مطفأة الحريق قرب لوحة الإنذار.

In Modern Standard Arabic, a present-tense sentence like this usually does not use a separate verb for to be.

So:

• مطفأة الحريق قرب لوحة الإنذار
• literally: the fire extinguisher near the alarm panel
• natural English: The fire extinguisher is near the alarm panel

This is called a nominal sentence. Arabic normally leaves out is/are in the present tense.

Because مطفأة الحريق is an iḍāfa construction, often called a genitive/construct phrase.

In an iḍāfa:

• the first noun usually does not take الـ
• the second noun determines whether the whole phrase is definite

So:

• مطفأة الحريق = the fire extinguisher
• not المطفأة الحريق

The same thing happens in:

• لوحة الإنذار = the alarm panel

Both are iḍāfa phrases.

An iḍāfa often works like:

• X of Y
• or an English noun+noun expression

So:

• مطفأة الحريق = literally extinguisher of the fire, but naturally fire extinguisher
• لوحة الإنذار = literally panel of the alarm/warning, naturally alarm panel

This is a very common Arabic structure.

In this meaning, it is usually pronounced approximately miṭfaʾa when said by itself.

A few helpful points:

• the ط is an emphatic t
• the ء is a hamza, a small glottal stop, like the break in uh-oh
• the final ة sounds like -a/-ah when you pause on the word

So the word is not read smoothly like one continuous English-style syllable chain; there is a little stop before the last vowel.

Because ة is tāʾ marbūṭa.

Its pronunciation changes depending on context:

• when pausing on the word by itself: it usually sounds like -a / -ah
• when the word is followed grammatically by something else, especially in an iḍāfa, it is pronounced t

So:

• مطفأة by itself: roughly miṭfaʾa
• مطفأة الحريق: the ة is heard as t
• لوحة by itself: roughly lawḥa
• لوحة الإنذار: the ة is heard as t

This is one of the most important pronunciation patterns for learners.

قرب here means near.

In this sentence, it functions like a word of location: near / close to.

So:

• قرب لوحة الإنذار = near the alarm panel

A learner should know that Arabic can express near in more than one way. For example:

• قرب لوحة الإنذار
• بالقرب من لوحة الإنذار

Both can mean near the alarm panel, but the version in your sentence is shorter and very natural, especially in concise written Arabic.

A fully vocalized version would be:

مِطْفَأَةُ الحَرِيقِ قُرْبَ لَوْحَةِ الإِنْذَارِ

Here is the grammar:

• مِطْفَأَةُ: nominative, because it is the subject/topic of the sentence
• الحَرِيقِ: genitive, because it is the second part of the iḍāfa
• قُرْبَ: accusative as an adverbial expression of place
• لَوْحَةِ: genitive, because it is linked in another iḍāfa after قرب
• الإِنْذَارِ: genitive, because it is the second part of لوحة الإنذار

In normal everyday writing, these endings are usually not written.

It can be understood as a full sentence, but it could also appear as a sign-like label.

As a sentence, it means:

• The fire extinguisher is near the alarm panel.

On a map, wall sign, or safety notice, Arabic often uses short verbless phrases like this because they are compact and clear.

So context matters:

• in a textbook: a normal sentence
• on a building plan: possibly a label or location note

Because the sentence is talking about specific, identifiable things in context.

Using الـ on the second noun makes each iḍāfa phrase definite:

• مطفأة الحريق = the fire extinguisher
• لوحة الإنذار = the alarm panel

If you wanted a more general or indefinite sense, Arabic could use a less definite expression, depending on context.

Yes, Arabic word order is somewhat flexible.

The given order:

• مطفأة الحريق قرب لوحة الإنذار

is a natural neutral order: first mention the thing, then its location.

You could also move the location phrase forward for emphasis, for example:

• قرب لوحة الإنذار مطفأة الحريق

That can be understood, but the original order is simpler and more straightforward for learners.

Yes. Both are grammatically feminine, and the final ة is a strong clue.

That matters when you add adjectives or pronouns. For example:

• مطفأة الحريق الجديدة = the new fire extinguisher
• لوحة الإنذار الكبيرة = the big alarm panel

The adjective agrees with the noun in gender and definiteness.