Breakdown of لا أحد يأكل اللحم النيء؛ لأنه يفسد بسرعة.
الal
the
هhu
his / him (object) / it (dummy pronoun after لأن)
بbi
by, with (attached)
أكلakala
to eat
لحمlahm
meat
لأنli'anna
because
سرعةsur'a
speed
لا أحدlâ aḥada
nobody
نيءni'un
raw (uncooked)
فسدfasada
to spoil
Questions & Answers about لا أحد يأكل اللحم النيء؛ لأنه يفسد بسرعة.
The English translation uses the general, indefinite phrase "raw meat." Why does the Arabic sentence use the definite article in اللحم النيء?
In Arabic, when making a general statement about an entire category or an uncountable substance (like meat), you must use the definite article الـ. Because the noun اللحم is definite, its modifying adjective النيء must also take الـ to match it perfectly.
How is the word أحد pronounced in the phrase لا أحد, and why?
In Modern Standard Arabic, this structure uses the "laa of absolute negation" to mean "absolutely no one." The noun following this specific type of لا must take a fatha ending without tanween (no "n" sound). Therefore, it is pronounced لا أحدَ (lā ʾaḥada).
Why is there a pronoun attached to the word for "because" in لأنه?
The word لأن belongs to a specific family of words (the "sisters of Inna") that must always be followed by a noun or an attached pronoun, never directly by a verb. Here, the attached pronoun ـه (it) refers back to the masculine noun اللحم, acting as the subject for the following verb يفسد.
Why does the sentence use بسرعة instead of a single word for the adverb "quickly"?
Arabic has relatively few standalone adverbs. A very common way to express how an action is performed is by attaching the preposition بـ (with) to a noun. Here, بـ is attached to سرعة (speed) to literally mean "with speed," which functions as the adverb "quickly."
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