Breakdown of من المفروض أن يصل القطار في الساعة الثامنة.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
قطارqitâr
train
ساعةsâ'a
watch / hour
ثامنthâmin
eighth
وصلwasala
to arrive
من المفروض أنmina al-mafrûdi an
supposedly, one is supposed to
Questions & Answers about من المفروض أن يصل القطار في الساعة الثامنة.
How does من المفروض أن translate to "supposed to"?
The word المفروض is the passive participle of the verb فرض (to impose or assume). The phrase literally means "From what is assumed that..." or "It is expected that..." This is the standard MSA structure for the English concept of "supposed to".
Why is the verb يصل missing its first root letter?
The root is و ص ل. Because it is an assimilated verb (starting with waw), the initial waw drops in the present tense, changing it from what would be يوصل to يصل. It also takes a fatha ending (yaṣila) because the particle أن puts it into the subjunctive mood.
Why do we use الثامنة instead of the regular number ثمانية for "eight"?
When telling time in Arabic, you must use ordinal numbers (like "eighth") rather than cardinal numbers (like "eight"). الثامنة literally means "the eighth," making the phrase "in the eighth hour." It also takes the feminine form to agree with الساعة.
Can I put the subject القطار before the verb?
Yes, but it requires a grammar change. The particle أن (an) must be followed by a verb. If you want the noun to come first, you must switch to its sister particle أنّ (anna) and say من المفروض أنّ القطارَ يصل. Keeping the verb directly after أن is generally preferred in MSA.
Learn من المفروض أن يصل القطار في الساعة الثامنة 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