يمتص الجذر الماء.

Because Arabic often uses verb–subject–object order.

So يمتص الجذر الماء is a normal verbal sentence in MSA:

• يمتص = absorbs
• الجذر = the root
• الماء = the water / water

This order is very common in Arabic, even though English usually prefers subject–verb–object.

Yes. That is also correct.

• يمتص الجذر الماء = a verbal sentence, more neutral/narrative
• الجذر يمتص الماء = a nominal sentence, with more focus on the root

In this particular example, both are natural. The difference is mostly about style and emphasis, not basic meaning.

The يـ marks the verb as third person masculine singular in the present/imperfect tense.

So يمتص means:

• he absorbs
• it absorbs

Here it matches الجذر, which is treated as masculine singular, so the verb means it absorbs.

Because Arabic verbs already include subject information inside the verb itself.

So يمتص already contains the idea of:

• 3rd person
• masculine
• singular

That means Arabic does not need a separate pronoun like English it here. The noun الجذر simply makes the subject explicit.

It is the imperfect form, which can cover several meanings depending on context, including:

• absorbs
• is absorbing
• does absorb
• sometimes future, if something in the sentence shows futurity

In a general scientific or factual statement like this, the most natural English meaning is usually absorbs.

The dictionary form is امتصّ.

This is the past tense, 3rd person masculine singular form, which is the form Arabic dictionaries typically list.

It comes from the root م-ص-ص, connected with sucking or drawing in, and امتصّ means to absorb.

So:

• dictionary form: امتصّ
• present/imperfect: يمتصّ

In normal unvoweled writing, you may see it written simply as يمتص.

Yes. The fully marked form is يمتصّ with a shadda on the last letter.

That means the final consonant is doubled in pronunciation. In ordinary Arabic writing, short vowels and shadda are often omitted, so you may see يمتص even though the actual form is يمتصّ.

So the written sentence without full marks is normal, but the underlying verb has that doubled consonant.

Because both nouns are definite in this sentence.

• الجذر = the root
• الماء = the water

But with a mass noun like water, Arabic often uses ال in places where English might simply say water. So الماء can sometimes be translated just as water, depending on context.

That means ال does not always force you to translate literally as the in English.

There are two main clues:

1. Word order In a verbal sentence, the noun right after the verb is usually the subject.

So:

• يمتص = verb
• الجذر = subject
• الماء = object

2. Case endings In fully marked Arabic, the sentence would be:

يمتصُّ الجذرُ الماءَ

Here:

• الجذرُ has ـُ = nominative = subject
• الماءَ has ـَ = accusative = object

In everyday writing, these endings are usually omitted, so learners often rely on word order and context.

They are usually not written in normal Arabic text.

The unvoweled sentence is: يمتص الجذر الماء

A fully vowelled version would be: يمتصُّ الجذرُ الماءَ

Those final short vowels show grammar, but newspapers, books, and most everyday texts usually leave them out.

Because الجذر is a masculine singular noun, and the verb agrees with it.

So Arabic uses:

• يمتص for masculine singular
• تمتص for feminine singular

If the subject were a feminine noun, the verb would change accordingly.

Yes. In both words, ال is pronounced as al- because ج and م are moon letters, not sun letters.

So the ل sound remains pronounced:

• الجذر → al-...
• الماء → al-...

If the next letter were a sun letter, the ل would assimilate instead.

It is active.

The subject الجذر is doing the action of absorbing. So the meaning is:

• The root absorbs water

A passive version would make water the subject, something like:

• The water is absorbed

But that is not what this sentence is doing.

Because Arabic often treats substances and general categories differently from English.

So in Arabic, الماء can be used naturally where English simply says water. In a sentence like this, the meaning may be:

• The root absorbs water rather than emphasizing one particular body of water.

This is a very common difference between Arabic and English, especially with mass nouns.