Breakdown of بدأ تقاعدها بعد حياة مهنية طويلة.
طويلtawîl
tall / long
هاhâ
her / her (object) / it (feminine)
بدأbada'a
to begin
بعدba'da
after
حياةhayâh
life
تقاعدtaqâ'ud
retirement
مهنيmihaniyy
professional (occupational, relating to a profession)
Questions & Answers about بدأ تقاعدها بعد حياة مهنية طويلة.
Why is the verb بدأ masculine when the sentence is about "her" retirement?
In Arabic, the verb agrees with the grammatical gender of the subject noun, not the possessor. The subject here is تقاعد (retirement), which is a masculine noun. The suffix ـها (her) simply tells us whose retirement it is, but it does not change the gender of the core noun.
How does the word تقاعد (retirement) relate to its root meaning?
The root is ق-ع-د, which basically means "to sit." The word تقاعد is a Form VI verbal noun (masdar). While Form VI often shows mutual action, it can also describe a state achieved over time or a withdrawal from an activity. So, "retiring" essentially conveys the concept of "sitting back" or "withdrawing to sit."
How does the grammar work for the phrase حياة مهنية طويلة (a long professional life)?
This is a noun followed by two adjectives. حياة (life) is the core noun. مهنية (professional) is a relational "nisba" adjective derived from مهنة (profession). طويلة (long) is a standard adjective. Both adjectives must match حياة in gender (feminine), number (singular), definiteness (indefinite), and case.
Why does بعد (after) force the following words into the genitive case?
Words indicating time or place, like بعد (after) or قبل (before), act as the first part of an "idaafa" (possessive construction) in Arabic. Because of this, the noun that immediately follows them must take the genitive case. Any adjectives describing that noun, like مهنية and طويلة, will also take the genitive case to match.
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