Breakdown of وصلت دورية الشرطة إلى موقع الحادث.
إلىilâ
to
شرطةshurta
police
موقعmawqi'
website / site
حادثhâdith
accident
Questions & Answers about وصلت دورية الشرطة إلى موقع الحادث.
Why do we use إلى after وصلت instead of a preposition meaning 'at' or 'in'?
In English, you arrive 'at' or 'in' a place. However, the Arabic verb وصل (to arrive) typically requires the preposition إلى (to) to indicate the destination you are moving toward.
The word موقع looks like it follows a specific pattern. What is its root and form?
Yes, موقع is a 'noun of place' following the مَفْعِل (maf'il) pattern. It comes from the root و ق ع (to fall or to occur), so it literally means 'the place where something occurs' -- making it the perfect word for a site or location.
Both دورية الشرطة and موقع الحادث use the same grammatical structure. Why does the first word in each lack the definite article?
Both phrases are Idaafa (possessive) constructions. In an Idaafa, the first word (the possessed noun) never takes the definite article ال. Instead, the entire phrase becomes definite because the second word (the possessor) has ال attached to it.
Could I use حادثة instead of الحادث to mean accident here?
You could, but الحادث is the standard, more specific term for a physical accident, like a car crash. The feminine form حادثة is often used more broadly for a general incident or event, though the two words overlap frequently in everyday use.