نظارة السباحة عالفوطة.

It is a spoken contraction of على الفوطة.

• على = on
• الفوطة = the towel

In Levantine, على is very often shortened in everyday speech to عَ. So:

• عَ + الفوطة → عالفوطة

So عالفوطة simply means on the towel.

Because in Levantine Arabic, the present-tense verb to be is usually omitted.

So a sentence like:

• نظارة السباحة عالفوطة

literally looks like:

• the swimming goggles on the towel

but it naturally means:

• The swimming goggles are on the towel

This is very normal in Arabic. If you wanted past or future, you would usually add a verb, for example:

• كانت نظارة السباحة عالفوطة = The swimming goggles were on the towel
• رح تكون نظارة السباحة عالفوطة = The swimming goggles will be on the towel

This is a very common Arabic structure called idafa.

English often uses:

• swimming goggles

Arabic often expresses that idea as:

• goggles of swimming

So:

• نظارة السباحة literally = goggles of swimming
• natural English = swimming goggles

In other words, Arabic is using another noun, السباحة (swimming), where English uses a modifier.

Because in an idafa construction, the first noun normally does not take الـ.

So:

• نظارة السباحة = the swimming goggles
• not النظارة السباحة

The definiteness comes from the second noun:

• السباحة is definite
• therefore the whole phrase نظارة السباحة is definite

A useful comparison:

• نظارة سباحة = swimming goggles / a pair of swimming goggles
• نظارة السباحة = the swimming goggles

Because the word ends in ة (taa marbuta), and in Arabic that ending often changes pronunciation when the word is connected to another noun in an idafa.

So:

• by itself: نظارة
• in a linked phrase: نظارة السباحة

In connected speech, that final ة is often pronounced like -t before the next word. So learners may hear something like:

• naẓẓāret es-sbāḥa / naẓẓārit is-sbāḥa

This is completely normal and is an important pattern to get used to.

Here, نظارة is singular in form, but it can refer to one pair of goggles or glasses.

That is very common in Arabic. Just as English says a pair of glasses, Arabic can use a singular noun for that item:

• نظارة = one pair of glasses/goggles
• نظارات = multiple pairs, or glasses in a more clearly plural sense

So نظارة السباحة is a normal way to say the swimming goggles.

Because س is a sun letter.

When الـ comes before a sun letter, the l sound is assimilated, and the next consonant is doubled. So:

• السباحة is pronounced more like as-sibāḥa in careful Arabic
• in Levantine speech, you will often hear something like es-sbāḥa or is-sbāḥa

So the written الـ is still there, but the pronunciation changes.

That letter is ع (ʿayn), a sound English does not really have.

A simple learner-friendly way to think about it:

• it is made deep in the throat
• it is voiced
• it is not the same as a simple vowel

So عالفوطة is not just alfoota. There is a throat sound at the beginning.

If you are a beginner, many people will still understand you if your ع is weak, but it is worth practicing because it is a real consonant in Arabic.

Yes, Arabic word order is somewhat flexible.

The sentence as given:

• نظارة السباحة عالفوطة

is a very natural neutral way to say:

• The swimming goggles are on the towel

You could also say:

• عالفوطة نظارة السباحة

That would put more focus on the location, something like:

• On the towel are the swimming goggles
• or The swimming goggles are on the towel with extra emphasis on on the towel

So both are possible, but the original order is a straightforward default.

Yes, فوطة is a very common Levantine word for towel.

Depending on region and context, you may also hear:

• منشفة

But فوطة is perfectly natural in everyday speech. In some contexts it can also mean a cloth or towel-like piece of fabric, so the exact sense depends on context. Here, it clearly means towel.