Breakdown of الطقس اليوم جميل، لكن هناك مطر في المساء.
Questions & Answers about الطقس اليوم جميل، لكن هناك مطر في المساء.
Why does الطقس start with الـ (al-), and what does it mean?
الـ is the Arabic definite article, roughly the.
الطقس means the weather (as a general concept, usually definite in Arabic). So الطقس اليوم جميل is literally the weather today is beautiful.
Why is اليوم placed after الطقس? Could it go elsewhere?
اليوم (today) commonly comes right after the topic to set the time: الطقس اليوم... = Today, the weather...
You can move it for emphasis, e.g. اليوم الطقس جميل (more like Today the weather is nice, emphasizing today), but الطقس اليوم جميل is very natural.
Where is the verb “is” in الطقس اليوم جميل?
In present-tense Arabic, the verb “to be” is usually not written or said. This is called a verbless (nominal) sentence.
So الطقس اليوم جميل literally reads the weather today beautiful, meaning The weather is nice today.
Why is جميل masculine? What if we used a feminine noun?
جميل is masculine because الطقس is grammatically masculine. Adjectives agree with the noun in gender (and also definiteness/case/number).
If the noun were feminine, you’d use جميلة. For example:
- الأجواء اليوم جميلة = The atmosphere/weather today is nice (since الأجواء is treated as feminine plural).
Why is there a comma ، and how is punctuation used in Arabic here?
Arabic uses its own comma ، (called فاصلة) which looks different from the English comma. It marks a pause just like in English.
So الطقس اليوم جميل، لكن... is punctuated naturally: The weather is nice today, but...
What does لكن mean, and are there other ways to say “but”?
لكن means but/however. It’s a very common connector.
Other options include:
- ولكن (same meaning; often written with و = and/but)
- غير أنَّ / إلا أنَّ (more formal: however/except that)
In this sentence, لكن is the straightforward choice.
Why is it هناك مطر and not something like المطر هناك?
هناك means there is/there are (literally there). The structure هناك + noun is a common way to introduce existence:
- هناك مطر = There is rain / There will be rain (context decides the time).
المطر هناك would mean The rain is there, which sounds like you’re pointing to a location where the rain is, not simply stating that rain exists/occurs.
Why is مطر not written as المطر (with الـ)?
Without الـ, مطر is indefinite: rain (some rain), which is natural when you’re announcing a weather condition.
هناك المطر is generally not used. If you want the rain, you’d usually restructure the sentence, e.g. المطر سيكون في المساء = The rain will be in the evening.
How do you pronounce الطقس and why does it look like it has extra letters?
الطقس is pronounced roughly at-taqs (with a “q” sound = ق).
Writing notes:
- It’s spelled ا ل ط ق س.
- The cluster قس at the end makes a consonant-heavy ending: -qs.
- In careful pronunciation: aṭ-ṭaqs (the ط is an emphatic “t”).
What does في المساء mean, and can I also say مساءً?
في المساء means in the evening. It’s a prepositional phrase:
- في = in
- المساء = the evening
You can also say مساءً (in the evening, adverbially), but في المساء is more straightforward and very common for learners.
Does this sentence mean “It is raining in the evening” or “It will rain in the evening”?
Arabic often omits an explicit future marker when the context is clear. Here, في المساء (“in the evening”) naturally suggests a future forecast: there will be rain in the evening.
If you want to be explicit, you can add:
- سيكون هناك مطر في المساء = There will be rain in the evening
- سَتُمْطِرُ مساءً = It will rain in the evening (using a verb)
Why is it في المساء and not بالـمساء? What’s the difference between في and بـ for time?
For time expressions, في (in) is the most neutral and common: في المساء = in the evening.
بـ can be used with time words too (often like at/during), but it’s more idiomatic in certain set phrases (e.g., بالليل = at night is very common).
Both may be acceptable depending on the exact time word and style, but في المساء is the safest standard choice.
More from this lesson
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning ArabicMaster Arabic — from الطقس اليوم جميل، لكن هناك مطر في المساء to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions