صندوق الرمل في الحمام من ساعة ما جبناه.

The litter box has been in the bathroom since we brought it.

Breakdown of صندوق الرمل في الحمام من ساعة ما جبناه.

• في: in
• حمام: bathroom
• يجيب: to bring
• من ساعة ما: since (an event happened)

Questions & Answers about صندوق الرمل في الحمام من ساعة ما جبناه.

Why is there no separate word for is in this sentence?

Because this is a present-tense nominal sentence. In Egyptian Arabic, you usually do not say a separate verb for is/are in sentences like this.

So:

• صندوق الرمل في الحمام
  literally looks like the litter box in the bathroom
• but it naturally means The litter box is in the bathroom

The sense of has been comes from the time expression من ساعة ما جبناه, which adds the idea of since we brought it.

What does من ساعة ما mean here?

من ساعة ما is a very common Egyptian expression meaning since or more literally from the time that.

Word by word:

• من = from
• ساعة = hour, time, moment
• ما = a connector before the following clause

So here من ساعة ما جبناه means since we brought it.

Also, ساعة here does not mean a literal 60-minute hour. It means something more like the moment or the time.

Why is there a ما after ساعة?

In Egyptian Arabic, ما often appears in time expressions before a full clause. It helps connect the time phrase to what comes after.

So: