يستعمل صديقي المئزر طوال ورشة الفخار.

يستعمل is in the imperfect form, which usually covers the English present tense and sometimes a habitual meaning.

So here it can mean:

• uses
• is using
• wears/uses regularly in that situation

In this sentence, it most naturally suggests a habitual or normal action during the workshop.

It comes from the past-tense verb استعمل = to use.

Because this is a very common Arabic verbal sentence pattern:

verb + subject + object

So:

• يستعمل = uses
• صديقي = my friend
• المئزر = the apron

Literally, the order is something like uses my friend the apron.

This is normal in Modern Standard Arabic. You could also say:

صديقي يستعمل المئزر طوال ورشة الفخار

That version puts more focus on my friend.

The base noun is صديق = friend.

Then Arabic adds the suffix ـي to mean my:

• صديق = friend
• صديقي = my friend

So ـي is a possessive ending.

Also, once a noun has a possessive suffix, it is already definite. That is why you do not add الـ to صديقي.

الـ is the Arabic definite article, meaning the.

So:

• مئزر = an apron / apron
• المئزر = the apron

In this sentence, the object is being treated as a specific apron, or simply as the apron relevant in that context.

If you wanted a clearly indefinite form, you would usually say مئزرًا in fully vocalized Arabic.

يستعمل المئزر is understandable and means uses the apron.

But many learners will notice that in English we usually wear an apron, not use one. Arabic can also express that idea more directly with:

• يلبس المئزر = wears the apron
• يرتدي المئزر = wears/puts on the apron

So this sentence is fine if the idea is uses the apron as protective equipment, but if you want the most natural wear meaning, يرتدي or يلبس may sound more direct.

طوال means throughout, all through, or for the whole duration of.

So it adds the idea that the action continues during the entire workshop, not just at one point in it.

Compare:

• طوال ورشة الفخار = throughout the pottery workshop
• خلال ورشة الفخار = during the pottery workshop

طوال usually gives a stronger sense of the whole time.

This is an iḍāfa construction, often called a genitive construction or noun-noun construction.

It is:

• ورشة = workshop
• الفخار = pottery / ceramics

Together:

• ورشة الفخار = pottery workshop
• literally: workshop of pottery

Arabic very often uses this kind of structure where English might use:

• a noun + noun compound
• or an adjective-like translation

So instead of something like the pottery-related workshop, Arabic simply says ورشة الفخار.

Because in an iḍāfa construction, the first noun normally does not take الـ.

So Arabic says:

• ورشة الفخار

not:

• الورشة الفخار

The definiteness of the whole phrase is determined by the second noun. Since الفخار is definite, the whole phrase can be understood as definite as well.

This is a very common rule in Arabic grammar.

ورشة can mean:

• a workshop as an activity or class
• sometimes a workshop-like work setting

In this sentence, because it follows طوال (throughout), it most likely refers to the event/session:

• throughout the pottery workshop
• throughout the pottery class/session

So it is probably about the duration of an activity, not just a physical room.

If you fully vocalize the sentence, it would be approximately:

يستعملُ صديقي المِئزَرَ طوالَ ورشةِ الفخّارِ

Here is the basic case pattern:

• يستعملُ: verb
• صديقي: subject, so it is nominative
• المئزرَ: direct object, so it is accusative
• طوالَ: an adverbial expression, also accusative
• ورشةِ: genitive after طوال in this construction
• الفخارِ: also genitive because it is the second part of the iḍāfa

One small detail: in صديقي, the case ending is not visible in the usual way because of the possessive ي.

Yes. That sentence is correct too.

The difference is mainly one of style and emphasis:

• يستعمل صديقي المئزر... = a verbal sentence; often feels more action-focused
• صديقي يستعمل المئزر... = starts with the subject; often feels more topic-focused

Both are grammatical in Modern Standard Arabic.

It is pronounced roughly as al-miʾzar.

The important thing is the hamza in the middle:

• مِئْزَر

So you do not run it together as one smooth syllable. There is a small stop sound in the middle.

A rough breakdown:

• al
• mi
• ʾzar

That middle stop is what the hamza represents.