Arabic learning resources home vocabulary grammar faq about links
The Arabic verb forms
Most Arabic words are derived from a three-letter (trilateral) root. And each trilateral Arabic root can theoretically be transformed into
one of fifteen possible verb forms (األوزان, al-awzaan). (Forms 11 through 15 are very rare, so people usually just focus on forms 1
through 10, although 9 is also pretty rare). Each form has a basic meaning associated with the general meaning of the root being used.
Here's a more detailed breakdown, using ( فعلfa3ala, to do) as an example. (This is all taken from old handouts I got at the AUC, so it's
not my original work.)
Form 1 - ( فعلfa3ala)
Expresses the general verbal meaning of the root in question
Root Form 1 verb
( خ ر جx-r-j) - leaving, departing ( خرجxaraja) - to leave, go out
( ج م عj-m-3) - joining, uniting ( جمعjama3a) - to gather, collect
( ع م ل3-m-l) - doing, making ( عمل3amala) - to work, to do, to make
قطع (q-T-3) - cutting ( قطعqaTa3a) - to cut, cut off
( ب ع دb-3-d) - separating, distance ( بعدba3ada) - to be far from
Form 2 - ( فّعلfa33ala)
Built on form 1 by doubling the middle radical of the form 1 verb (adding a shadda to it)
Often is a causative version of the form 1 verb
( خرجxaraja) means "to go out"; ( خّر جxarraja) means "to make (s.o.) go out; to graduate (s.o.)"
Often an intensive version of the form 1 verb (especially if the form 1 verb is transitive)
( جمعjama3a) means "to collect, gather"; ( جّمعjamma3a) means "to amass, to accummulate"
Form 3 - ( فاعلfaa3ala)
Built on form 1 by adding an alif between the first and second radicals of the form 1 verb
Usually gives an associative meaning to the form 1 verb; describes someone doing the act in question to or with someone else
( عامل3amala) means "to work"; ( عمل3aamala) means "to treat or deal with (s.o.)"
Form 4 - ( أفعلaf3ala)
Built on form 1 by prefixing an alif to the form 1 verb and putting a sukuun over the first radical
Similar to form 2 in that it is usually a causative version of the form 1 verb
( خرجxaraja) means "to go out"; ( خّر جxarraja) means "to graduate (s.o.)"; ( أخرجaxraja) means "to expel, to evict; to
produce"
Form 5 - ( تفّعلtafa33ala)
Built on form 2 by adding the prefix تـto the form 2 verb
Often a reflexive version of the form 2 verb
( خّر جxarraja) means "to graduate (s.o.)"; ( تخرجtaxarraja) means "to graduate" (Note: form 5 is usually intransitive)
Sometimes an intensive version of a form 1 verb
( جمعjama3a) means "to collect, gather"; ( تجّمعtajamma3a) means "to congregate, to flock together"
Form 6 - ( تفاعلtafaa3ala)
Built on form 3 by adding the prefix تـto the form 3 verb
Usually a reflexive version of the form 3 verb
(; تعامل3aamala) means "to treat or deal with (s.o.)" ( عاملta3aamala) means "to deal with each other" (Form 6 is usually
intransitive)
Form 7 - ( انفعلinfa3ala)
Built on form 1 by adding the prefix انـto the form 1 verb
Usually a reflexive and/or passive version of the form 1 verb
( قطعqaTa3a) means "to cut, to cut off"; ( انقطعinqaTa3a) means "to be cut off (from); to abstain (from)"
Form 8 - ( افتعلifta3ala)
Built on form 1 by adding the prefix اto the form 1 verb and placing a sukuun must be placed over its first radical
Often a reflexive version of the form 1 verb
( جمعjama3a) means "to collect, gather"; ( اجتمعijtama3a) means "to meet; to agree (on)"
Sometimes has a specially derived meaning relative to a form 1 verb
( بعدba3ada) means "to be far away"; ( ابتعدibta3ada) means "to avoid"
Form 9 - ( افعّلif3alla)
Built on form 1 by adding the prefix اto the form 1 verb, placing a sukuun over its first radical, and adding a shadda to the last radical
Relates to colors
( ح م رH-m-r) relates to "redness"; ( احمّرiHmarra) means "to become or turn red"
Form 10 - ( استفعلistaf3ala)
Built on form 1 by adding the prefix استـto the form 1 verb and inserting a تbetween the first and second radicals; a sukuun must be
placed over the first radical
Often a considerative version of the form 1 verb; means "to consider or to deem someone to have the quality" of the form 1 verb in
question
( بعدba3ada) means "to be far away"; ( استبعدistab3ada) means "to consider s.o. or s.t. remote or unlikely"
Often a requestive version of a form 1 verb; means "to request or to seek something" for oneself
( استعمل3amala) means "to make; to do"; ( عملista3mala) means "to use, to put into operation" (that is, to seek to make
something work for oneself)
And here's a table of all the verb forms, including their perfect and imperfect conjugations (والمضارع )الماضي, active and passive
participles (المفعول )اسم الفاعل واسم, and verbal nouns ()المصدر. Because they're all regular and predictable (with the exception of form 1
- the second vowel in the imperfect and perfect conjugations, and the verbal noun), if you just memorize them, you'll know them for
almost every verb there is. So if you're learning Arabic, I suggest you memorize all the verb forms along with their associated meanings
as soon as you can; it'll really come in handy.
المصدر اسم المفعول اسم الفاعل المضارع الماضي
؟ َم ْفُعول فاِع ل َيْفعُل َفعَل 1
َتْفِعيل ُم َفَّعل ُم َفِّعل ُيَفِّع ُل َفَّع َل 2
ِفعالor ُمفاَع َلة ُمفاَع ل ُمفاِع ل ُيفاِع ُل فاَع َل 3
إْفعال ُم ْفَع ل ُم ْفِعل ُيْفِع ُل أْفَع َل 4
َتَفُّعل ُم َتَفَّعل ُم َتَفِّعل َيَتَفَّع ُل َتَفَّع َل 5
َتفاُع ل ُم َتفاَع ل ُم َتفاِع ل َيَتفاَع ُل َتفاَع َل 6
ِاْنِفعال ُم ْنَفَع ل ُم ْنَفِعل َيْنَفِع ُل ِاْنَفَع َل 7
ِاْفِتعال ُم ْفَتَع ل ُم ْفَتِعل َيْفَتِع ُل ِاْفَتَع َل 8
ِاْفِعالل - ُم ْفَع ّل َيْفَع ُّل ِاْفَع َّل 9
ِاْس ِتْفعال ُمْس َتْفَع ل ُمْس َتْفِعل َيْس َتْفِع ُل ِاْس َتْفَع َل 10
← Main grammar page
Verb conjugations →
Contact
