

The word قدر means 'amount' or 'measure,' and بـ means 'by' or 'with.' The particle ما here acts as a conjunction meaning 'that' or 'what.' So, بقدر ما literally translates to 'by the amount that.' Repeating it in both clauses creates the proportional correlation: 'By the amount that inflation rises, by the amount that purchasing power decreases.'

Do we always put the verb immediately after بقدر ما?

Yes, usually. The particle ما in this structure introduces a verbal clause. Because Arabic strongly prefers a Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) word order, the verb (يرتفع or تقل) comes directly after ما, followed by its subject (التضخم or القوة).

Why are the two verbs in this sentence in different genders?

The verbs must agree with their respective subjects. يرتفع (rises) is masculine because its subject, التضخم (inflation), is masculine. تقل (decreases) is feminine to agree with its feminine subject, القوة (power).

How is the word الشرائية formed to mean 'purchasing'?