ليس جارنا بخيلا، بل كريم جدا.

Questions & Answers about ليس جارنا بخيلا، بل كريم جدا.

Why is the word بخيلا written with an extra alif at the end?
The word بخيلا (stingy) is the predicate of the negating verb ليس (is not). Just like the verb كان (was), ليس forces its predicate into the accusative case (mansub). Because it is an indefinite noun, it takes the "tanwin fatha" ending, which requires adding that extra alif to the spelling.
Why use the word بل here instead of لكن for "but"?
While both can translate to "but", بل specifically means "but rather" or "on the contrary." You use it after a negative statement to completely reject the first idea and replace it with the opposite truth. If you used لكن (lakin), it would simply add contrasting information rather than directly correcting the negated trait.
Why isn't كريم in the accusative case to match بخيلا?
You might expect it to be written as كريماً to match the previous word, but the particle بل usually introduces a brand new clause. Here, the subject "he" (هو) is omitted but understood: بل هو كريم جدا (but rather [he is] very generous). Because كريم is the predicate of this new, hidden subject, it resets to the default nominative case (marfu').

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