المخطوطة عند المترجم.

Because Arabic normally leaves out the present-tense verb to be in sentences like this.

So المخطوطة عند المترجم literally looks like:

• the manuscript
• with / at the translator

But it naturally means The manuscript is with the translator.

This kind of sentence is called a nominal sentence. In the present tense, Arabic usually does not say is / am / are.

Here, عند means something like:

• with
• in the possession of
• at the place of

So عند المترجم means with the translator or in the translator’s possession.

This is a very common Arabic way to express possession or where something is located relative to a person.

Because both have الـ, the Arabic definite article the.

• المخطوطة = the manuscript
• المترجم = the translator

So the sentence is talking about a specific manuscript and a specific translator, not just any manuscript or any translator.

If you removed الـ from one of them, the meaning would change. For example:

• مخطوطة عند المترجم = a manuscript is with the translator
• المخطوطة عند مترجم = the manuscript is with a translator

The basic structure is:

• المخطوطة = the topic/subject
• عند المترجم = the predicate/complement

So the sentence is basically:

• The manuscript
  • is with the translator

A useful way to think about it is: the sentence starts with what you are talking about, then says where it is or who has it.

It is fully understandable in Egyptian Arabic, but it sounds a bit formal or bookish, mainly because of the vocabulary:

• مخطوطة = manuscript, which is not an everyday word
• مترجم = translator, also somewhat formal depending on context

In spoken Egyptian, the structure with عند is very normal. So the grammar feels natural, even if the vocabulary is a little formal.

A more everyday Egyptian-style way to express the same idea could also be:

• المترجم عنده المخطوطة
  literally: the translator has the manuscript

That is very common in speech.

A common Egyptian-style pronunciation would be roughly:

el-makhtuuta ʿand el-motargem

A few notes:

• الـ is usually pronounced el-
• خ sounds like kh, like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
• ع is a deep throat sound with no exact English equivalent
• ج in Egyptian Arabic is usually pronounced like g in go, so مترجم sounds like motargem, not mutarjim

That final ة is called taa marbuuTa.

In this word, it usually sounds like -a when you pause:

• المخطوطة → el-makhtuuta

This ending often marks feminine nouns in Arabic. So مخطوطة is grammatically feminine.

That is why, if you later referred to it with a pronoun, you would use a feminine pronoun.

Sometimes, but عند is better here.

• عند often suggests in someone’s possession / at someone’s place
• مع often suggests with, especially in the sense of together with or carrying

So for The manuscript is with the translator, عند المترجم is the more natural choice.

If you used مع المترجم, it might sound more like the manuscript is physically together with the translator, rather than simply in his possession.

المترجم usually means the translator, but in some contexts it can also mean the interpreter.

In modern usage:

• مترجم often means translator
• مترجم فوري specifically means interpreter / simultaneous interpreter

So in this sentence, unless the wider context says otherwise, learners will usually understand المترجم as the translator.

Yes, Arabic can change word order for emphasis, but the given order is straightforward and natural.

المخطوطة عند المترجم puts the focus first on the manuscript.

If you wanted to emphasize the translator, spoken Egyptian might more naturally say:

• المترجم عنده المخطوطة

That means the same basic thing, but the wording highlights the translator has it.

So the choice of word order can affect emphasis, even when the meaning stays similar.

In Egyptian Arabic, the easiest way is:

المخطوطة مش عند المترجم
= The manuscript isn’t with the translator

Here مش is the normal Egyptian negation for this kind of sentence.

In more formal Standard Arabic, you might see:

المخطوطة ليست عند المترجم

But for Egyptian speech, مش is the one to remember.