يسأل صديقي بشأن معدل ضربات القلب.

يسأل is the imperfect verb form, from the root س-أ-ل (to ask). In a sentence like this, the imperfect usually means either:

• he asks
• he is asking
• sometimes he does ask / he asks regularly

So the exact time sense depends on context. In Modern Standard Arabic, the imperfect often covers both present and ongoing meanings.

Arabic often prefers verb–subject order, especially in straightforward statements.

So:

• يسأل صديقي... = literally asks my friend...

This is completely normal in Arabic. English usually requires subject–verb order, but Arabic does not.

You could also say:

• صديقي يسأل بشأن معدل ضربات القلب

That version is also correct, but it gives a bit more emphasis to my friend.

In standard Arabic, when the order is verb first, then subject, the verb is usually kept in the singular.

So even if the subject were plural, Arabic often keeps the verb singular in this word order.

With your sentence:

• يسأل صديقي = my friend asks

Since صديقي is singular masculine anyway, يسأل is singular masculine, which matches perfectly.

صديقي means my friend.

It is made from:

• صديق = friend
• ـي = my

So:

• صديق → صديقي

This ـي is a possessive suffix attached directly to the noun.

Because it is already made definite by possession.

In Arabic, a noun with a possessive suffix like ـي (my) is automatically definite. So:

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

You do not add الـ to it.

بشأن means something like:

• regarding
• concerning
• about

It is a fairly formal expression in Modern Standard Arabic.

So يسأل بشأن... means he asks about / regarding...

A learner may also know عن for about, and that can often work too. But بشأن sounds more formal and more like concerning rather than casual about.

Yes, in many contexts you could say:

• يسأل عن معدل ضربات القلب

That would also mean he asks about the heart rate.

The difference is mostly in style:

• عن = very common and basic about
• بشأن = more formal, like regarding / concerning

So both are understandable, but بشأن sounds a bit more formal or written.

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

It breaks down like this:

• معدل = rate
• ضربات = beats
• القلب = the heart

Together:

• معدل ضربات القلب = the rate of the heart’s beats
• more naturally in English: heart rate

So this is basically a chain of possession/association:

• rate of beats of the heart

In an iḍāfa phrase, the first noun usually does not take الـ. The definiteness of the whole phrase depends on the last noun.

Here:

• القلب is definite because it has الـ
• therefore ضربات القلب is definite
• therefore معدل ضربات القلب is also definite

So even though معدل has no الـ, the full phrase is understood as definite.

Because the phrase is referring to beats of the heart, not just one beat.

• ضربة = one beat / strike
• ضربات = beats

So:

• معدل ضربات القلب = rate of the heart’s beats

This is the normal way to express heart rate in a literal noun phrase.

No. Arabic has more than one possible expression, depending on style and context.

For example, you may also encounter:

• معدل نبضات القلب
• معدل نبض القلب

These are related expressions involving pulse or heartbeats. Your sentence uses ضربات القلب, which is perfectly natural and clear.

In normal unvoweled Arabic writing, short case endings are usually not written.

If fully vowelled, the sentence would look like this:

• يَسْأَلُ صَدِيقِي بِشَأْنِ مُعَدَّلِ ضَرَبَاتِ الْقَلْبِ

Those endings show the grammar:

• يَسْأَلُ = indicative verb
• بِشَأْنِ = after a preposition, so genitive
• مُعَدَّلِ = genitive after بشأن
• ضَرَبَاتِ = genitive as part of iḍāfa
• الْقَلْبِ = genitive as the final noun in iḍāfa

With صديقي, the case is less obvious on the surface because of the ـي suffix.

Yes, this verb is a common pronunciation question because it contains a hamza.

It is pronounced roughly:

• yas'alu

The ء (hamza) creates a small catch or break in the voice. So it is not a smooth yasalu; there is a slight stop:

• yas-ʔa-lu

The same kind of sound appears in بشأن:

• bi-shaʔn

Yes. The main verb يسأل comes from the root:

• س-أ-ل

This root is connected with asking and questions. Knowing the root helps you recognize related words, such as:

• سؤال = question
• مسؤول = responsible / in charge
• مسألة = issue / matter / problem

Roots are very useful in Arabic because many related words come from the same three consonants.

The basic meaning stays the same:

• يسأل صديقي بشأن معدل ضربات القلب
• صديقي يسأل بشأن معدل ضربات القلب

Both are correct.

The difference is mainly emphasis and style:

• يسأل صديقي... is more neutral and often more natural in formal Arabic narrative
• صديقي يسأل... puts a bit more focus on my friend

So the change is more about information structure than about core meaning.