Comments Made of a Phrase

Level 4

In Arabic, the 'news' (predicate) of a sentence doesn't have to be a single word. It can be a phrase indicating location, time, or possession, such as 'in the house' or 'under the table'.

How It Works

In a nominal sentence, the sentence begins with a noun or pronoun called the Mubtada' (subject). The information provided about this subject is the Khabar (predicate). While the Khabar is often a single noun, it can also be a shibh jumla (literally 'resembling a sentence').

There are two main types of Semi-Sentence Predicates:

  • Prepositional Phrases: A preposition followed by a noun in the genitive case. For example: The book is on the desk.
  • Adverbial Phrases: An adverb of time or place followed by a noun (acting as an Idafa). For example: The cat is under the chair.

Grammatical Note: Because the natural state of a predicate is nominative, but a phrase cannot take a vowel ending, we say the entire phrase is fi mahalli raf' (in the place of the nominative). In formal grammar, the shibh jumla is technically 'attached' (muta'allaq) to a hidden word representing a state of existence (like ka'inun).

Usage Restriction: Adverbs of time (Zarf Zaman) can only serve as predicates for abstract concepts or events (e.g., 'The travel is tomorrow'). They cannot be used as predicates for concrete nouns or people (e.g., you cannot say 'The teacher is tomorrow').

Word Order: Usually, the subject comes first. However, if the subject is indefinite, the Semi-Sentence Predicate must move to the front (fronting the predicate). This is a common way to say 'There is...' in Arabic.

Examples (5)

  1. الْكِتَابُ عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ.

    The book is on the desk.

    Word by Word: The book on the desk.

    A classic example where the prepositional phrase 'on the desk' serves as the predicate for the definite subject 'the book'.

  2. الْعُصْفُورُ فَوْقَ الشَّجَرَةِ.

    The bird is above the tree.

    Word by Word: The bird above the tree.

    Here, the adverb 'above' (fawqa) creates a semi-sentence predicate describing the bird's location.

  3. فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ طِفْلٌ.

    There is a child in the garden.

    Word by Word: In the garden a child.

    Because the subject 'child' is indefinite, the semi-sentence predicate 'in the garden' must come first.

  4. الْجَنَّةُ تَحْتَ أَقْدَامِ الأُمَّهَاتِ.

    Paradise is under the feet of mothers.

    Word by Word: The paradise under feet (of) the mothers.

    A famous saying using the adverb 'under' (tahta) as the predicate.

  5. الْمُدِيرُ عِنْدَ الرَّئِيسِ.

    The manager is with the president.

    Word by Word: The manager at the president.

    The adverb 'at/with' (inda) functions as the predicate to show the manager's location.

Common Mistakes

  • Trying to make the prepositional phrase agree in gender with the subject.

    البنتُ فيةٌ البيتِ.
    البنتُ في البيتِ.

    Unlike single-word predicates, a semi-sentence predicate is invariable. You do not add feminine endings to prepositions or adverbs to match the subject.

  • Putting an indefinite subject before the phrase.

    رجلٌ في المكتب.
    في المكتبِ رجلٌ.

    To say "There is a man in the office", put the phrase first. An indefinite noun usually cannot begin a sentence unless something specifies it.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Comments Made of a PhraseLevel 4

Learn This First

To understand 'Al-Khabar Shibhu al-Jumlah' (the phrase-based comment), a learner must first be comfortable with the basic Subject-Comment (Mubtada-Khabar) sentence structure. Additionally, they need to know how to form prepositional phrases using particles like 'in' or 'on', and how to use spatial adverbs like 'in front of' or 'behind', as these phrases function as the comment in this specific grammar rule.