البوابة مغلقة.

The gate is closed.

Breakdown of البوابة مغلقة.

• مغلق: closed
• بوابة: a gate

Questions & Answers about البوابة مغلقة.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

In Arabic, the present tense of to be is usually not written or spoken in simple statements.

So البوابة مغلقة literally looks like the gate closed, but it means the gate is closed.

This kind of sentence is called a nominal sentence in Arabic: a noun first, then information about it.

If you wanted a past or future meaning, Arabic would use a verb, for example:

• كانت البوابة مغلقة = The gate was closed
• ستكون البوابة مغلقة = The gate will be closed

What does البوابة mean exactly, and how is it different from باب?

البوابة means the gate or the gateway.

It is related to باب, which means door or gate, but بوابة often suggests a larger entrance, such as:

• a city gate
• a main gate
• an entrance gate
• a portal/gateway in a more formal or modern sense

So compared with باب, بوابة can sound bigger, more formal, or more like a main entrance.

Why does مغلقة end with ـة?