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- "في ٱلْطّابِق اَلْأَوَّل حَمّ…
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Does the term "الطابق الاول" refer to the floor at street level (the ground floor) or to the first floor above street level?
It refers to the first floor above street level. The ground floor would be الطابق الأرضي. Literally the "earthly floor" :)
Because Duo uses American English in the main translations and the translation shown is "first floor", I assume it probably means the floor at street level.
Actually it depends on which country you are in. Also it can mean both in tge same country.
897
In Arabic, when the subject of a nominal sentence (one whose English translation uses verb "to be") is indefinite, the predicate is moved to the beginning of the sentence. So "حمام في الطابق الأول" wouldn't make any sense. Compare how in English, you would say "On the first floor is a bathroom." but not "A bathroom is on the first floor."
Thank you for the reply and excellent grammar note.
Clarification on the English examples on last two lines: English has no problem(grammar, syntax, or usage) in saying, "A bathroom is on the first floor". It is a declarative sentence.
Example: A young child finds the doorman outside and states, "Excuse me sir, I need a bathroom." "A restroom is on the first floor", replies the doorman with a gentle smile. In American English you can produce subtext with word selection, colocation and syntax/word order. I had thought this was possible in the Arabic language also, however, not necessarily direct correlation exists in both languages. Such as, the same word order in both languages may not produce a subtext or inference with a common meaning (if any meaning other than the speaker is not native) or effect upon the receiving party/audience. It could be useful to know that this exists in the Arabic Language, if it exists: Communications to inform, Communications to relate, Communications to influence...
Hammam can mean both; WC and bathroom. In formal conversations we use hammam for WC.
- 897
I think their point is that while English speakers make a distinction between WC (formal) and bathroom (informal), Arabic doesn't. 7ammaam can be used both at home and in the airport.
- 295
Thanks, Guy-A. So have the Americans stopped saying "bathroom"? I thought that was a really stupid appellation! But restroom is equally deceptive. Perhaps washroom is a bit closer to the truth, at least washing does follow the real activity...
In America bathroom and restroom are both used. Restroom has slightly more formal connotations.
- 295
I don't like these euphemisms. The euphemism eventually gets tainted with the real meaning, and has to change again to sound cleaner.
"The" is not important you just make me wrong just because i don't add "The"
In Arabic it actually can be pretty important. The definite article which makes something "the" is al- (alif, lam) and placing it in the correct spot is important for meaning. Practicing to pay attention to it now will help in the long run.
- 897
Yes, but "first" is أول, which could possibly be a comparative form from the root وأل (hence why its plural is أوائل, rather than أواول), meaning "to hasten." So literally "that which hastens the most."
- 897
The subject of the sentence, حمام, is indefinite. Compare الحمام في الطابق الأول, which means "the bathroom is on the first floor." Notice the subject changes position depending on whether it is definite or not.
