Breakdown of تجنب أولئك المرضى كل طعام عدا الشوفان.
الal
the
مريضmarîdh
patient
طعامta'âm
food
كلkull
all / every
أولئكulâ'ika
those
تجنبtajannub
to avoid
عداadâ
except (particle)
شوفانshufân
oats
Questions & Answers about تجنب أولئك المرضى كل طعام عدا الشوفان.
How does the word عدا affect the case of الشوفان (oats) in this sentence?
Because عدا is used here without the particle ما (as in ما عدا), it can be treated as either a preposition or a past tense verb. If you treat it as a preposition, الشوفان takes the genitive case (الشوفانِ). If you treat it as a verb, it takes the accusative case (الشوفانَ). Both are grammatically correct!
Why is أولئك (those) placed before المرضى (patients), and how do they work together as the subject?
In Arabic, when a demonstrative pronoun like أولئك is followed by a definite noun (starting with ال), the noun acts as a clarification for the pronoun. Together, they form the subject phrase 'those patients'. Notice that the verb تجنب is in the singular masculine form because it comes before its plural subject.
What is the case of المرضى here, and why don't we see a case ending on it?
It is in the nominative case because it forms the subject of the verb. However, المرضى ends in an alif maqsura (ى). Nouns ending in this vowel cannot take visible short vowel endings. Therefore, its nominative case marker (the damma) is implied rather than written or pronounced.
Why is طعام (food) indefinite here when the translation says 'every food'?
The word كل acts as the first part of a possessive construction (Idafa). When كل is followed by an indefinite singular noun like طعام, it translates to 'every' or 'each'. If it were followed by a definite noun (كل الطعام), it would mean 'all of the food'. Here, كل is the direct object (accusative), making طعام its genitive partner (طعامٍ).
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