Breakdown of يهدف البرنامج إلى تعليم الأطفال القراءة.
الal
the
برنامجbarnâmaj
schedule / program (plan)
طفلtifl
child
قراءةqirâ'ah
reading
تعليمta'lîm
teaching; education
هدف إلىhadafa ilâ
to aim to, to aim at
Questions & Answers about يهدف البرنامج إلى تعليم الأطفال القراءة.
Why is the noun القراءة (reading) used here instead of a verb phrase like أن يقرأوا (to read)?
In English, we say "teach children to read," but Arabic strongly prefers using the verbal noun (masdar) for general skills or subjects. Literally, the sentence translates to aiming at "the teaching of children reading." You could technically use أن plus a verb, but the verbal noun is much more natural and standard in MSA for this context.
How does the grammar of the phrase تعليم الأطفال القراءة work? Is القراءة an adjective?
No, it's a direct object. This is a great example of a verbal noun (masdar) acting like a verb. تعليم (teaching) is in an idafa (possessive phrase) with الأطفال (literally: "the teaching of the children"). However, because the original verb for teaching takes two objects (teaching someone something), its verbal noun can still govern a direct object. Here, that object is القراءة (reading).
If I were reading this with case endings, why would الأطفال be in the genitive case (majrūr)?
Because it is the second part of the idafa construction with تعليم. Even though the children are the logical receivers of the teaching, grammatically they are attached to the noun تعليم as a possessor: "the teaching of the children."
Why does يهدف (aims) need the preposition إلى before the next word?
The verb هدف / يهدف (to aim) is almost always paired with the preposition إلى (to/toward). Just as we say "aims at" or "aims to" in English, in Arabic you must use إلى before stating the goal, which forces the following noun (تعليم) into the genitive case.
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