Get Started

Join Our
Online Arabic Classes

How
to Learn Arabic

A
Bit of History

Reading & Writing

Alphabet for
Beginners

Arabic
Alphabet

Writing
Hamza

Cluster
Reduction

Verbs

Intro
to Arabic Morphology

Verb
Conjugation

Derived
Nouns

Verb
Paradigms

Hamza
Verbs

Assimilated
Verbs

Hollow
Verbs

Deficient
Verbs

Duplicated
Verbs

Highly
Deficient Verbs

Paradigm
Meanings

Summary

Greater
Etymology

Grammar

Intro
to Arabic Grammar

Arabic
Words

Arabic
Phrases

Arabic
Sentences

The Heart
of Arabic Grammar

Arabic
Inflection

Arabic
Reflection

Diptotes

Nominal
Sentences

Verbal
Sentences

Arabic
Adverbs

Circumstantial
Adverb

Exclusion

Disambiguation

Genitival
States

Summary

Sentence
Parsing

Grammar Subtopics

Definiteness

Gender

Plurality

Broken
Plurals

Arabic
Numbers

Patterns
Reference

Types of
Maa

Vocabulary

Translator

Numbers

Time

Directions

Fruits

Body
Parts

Structures

Travel
Vocabulary

Common
Verbs

Practice
Verbs

Classical Logic

Introduction
to Classical Logic

Indication

Simple
Indication

Indicated
Concept

Definitions

Compound
Indication

Modern
Logic

Indicated
Assent

Proofs

Logic
Reference

Proof
by Contradiction

Mathematical
Induction

Rhetoric

Inspiring
Videos

Eloquence

Predication

Classical
Poetry

Verbal Paradigms

What is this Tutorial About?

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 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

Intransitive

Transitive

Intransitive

Transitive

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.

Tweet

All tutorials on this website are authored by Shariah Program
graduate Mohtanick Jamil
© 2003-2011 Shariah Program All Rights
Reserved.

Support | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Service