Breakdown of علينا أن نعجل في دفع المستحقات.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
على'ala
on / of (evidence of) / to (lie to someone) / for (difficult for someone)
نحنnahnu
Questions & Answers about علينا أن نعجل في دفع المستحقات.
How does the word المستحقات get its meaning of 'dues'?
It comes from the root ح ق ق, which relates to rights or truth (like the word حق). It is the feminine plural of the Form X passive participle مستحق (deserved or owed). When used as a plural noun, المستحقات translates to 'dues,' 'entitlements,' or 'financial obligations.'
Is the verb نعجل in Form I or Form II?
It is usually read here as Form II, نُعَجِّلَ (nu'ajjila). While Form I نَعْجَلَ (na'jala) also means to hurry, Form II is frequently used with the preposition في to mean 'to expedite' or 'to hasten' an action. Notice that it ends in a fatha because the particle أن places it in the subjunctive mood.
Why do we use the noun دفع (payment) here instead of a verb like 'to pay'?
Because it immediately follows the preposition في (in). In Arabic, prepositions must be followed by a noun or a pronoun. Therefore, instead of using a verb, we use the verbal noun or 'masdar' دفع (paying/payment).
Could an Arabic speaker drop أن and just say علينا نعجل?
Not in Modern Standard Arabic. The prepositional phrase علينا (it is upon us) needs the particle أن (that) to connect it to the verb, literally meaning 'It is upon us that we hurry.' English speakers often want to drop it because we say 'we must hurry' without a connecting word, but MSA strictly requires it here. You might only hear it dropped in casual regional dialects.