Verbs are an important part of speech in any language because they indicate subjects’ actions. Verbs in Arabic Grammar have a unique structure with more complicated rules than in any other language. Verbs in Arabic vary according to gender, tense, the need to object, active form, passive form, and number.
This article will discuss Arabic verbs in detail, their root structure, types, and tenses, including the present, past, future, and command tenses.
Definition of Arabic Verbs:
Arabic verbs are that part of speech that represents the action done by the subject, referring to the time of happening according to the tense used. It also refers to the number and the gender of the subject whether it is singular, dual, or plural, and whether it’s masculine or feminine. Arabic verbs may need an object or not.
1. Intransitive Verbs:
Intransitive verbs, or “الأفعال اللازمة” (Al-afa’al al-lazemah), are those verbs that don’t need an object to complete the meaning of the sentence. It only needs a subject. For instance, “نام الطفل” (Naam al-tefl) which means “The child slept”.
2. Transitive Verbs:
Transitive verbs, or “الأفعال المتعدية” (Al-afa’al al-mota’edya), are those verbs that need an object or two to complete the meaning of the sentence. The subject is insufficient to clarify the meaning because the sentence needs a complement.
For example, “كتب الرجل الرسالة” (Kataba al-rajul al-resalah) which means “The man wrote the letter”. Here the verb needed one object which is “الرسالة” (Al-resalah) to clarify what the man wrote.
Another example is “منح الملك العبد حريته” (Manaha al-malek al-a’bd horreyatah) which means “The king has granted the slave his freedom”. Here the verb needed two objects which are “العبد” (Al-a’bd) and “حريته” (Horreyatah) to clarify what the king has granted and for whom.
Arabic Verb Root Structure:
Arabic verbs are derived from root words consisting of three or four letters. These rood words are joined with other letters like prefixes or suffixes. We will use the verb “فعل” as a template to demonstrate this.
A. Triliteral Verbs:
Triliteral verbs, or “الأفعال الثلاثية” (Al-afa’al al-thulatheyah), are vers derived from root words consisting of 3 letters. And it is classified into:
1) Bare:
Triliteral bare, or “مجرّد ثلاثي” (Mojarrad thulathy), verbs don’t gain any extra letters to the three root letters, like: “فعل” (Fa’ala) which is verb form I and called “Regular form”. For example, “خرج” (Kharaja), which means “went out”, consists of the three root letters “خ, ر, ج”.
2) Affixed:
Triliteral affixed, or “مزيد ثلاثي” (Mazeed thulathy), verbs gain an extra one letter or letters to the three root letters, which leads to different verb forms according to the letters added to the three root letters.
This means that a root word can be converted into multiple verb forms; each form has a specific meaning that’s added to the meaning of the root word to produce the meaning of the formed verb. And this is called “Conjugation”.
| Form | Template | Explanation | Example |
| Form II Causative or intensive version of Form I | “فَعَّل” (Fa’aala) | Formed by doubling the middle root letter of form I (putting shaddah on the second root letter) | “خرّج” (Kharraja)”To make someone go out” |
| Form III A reciprocal action “Interaction” | “فَاعَل” (Faa’ala) | Formed by adding the letter “ا” after the first root letter of form I | “كاتب” (Kataba) “To correspond” |
| Form IV A causative or clarifying version of Form I | “أفعلَ” (Afa’ala) | Formed by adding the letter “أ” at the beginning of the verb in form I and putting a “Sukun harakah” on the first root letter | “ألْزَم” (Alzama) “To oblige someone” |
| Form V A reflexive or passive version of Form II | “تفعّل” (Tafa’ala) | Formed by adding the letter “تـ” at the beginning of the verb form II | “تكسّر” (Tkassara) “Was broken” |
| Form VI A reflexive or reciprocal version of Form III | “تفاعل” (Tafaa’ala) | Formed by adding the letter “تـ” at the beginning of the verb form III | “تشارك” (Tasharaka) “Participated” |
| Form VIIA reflexive or passive version of Form I | “انفعل” (Enfa’ala) | Formed by adding the letters “ان” at the beginning of the verb form I | “اندمج” (Endamaja) “Blended in” |
| Form VIII A reflexive or causative version of Form I | “افتعل” (Efta’ala) | Formed by adding the letter “ا” at the beginning of the verb in form I and the letter “تـ” between the first and second root letters, and putting a “Sukun harakah” on the first root letter | “ابتهج” (Ebtahaja) “Cheered up” |
| Form IX Used to indicate colors | “افعل” (Efa’alla) | Formed by adding the letter “ا” at the beginning of the verb, doubling the third root letter of the verb form I (putting shaddah on the last root letter), and putting a “Sukun harakah” on the first root letter | “اخْضرّ” (Ekhdarra) “To turn green” |
| Form XA requisite or considerate version of Form I | “استفعل” (Estfa’ala) | Formed by adding the letters “است” at the beginning of the verb form I and putting a “Sukun harakah” on the first root letter | “استخرج” (Estakhraja)”To extract” |
B. Quadriliteral Verbs:
Quadriliteral verbs, or “الأفعال الرباعية” (Al-afa’al al-ruba’eya), are vers derived from root words consisting of 4 letters. And it is classified into:
1) Bare:
Quadriliteral bare, or “مجرّد رباعي” (Mojarrad ruba’ey), verbs don’t gain any extra letters to the four root letters, like: “فعْلَل” (Fa’lala). For example, “ترْجَم” (Tarjama) which means “To translate”.
2) Affixed:
Quadriliteral affixed, or “مزيد رباعي” (Mazeed ruba’ey), verbs gain an extra one letter or letters to the four root letters, which leads to different verb forms according to the letters added to the three root letters.
This also means that a root word can be converted into multiple verb forms; each form has a specific meaning, and that’s called “Conjugation”.
| Form | Template | Explanation | Example |
| Form II ِA reflexive passive version of form I | “تفَعْلَلْ” (Tfa’lala) | Formed by adding the letter “تـ” at the beginning of the verb in the bare form | “تدهور” (Tadahwara)”To deteriorate” |
| Form IV | “افْعَلَلّ” (Efa’lalla) | Formed by adding the letter “ا” at the beginning of the verb in the bare form, doubling the fourth root letter (putting shaddah on the last root letter) and putting a “Sukun harakah” on the first root letter and a “Fatha harakah” on the second root letter | “اقْشَعَرّ” (Eqsha’arra) “To shudder” |
Arabic Verbs Types:
There are mainly two categories for verbs in Arabic according to the letters of the root of the verb:
1) Sound or regular:
Sound, or “صحيح” (Sahih), verbs are those verbs that don’t include any weak letters “ا, و, ي” in their root letters. And it may be:
a. Regular:
Regular, or “سالم” (Salem), means that there is neither a repeated root letter nor a hamzah in the root letters. For example, “هرب” (Haraba) means “Ran away” and “فرح” (Fareha) means “enjoyed”.
b. Doubled:
Doubled, or “مضعّف” (Moda’aaf), means that there is one of the root letters doubled. This is classified into triliteral, like: “دقّ” (Daqqa) which means “knocked” And quadriliteral, like: “رفرف” (Rafrafa) which means “To flutter”.
c. With Hamzah “ء”:
With hamzah, or “مهموز” (Mahmouz), means that there is a hamzah “ء” in the root letters no matter where it exists. For example, “بدأ” (Bada’a) means “To start”, “أسر” (Asara) means “To capture”, and “أكل” (Akala) means “To eat”.
2) Weak:
Weak, or “معتل” (Mo’tal), verbs are those verbs that include one or more weak letters “ا, و, ي” in their root letters. And it may be:
a. Assimilative:
Assimilative, or “مثال”(Methal), means that the first root letter is a weak letter which may be “و” or “ي”. For example, “وجد” (Wajada) means “Found” and “يسر” (Yassara) means “Made it easy”.
b. Hollow:
Hollow, or “أجوف” (Ajwaf), means that the middle root letter is a weak letter which may be “ا”, “و” or “ي”. For example, “قال” (Qala) means “Said”, and “تبيع” (Tabe’a) means “She is selling”.
c. Defective:
Defective, or “ناقص” (Naqis), means that the last root letter is a weak letter which may be “ا”, “و” or “ي”. For example, “بدا” (Bada) means “appeared”, and “سعى” (Sa’aa) means “aimed”.
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Read more about: Types of Arabic Verbs
Arabic Verbs Tenses:
Understanding Arabic verb tenses is mandatory to form correct sentences that refer to the correct timing in understandable texts. Knowing whether it’s an active or passive form is also important to define by whom the action was done.
1. The Present Tense:
The present tense in Arabic indicates facts, habits, and actions that are happening in the present or now. Verbs in the present tense change according to the subject they refer to whether it’s masculine or feminine and whether it’s singular, dual, or plural.
In the present negation “النفي” (Al-nafy), you add “لا” (Laa), which is a negation article, before the verb. In the case of dual and plural, negation “النهي” (Al-nahy) leads to replacing the letter “ن” (Noon) with the letter “ا” (Alif), and that “ا” is silent.
| Example | Meaning | Explanation | Negation |
| “أرسم” (Arsum) | “I draw” | The verb starts with “أ” | “لا أرسم” (La Arsum) “I do not draw” |
| “نرسم” (Narsum) | “We draw” | The verb starts with “نـ” | “لا نرسم” (La Narsum) “We do not draw” |
| “يرسم” (Yarsum) | “He draws” | The verb starts with “يـ” | “لا يرسم” (La Yarsum) “He does not draw” |
| “ترسم” (Tarsum) | “She draws” | The verb starts with “تـ” | “لا ترسم” (La Tarsum) “She does not draw” |
| “You are drawing” for males | “لا ترسم” (La Tarsum) “Do not draw!” for male | ||
| “يرسمان” (Yarsuman) | “They both draw” For male | The verb starts with “يـ” and we add “ان” (an) at the end of the verb to convert it into a dual form. | “لا يرسمان” (La Yarsuman) “They both don’t draw” |
| “ترسمان” (Tarsuman) | “They both draw” For female | The verb starts with “تـ” and we add “ان” (an) at the end of the verb to convert it into a dual form. | “لا ترسمان” (La Tarsuman) “They both don’t draw” |
| “You both are drawing” For dual. | “لا ترسما” (La Tarsuma) “You both, don’t draw” | ||
| “ترسمين” (Tarsumeen) | “You are drawing” For singular females. | The verb starts with “تـ” and we add “ين” (een) at the end of the verb to talk to a female. | “لا ترسمين” (La Tarsumeen) “You are not drawing” |
| “لا ترسمي” (La Tarsumy) “Don’t draw!” for female | |||
| “ترسمون” (Tarsumoon) | “You are drawing” For plural males | The verb starts with “تـ” and we add “ون” (oon) at the end of the verb to convert it into plural form. | “لا ترسمون” (La Tarsumoon) “You are not drawing” |
| “لا ترسموا” (La Tarsumoo) “Don’t draw!” for plural males | |||
| “يرسمون” (Yarsumun) | “They are drawing” For plural males | The verb starts with “يـ” and we add “ون” (oon) at the end of the verb to convert it into plural form. | “لا يرسمون” (La Yarsumun) “They are not drawing” |
| “ترسمن” (Tarsumn) | “You are drawing” For plural females | The verb starts with “تـ” and we add “ن” (n) at the end of the verb and “Sukoon harakah” on the last letter to convert it into female plural form. | “لا ترسمن” (La Tarsumn) “You are not drawing” for plural females. |
| “لا ترسمن” (La Tarsumn) “Don’t draw!” for plural females. |
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2. The Past Tense:
The past tense in Arabic indicates actions that happened completely or were happening in the past. It’s also used when telling a story or speaking of unreal conditions. Verbs in the past tense also change depending on the subject they refer to whether it’s masculine or feminine and whether it’s singular, dual, or plural.
In past negation “النفي” (Al-nafy), we use “لم” (Lam) which is a negation article, and we convert the verb form into present form and it still refers to negation in the past.
| Example | Meaning | Explanation | Negation |
| “رسمْت” (Rasamt) | “I drew” | The verb ends with “ت” (T), and we added “Sukoon harakah” on the letter before the “ت” | “لم أرسم” (Lam Arsum) “I did not draw” |
| “رسمنا” (Rasamna) | “We drew” | The verb ends with “نا” (Na), and we added “Sukoon harakah” on the letter before the “نا” | “لم نرسم” (Lam Narsum) “We did not draw” |
| “رسم” (Rasama) | “He drew” | The verb with no additions | “لم يرسم” (Lam Yarsum) “He did not draw” |
| “رسمَت” (Rasamat) | “She drew” | The verb ends with “ت” (T), and we added “Fatha harakah” on the the letter before the “ت” | “لم ترسم” (Lam Tarsum) “She did not draw” |
| “رسما” (Rasamaa) | “They both drew” For males and females | We added “ا” (aa) at the end of the verb to convert it into a dual form. | “لم ترسما” (Lam Tarsumaa) “They both did not draw” for females. |
| “لم ترسما” (Lam Tarsumaa) “You both did not draw”For males and females | |||
| “لم يرسما” (Lam Yarsumaa) “They both did not draw” for males | |||
| “رسمْتِ” (Rasamty) | “You drew” For singular females. | The verb ends with “ت” (T), and we added “Sukoon harakah” on the letter before the “ت” and “Kasrah harakah” on the “ت” | “لم ترسمي” (Lam Tarsumy) “You did not draw”For singular female |
| “رسمتم” (Rasamtum) | “You drew” For plural males | The verb ends with “تم” (Tum), and we added “Sukoon harakah” on the letter before the “تم” | “لم ترسموا” (Lam Tarsumoo) “You did not draw” for plural males |
| “لم يرسموا” (Lam Yarsumoo) “They did not draw” for plural males | |||
| “رسمتن” (Rasamtun) | “You drew” For plural females | The verb ends with “تن” (Tunna), and we added “Sukoon harakah” on the the letter before the “تن” and “Shaddah harakah” on the letter “ن” | “لم ترسمن” (Lam Tarsumna) “You did not draw” for plural females |
| “لم ترسمن” (Lam Tarsumn) “They did not draw” for plural females |
3. The Future Tense:
The future tense in Arabic indicates actions that will happen in the future whether it is planned or not. These actions may be predictions, threats, or promises.
It does not have its conjugation, but it consists of the present tense preceded by the letter “سـ” (Sa) or the word “سوف” (Sawfa), and both mean “Will” in English. Future negation consists of the present tense verbs preceded by “لن” (Lan) which is a negation article.
For example, “يكتب” (Yaktub), which means “He writes”, turns to “سيكتب” (Sayaktub) or “سوف يكتب” (Sawfa yaktub) and both mean “He will write”. In future negation, it turns to “لن يكتب” (Lan yaktub) which means “He will not write”.
Another example, “يسافرون” (Yusaferon), which means “They travel”, turns to “سيسافرون” (Sayusaferon) or “سوف يسافرون” (Sawfa Yusaferon) and both mean “They will travel”. In future negation, it turns to “لن يسافروا” (Lan yusafero) which means “They will not travel”.
In dual and plural, the future negation with the article “لن” (Lan) leads to replacing the letter “ن” (Noon) with the letter “ا”, and that “ا” is silent.
4. The Imperative:
The imperative, or “command tense”, is used to give orders to someone or a group of people. It’s also used when asking for something politely or when giving instructions about something.
The imperative is formed by replacing the prefix of present verbs whether it’s “يـ”, “تـ” or “أ” with “أ” with “Dammah harakah” on it to be pronounced as “U” with some variation at the end of the verb according to number and gender.
| Example | Meaning | Explanation |
| “ارسمْ” (Ursum) | “Draw!” for singular males. | No additions are required for singular. |
| “ارسمِي” (Ursumy) | “Draw!” for singular females. | We add “ي” (Y) at the end of the verb and “Kasrah harakah” on the letter before it. |
| “ارسمَا” (Ursumaa) | “Draw!” for dual males and females. | We add “ا” (Aa) at the end of the verb and “Fathah harakah” on the letter before it. |
| “ارسمُوا” (Ursumoo) | “Draw!” for plural males. | We add “وا” (oo) at the end of the verb and “Dammah harakah” on the letter before it. That “ا” (Alif) is silent. |
| “ارسمْن” (Ursumn) | “Draw!” for plural females. | We add “ن” (N) at the end of the verb and “Sukoon harakah” on the letter before it. |
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Conclusion:
Arabic verbs are a crucial part of speech to describe actions and it’s timing whether it is in the present or it was in the past. It’s important to understand Arabic verbs rule to create correct coherent understandable speeches.
Arabic verbs are affected by the gender and the number of subjects they refer to, but verbs don’t have a grammatical gender of their own. Arabic root structure depends on Triliteral and Quadriliteral root verbs and their different forms.
Some Arabic verbs need an object to complete the sentence meaning and we call them “Transitive Verbs”. While others don’t need an object and we call them “Intransitive Verbs”. Verbs can be classified according to having weak letters or not into: Sound and Weak.
Knowing the different tenses of verbs in Arabic and their usages will help you choose what tense to use to describe any action easily. The main Arabic verb tenses are: the present and the past tenses. Arabic also has future and command tenses but their rules are derived from the rules of the present tense.
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