Breakdown of يمكن أن تستعير نسخة بشرط أن تكون متاحة.
Questions & Answers about يمكن أن تستعير نسخة بشرط أن تكون متاحة.
What does يمكن mean here? Is it the same as can?
Yes, in this sentence يمكن is used to express possibility or permission, much like can in English.
- يمكن literally means something like it is possible
- So يمكن أن تستعير... means it is possible for you to borrow..., which is naturally translated as you can borrow...
This is a very common MSA way to say can / may in a formal or neutral register.
Why is there أن after يمكن?
After يمكن, Arabic often uses أن + present tense verb.
So:
- يمكن = it is possible
- أن تستعير = that you borrow / to borrow
Together:
- يمكن أن تستعير = you can borrow
Grammatically, أن introduces a following verb in the subjunctive mood. In everyday translation, though, you can simply understand يمكن أن + verb as a standard pattern meaning can + verb.
What person is تستعير? Why does it start with تـ?
تستعير is the present tense form meaning you borrow.
In MSA, a verb beginning with تـ can refer to several things depending on context, including:
- you (masculine singular)
- you (feminine singular)
- she
Here, the context makes it clear that it means you borrow.
So:
- تستعير = you borrow / you may borrow
Because the sentence is directed at the listener, the intended meaning is you.
Why is نسخة indefinite? Why not النسخة?
نسخة means a copy, while النسخة would mean the copy.
In this sentence, the speaker means a copy in a general sense, not a specific previously identified copy. So the indefinite form is natural:
- نسخة = a copy
- النسخة = the copy
If you said يمكن أن تستعير النسخة..., that would suggest a specific copy already known in the conversation.
What does بشرط mean exactly?
بشرط means on condition that, provided that, or as long as.
It comes from:
- بـ = with / by
- شرط = condition
So بشرط أن... is a very common formal expression meaning:
- provided that...
- on the condition that...
In this sentence:
- بشرط أن تكون متاحة = provided that it is available
Why does the sentence say أن تكون after بشرط?
The expression is normally بشرط أن + verb.
So:
- بشرط = on condition
- أن تكون = that it be / that it is
This structure is very common in formal Arabic. After أن, the present tense verb appears in the subjunctive.
Here, تكون comes from كان يكون and means be.
So:
- بشرط أن تكون متاحة = provided that it is available
Why are تكون and متاحة feminine?
They are feminine because they refer to نسخة, and نسخة is a feminine noun.
So the condition is really about the copy:
- نسخة = a copy
- تكون = it be
- متاحة = available
Since نسخة is feminine, the grammar agrees with it:
- feminine verb form: تكون
- feminine adjective: متاحة
If the noun were masculine, the forms would change.
What does متاحة mean, and why is it not a regular verb?
متاحة is an adjective meaning available.
It is not the main verb of the clause. The verb is تكون (be), and متاحة is the predicate adjective describing نسخة.
So the structure is:
- تكون = be
- متاحة = available
Together:
- تكون متاحة = be available
Because نسخة is feminine, the adjective appears in the feminine form متاحة.
What is the hidden subject of تكون? Does it mean you are or it is?
Here, تكون means it is / it be, referring back to نسخة.
Even though تكون can sometimes mean you are in other contexts, here the meaning is clearly:
- provided that it is available
The subject is not written separately because Arabic often leaves pronouns implied inside the verb. In this case, the implied subject is هي (she/it), referring to the feminine noun نسخة.
Could this sentence also be said in another way?
Yes. Arabic often has more than one natural way to express the same idea. For example:
- يمكنك أن تستعير نسخة بشرط أن تكون متاحة
- يمكن استعارة نسخة إذا كانت متاحة
- يمكنك استعارة نسخة إذا كانت متاحة
These are slightly different in structure, but all are natural.
Your original sentence is a good formal MSA sentence. It has an impersonal, neutral style:
- يمكن أن... = it is possible to...
- بشرط أن... = provided that...
That style is especially common in written notices, policies, and formal instructions.
Do I need to pronounce all the case endings and final vowels in this sentence?
In careful spoken or fully vocalized MSA, you may hear the final vowels, but in normal speech and most unscripted reading, many speakers do not fully pronounce all case endings.
For a learner, the important parts are the core words and structure:
- يمكن أن تستعير نسخة بشرط أن تكون متاحة
If you are reading formal MSA aloud, a fully vocalized version would show more endings. But in practice, many learners and native speakers in modern usage focus more on the correct words and verb forms than on every final case vowel.
So yes, the grammar is there, but you do not need to panic about pronouncing every ending perfectly at an early stage.
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