Arabic the categories of Verb
أَقْسَام الْفِعْلِ
وَالْفِعْلُ يَنْقَسِمُ إِلَى ثَلاَثَةِ أَقْسَامٍ: مَاضٍ، نَحْوُ: “كَتَبَ”، وَمُضَارِعٍ، نَحْوُ: “يَكْتُبُ”، وَأَمْرٍ، نَحْوُ: “اُكْتُبْ”
The الْفِعْل is divided into three categories:
- مَاضٍ (past, perfect), like: “كَتَبَ” (wrote)
- مُضَارِع (present or future, imperfect), like: “يَكْتُبُ” (write, will write)
- أَمْر (command, imperative), like: “اُكْتُبْ” (Write!)
Explanation:
You have learnt previously that all the الْكَلِمَات are limited to three types: فِعْل (verb), اسْم (noun) and حَرْف (particle), and we explained to you that every word denoting the occurrence of an action in a particular time is called a “فِعْل”.
Moreover, the الْفِعْل is divided into three categories: مَاضٍ (past, perfect), مُضَارِع (present or future, imperfect) and أَمْر (command, imperative).
The الْمَاضِيْ is that which denotes the occurrence of an action in a time that has elapsed (i.e. the past tense), like: “كَتَبَ” (wrote), “دَحْرَجَ” (rolled), “اِنْطَلَقَ” (went), and “اسْتَخْرَجَ” (extracted).
The الْمُضَارِع is that which denotes the occurrence of an action in the present tense (الْحَال) or future tense (الاسْتِقْبَال), like: “يَكْتُبُ” (write, will write), “يُدَحْرِجُ” (roll, will roll), “يَنْطَلِقُ” (go, will go) and “يَسْتَخْرِجُ” (extract, will extract). Furthermore, it is necessary for the الْمُضَارِع to have one of the following four letters prefixed to it:
- أَلِف [first person singular, e.g. “أَكْتُبُ” (I write or will write)],
- نُوْن [first person dual or plural, e.g. “نَكْتُبُ” (We write or will write)],
- يَاء [third person masculine and third person feminine plural, e.g. “يَكْتُبُ” {he writes, will write} , “يَكْتُبَانِ” {they (masc. dual) write or will write}, “يَكْتُبُوْنَ” {they (masc. pl.) write or will write} and “يَكْتُبْنَ” {they (fem. pl.) write or will write}] or
- تَاء [second person and third person feminine singular and dual, e.g. “تَكْتُبُ” {you (masc. sing.) or she write(s) or will write}, “تَكْتُبِيْنَ” {you (fem. sing.) write will write}, “تَكْتُبَانِ” {you (masc. dual) or they fem. dual write or will write}, “تَكْتُبُوْنَ” {you (masc. pl.) write or will write}, “تَكْتُبْنَ” (you (fem. pl.) write or will write}] .
The الأَمْر is that through which an action is requested, like: “اُكْتُبْ” [Write! (which is a request for writing)], “دَحْرِجْ” [Roll! (which is a request for rolling s.th.)], “اِنْطَلِقْ” [Go! (which is a request for going)] and “اِسْتَخْرِجْ” [Extract!(which is a request for extracting)].