Breakdown of وصل القطار في الوقت المحدد.
الal
the
قطارqitâr
train
وصلwasala
to arrive
في الوقت المحددfi al-waqti al-muhaddadi
on time (at the set time)
Questions & Answers about وصل القطار في الوقت المحدد.
Why does the phrase for 'on time' use the word المحدد?
Literally, the phrase في الوقت المحدد means 'in the specified time.' The word المحدد (al-muḥaddad) is the passive participle of the Form II verb حدد (to specify or determine), so it translates closely to 'scheduled' or 'appointed' rather than literally meaning 'on time'.
Could I say على الوقت to mean 'on time' since 'on' usually translates to على?
No, you should stick to في. Using على here would be a direct translation from English that sounds unnatural in Modern Standard Arabic. Expressions regarding when something happens usually rely on في (in) rather than 'on' or 'at'.
What case ending does the adjective المحدد take in this sentence?
It takes the genitive case ending, a kasra, because it is modifying الوقت. Nouns following a preposition like في must be in the genitive case, and their adjectives must match them exactly, making it في الوقتِ المحددِ (fī al-waqti al-muḥaddadi).
Since المحدد is a Form II participle, how do we know it means 'specified' (passive) rather than 'specifying' (active)?
For derived verbs (Forms II through X), the passive participle has a fatha (short 'a' sound) on the middle root letter: مُحَدَّد (muḥaddad). If it were the active participle, it would have a kasra (short 'i' sound) there instead: مُحَدِّد (muḥaddid).
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