Breakdown of تهدف الحكومة إلى مساعدة الفقراء.
الal
the
فقيرfaqîr
poor
مساعدةmusâ'ada
help
حكومةhukûma
government
هدف إلىhadafa ilâ
to aim to, to aim at
Questions & Answers about تهدف الحكومة إلى مساعدة الفقراء.
Why do we use the verbal noun مساعدة (helping) here instead of a verb?
In formal Arabic, it is very common to use a verbal noun (masdar) after a preposition. The verb تهدف (aims) requires the preposition إلى (to/toward). While you could use an actual verb by saying إلى أن تساعد (to that it helps), using the verbal noun مساعدة is more concise and typical of journalistic or official style.
How does the grammar of مساعدة الفقراء work if مساعدة is a noun?
Because مساعدة is a verbal noun, it links to its object, الفقراء (the poor), through an idaafa (possessive construction). Literally, it translates to 'the helping of the poor.' As the second part of the idaafa, الفقراء takes the genitive case. This is the standard way to attach an object to a verbal noun in Arabic.
Does the verb تهدف always require the preposition إلى?
Yes, when expressing 'to aim to' or 'to aim at' an abstract goal, the verb تهدف strongly collocates with the preposition إلى. If you drop the preposition, the verb usually means 'to strike a target' or 'to score a goal' in a physical or sports context.
What broken plural pattern does the word الفقراء follow?
It is the broken plural of فقير (poor) and follows the fu'alaa' pattern. This specific pattern is highly typical for adjectives describing human traits, states, or characteristics. You will see it in similar words like سعيد (happy) becoming سعداء and كريم (generous) becoming كرماء.
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