ذيل القطة يتحرك.

Arabic often expresses X of Y by putting two nouns next to each other. This is called an iḍāfa construction.

So:

• ذيل = tail
• القطة = the cat

Together, ذيل القطة literally means tail the-cat, but naturally it means the cat’s tail or the tail of the cat.

There is no separate word for of here. The relationship is shown by the noun pairing itself.

In an iḍāfa construction, the first noun usually does not take الـ. Its definiteness is determined by the second noun.

So:

• ذيل قطة = a cat’s tail / the tail of a cat
• ذيل القطة = the cat’s tail

Because القطة is definite (the cat), the whole phrase ذيل القطة becomes definite: the cat’s tail.

The final ة is called tāʾ marbūṭa.

When pausing in normal speech, it is usually pronounced like -a:

• القطة ≈ al-qiṭṭa

But when the word is followed grammatically in a connected phrase, especially in careful reading with case endings, that ة is pronounced as t:

• ذيلُ القطةِ = dhaylu l-qiṭṭati

So learners often hear both:

• pause form: al-qiṭṭa
• connected/grammatical form: al-qiṭṭati

Both reflect the same written word.

Because the subject of the verb is ذيل (tail), not القطة (the cat).

• ذيل is a masculine noun
• so the verb is masculine singular: يتحرك = it moves / is moving

Even though القطة is feminine, it is not the main subject here. It only tells us whose tail it is.

So the sentence means:

• The cat’s tail moves not
• The cat moves

In Arabic, the present tense often does not use a separate word for is / am / are.

So ذيل القطة يتحرك naturally means:

• The cat’s tail is moving or
• The cat’s tail moves

Arabic does not need an extra present-tense is here.

يتحرك comes from the verb تحرّك and means:

• he moves
• it moves
• is moving

In this sentence it refers to ذيل (tail), so it means:

• it moves or more naturally,
• is moving

Arabic present tense can often translate either as simple present or present progressive, depending on context.

In fully vocalized Classical/MSA form, it would be:

ذيلُ القطةِ يتحرّكُ

Breakdown:

• ذيلُ = nominative, because it is the subject
• القطةِ = genitive, because it is the second noun in an iḍāfa
• يتحرّكُ = indicative present tense

In everyday writing, these short vowel endings are usually omitted, so you normally just see:

ذيل القطة يتحرك

It is usually understood as a nominal sentence because it begins with a noun phrase:

• ذيل القطة = the subject/topic
• يتحرك = the predicate

So structurally it is like:

• The cat’s tail — moves

Arabic can also express the same idea with the verb first:

• يتحرك ذيلُ القطةِ

That version is more clearly a verbal sentence.

Both are grammatical.

Yes. That means the same thing:

• يتحرك ذيل القطة
• ذيل القطة يتحرك

Both are correct. The difference is mainly one of style and emphasis.

Very roughly:

• ذيل القطة يتحرك puts focus first on the cat’s tail
• يتحرك ذيل القطة starts with the action moves / is moving

Both are common patterns in Arabic.

A careful full pronunciation is:

dhaylu l-qiṭṭati yataḥarraku

In normal pause pronunciation, you will often hear something closer to:

dhayl al-qiṭṭa yataḥarrak

A few notes:

• ذ = like th in this
• ي in ذيل gives dhayl
• ق is a deep q sound
• ط is an emphatic t
• ح is a breathy h from the throat
• doubled طّ in القطة should be held slightly longer

Because in an iḍāfa, only the second noun can normally take الـ.

So:

• ذيل القطة = the cat’s tail
• not الذيل القطة

The first noun becomes definite through its connection to the definite second noun. This is a very important Arabic pattern.

No, not naturally. Because القطة is definite (the cat), the whole phrase ذيل القطة is also definite.

So the phrase means:

• the cat’s tail
• the tail of the cat

If you wanted an indefinite sense like a cat’s tail, you would use an indefinite second noun:

• ذيل قطة

That means:

• a cat’s tail
• the tail of a cat

Because the verb form itself already contains the subject information.

يتحرك already means:

• he moves
• it moves

Since the subject ذيل القطة is already stated, Arabic does not need a separate word for it.

So Arabic says simply:

• ذيل القطة يتحرك

not something like:

• ذيل القطة هو يتحرك in normal neutral usage.

The verb يتحرك comes from the root ح ر ك, which is connected with movement.

Related words include:

• حركة = movement
• تحرّك = to move, to become in motion
• يتحرّك = he/it moves, is moving

This can be useful because Arabic vocabulary often groups around roots, so learning the root helps you recognize related words.