Breakdown of يقيم أخي في الخارج منذ سنتين.
الal
the
فيfî
in / about, regarding
أخakh
brother
يi
my / me (after a preposition)
خارجkhârija
outside
سنةsana
year
منذmundhu
since / for
أقامaqâma
to reside, to stay (in a place)
Questions & Answers about يقيم أخي في الخارج منذ سنتين.
Why is the present tense verb يقيم translated as "has been living" instead of "lives"?
In Arabic, an action that started in the past and is still continuing is expressed using a present tense verb combined with منذ (since/for). While English uses the present perfect continuous (has been living), Arabic literally phrases this as "he resides... for two years".
Why does the word for two years, سنتين, end with the -ين suffix here instead of -ان?
The word منذ functions as a preposition, which puts the noun that follows it into the genitive case (majrur). For dual nouns, the genitive suffix is -ين (-ayn) rather than the nominative -ان (-an).
Does منذ mean "for" or "since" in this sentence?
Here it means "for". The word منذ translates to "for" when followed by a duration of time, such as two years. It translates to "since" when followed by a specific starting point in time, such as a specific year or a day of the week.
What is the difference between using يقيم and يعيش to talk about living abroad?
While both can be translated as "to live", يقيم specifically means "to reside" or "to stay". It is very commonly used for living in a specific location, especially as an expatriate, a resident, or a guest. يعيش is a broader verb meaning "to live" or "to be alive".
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