Nominal sentence (1) :
Noun + Noun
In the previous lesson, we learnt how to make a noun definite. In this lesson, you will learn how to make a simple sentence using nouns you learnt earlier.
There are two types of sentences: nominal and verbal. We shall study the latter later in the course. For now we will look only at the nominal sentence.
By definition, a nominal sentence is a sentence which starts with a noun. The nominal sentence normally starts with a definite noun. This first noun is then followed by another noun which is indefinite.
| English | Arabic |
|---|---|
| The man is a teacher | اَلرَّجُلُ مُعَلّـِمٌ |
| The boy is a pupil | اَلْوَلَدُ طالبٌ |
| The president is a doctor | اَلرَّئِيْسُ طبيبٌ |
You will notice that each sentence above starts with a definite noun followed by an indefinite one. The translation reflects this by the use of "the" and "a" for each noun respectively.
However, there is no mention of the English "is" in the Arabic sentences, whereas the nouns were translated exactly. This brings us to the main difference between English and Arabic sentences: an English complete sentence must contain a verb, whereas an Arabic complete sentence needs not (in fact there is a verb, but it does not show when in the present tense).
Summary
- We can form a sentence using a definite noun followed by an indefinite one.
- The verb "to be", when in the present tense, is not translated into arabic.
Vocabulary
| English | Arabic |
|---|---|
| father | وَالـِدٌ |
| (di)rector | مُدِيْرٌ |
| tourist | سَائـِحٌ |
| writer | كَاتـِبٌ |
| friend | صَدِيْقٌ |
Exercise
Form nominal sentences using the words you have learnt so far.