In a nominal sentence, the predicate (الخبر) must complete the meaning of the subject (المبتدأ). If the two do not belong together, the sentence is wrong even though its shape is correct.
This lesson follows identifying a nominal sentence in context and leads into checking gender and number agreement.
What can a predicate be?
A predicate can take four forms. Each one answers a different question about the subject.
| Predicate type | Example | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | الكتابُ مفيدٌ (The book is useful) | What is it like? |
| Noun | أبي معلمٌ (My father is a teacher) | Who or what is it? |
| Prepositional phrase | الكتابُ على الطاولةِ (The book is on the table) | Where is it? |
| Verbal sentence | الولدُ يقرأُ (The boy reads) | What does it do? |
Worked example: one subject, three predicates
Take the subject القطةُ (the cat) and test three predicates.
Option A: نائمةٌ (asleep). A cat can sleep, so القطةُ نائمةٌ is sensible.
Option B: على السطحِ (on the roof). A cat can be somewhere, so القطةُ على السطحِ is sensible.
Option C: مالحةٌ (salty). The form matches القطة, but a cat is not salty. The sentence is grammatical and absurd.
The test is to say the pair in English first. Only keep the predicate that gives a normal idea.
The mistake that costs marks
Students build a sentence by choosing any adjective they remember, then matching its ending. The result looks tidy, such as البابُ مريضٌ (the door is ill).
The fix is to choose the predicate from what the subject can actually be or do. Ask the question first, then pick the word. For البابُ you might ask “what is it like?” and choose مفتوحٌ (open) or مغلقٌ (closed).
Check yourself
Choose the predicate that makes a sensible sentence, then say why the others fail.
- الشايُ ___ (the tea): ساخنٌ / واسعٌ / غائبٌ
- الطالبُ ___ (the student): في الفصلِ / مالحٌ / مكسورٌ
- النافذةُ ___ (the window): مكسورةٌ / جائعةٌ / مجتهدةٌ
Answer
- ساخنٌ (hot). Tea can be hot. واسع (wide) describes a space, and غائب (absent) describes a person.
- في الفصلِ (in the classroom). A student can be somewhere. مالح (salty) is a taste, and مكسور (broken) does not suit a person here.
- مكسورةٌ (broken). A window can break. جائعة (hungry) and مجتهدة (diligent) describe living people, so they do not suit a window.
What to study next
Next, make sure the predicate agrees with the subject in gender and number. Continue with checking gender and number agreement, then try the nominal sentence practice set.
If you want a teacher to read your own sentences and question each predicate, see online one-to-one Arabic tuition.