The Verb in Arabic Language - فعل

A word that defines an action. 

It is attached to time(tense); past, present/future.

The Past Tense(فعل الماضي) shows an action done in the past.

eg. كَتَبَ - he wrote

The Present/Future Tense(فعل المضارع) shows an action being done in the present, or will be done or happening in the future.

eg. يَكْتُبُ - he is writing or he will write

A tip to remember or identify a فعل(verb) is that it can never have ال or تنوين

Before moving further with verbs, it is important to understand the word structure of a verb.

The Root Letters 

Almost 99% of Arabic words are made from three root letters. To understand, memorize, and identify verbs, you need to understand two most important concepts(or terminologies). 

1. Mada - مادَّةٌ; 

The root letters of any word is called مادَّةٌ 

eg.  ك ت ب (ka-taa-baa) is a Maada of three root letters

1. Arabic word forms أوزان (sing. wazan/وزن); 

Arabic word forms are the patterns, molds, or scales, whatever you want to call them, that are used to form more words from root letters.

eg. فَاعِلٌ is mold. It gives the meaning of the one who is doing an action.

Root letters and the molds have their own separate meanings, and when combined they give new meanings to the words. 

It means that from three root letters, by putting them into different molds, you can create many other words.

Putting root letters in molds to make verbs in Arabic language

(ka-taa-baa) ك ت ب is a Maada consisting of three root letters, meaning “to write”(lit. He wrote).

Most Arabic words are made from three root letter words, hence, the basic word pattern(wazan) is فَعَلَ. When these root letters sit on the basic فعل pattern, it becomes كَتَبَ, meaning he wrote.

The فَاعِلٌ Mold; The doer of an action

When we put three root letters ك ت ب in the فَاعِلٌ mold, it becomes كَاتِبٌ, “meaning the one who writes.”

The مَفْعُوْلٌ Mold; Something on which an action is done

Just as when we put the root letters ك ت ب in the مَفْعُوْلٌ mold, the whole meaning changes. It becomes مَكْتُوْبٌ, meaning “something that is written”.

I hope, for now, the concept of what a verb in Arabic language is and how different words are made in Arabic from root letters, using different molds.

Next, Inshallah we will study the tenses in Arabic and first, second, and third person. 

Jazakumullah khairan kaseeran!

Until next time.