المحادثة: فِي الْمَدْرَسَةِ — مَنْ الْمُعَلِّمُ الْجَدِيدُ؟
Dialogue: In the school — describing people and places with adjectives
سَلْمَى
مَنْ هٰذَا الْمُعَلِّمُ الْجَدِيدُ فِي الْفَصْلِ؟
Who is this new teacher in the classroom?
خَالِد
هٰذَا الْمُعَلِّمُ الْكَبِيرُ فِي الْمَدْرَسَةِ، وَهُوَ جَدِيدٌ فِي فَصْلِنَا.
This is the senior teacher in the school, and he is new in our class.
سَلْمَى
أَهُوَ مُعَلِّمٌ جَيِّدٌ؟
Is he a good teacher?
خَالِد
نَعَمْ، هُوَ مُعَلِّمٌ جَيِّدٌ وَصَبُورٌ جِدًّا.
Yes, he is a good and very patient teacher.
خَالِد
أَتَرَيْنَ ذٰلِكَ الطَّالِبَ الطَّوِيلَ عِنْدَ الْبَابِ؟
Do you see that tall student at the door?
سَلْمَى
نَعَمْ، هُوَ الطَّالِبُ الْجَدِيدُ أَيْضًا، لٰكِنَّهُ خَجُولٌ قَلِيلًا.
Yes, he is also the new student, but he is a little shy.
سَلْمَى
وَأَيْنَ الطَّالِبَةُ الْجَدِيدَةُ؟ أَفِي الْفَصْلِ أَمْ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ؟
And where is the new female student? In the classroom or in the mosque?
خَالِد
هِيَ فِي الْمَدْرَسَةِ الْجَدِيدَةِ بِجَانِبِ مَدْرَسَتِنَا.
She is in the new school next to our school.
خَالِد
أَتُحِبِّينَ الْمَسْجِدَ الْكَبِيرَ أَمْ الْمَسْجِدَ الصَّغِيرَ قُرْبَ الْبَيْتِ؟
Do you prefer the big mosque or the small mosque near the house?
سَلْمَى
أُحِبُّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْكَبِيرَ لِأَنَّهُ جَمِيلٌ وَنَظِيفٌ، وَلٰكِنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الصَّغِيرَ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ.
I love the big mosque because it is beautiful and clean, but the small mosque is near the house.
سَلْمَى
كَيْفَ هُوَ الْفَصْلُ الْجَدِيدُ؟ أَهُوَ وَاسِعٌ أَمْ صَغِيرٌ؟
How is the new classroom? Is it spacious or small?
خَالِد
هُوَ فَصْلٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمُرَتَّبٌ، وَلٰكِنَّ الْكُرْسِيَّ الْقَدِيمَ غَيْرُ مُرِيحٍ.
It is a big and organized classroom, but the old chair is not comfortable.
خَالِد
عِنْدِي كِتَابٌ قَدِيمٌ وَكِتَابٌ جَدِيدٌ. أَيُّهُمَا تُرِيدِينَ؟
I have an old book and a new book. Which one do you want?
سَلْمَى
أُرِيدُ الْكِتَابَ الْجَدِيدَ، لِأَنَّ الْكِتَابَ الْقَدِيمَ صَعْبٌ قَلِيلًا.
I want the new book, because the old book is a little difficult.
سَلْمَى
الْآنَ أَفْهَمُ أَنَّ الِاسْمَ الْمَعْرِفَ يَأْخُذُ صِفَةً مَعْرِفَةً، وَأَنَّ الِاسْمَ النَّكِرَةَ يَأْخُذُ صِفَةً نَكِرَةً.
Now I understand that a definite noun takes a definite adjective, and an indefinite noun takes an indefinite adjective.
خَالِد
نَعَمْ، هٰذِهِ هِيَ قَاعِدَةُ النَّعْتِ فِي اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ.
Yes, this is the rule of adjectives in the Arabic language.
Grammar Note
Notice how each adjective copies its noun in
gender, definiteness (with or without ال),
and its ending vowel (Damma or Kasra), just like you learned in Lessons 8.1 and 8.2.