Breakdown of أرسل المستشار فاتورة أتعابه إلى صاحب العمل.
إلىilâ
to
هhu
his / him (object) / it (dummy pronoun after لأن)
أرسلarsala
to send
عملamal
work
فاتورةfâtûra
the receipt / bill, invoice
مستشارmustashâr
consultant
صاحبsâhib
owner / employer (e.g., of a business, also companion)
أتعابat'âb
fees (for professional services)
Questions & Answers about أرسل المستشار فاتورة أتعابه إلى صاحب العمل.
Why doesn't the word for invoice, فاتورة, have the definite article ال even though it is translated as "the invoice" here?
It is the first part of an Idafa (possessive construction) with أتعابه (his fees). In Arabic, the first word of an Idafa never takes ال. The whole phrase is still definite because the second part, أتعاب, is made definite by the attached pronoun suffix ه (his).
I know the root word تعب relates to being "tired." How does أتعابه mean "his fees" here?
The plural noun أتعاب literally translates to "efforts" or "troubles." However, in business and legal contexts, it is the standard term for "professional fees" paid to consultants, lawyers, or freelancers. It specifically refers to compensation for their specialized effort, as opposed to a general fee or charge like رسوم.
I learned earlier that صاحب means "friend." Why is it used in صاحب العمل to mean "employer"?
While صاحب commonly means "friend" or "companion" in everyday speech, its original and very frequent meaning in formal compound phrases is "owner," "holder," or "possessor." Therefore, صاحب العمل literally means "the owner of the work," which is the standard MSA expression for "employer."
If I were to read this sentence aloud with full case endings (i'raab), what endings would the phrase فاتورة أتعابه take?
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