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Questions & Answers about المحامي هنا اليوم.
Why is there no word for is in this sentence?
Because Arabic often uses nominal sentences in the present tense, and in those sentences there is usually no separate verb meaning is/am/are.
So:
- المحامي هنا اليوم = The lawyer is here today
Literally, it is more like:
- the-lawyer here today
Arabic understands the idea of is from the structure itself.
If you wanted a past or future meaning, then Arabic would normally use a verb, for example:
- كان المحامي هنا اليوم = The lawyer was here today
- سيكون المحامي هنا اليوم = The lawyer will be here today
What does المحامي mean exactly, and why does it start with ال?
محامي means lawyer.
The ال at the beginning is the Arabic definite article, meaning the.
So:
- محامي = a lawyer / lawyer
- المحامي = the lawyer
In this sentence, the noun is definite, so the meaning is the lawyer, not just a lawyer.
How do you pronounce المحامي?