Breakdown of للقائد السلطة، ولا يوجد نصر إلا إذا اتحدنا.
الal
the
وwa
and
لli
for, to (attached)
لاlâ
not (with present verb)
إلاillâ
except
إذاidhâ
if
يوجدyûjadu
there is (is found)
قائدqâ'id
commander / leader / driver (of a vehicle)
اتحدittahada
to unite
سلطةsultah
authority
نصرnasr
victory
Questions & Answers about للقائد السلطة، ولا يوجد نصر إلا إذا اتحدنا.
How does للقائد السلطة imply that the authority belongs only to the commander?
By fronting the prepositional phrase للقائد (to the commander) before the definite subject السلطة (the authority). In a standard nominal sentence, the definite subject normally comes first (السلطة للقائد). Reversing this order when the subject is definite creates a structure called stylistic fronting for exclusivity, which adds the implied meaning of 'only' or 'exclusively'.
Why is the subject السلطة definite here, and would the meaning change if it were indefinite (سلطة)?
The definite subject السلطة (the authority) paired with the fronted predicate creates the exclusivity rule you are learning now. If it were indefinite (للقائد سلطة), it would simply mean 'The commander has authority' (literally: 'To the commander is an authority'). That is the standard, mandatory word order for indefinite subjects and does not imply 'only'.
The translation says 'there is no victory', but doesn't يوجد literally mean 'is found'?
Yes! يوجد is the passive voice of وجد (to find), so it literally means 'is found'. However, in Modern Standard Arabic, the passive يوجد (masculine) or توجد (feminine) is the standard and most common way to say 'there is' or 'there exists'.
What is the root of the verb اتحدنا (we unite), and why does it have a double letter (shadda) instead of a waw?
The root is actually و ح د (w-h-d), the same root as واحد (one). This verb is in Form VIII. When a root starts with و (waw) in Form VIII, that first letter assimilates into the inserted ت (ta') of the verb pattern, merging 'iwtaḥada' into اتحد (ittaḥada) with a shadda.
Is إلا إذا the standard way to say 'unless' in Arabic?
Yes, إلا إذا literally translates to 'except if', which is the most natural and frequent way to express 'unless' in Modern Standard Arabic.
Learn للقائد السلطة، ولا يوجد نصر إلا إذا اتحدنا and more in Arabic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free