Breakdown of الامتحان الكتابي طويل، في حين أن الشفهي قصير.
الal
the
طويلtawîl
tall / long
قصيرqasîr
short
امتحانimtihân
exam
أنanna
that (conjunction)
كتابيkitâbiyy
written (as opposed to oral)
شفهيshafahiyy
oral
في حينfî hîni
whereas, while (contrasting)
Questions & Answers about الامتحان الكتابي طويل، في حين أن الشفهي قصير.
What is the grammatical rule for using في حين أن (fi hiin anna) in this sentence?
The phrase في حين أن translates to 'whereas' or 'while'. Because it ends with the particle أن (anna), it must be followed by a nominal sentence (a sentence starting with a noun or pronoun). Here, it makes the following subject الشفهي take the accusative (mansub) case.
Why isn't the word الامتحان (exam) repeated before الشفهي (oral) in the second clause?
Unlike English, which uses the placeholder 'one' (the oral one), Arabic doesn't require a dummy noun. You can simply add the definite article الـ (al-) to the adjective الشفهي to make it function as a standalone noun meaning 'the oral one'.
What is the exact pronunciation of the case ending on الشفهي in this context?
It is pronounced الشفهيَّ (ash-shafahiyya). As the subject of أن (anna), it must be in the accusative (mansub) case, which takes a fatha on the final letter.
Where does the word الشفهي (oral) come from?
It is a nisba (relational) adjective derived from the noun شفة (shafah), meaning 'lip'. By adding the ـي (iyy) suffix, it literally translates to 'pertaining to the lips', hence 'oral'.
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