In this tutorial we discuss all the verb forms in Arabic, also known as Arabic verb paradigms.
Table of Contents
What is a Verb Form or a Verbal Paradigm?
A given set of base letters taken from a dictionary will have a specific meaning. Wherever those base letters are found, so too will that meaning be found. For example, the letters ن، ص، ر are associated with “helping”; wherever we find these base letters in this order, the meaning of “helping” will be present.
Now these letters themselves do not constitute a word. So in order to utilize them, they need to be inaugurated into a pattern from the morphological system. One such pattern is فَاعِل which is used for the active participle. We replace the ف، ع، ل of the pattern with ن، ص، ر and get نَاصِر, which then means “helper”.
When it comes to verbs, we also find a set of patterns which we call verb paradigms. The basic verbal paradigm is فعل; so نصر is a verb which simply means “he helped”. And from previous lessons we learn how to conjugate this verb to inflect for gender, plurality, person, voice, tense, etc.
But there are more advanced paradigms. These are achieved by adding extra letters to the basic paradigm. Each of these gives the base letters some extra connotation. For example, استفعل gives the sense of “seeking” and so استنصر means “he sought help”. Of course, each of these verbal paradigms conjugate in the same way the basic paradigm conjugates, inflecting for gender, plurality, tense, etc in the same way and using the same rules.
This tutorial deals with verbs that are enhanced by the addition of extra letters. Although the purpose of these extra letters is to enhance the meaning, this tutorial only discusses the effects they have on the word. The meanings and subtle connotations afforded by these enhancements are discussed later at Learn Arabic Online in the tutorial entitled Paradigm Connotations.
This tutorial does not approach this topic in an introductory or explanatory fashion. Instead, this is a summary and a reference for those who have already studied this aspect of Arabic morphology. We summarize here all the verbal paradigms, giving the perfect tense, imperfect tense, imperative, popular gerunds, some derived nouns, and we also discuss the morphophonemic rules that are particular to a given paradigm.
For practice purposes, one is encouraged to visit the Practice Verbs page.
Division of the Paradigms
At the topmost level, verbal paradigms are divided into two groups
· those that work with 3-base-lettered verbs
· those that work with 4-base-lettered verbs
Each of these is then further divided into two categories
· those in which the base letters are the only letters
· those with extra letters apart from the base, used to enhance the verbs’ meanings
The paradigms that work on 3-lettered verbs that have extra letters are further divided as follows.
· the general: those whose extra letters do not cause them to resemble 4-lettered paradigms
· the resembling: those whose extra letters cause them to resemble 4-lettered paradigms
The hierarchy looks something like this:
رباعي works with 4-lettered verbs | ثلاثي works with 3-lettered verbs | |||
مزيد
فيه extra letters added | مجرد only base letters | مزيد
فيه extra letters added | مجرد only base letters | |
ملحق resemb. | مطلق general | |||
3-Lettered with no Extra
All of these fall under Form I in the Hans Wehr dictionary.
Cmd. | Passive Part. | Active Part. or Common Substitutes | Common Gerunds | Imperfect | Perfect | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Intrans. | Trans. | Intrans. | Trans. | ||||
اُفْعُلْ | مَفْعُوْل | فَاعِل | فَاعِل | فِعَال،
فَعَلاَن،
فُعَال،
فُعُوْل،
فَعِيْل | فَعْل | يَفْعُل | فَعَلَ |
اِفْعِلْ | يَفْعِل | فَعَلَ | |||||
اِفْعَلْ | يَفْعَل | فَعَلَ | |||||
اِفْعَلْ | فَعِل،
فَعْلاَن،
أَفْعَل | فَعَل | يَفْعَل | فَعِلَ | |||
اِفْعِلْ | يَفْعِل | فَعِلَ | |||||
اُفْعُلْ | فَعِيْل،
فَعْل،
فَعَل،
أَفْعَل | فُعُوْلَة،
فَعَالَة | يَفْعُل | فَعُلَ | |||
3-Lettered with General Extra
Cmd. | Passive Part. | Active Part. | Gerunds | Imperfect | Perfect | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
أَفْعِلْ | مُفْعَل | مُفْعِل | إِفْعَال | يُفْعِل | أََفْعَلَ | IV |
فَعِّلْ | مُفَعَّل | مُفَعِّل | تَفْعِيْل،
فِعَّال،
فِعَال، تَفْعِلَة | يُفَعِّل | فََعَّلَ | II |
فَاعِلْ | مُفَاعَل | مُفَاعِل | مُفَاعَلَة،
فِعَال | يُفَاعِل | فَاعَلَ | III |
تَفَعَّلْ | مُتَفَعَّل | مُتَفَعِّل | تَفَعُّل،
تِفِعَّال | يَتَفَعَّل | تَفَعَّلَ | V |
تَفَاعَلْ | مُتَفَاعَل | مُتَفَاعِل | تَفَاعُل | يَتَفَاعَل | تَفَاعَلَ | VI |
اِفْتَعِلْ | مُفْتَعَل | مُفْتَعِل | اِفْتِعَال | يَفْتَعِل | اِفْتَعَلَ | VIII |
اِسْتَفْعِلْ | مُسْتَفْعَل | مُسْتَفْعِل | اِسْتِفْعَال | يَسْتَفْعِل | اِسْتَفْعَلَ | X |
اِنْفَعِلْ | مُنْفَعِل | اِنْفِعَال | يَنْفَعِل | اِنْفَعَلَ | VII | |
اِفْْعَلَِّ | مُفْعَلّّ | اِفْعِلاَل | يَفْعَلّ | اِفْعَلَّ | IX | |
اِفْْعَالَِّ | مُفْعَالّ | اِفْعِيْلاَل | يَفْعَالّ | اِفْعَالَّ | XI | |
اِفْعَوْعِلْ | مُفْعَوْعِل | اِفْعِيْعاَل | يَفْعَوْعِل | اِفْعَوْعَلَ | XII | |
اِفْعَوِّلْ | مُفْعَوِّل | اِفْعِوَّال | يَفْعَوِّل | اِفْعَوَّلَ | XIII | |
اِفَّعَّلْ | مُفَّعِّل | اِفَّعُّل | يَفَّعَّل | اِفَّعَّلَ | XIV | |
اِفَّاعَلْ | مُفَّاعِل | اِفَّاعُل | يَفَّاعَل | اِفَّاعَلَ | XV |
3-Lettered with Resembling Extra
Verbs from these paradigms are to be looked up alphabetically in Hans Wehr.
Cmd. | Passive Part. | Active Part. | Gerunds | Imperfect | Perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
فَعْلِلْ | مُفَعْلَل | مُفَعْلِل | فَعْلَلَة | يُفَعْلِل | فَعْلَلَ |
تَفَعْلَلْ | مُتَفَعْلِل | تَفَعْلُل | يَتَفَعْلَل | تَفَعْلَلَ | |
فَعْوِلْ | مُفَعْوَل | مُفَعْوِل | فَعْوَلَة | يُفَعْوِل | فَعْوَلَ |
تَفَعْوَلْ | مُتَفَعْوِل | تَفَعْوُل | يَتَفَعْوَل | تَفَعْوَلَ | |
فَوْعِلْ | مُفَوْعَل | مُفَوْعِل | فَوْعَلَة،
فِيْعَال | يُفَوْعِل | فَوْعَلَ |
تَفَوْعَلْ | مُتَفَوْعِل | تَفَوْعُل | يَتَفَوْعَل | تَفَوْعَلَ | |
فَعْيِلْ | مُفَعْيَل | مُفَعْيِل | فَعْيَلَة | يُفَعْيِل | فَعْيَلَ |
تَفَعْيَلْ | مُتَفَعْيِل | تَفَعْيُل | يَتَفَعْيَل | تَفَعْيَلَ | |
فَيْعِلْ | مُفَيْعَل | مُفَيْعِل | فَيْعَلَة | يُفَيْعِل | فَيْعَلَ |
تَفَيْعَلْ | مُتَفَيْعِل | تَفَيْعُل | يَتَفَيْعَل | تَفَيْعَلَ | |
فَعْنِلْ | مُفَعْنَل | مُفَعْنِل | فَعْنَلَة | يُفَعْنِل | فَعْنَلَ |
تَفَعْنَلْ | مُتَفَعْنِل | تَفَعْنُل | يَتَفَعْنَل | تَفَعْنَلَ | |
فَعْلِ | مُفَعْلىً | مُفَعْلٍ | فَعْلاَة | يُفَعْلِيْ | فَعْلَى |
تَفَعْلَ | مُتَفَعْلٍ | تَفَعْلٍ | يَتَفَعْلَي | تَفَعْلَى | |
مَفْعِلْ | مُمَفْعَل | مُمَفْعِل | مَفْعَلة | يُمَفْعِل | مَفْعَلَ |
تَمَفْعَلْ | مُتَمَفْعِل | تَمَفْعُل | يَتَمَفْعَل | تَمَفْعَلَ | |
فَنْعِلْ | مُفَنْعَل | مُفَنْعِل | فَنْعَلَة | يُفَنْعِل | فَنْعَلَ |
اِفْعَنْلِلْ | مُفْعَنْلِل | اِفْعِنْلاَل | يَفْعَنْلِل | اِفْعَنْلَلَ | |
اِفْعَنْلِ | مُفْعَنْلٍ | اِفْعِنْلاَء | يَفْعَنْلِيْ | اِفْعَنْلَى | |
اِفْتَعْلِ | مُفْتَعْلٍ | اِفْتِعْلاَء | يَفْتَعْلِيْ | اِفْتَعْلَى |
4-Lettered with no Extra
Cmd. | Passive Part. | Active Part. | Gerunds | Imperfect | Perfect | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
بَعْثِرْ | مُبَعْثَر | مُبَعْثِر | فَعْلَلَة،
فِعْلاَل | يُبَعْثِر | بَعْثَرَ | I |
4-Lettered with Extra
Cmd. | Passive Part. | Active Part. | Gerunds | Imperfect | Perfect | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
تَفَعْلَلْ | مُتَفَعْلِل | تَفَعْلُل | يَتَفَعْلَل | تَفَعْلَلَ | II | |
اِفْعَنْلِلْ | مُفْعَنْلِل | اِفْعِنْلاَل | يَفْعَنْلِل | اِفْعَنْلَلَ | III | |
اِفْعَلِلَِّ | مُفْعَلِلّ | اِفْعِلْلاَل | يَفْعَلِلّ | اِفْعَلَلَّ | IV |
Paradigm Specific Rules
Now we take the interesting paradigms from above and analyze them a bit further. Some of these paradigms necessarily elicit morphophonemic changes in their verbs. Others have restrictions as to which verbs they may include. Yet others have other interesting features. We will take a look at each of these idiosyncrasies.
فعَل/يفعَل | ·
Most verbs are such that either their first base letter or second
base letter is one of the six throat letters: ء،
ه، ع، ح، غ، خ. |
فُعل/يفعُل | ·
All verbs are intransitive and connote qualities (e.g. being happy). |
فعِل/يفعِل | ·
This paradigm contains very few verbs; only a couple dozen or so. |
إفعال | ·
If the verb which is being considered is اجوف
(e.g. أقام)
then the gerund of this paradigm will be altered in the following way: The
weak letter will change to match the letter before it (إِقوام
becomes إققام).
The changed letter then drops (إقام).
The deletion is then mitigated by the addition of a تاء
(إقامة).
Sometimes this تاء
is omitted (إقام). ·
The همزة of the pattern
drops in all places except the perfect tense and the active second-person
command. This is due to the fact that the همزة
would gather with the sign of the imperfect tense in conjugation #13. So the همزة
of this verb paradigm was dropped. It was dropped from almost every other
conjugation as well due to the grammatical rule which dictates that if one
instance of something causes trouble, then the solution will be applied to
all instances, whether they cause trouble or not. ·
This paradigm should be counted amongst those that resemble the
four-lettered verbs, but it isn’t because the condition for those paradigms
is that their gerunds must match the gerund of the verb which they resemble. |
تفعيل | ·
The تفعلة
pattern for the gerund is used mostly when the verb is مهموز
or ناقص.
Sometimes even a normal verb can adopt this pattern (تجربة). ·
When the verb being considered is اجوف
يائي (e.g. ميز)
and the gerund is on the تفعيل
pattern (تمييز),
then the following rule may be (and according to some, must be) applied: The base
letter ياء will transfer its
vowel to the preceding letter, ridding itself of the vowel. Now there is a
gathering of ساكن
so the base letter ياء
will drop and we end up with one ياء
(تميز). |
مفاعلة | ·
The verbs of this paradigm (like many others with multiple gerunds) will
not adopt one of the gerunds but both of them simultaneously (e.g. جدال
and مجادلة).
The difference is that جدال,
for example, indicates on a particular occurrence while مجادلة
is abstract. ·
The الف in the passive form
of this paradigm for the imperfect tense will become a واو
(قوتل). |
تفعّل | ·
Those conjugations of the imperfect tense that start with a تاء
are such that they cause two same letters to follow; the sign of the
imperfect tense and the تاء
of the paradigm. In this case, it is permissible to drop one of the two تاء (تتنزل
becomes تنزل).
Which تاء exactly is dropped is
disputed. ·
If the same situation as above occurs, it is also permissible (but
highly rare) to merge the two تاء,
in which case there would be the need for a همزة
الوصل. For example تتجلى
becomes اتجلى.
This is the only instance in which there is an initiating همزة in the
imperfect tense. ·
If the first base letter of a verb from this paradigm is تاء,
ثاء, جيم, دال, ذال,
زاى, سين, شين, صاد,
ضاد, طاء, or ظاء
then the تاء of this paradigm may
be changed to match that letter. The two would then gather and a joining همزة
would be needed. For example تطهر
may become اطَّهَّر. |
تفاعل | ·
The الف in the passive form
of this verb for the imperfect tense will become a واو ((تقوبل. ·
If the first base letter of a verb from this paradigm is تاء,
ثاء, جيم, دال, ذال,
زاى, سين, شين, صاد,
ضاد, طاء, or ظاء
then the تاء of this paradigm may
be changed to match that letter. The two would then gather and a joining همزة
would be needed. For example تثاقل may become اثَّاقل. |
افتعال | ·
If the verb being considered is مثال
(e.g. وحد) then the weak letter
will change into a تاء
to match the تاء of the paradigm. The
two will then join (اتحد).
This weak letter must be original and not changed from a همزة
(e.g. اكل in this paradigm is اأتكل
which becomes ايتكل
which will not become اتكل).
This restriction has some counterexamples (e.g. اتخذ). ·
If the first base letter of the verb is a دال,
ذال, or زاى
then the تاء of the paradigm will
become a دال (e.g. ازتان
become ازدان).
In the case where the first base letter is a دال,
the two دال will of course mix
(e.g. اددخل
becomes ادخل).
In the case where the first base letter is a ذال,
the ذال may change to match
the دال of the paradigm then
the two will mix (e.g. اذتكر
must change to اذدكر
which may then become اددكر
which necessarily becomes ادكر). ·
If the first base letter of the verb under consideration is one of
the اطباق
letters (صاد،
ضاد، طاء،
ظاء) then the تاء
of the verb paradigm must change to a طاء
(e.g. اصتاد
must become اصطاد,
and اضتجع
must become اضطجع). ·
If the second base letter of the verb is a ذال,
دال, or زاى
then the تاء of the paradigm may
change to match it (e.g. اهتدى
may become اهددى).
The two will then mix (اهدى).
The first base letter and the new changed letter will both be ساكن
thus the first base letter (the هاء
in our example) should be made مكسور (اهِدَّى)
but it is actually made مفتوح
and there will thus be no need for the initiating هزة.
The final product will be هَدَّى،
يَهِدِّيْ، هِدَّاء.
Notice the resemblance between this altered verb and the تفعيل
paradigm. ·
If the second base letter of the verb is one of the اطباق letters then
the تاء of افتعال may change to
match (e.g. اختصم becomes اخصصم which mixes to
become اخْصَّم).
Similar to the previous rule, the first base letter will be given a فتحة and the
initiating همزة will be
removed resulting in خَصَّم،
يخِصِّم، خِصَّام. ·
If the second base letter of the verb is a تاء
then the two may mix and what happened in the two previous rules will take
place here as well. So استتر,
for example, becomes سَتَّر. |
استفعال | ·
If the verb which is being considered is اجوف
(e.g. استقام)
then the gerund of this paradigm will be in a manner similar to that of the
gerund of افعال
(e.g. استقامة).
This تاء may not drop. |
انفعال | ·
If the first base letter of the word being considered is one of the
letters of يرملون
then the verb may not be inaugurated into this paradigm; rather the
connotation of this paradigm will have to be reflected by افتعال. |
افعلال،
افعيلال | ·
The verbs from these paradigms are either colours or bodily defects. |
