صديقي خائف من الظلام.

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Breakdown of صديقي خائف من الظلام.

• صديق: friend
• خائف: afraid
• ظلام: darkness

Questions & Answers about صديقي خائف من الظلام.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

In Arabic, present-tense to be is usually omitted.

So صديقي خائف literally looks like my friend afraid, but it means my friend is afraid.

This kind of sentence is called a nominal sentence. If you wanted a past-tense version, then Arabic would use a verb, for example:

كان صديقي خائفًا = My friend was afraid

What exactly does صديقي mean?

صديقي means my friend.

It is made of:

• صديق = friend
• ـي = my

So:

• صديق = a friend / friend
• صديقي = my friend

The final ـي is a possessive suffix.

Why doesn’t صديقي have الـ at the beginning?

Because صديقي is already definite.

In Arabic, a noun becomes definite not only with الـ, but also when it is possessed.
So صديقي is definite because it means my friend, not just a friend.

Compare:

• صديق = a friend
• الصديق = the friend
• صديقي = my friend

Is خائف a verb or an adjective?