العدالة مهمة.

In Modern Standard Arabic, the verb to be is usually not written or spoken in the present tense.

So:

• العدالة مهمة = Justice is important

Arabic simply puts the subject and the description next to each other.

If you wanted a past-tense version, then Arabic would use a verb:

• كانت العدالة مهمة = Justice was important

• العدالة = justice
• مهمة = important

So the structure is:

• العدالة = the thing being talked about
• مهمة = what is being said about it

In traditional grammar, العدالة is the subject and مهمة is the predicate/adjectival description.

الـ is the Arabic definite article, equivalent to the in English.

So:

• عدالة = justice / a sense of justice / fairness, depending on context
• العدالة = the justice, but often best translated simply as justice

In Arabic, abstract nouns often appear with الـ where English may use no article. So العدالة can naturally mean justice in a general sense.

Because العدالة is a feminine noun, and the predicate adjective agrees with it in gender.

So:

• العدالة = feminine singular
• مهمة = feminine singular form of important

The masculine form would be:

• مهم = important
• مهمة = important (feminine)

This kind of agreement is very common in Arabic.

A major clue is the ending ـة (called taa marbuuTa), which often marks feminine nouns.

• العدالة ends in ـة
• that strongly suggests it is feminine

Also, many abstract nouns in Arabic are feminine.

However, not every feminine noun ends in ـة, and not every noun ending pattern works exactly the same way, so it is still important to learn noun gender with the word.

It is an adjective in form, but in this sentence it functions as the predicate of the sentence.

In other words, it is not modifying a noun inside a noun phrase such as:

• العدالة المهمة = the important justice / the important aspect of justice depending on context

Instead, in العدالة مهمة, it is the thing being said about the subject:

• Justice is important

So it is adjectival, but it is being used predicatively.

Because in this kind of sentence, the predicate usually does not take الـ when it is an adjective describing the subject.

So:

• العدالة مهمة = Justice is important

If you said:

• العدالة المهمة

that would no longer be a complete sentence in the same way. It would mean something like:

• the important justice
• or the important aspect of justice, depending on context

So the absence of الـ on مهمة helps show that this is a full sentence, not just a noun phrase.

Yes. In العدالة, the ل of الـ is not fully pronounced because the next letter, ع, is a sun letter? No—actually, ع is not a sun letter. That means the ل is pronounced normally.

So it is pronounced roughly:

• al-ʿadaalah

A simple learner-friendly approximation is:

• al-a-daa-lah

But the ع sound does not exist in English, so the true pronunciation is harder than that approximation suggests.

The root is ع د ل.

This root is associated with meanings like:

• justice
• fairness
• balance
• equity

Related words include:

• عدل = justice / fairness
• عادل = just, fair
• عدالة = justice

Recognizing roots can help you connect vocabulary across many words.

In fully vocalized, formal grammar, the sentence would be:

• العدالةُ مهمةٌ

with -u endings because both parts are in the nominative in this kind of nominal sentence.

However, in most everyday reading and in much spoken Arabic, these final case endings are not pronounced.

So learners often encounter it written simply as:

• العدالة مهمة

That is completely normal in ordinary Arabic writing.

Yes, but العدالة مهمة is the most straightforward order.

This is a nominal sentence, and the usual pattern is:

• subject + predicate

So:

• العدالة مهمة = Justice is important

Arabic can sometimes vary word order for style, emphasis, or context, but for a beginner this order is the one to learn first.

Yes. Depending on context, مهمة can also be a noun meaning mission or task.

For example:

• هذه مهمة صعبة = This is a difficult mission/task

But in العدالة مهمة, it is clearly the adjective important, because it is describing العدالة.

Context usually makes the meaning clear.