Arabic verb forms and meanings
Form 1
Form 2 fa33al فعَّل
| Meaning – Usage and Relationship | Form 2 فعَّل | ||
| He brought down نَزَّلَ | He got down نَزَلَ | * Causative. نَزَلْتُ مِنَ الّسّيّارةِ I got down from the car, ثُمَّ نَزًّلْتُ الطِّفلَ then I took down the child. Intransitive to Transitive | |
| He taught درَّسَ | He studied دَرَسَ | * Transitive to double transitive دَرَستُ اللغةَ العربِيَّة. I studied Arabic. .دَرَّتُك اللغةَ العربِيَّة I taught you Arabic. | |
| He massacred قَتَّلَ | He killed\ قَتَل | * Strengthening of meaning. * Intensive – an action done on large scale or Repeatedly قَتَل الْمُجْرِمُ رُجلاً The criminal killed a man. قَتَّلَ الْمُجْرِمُ أَهْلَ القَرِيَةِ The criminal massacred the people of the village. | |
Form 3 faa3al فَاعَلَ
| Meaning – Usage and Relationship | Form 3 فَاعَلَ | ||
| To correspond كاَتَبَ | To write كَتَبَ | * Collective action. Where two or more people join together. |
Form 4 Af3al أفعل
| Meaning – Usage and Relationship | Form 4 أفعل | ||
| He seated أَجْلسَ | He sat جَلَسَ | * Intransitive to transitive جَلَستُ فِي الصَّفِّ الأَوَّ‘ I sat in the first row وأَجْلسْتُ الطِّفلَ بِجانِبِي and I seated the child by my side. | |
| He made someone to listen أسْمَعَ | He listened سَمِعَ | * Transitive to double transitive سَمعَ المدرّسُ القرآنَ The teacher listened to the Qur’an. أَسْمَعَ الطُّلابُ المدرَّ القرآنَ | |
Form 5 tafa33al تَفَعَّلَ
| * Reflexive of form 2. Transitive to intransitive also impersonal. | Form 5تَفَعَّلَ | ||
| He learned تَعَلَّمَ | He taught عَلَّمَ | عَلَّمَنِي بِلالٌ السّباحَةَ Bilal taught me swimming. تعلَّمْتُ السّباحةَ I learned swimming. |
Form 6 tafaa3al تَفا عَل
| Meaning – Usage and Relationship | Form 6 تَفا عَل | ||
| To ask one another تَسَاءَلَ | * Reflexive of form 3. A group action, عَمَّ يَتَسَاء لُونَ About what are they asking one another? | ||
| He slept نَامَ | تَنَاوَمَ الجاسُوسُ وَسَمِعَ كَلاَمَ النَّاسِ The spy pretended to be asleep and he heard the talk of the people. |
Form 7 infa3al اِنْفَعَل
| Meaning – Usage and Relationship | Form 7 اِنْفَعَل | ||
| To get broken | To break كَسَرَ | * Passive of form 1. Transitive to intransitive كَسَرتُ الكُوبَ I broke the tumbler. اِنكَسَرَ الكوبُ The tumbler broke. | |
Form 8 ifta3al
| Meaning – Usage and Relationship | Form 8 اِفْتِعَلَ | ||
| To assemble اِجْتَمَعَ | To gather جَمَعَ | * Transitive and intransitive | |
Form 9 if3all اِفْعلَّ
| Meaning – Usage and Relationship | Form 9 اِفْعلَّ | ||
| To become red اِحْمَرَّ | * Indicating colors and defects | ||
Form 10 istaf3al سْتَفْعَلَ
| Form 10 اِسْتَفْعَلَ | |||
| Asked for help اِسْتَنْصَرَ | Helped نَصَرَ | * Seeking/asking | |
| Regarded good or beautiful اِسْتحْسَنَ | Was good or beautiful حَسُنَ | * Regarding/judging |