الكلب عض صاحبي.

The dog bit my friend.

Breakdown of الكلب عض صاحبي.

• صاحب: friend
• كلب: dog
• عض: to bite

Questions & Answers about الكلب عض صاحبي.

Why is the word order الكلب عض صاحبي and not verb first?

Because subject–verb–object order is very common in Levantine Arabic.

So this sentence is:

• الكلب = the dog
• عضّ = bit
• صاحبي = my friend

Starting with الكلب makes the dog the topic: The dog bit my friend.

Arabic can also use verb–subject–object order, especially in more formal or narrative styles, for example عضّ الكلب صاحبي. But the version you have is very natural in spoken Levantine.

What does الـ mean in الكلب?

الـ is the Arabic definite article, meaning the.

So:

• كلب = dog
• الكلب = the dog

In careful Standard Arabic it is pronounced al-, but in Levantine it is often pronounced more like il- or el-, so الكلب may sound like il-kalb or el-kalb.

Why is صاحبي one word if it means my friend?

Because Arabic usually adds possessive pronouns directly to the noun as a suffix.

Here:

• صاحب = friend / companion
• -ي = my

So: