السمك / السمكة

[the running man]

Does "يعيش السمك في الماء" mean The fish is living in the water?
What about يعيش السمكة في الماء"? Is there a difference in meaning because of the ة?
Before someone says that the second sentence should have تعيش instead of يعيش, let me say that both are correct because "fish" is not biologically feminine, just like يطلع الشمس and تطلع الشمس are both permissible.

 

[Ghabi]

I think يعيش السمك في الماء is "fish [generic] live in water", while تعيش السمكة في الماء "the fish [a fish that has been mentioned before by the speaker] lives in water".

 

[Startinov]

Before someone says that the second sentence should have تعيش instead of يعيش, let me say that both are correct because "fish" is not biologically feminine, just like يطلع الشمس and تطلع الشمس are both permissible.

for me :

يعيش السمك في الماء
يعيش السمكة في الماء
تعيش السمكة في الماء
يطلع الشمس
تطلع الشمس

is not biologically feminine

is not question of biology ..

we say :

هذه سيارة أحمد ... Not هذا سيارة أحمد and there is no bilogy here, exactly like in french : c'est la voiture de Ahmed and not c'est le voiture de Ahmed .


And as I know السيارة لاتبيض ولاتلد . . there is not question of biology her

I think يعيش السمك في الماء is "fish [generic] live in water", while تعيش السمكة في الماء "the fish [a fish that has been mentioned before by the speaker] lives in water".

I agree with you

just like يطلع الشمس and تطلع الشمس are both permissible.

(وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَتْ تَزَاوَرُ عَنْ كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ)

(حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ)
(وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا)
(فَلَمَّا رَأَى الشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي هَٰذَا أَكْبَرُ)

 

[Ali Smith]

I think يعيش السمك في الماء is "fish [generic] live in water", while تعيش السمكة في الماء "the fish [a fish that has been mentioned before by the speaker] lives in water".

So, if you wanted to say "I like fish.", would you say يعجبني سمكٌ rather than تعجبني سمكةٌ?

 

[Hemza]

يعجبني السمك
تعجبني السمكة

You must put the article before it though I cannot explain why. To my knowledge, you remove the article only in the case if you're talking about a specific species:
يعجبني سمك الأنشوفة
I like anchovies

Or in the case of an إضافة:
يعجبني سمك مطعم البرج الفضّي
I like the fish (served in) of the Silver Tower restaurant (a famous restaurant in Paris).

 

[Mahaodeh]

So, if you wanted to say "I like fish.", would you say يعجبني سمكٌ rather than تعجبني سمكةٌ?

Both would seem as if you like what it looks like, and perhaps you look up to it a bit!

I’m sorry, I’m not trying to mock you, I’m making a point. In this context the usual word used is أحب.

Also, if you mean that you like fish in general then it should be definite
أحبّ السمك أو أحبّ سمك الهامور.