LESSON TWENTYONE : Verb forms 1 and 2

[.: Anna :.]

There are ten forms of Arabic Verbs. This means that when you take the three root letters, you may be able to use them in some of the ten different patterns. (All ten patterns are unlikely to be available for one verb! :) )

These patterns are useful, as they are quite regular so if you see a form three verb for example, you will straight away know how to form its verbal noun (once you learnt ur verb forms that is )

Also it will help you to recognise words and be able to pick out their roots in order to look them up in the dictionary (many good arabic dictionaries are organised by root, such as Hans Weir) (I will give the pattern represented by the root fa 3ayn lam, then an example) (verbs are given in their 3rd person masc singular form)

For beginners it will be a bit confusing to cover all ten patterns in one lesson, so we will start with forms 1 and 2

FORM ONE

The most basic form of the verb. It is the only form were certain variations may occur (ie in middle vowel of the imperfect, and in verbal noun pattern)
EG (shariba) means to drink
شَرِبَ

Past tense (perfect) Fa3ala / Shariba
فَعَلَ
Present/future tense (imperfect) yaf3alu / yashrabu (form one is the only one were the middle vowel may vary, and must be learned for each verb)

يَفْعَلُ
يَشْرَبُ

Active participle faa3ilun / shaaribun

فاعِلٌ
شارِبٌ

Passive participle maf3oolun / mashroobun

مَفْعولٌ
مَشْروبٌ

Verbal noun There are a few varying patterns of verbal noun for form one, the appropriate one can be found in the dictionary or learnt together with the verb

FORM TWO

Is formed by placing a shadda on the middle root letter.
EG (darrasa) means to teach
Past tense (perfect) fa33ala / darrasa

فَعَّلَ
دَرَّسَ

Present/future tense (imperfect) yufa33ilu / yudarrisu

يُفَعِّلُ
يُدَرِّسُ

Active participle mufa33ilun / mudarrisun

مُفَعِّلٌ
مُدَرِّسٌ

Passive participle mufa33alun / mudarrasun

مُفَعَّلٌ
مُدَرَّسٌ

Verbal noun taf3eelun / tadreesun

تَفْعِيلٌ
تِدْرِيسٌ

[.: Anna :.]

If you did not understand what exactly an active particple is (for example) here are explanations :

Other words derived from verbs
Active Participle - The person who does the action of that verb. If the verb was "write" then the activer participle is "writer"

Passive participle - The thing that has had the action done to it. If the verb was "choose" then the passive participle is "chosen"

Verbal noun - this is a naming word that had its origin in a verb. Often it names a concept rather than a specific thing. An example of this is the word "smoking" in the sentence "Smoking is bad for you."

[.: Anna :.]

Exercises : (Please include the vowels, its VERY important in this kind of thing) If you cant type the vowels in Arabic. Type the word in arabic without, and write beneath in english letters how to pronounce with the vowels

1) The verb عَلَّمَ
is another verb for "teach" and it is a form two verb.
Use the pattern as shown above to fill in the following :

Present tense (for he)
Active participle
Passive participle
Verbal noun

2) The verb كَتَبَ
is a form one verb. Use the patterns shown above to give the following :
active participle:
Passive participle:

3) True or false :

Form 2 verbs sometimes have the sense of making an intransitive verb transative.
There are 8 Verb forms
Vowelling is very important in the different verb forms
Passive participle is the one who does the action

4) Try to write a sentence with..
a) a past tense form 2 verb
b) a present tense form 1 verb
c) an active participle
d) a passive participle
e) a verbal noun

If anything is not clear, or you want more exercises to consolidate or anything, PLEASE ASK :) I want people to understand this lesson properly, and if we have to do more work to achieve that, then I will make more work for you :)