Arabic: An Essential Grammar

Examples:

ُأ َسا ِف ُر َغ ًدا




usa ̄firu g ̇adan. I will travel tomorrow.

طا ِئ َر ُة َل ْي ًلاَّ َو َصَل ِت ل

was

̇

alati t

̇

-t

̇

a ̄

iratu laylan. The aeroplane arrived at night.

ج َه ِت ْل َبا ِخ َر ُة َج ُنو ًباَّ َت َو

tawag ̆g ̆ahati l-ba ̄h

̆

iratu g ̆anu ̄ban. The ship set out (headed) southwards.

38.9 English adverbs are often rendered by prepositional phrases in

Arabic, e.g.

َف ِه َم ِب ُس ُهوَل ٍة

fahima bi-suhu ̄latin. He understood easily (lit. with ease).

َق َر َأ َعَ لى َم ْه ٍل

qara

a



ala ̄ mahlin. He read slowly.

38.10 Absolute or inner object

The so-called absolute or inner object, َأْلـ َم ْف ُعو ُل ْلـ ُم ْطَل ُق, is used to

emphasize the manner of action or the number of instances. It consists

of a verbal noun (derived from the same root as the main verb) in the

indefinite accusative form, followed by an accusative adjective.

َر َك َض َر ْك ًضا َس ِري ًعا

rakad

̇

a rakd

̇

an sarı

• 
  an. He ran swiftly. (lit. He ran a swift running.)

َف ِر َح َف َر ًحا َك ِبي ًرا

farih

̇

a farah

̇

an kabı-ran. He rejoiced greatly. (lit. He rejoiced a great

joy.)

Note: Sometimes the inner object consists only of a dual verbal noun:

ق َت ْي ِنَّسا َع ُة َدَّ ق ِت لََّد

daqqati s-sa ̄



atu daqqatayni. The clock struck twice (two strikes).

302

Adverbs

and

adverbials,

absolute

object, h
̇

a ̄l,

tamyı

• z