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هذه اللعبة اللوحية ممتعة.

هذه اللعبة اللوحية ممتعة.hâdhihi al-lu'batu al-lawhiyyatu mumti'ah
This board game is fun.
From Lesson 24:Having a game night with friends·Hardcore Arabic (Modern Standard)

Breakdown of هذه اللعبة اللوحية ممتعة.

هذه
this
لعبة لوحيةlu'batun lawhiyyah
board game
ممتعmumti'
fun; enjoyable

Questions & Answers about هذه اللعبة اللوحية ممتعة.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?
In Arabic, the present-tense verb to be is usually not written or spoken in simple sentences like this. So هذه اللعبة اللوحية ممتعة literally looks like this board game fun, but it means This board game is fun.
Why do we use هذه and not هذا?

Because اللعبة is a feminine singular noun, and هذه is the feminine singular word for this in MSA.

  • هذا = this for masculine singular
  • هذه = this for feminine singular
How do I know اللعبة is feminine?
A strong clue is the ending ة. This ending, called taaʾ marbuuṭa, often marks feminine nouns. So لعبة is feminine, and that is why other words in the sentence also appear in feminine forms.
Why does اللوحية come after اللعبة?

Because Arabic adjectives normally come after the noun they describe. So:

  • اللعبة = the game
  • اللوحية = board / tabletop / board-related

Together, اللعبة اللوحية means the board game.

Why do اللعبة and اللوحية both have الـ?

Because اللوحية is an adjective describing a definite noun. In Arabic, an adjective that directly modifies a noun must match it in:

  • definiteness
  • gender
  • number
  • case

So if the noun is اللعبة (the game), the adjective must also be definite: اللوحية.

Why is ممتعة feminine?

Because it describes اللعبة, which is feminine singular. Arabic adjectives agree with the noun they describe. So:

  • ممتع = masculine fun/enjoyable
  • ممتعة = feminine fun/enjoyable
Why does ممتعة not have الـ?
Because here ممتعة is not part of the noun phrase the board game. It is the predicate of the sentence: it tells us something about the subject. In Arabic, predicates like this are usually indefinite, so ممتعة is correct.
What exactly does اللوحية mean here?
It means something like board-related, tabletop, or board-based. In this sentence, it is the adjective used to express board game. So لعبة لوحية is a board game, and اللعبة اللوحية is the board game.
How would this sentence look with full vowel endings?

In fully vocalized MSA, it would be:

هٰذِهِ اللُّعْبَةُ اللَّوْحِيَّةُ مُمْتِعَةٌ

In normal writing, those short vowels are usually left out, so you normally see هذه اللعبة اللوحية ممتعة.

How is هذه pronounced?
In careful MSA pronunciation, هذه is roughly hādhihi. The letter ذ sounds like the th in this, not the th in thin.
Why do اللعبة and اللوحية sound like they start with a doubled l?
Because both words begin with ل, which is a sun letter. When الـ comes before a sun letter, the l of the article blends into the next letter, making it sound doubled. So the beginning is pronounced with a stronger l sound.
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