2.3: Understanding Fronted Predicate in Arabic Nominal Sentences

Learning Objectives

In this section, you will be able to:

• Understand the cases in which fronted predicate precedes the subject in the nominal sentence in Arabic.
• Learn to negate sentences with the fronted predicate.

Understanding Fronted Predicate

In Arabic grammar, the nominal sentence (الجملة الاسمية) typically consists of two main components: the subject (المبتدأ) and the predicate (الخبر). The standard structure is for the subject to appear first, followed by the predicate. However, in some cases, the predicate (الخبر) may come before the subject, creating what is known as الخبر المقدم (the fronted predicate). In this section, we’ll explore the rules and conditions under which the predicate can be placed before the subject in an Arabic nominal sentence. Here are some specific conditions:

• When the predicate is a prepositional or adverbial phrase.
• When the subject is indefinite.
• When the predicate is more important for emphasis.
• To avoid ambiguity.
• In sentences expressing existence using verbs like يوجد or توجد.

1. When the Predicate is Prepositional or Adverbial

In many cases, when the predicate is an adverbial phrase (ظرف) or a prepositional phrase (جار ومجرور), it is common for the predicate to come before the subject. This structure is often used to emphasize the location, time, or condition described by the predicate.

Example One:

The fronted predicate is used when emphasizing the location or existence of something.

1. يوجد مسجد في المدينة (There is a mosque in the city).
   • يوجد: الخبر (predicate)
   • مسجد: المبتدأ (subject)
2. توجد مكتبة في وسط المدينة (There is a library in the middle of the city).
   • Here, the predicate توجد comes before the subject to emphasize the existence of the library.
   • مكتبة: المبتدأ (subject)

In both examples, the verb "يوجد" or "توجد" serves as the predicate, and it is fronted to express the existence of the subject.

Example Two:

The fronted predicate is used when the preposition of place (خلف, بين, إلى الأمام, جانب, وسط, يمين, يسار) is placed at the beginning of the sentence to highlight the location before the subject.

• خلف البيت مسجدٌ
  • Here, خلف البيت (Behind the house) is the advanced predicate, emphasizing the place before mentioning what exists there (the mosque).
  • خلف (behind) is a preposition of place.
• في وسط المدينة مكتبةٌ كبيرة
  • في وسط المدينة (In the middle of the city) is the advanced predicate.
  • This construction emphasizes the location of the library using the preposition في (in) and the phrase وسط المدينة (middle of the city).
• على يمين الشارع متجر كبير
  • The preposition على (on) and يمين (right) create a prepositional phrase that comes first, emphasizing where the shop is located.
  • متجر كبير (a big shop) is the remaining part of the sentence.
• بجانب المدرسة توجد حديقة جميلة
  • بجانب المدرسة (Next to the school) is the prepositional phrase acting as the advanced predicate, showing the location before mentioning the subject (the garden).

2. When the Subject is Indefinite

If the subject is indefinite (نكرة), it is more appropriate for the predicate to come first. This construction often makes the sentence sound more natural and fluid, and it avoids an awkward beginning with an indefinite noun.

Examples:

• في المدرسةِ طلابٌ.
  (There are students in the school.)

• في المدينةِ مستشفى.
  (There is a hospital in the city.)

In these sentences, the subject "طلاب" (students) and "مستشفى" (hospital) are indefinite nouns, so the predicate is placed before them.

3. When the Predicate is More Important than the Subject

In cases where the predicate carries more emphasis or importance than the subject, the predicate may be fronted. This is often used for stylistic or rhetorical purposes to draw attention to the location, time, or condition expressed by the predicate.

Examples:

• تحت الجسر السيارةُ.
  (Under the bridge is the car.)

• في الصف المعلمُ.
  (In the classroom is the teacher.)

Here, the emphasis is on the location (under the bridge, in the classroom), so the predicate is placed before the subject to highlight that.

4. Avoiding Ambiguity

Sometimes, fronting the predicate can help avoid ambiguity in the sentence, especially when both the subject and the predicate could be interpreted as subjects. By placing the predicate first, we clarify the sentence structure.

Example:

• في الغرفة رجلٌ طويلٌ.
  (In the room is a tall man.)

If the subject "رجلٌ طويلٌ" (a tall man) were placed at the beginning, it could lead to confusion about whether the sentence is talking about the location of the man or simply describing him.

Activities

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Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Fronted Predicate, Created By Hana Kassas ( CC BY )

Negating Sentences with a Fronted Predicate الخبر المقدم

In Arabic, when you want to negate a sentence with a fronted predicate (الخبر المقدم), you typically use the particle ليس (laysa) to negate the nominal sentence (الجملة الاسمية). The placement of ليس depends on the structure of the sentence. Here's a step-by-step explanation of how to negate sentences with a fronted predicate:

To negate sentences with a fronted predicate in Arabic:

1. Use ليس (or لا for verbs like يوجد/توجد) before the fronted predicate.
2. Keep the rest of the sentence structure unchanged.
3. ليس or لا negates the existence or condition described by the fronted predicate.

Basic Structure of Fronted Predicate Sentences

In a fronted predicate sentence, the predicate (الخبر) comes before the subject (المبتدأ), as in the following example:

• في الحديقةِ كتابٌ.
  (In the garden is a book.)
  • في الحديقة (fronted predicate)
  • كتاب (subject)

To negate such sentences, you place ليس before the fronted predicate, and we wouldn't need to conjugate ليس. Here's how:

• في الحديقةِ كتابٌ.
  (In the garden is a book.)
  → ليس في الحديقةِ كتابٌ.
  (There is not a book in the garden.)

Explanation:

• The negation ليس comes before the fronted predicate "في الحديقة" (in the garden). The rest of the sentence structure remains the same.

Negating Other Examples with Fronted Predicate

Let's look at some more examples and how they are negated:

• يوجد مسجدٌ في المدينة.
  (There is a mosque in the city.)
  → لا يوجد مسجدٌ في المدينة.
  (There is no mosque in the city.)
• توجد مدرسةٌ في الحيّ.
  (There is a school in the neighborhood.)
  → لا توجد مدرسةٌ في الحيّ.
  (There is no school in the neighborhood.)

Explanation: Here, لا is used with the verb "يوجد" or "توجد" to negate the existence of the mosque, and we negate the verb يوجد like any other present tense verb.

Negating Sentences with Prepositional Phrases

When the fronted predicate includes prepositional phrases, ليس is still placed before the preposition.

Example:

• تحت الجسر سيارةٌ.
  (Under the bridge is a car.)
  → ليس تحت الجسر سيارةٌ.
  (There is not a car under the bridge.)

Negating Sentences with Indefinite Subjects

If the subject is indefinite (نكرة), the negation is still done by placing ليس before the predicate.

Example:

• في المدينة مستشفى.
  (There is a hospital in the city.)
  → ليس في المدينة مستشفى.
  (There is not a hospital in the city.)

Activities

Query \(\PageIndex{3}\)

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Check Your Understanding

• Read each sentence and identify the fronted predicate and the subject. Then, label them.
  • في الغرفةِ طالبٌ.
  • بجانب المدرسةِ مكتبةٌ.
  • تحت الطاولة حقيبةٌ.
  • يوجد مطعمٌ في الحيّ.
  • على يسار الطريق بنكٌ.

الخبر المقدم والمبتدأ

الخبر المقدم	المبتدأ	الجملة
في الغرفةِ	طالبٌ	في الغرفةِ طالبٌ

• Complete the sentences with the right frontal predicate.
  1. قلمٌ
  2. ٌمدرَسة
  3. شجرةٌ
  4. طلابٌ
  5. كرسيّ
• Transform the following sentences into negative sentences using ليس (for nominal/prepositional) or لا (with يوجد/توجد).
  • Eample: في المدينة مستشفى -----> ليس في المدينة مستشفى
    • في المدينة مكتبةٌ.
    • تحت الجسر سيارةٌ.
    • يوجد سوقٌ قريبٌ.
    • توجد مدرسةٌ في الشارع.
    • بجانب البيت مطعمٌ.
• Choose a location you know (your home, your neighborhood, your classroom) and describe it using at least 4 fronted predicate structures. P

  Prompt Examples:

  • في البيتِ غرفةٌ كبيرةٌ.
  • بجانب النافذةِ مكتبٌ.
  • تحت السريرِ حقيبةٌ.