ملقط النفايات قرب المكنسة.

Yes, from an English point of view it can feel like something is missing, but in Arabic this is normal.

ملقط النفايات قرب المكنسة is a nominal sentence in the present tense, so Arabic usually does not say is explicitly.

So the structure is basically:

• ملقط النفايات = the trash picker / litter grabber
• قرب المكنسة = near the broom

In past or future contexts, Arabic would usually use a verb such as كان.

This is an iḍāfa structure, often called a construct phrase.

It works like:

• ملقط = picker, clip, grabber, tongs
• النفايات = the trash / waste

Together, ملقط النفايات means something like:

• the trash picker
• the litter grabber
• the trash tongs

In an iḍāfa, the first noun is the main thing, and the second noun tells you what it is connected with. It does not always mean literal possession. Here it is more like a picker for trash.

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

So:

• ملقط النفايات = the trash picker
• not الملقط النفايات

The whole phrase becomes definite because the second noun, النفايات, is definite.

This is a very common Arabic pattern:

• باب البيت = the door of the house = the house door
• كتاب الطالب = the student’s book = the book of the student

So even without الـ on ملقط, the whole phrase can still be definite.

Yes. Arabic often uses نفايات as a plural noun where English uses a mass noun like trash, garbage, or waste.

• singular: نفاية = one piece/item of waste
• plural: نفايات = waste, garbage, trash

So although it is grammatically plural, it can correspond to an uncountable English word.

This is completely normal and very common in Arabic.

Here قرب means near and functions as an adverbial expression of place.

So:

• قرب المكنسة = near the broom

A helpful way to think of it is that قرب is a noun/adverb meaning nearness / near, and it is followed by another noun in a construct-like relationship.

That is why المكنسة comes after it directly.

You do not need a separate word for to here.

Yes, absolutely.

A very common alternative is:

ملقط النفايات قريب من المكنسة

This also means The trash picker is near the broom.

The difference is mainly structural:

• قرب المكنسة = a compact adverbial phrase, near the broom
• قريب من المكنسة = uses the adjective قريب = close/near, plus من

Both are natural.
The version with قرب can sound a little more concise or label-like.

With full case endings, it would be:

مِلْقَطُ النُّفاياتِ قُرْبَ المِكْنَسَةِ

Here is why:

• مِلْقَطُ: nominative, because it is the subject/topic of the nominal sentence
• النُّفاياتِ: genitive, because it is the second term of the iḍāfa
• قُرْبَ: accusative as an adverbial expression of place
• المِكْنَسَةِ: genitive, because it is linked to قرب in a construct relationship

In normal Arabic writing, these short vowels are usually omitted, so you normally just see:

ملقط النفايات قرب المكنسة

A simple pronunciation without worrying too much about case endings is approximately:

milqaṭ an-nufāyāt qurb al-miknasa

A few useful pronunciation notes:

• ملقط = milqaṭ
• النفايات begins with ن, which is a sun letter, so الـ is assimilated in pronunciation:
  • written: النفايات
  • pronounced: an-nufāyāt
• المكنسة begins with م, which is a moon letter, so الـ is pronounced normally:
  • al-miknasa

In very careful formal reading with endings, you may hear something closer to:

milqaṭu n-nufāyāti qurba al-miknasati

But learners usually start with the simpler pause-style pronunciation.

The sentence starts with the thing being talked about, then gives its location:

• ملقط النفايات = the trash picker
• قرب المكنسة = near the broom

So the order is roughly:

[thing] + [location]

This is a very common Arabic pattern for simple descriptive sentences.

You could move parts around in other contexts for emphasis, but the order here is straightforward and natural for a beginner to learn first.