Breakdown of تحدث المدير مع الموظفين الستة.
الal
the
موظفmuwazzaf
employee
مديرmudîr
manager
معma'a
with
ستةsittah
six
تحدثtahaddatha
to talk, to speak
Questions & Answers about تحدث المدير مع الموظفين الستة.
Why does the number الستة come after the noun here, rather than before it?
Usually, numbers 3 to 10 come before an indefinite plural noun (for example, ستة موظفين for 'six employees'). However, when you want to make the phrase definite ('the six employees'), the number typically follows the definite noun and acts as an adjective. That is why it comes after الموظفين and takes the definite article ال.
If الستة is acting as an adjective here, why does it have a feminine ending when الموظفين is masculine?
Even when a number from 3 to 10 is placed after a definite noun as an adjective, it stubbornly keeps its 'reverse gender' rule. Because the singular of الموظفين is the masculine word موظف, the number must take the feminine form ستة, which becomes الستة with the definite article.
Why is the word for employees written as الموظفين instead of الموظفون?
The word مع (with) forces the noun immediately following it into the genitive case. For regular masculine plural nouns, the genitive suffix is -ين (yaa and nuun) rather than the nominative -ون (waw and nuun).
Is there a difference in meaning if I use تحدث إلى instead of تحدث مع?
Both are completely correct and common in MSA. Using مع (with) implies more of a two-way dialogue, whereas إلى (to) can sometimes emphasize that the manager was addressing them or doing most of the talking.
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