الفندق قريب من الجسر، والجسر قريب من النهر.

The hotel is near the bridge, and the bridge is near the river.

Breakdown of الفندق قريب من الجسر، والجسر قريب من النهر.

• و: and
• من: from
• قريب: near/close
• النهر: river

Questions & Answers about الفندق قريب من الجسر، والجسر قريب من النهر.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

Because Arabic often omits the verb to be in the present tense.

So:

• الفندق قريب من الجسر literally looks like the hotel near the bridge but it means The hotel is near the bridge.

This kind of sentence is called a nominal sentence in Arabic. In the present tense, Arabic normally does not use a separate word for is / are / am.

If you wanted the past tense, then Arabic would use a verb, for example:

• كان الفندق قريبًا من الجسر = The hotel was near the bridge

How is this sentence put together grammatically?

Each half of the sentence follows this pattern:

• definite noun
  • adjective/predicate
    • prepositional phrase

So:

• الفندق = the hotel
• قريب = near
• من الجسر = from / near the bridge

And then:

• الجسر = the bridge
• قريب = near
• من النهر = from / near the river

So the two parts are:

• الفندق قريب من الجسر
• والجسر قريب من النهر

The و simply joins them as and.