الحقيبة سوداء.

A careful full reading is:

al-ḥaqībatu sawdāʾu

In normal pause, you will often hear:

al-ḥaqība sawdāʾ

A few pronunciation notes:

• ح in حقيبة is a stronger, breathier h than English h.
• ق is q, pronounced farther back in the mouth than k.
• ال in الحقيبة is pronounced al- here, because ح is a moon letter, so the l sound stays.
• سوداء ends with a hamza: sawdāʾ.

Because Arabic often leaves out the present-tense to be.

So in a simple sentence like this, Arabic says literally:

• the bag black

but it means:

• the bag is black

This is called a nominal sentence in Arabic.

If you want other tenses, then Arabic does use a verb, for example:

• كانت الحقيبة سوداء = The bag was black
• ستكون الحقيبة سوداء = The bag will be black

In Arabic, descriptive words usually come after the noun they relate to.

So Arabic word order is commonly:

• noun + adjective

Also, in this sentence, الحقيبة is the subject, and سوداء is the predicate: it tells you something about the bag.

So the order الحقيبة سوداء is the normal way to say this.

Because الحقيبة is feminine singular, and the describing word must agree with it.

Here is the pair:

• أسود = black (masculine singular)
• سوداء = black (feminine singular)

Since حقيبة is feminine, Arabic uses:

• حقيبة سوداء

not:

• حقيبة أسود

This kind of agreement is very important in Arabic.

Yes — in this case, yes.

The ending ة (called tāʾ marbūṭa) very often marks a noun as feminine.

So حقيبة is a feminine noun, and that is why the adjective also takes a feminine form:

• حقيبة سوداء

A useful rule for learners:

• If a noun ends in ة, it is often feminine
• Then adjectives usually must match it in gender

Because here سوداء is not being used as the black in the black bag. It is the predicate in the sentence The bag is black.

Compare these:

• الحقيبة سوداء = The bag is black
• الحقيبة السوداء = the black bag

This is a very important difference:

1. Sentence

   • الحقيبة سوداء
   • subject + predicate
   • The bag is black

2. Noun phrase

   • الحقيبة السوداء
   • noun + adjective
   • the black bag

So when the adjective is part of a description inside the noun phrase, it matches definiteness and takes ال. When it is the predicate of the sentence, it usually does not.

In fully vocalized formal Arabic, the sentence is:

الحقيبةُ سوداءُ

Both words are in the nominative case:

• الحقيبةُ = the subject (mubtadaʾ)
• سوداءُ = the predicate (khabar)

In normal everyday writing, these short vowel endings are usually not written:

• الحقيبة سوداء

And in pause, the final short vowels are usually not pronounced anyway.

You would say:

حقيبة سوداء

That is a noun phrase, not a full sentence.

Compare all three:

• حقيبة سوداء = a black bag
• الحقيبة السوداء = the black bag
• الحقيبة سوداء = The bag is black

This is one of the most useful contrasts for beginners.

Because some adjectives have irregular-looking feminine forms, especially many color adjectives.

For example:

• أسود → سوداء = black
• أبيض → بيضاء = white
• أحمر → حمراء = red

So not all feminine adjectives simply add ة.

This is a pattern worth memorizing: many common color words have:

• masculine: أفعل
• feminine: فعلاء

So:

• أسود → سوداء

is completely normal Arabic.

Yes. The structure is very common:

• البيت كبير = The house is big
• السيارة جديدة = The car is new
• البنت طويلة = The girl is tall

So the pattern is:

• definite noun + predicate adjective

Just remember that the adjective must agree when necessary, especially in gender and number.