الشريط اللاصق عالكرتونة.

The adhesive tape is on the cardboard box.

Breakdown of الشريط اللاصق عالكرتونة.

• كرتونة: the cardboard box
• شريط لاصق: the adhesive tape

Questions & Answers about الشريط اللاصق عالكرتونة.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

In Levantine Arabic, the verb to be is usually left out in the present tense.

So:

• الشريط اللاصق عالكرتونة literally = the sticky tape on-the-box but naturally means = The tape is on the box/carton.

This is very normal in Arabic.
If you wanted past or future, then a verb would appear, but in the present tense it is usually omitted.

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What does عَـ in عالكرتونة mean?

عَـ is a very common Levantine short form of على, which means on.

So:

• على الكرتونة = on the box
• عالكرتونة = on the box

In everyday speech, Levantine speakers often shorten على to عَ and attach it directly to the next word.

So عالكرتونة is basically:

• عَ + ال + كرتونة

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Why does ال appear twice: الشريط اللاصق?

Because both words are definite.

• شريط = tape / strip

• الشريط = the tape

• لاصق = sticky / adhesive
• اللاصق = the sticky / the adhesive

Arabic adjectives usually match the noun in definiteness. So if the noun has (), the adjective usually also has .