A step back...

What is the difference between a direct and indirect object? A direct object answers the questions “who” or “what.” An indirect  object answers the questions “to whom” or “for what.”

Direct and Indirect object explained

Arabic loves to attach direct and indirect objects onto a verb in the form of suffixes. Instead of saying five separate words we end up saying just two words that sound like one word. Let’s take a look at how to say "I sold it to her"…  بِعْتُـها بَعْتَها 1 Biçtaha = I sold it                                           Verb + helping vowel + pronoun       لَها لِها 2 liha = to her  Preposition + helping vowel + pronoun Click below to hear it as one word... 2-2 In Arabic to say “I sold it to her” you only need two words and not five! Why? The answer is in the power of suffixes! Let’s take a closer look… ها         لِـ         ها         بَعْتَ 5      4 3 2&1 Biçt = بِعْتْ  I sold (Appears in English as two words: verb + subject. But in Arabic just one word.) aha = ها it (direct object). Note: Use the helping vowel a because biçt ends in two consonants so you have to drop in a vowel. Rule recall: Don't forget that you can't have more then two consonants in a row in a word! li = لِـ to (preposition). ha = ها her (indirect object).

Be careful

Be careful... 1- Remember that the trick of saying two words instead of five only applies when you have: Verb + Direct Object Pronoun + preposition (l or li) + Indirect Object Pronoun.   2- Why l or li ? Use "li" if you have more than two consonants and in need of a helping vowel. You'll get used to it! Too many consonants make the Arabic word difficult to pronounce. Vowels "soften up" the word... 3- The final vowel before the last suffix is lengthened. This simply allows for easier pronunciation.

 

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