Breakdown of اخترنا هذا الفندق لأنه رخيص.
الal
the
هذاhâdhâ
this (m)
هhu
his / him (object) / it (dummy pronoun after لأن)
فندقfunduq
hotel
رخيصrakhîs
cheap
لأنli'anna
because
اختارikhtâra
to choose
Questions & Answers about اخترنا هذا الفندق لأنه رخيص.
Why doesn't the verb اخترنا have an alif in the middle, like the basic past tense form اختار?
The verb اختار is a hollow verb, meaning its middle root letter is weak. When conjugated for "we" in the past tense, we add the suffix ـنا. Arabic strictly avoids having two unvoweled consonants in a row (the long vowel counts as one here). To prevent this, the weak middle vowel is dropped, giving us اخترنا.
If we read this sentence with full case endings, what ending does الفندق take?
It takes a fatha (الفندقَ), which is the accusative case. The direct object of the verb is actually the demonstrative pronoun هذا. When a definite noun directly follows a demonstrative pronoun, it acts as a substitute (badal) and copies the pronoun's grammatical case.
Why do we use the version أنّ in لأنه instead of إنّ?
The phrase for "because" combines the preposition لِـ with أنّ. We must use the version أنّ (anna) when it forms a clause in the middle of a sentence, such as after a preposition. The version إنّ (inna) is generally reserved for the very beginning of a sentence or immediately after the verb for "to say".
What case ending belongs on the adjective رخيص at the end of the sentence?
It takes the nominative case with a dammatayn (رخيصٌ). Because it follows أنّ, it is governed by the "sisters of inna" rule. This rule makes the subject (the attached pronoun ـه) accusative, but keeps the predicate (the adjective رخيص) in the default nominative case.
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