Learn Arabic (Modern Standard): سألت موظفة الاستعلامات، وطلبت مني أن أتريث قليلا. - I asked the clerk at the information desk, and she asked me to wait patiently for a little while.

Look closely at the verb أتريث (I wait patiently). It shares the same root (ر-ي-ث) as the conjunction ريثما. The core meaning of this root is 'slowness' or 'delay'. While ريثما is a conjunction meaning 'until' or 'while waiting for', the Form V verb تريث means 'to act slowly, wait, or take one's time'.

Why does the Arabic say طلبت مني أن أتريث instead of just translating 'she asked me to wait' word-for-word?

In Arabic, the verb طلب (to request or ask) doesn't take a direct object for the person being asked. You have to 'request from someone', which is why we use the preposition من combined with the 'me' suffix to make مني. Also, Arabic uses أن followed by a present tense verb (أتريث) instead of an infinitive like the English 'to wait'.

How does موظفة الاستعلامات translate to 'the clerk at the information desk'?

This is an idafa (possessive construction) that literally translates to 'the female employee of the inquiries'. The word الاستعلامات is the plural of استعلام (inquiry), which comes from the Form X verb of the root (ع-ل-م) meaning 'to seek knowledge or information'.

How do we know the subject shifts from 'I' in سألت to 'she' in طلبت?