القطة تختبئ في الغابة.

It breaks down like this:

• القطة = the subject, the cat
• تختبئ = the verb, hides / is hiding
• في الغابة = a prepositional phrase, in the forest

So the overall structure is:

subject + verb + prepositional phrase

Because the sentence starts with a noun, Arabic grammar usually treats it as a nominal sentence whose predicate happens to be a verbal phrase.

The تـ at the beginning marks the verb as present tense and here specifically third person feminine singular:

• هي تختبئ = she hides / she is hiding

Since القطة is a feminine singular noun, the verb matches it.

A useful thing to remember: this same verb form can also mean you hide when speaking to one male. Context tells you which meaning is intended. In this sentence, because القطة is stated explicitly, it clearly means she/the cat hides.

In Arabic, nouns have grammatical gender. قطة is a feminine noun, and one clear clue is the ending ة called taa marbuuTa.

So:

• قطة = a female-grammar noun, cat
• therefore the verb must be feminine singular: تختبئ

Even when the English word cat does not force you to think about gender, Arabic still requires grammatical agreement.

Arabic does not normally use a separate present-tense verb meaning is in sentences like this.

Also, the Arabic present tense often covers both ideas:

• hides
• is hiding

So تختبئ can mean either one, depending on context.

In English, The cat hides in the forest and The cat is hiding in the forest are different in style. In Arabic, the single form تختبئ can serve both meanings.

الـ is the Arabic definite article, meaning the.

So:

• القطة = the cat
• الغابة = the forest

If you removed الـ, the nouns would become indefinite:

• قطة = a cat
• غابة = a forest

So في الغابة means in the forest, while في غابة would mean in a forest.

في is a preposition meaning in.

So:

• في الغابة = in the forest

A very important grammar point: after a preposition such as في, the following noun is put in the genitive case.

In fully vowelled Arabic, that is why you would write:

فِي الغَابَةِ

with a final kasra sound on الغابة.

Yes. That is also correct.

You have two common possibilities:

• القطة تختبئ في الغابة
• تختبئ القطة في الغابة

The difference is mainly one of word order and focus:

• القطة تختبئ... starts with the cat, so it feels more like As for the cat, it is hiding...
• تختبئ القطة... starts with the action, so it feels a bit more verbal and straightforward: The cat is hiding...

Both are normal Arabic. Learners should get used to both noun-initial and verb-initial sentences.

It would typically be written:

القِطَّةُ تَخْتَبِئُ فِي الغَابَةِ

This shows several grammar details:

• القِطَّةُ ends in -u because it is the subject
• تَخْتَبِئُ ends in -u because it is an indicative present-tense verb
• الغَابَةِ ends in -i because it comes after the preposition في

In everyday printed Arabic, these short vowels are usually omitted, so you normally see:

القطة تختبئ في الغابة

A careful pronunciation is roughly:

al-qiT-Tah

Key points:

• ال = al-
• ق is a deep q sound, not an English k
• ط is an emphatic t
• the ّ over ط means the consonant is doubled: TT
• the final ة is usually pronounced like -a or -ah when you stop

So القطة is not pronounced like al-qita with a light t. The طّ is stronger and doubled.

Also, because ق is a moon letter, the ل in الـ is pronounced normally. So you say al-qiT-Tah, not something with assimilation.

A careful pronunciation is roughly:

takh-ta-bi-u or more precisely takhtabiʾu

Important details:

• خ is the throaty sound like German Bach or Scottish loch
• the sequence تخ gives takh
• the final ئ represents a hamza, a glottal stop
• that final sign is not pronounced as a normal y sound here

So the word has a little catch in the voice near the end: ...biʾu.

In full vowel marks, it is:

تَخْتَبِئُ

It comes from the root:

خ ب أ

which is connected with the idea of hiding or being concealed.

The dictionary form of the verb is:

اختبأ = to hide oneself / to hide

Its present tense forms include:

• يختبئ = he hides / is hiding
• تختبئ = she hides / is hiding

This verb is from Form VIII, which often gives a sense that can be reflexive or inward-directed. In this case, it fits the idea of hiding oneself.

Yes. غابة is a feminine noun, and in this sentence it is:

• definite because of الـ
• after a preposition because of في
• therefore genitive in full vocalization: الغابةِ

Its pronunciation is roughly:

al-ghaabah

A few useful notes:

• غ is the Arabic gh sound
• the middle ا gives a long aa
• the final ة is the feminine ending, pronounced -a / -ah when pausing

So the phrase في الغابة is pronounced roughly fii al-ghaabah.