lesson 8 - Arabic Gems
Lesson 8: Verbs Most Arabic verbs are derived from 3 root letters. (some may derive from a 4+ letter root, but generally it is 3) The root letters of a word indicate its basic meaning. All words derived from the same root letters will share an element of this meaning. For example: Word patterns We have 3 categories in which a verb may fit into: 1. He did the action (ie he wrote, he drank, he sat) 2. The one who does the action (ie: a writer, a drinker) 3. Something that the action is done upon If we look at each category, we can see a pattern in how each word is formulated by numbering each root letter R1, R2 & R3 in order of sequence, and naming inserted extra letters: Formula / pattern R1 He did the action R2 R3 He wrote He drank The one who does the action Something the action is done upon A drinker R1-fatha Alif R2 kessrah A writer م Something that is drunk (adj) A drink (noun) Something that is written (adj) A letter (noun) R1- sukoon R2 - dummah Arabic Gems Lesson 8 page 1 By knowing the formulas for each category, you can predict the meaning of new words you may come across if you know the meaning of the root letters. It is easier to learn the formula, than to memorise all the vocab in each form – know the roots letter meaning & formulas to apply them to. Easy formula /word pattern Learning the above mentioned formulas is quite long-winded, and so grammarians have taken 3 random Arabic letters to represent the first, second and third root letters of a word (instead of R1, R2 and R3). These letters say a made-up or meaningless word This word can be used to check off root letters to give the meaning of the one who performs the action of the verb (such as runner, drinker, writer, watcher etc). The one who performs the action of the verb is the subject and is known as the active participle and is always َم ْرفُوع Verb tenses Verbs are “doing” words actions In English, we have 3 tenses, the past, the present and he future. In Arabic, there are also 3 tenses, however they work somewhat differently to how we find in the English language. Arabic Gems Lesson 8 page 2 The past is expressed in Arabic as the “perfect tense” It is perfect because it indicates a completed action or state. In English these words would be translated in the past tense. The present and the future are expressed in Arabic as the “imperfect tense” It is imperfect because it refers to something not yet happened. The way to determine whether a verb is present or future would be to look at the context, because the word itself will be exactly the same. The 3rd tenses is “imperative (command) tense” Generally, a command is given for something not yet done, so this tense applies more so to the future, however can occur in the present. Verb conjugations Verb conjugations are small variations / changes in words that allow you to alter the “who” is the actioner of the vern ie: he/she/they ate. In English, we would simply put the appropriate pronoun in front of the verb. However in Arabic, this is not so. Instead, it is shown by changing the vowels, or adding something to the end or the beginning of the word. You do not actually use an independent separate pronoun. When in the perfect (past) tense, we can use the verb َ( فَ َع َلmeaning to do / he did) as our pattern to conjugate any verb, altering the suffix to reflect who is being addressed accordingly – Ppl you are talking about / absent He/she/they Ppl you are talking to you Self I /we Nothing added وا َت ََن َ َت َتُم َت َ ُت ن ُ َت نَا Note: The vowel on the 2nd root letter of verbs from the pattern َف َع َلcan be either fathah, dammah or kessrah in both the perfect and imperfect tenses. Arabic Gems Lesson 8 page 3 Examples: ََكتَبَ َن َكتَبَنَا ُ ََكتَب َت ب َ َك َت َ ََكتَب َت We wrote I wrote He wrote You (ms) wrote They (fp) wrote Notes: Verbal Nouns A noun which indicates the action of performing the verb. For example in English we find the words ending with the “ing” suffix, such as (the act of): eating, sleeping ,walking etc There are no pattern for verbal nouns derived from َف َع َلverbs. Must learn each verbal noun along with its verb. For example: َرفعraising َ تَبَعfollowing Arabic Gems Lesson 8 page 4 Subject of the Verb The person or thing doing the action of the verb, is called the subject of the verb in English, and ِ َ فin Arabic. اع ٌل The subject can manifest in 2 ways: 1 2 Conjugated within the verb : ie: Mentioned separately from the verb: َ ََ َكتَب َت ie: (you wrote) َب الر ُج ُل ََ ََكت (the man wrote) Tip: When have a verbal sentence, look for the subject in the sentence. If cannot explicitly see the subject (ie man) then you know the subject is conjugated within the verb Object of the Verb The object of the verb, one). is the noun upon which the action is being done to (if there is There are 3 possible manifestations of an object with a verb1. ِ ٌٌمتَ َعد ُ – فعلtransitive: meaning it takes a direct object Ie: The man carried the book He carried it? 2. ٌ – فِ ْعلٌال ِزمIntransitive: this can take on 2 different forms: 1)-can only take an object via a preposition: *the verb ع ََ َر َجis conjugated (see “verb The Muslim returned to the masjid conjugations), so literally would translate as “he returned, the Muslim to the masjid”. Which obviously does not make sense Arabic Gems Lesson 8 page 5 2)- does not need an object to complete its meaning: The mother sat *the verb Jalasat is conjugated (see “verb conjugations”) so would literally translate as “she sat, the mother” Structure of a verbal sentence Verbal sentences usually (although not always) begin with the verb. Verb The first part is a word that describes an action. This word is called "Verb" in English language and ٌ فِ ْعلin Arabic. In English language the verb can be a single word or combination of two or more words but in Arabic verb is always a single word. When comes before subject (following rule), the verb should be singular even if subject is plural, however must agree with subject in gender.* Subject object The second part of a verbal sentence is the person or the thing doing the action described by the verb. The third part of a verbal sentence is the thing on which the action has been done. (if there is one) This person or the thing is called This thing is called the Object in English. Subject of the verb in English and فَا ِع ٌل in Arabic. The subject always takes nominative case َم ْرفُوع The object is always take Accusative case صوب ُ َم ْن. *although the general rule is verb-subject-object order, sometimes the subject comes first – in this case then the verb must agree in number and gender) Recognise: The rule is that a verbal sentence should be constructed in order of Verb-subject-object. However, this order is changed a lot in the Qur’an, for a specific rhetorical purpose. If there is no purpose, then this order must be adhered to. Often in the Qur’an and early Arabic in general, you will find a feminine subject preceded by a masculine verb. Arabic Gems Lesson 8 page 6 Lesson 8: Quick revision summary Verbal sentence structure usually (not always) starts with the verb: Verb subject object When verb comes before subject (following rule), it should be singular even if subject is plural, however must agree with subject in gender. However if the subject comes first then the verb must agree in number and gender) Subject:The one who performs the action of the verb and is known as the active participle Is always َم ْرفُوع Can manifest either: Implied within the verb : ie: َ ََ َكتَب َت (you wrote) Mentioned separately from the verb: OR ie: َب الر ُج ُل ََ ََكت (the man wrote) Object: that which the action of the verb is done upon (if there is one) Always صوب ُ َم ْن . Conjugations: Nothing added He did وا They did َت ََن She did They did َ َت تُ َم You did You did َت َتُن You did You did ُ َت نَا. I did we did Arabic Gems Lesson 8 page 7
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