Roots and patterns
Almost every Arabic word is built from a root of three consonants poured into a pattern. The root ك ت ب carries the idea of writing; the pattern decides what kind of writing:
كَتَبَ he wrote, كَاتَبَ he corresponded with, أَكْتَبَ he dictated, اِكْتَتَبَ he subscribed.
The basic verb is form I. Nine more patterns are built on top of it, and eight of them are in daily use.
| Form | Past / present | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| II | فَعَّلَ / يُفَعِّلُ | دَرَّسَ / يُدَرِّسُ | to teach |
| III | فَاعَلَ / يُفَاعِلُ | شَارَكَ / يُشَارِكُ | to take part |
| IV | أَفْعَلَ / يُفْعِلُ | أَرْسَلَ / يُرْسِلُ | to send |
| V | تَفَعَّلَ / يَتَفَعَّلُ | تَعَلَّمَ / يَتَعَلَّمُ | to learn |
| VI | تَفَاعَلَ / يَتَفَاعَلُ | تَعَاوَنَ / يَتَعَاوَنُ | to cooperate |
| VII | اِنْفَعَلَ / يَنْفَعِلُ | اِنْكَسَرَ / يَنْكَسِرُ | to break, to get broken |
| VIII | اِفْتَعَلَ / يَفْتَعِلُ | اِجْتَمَعَ / يَجْتَمِعُ | to meet |
| X | اِسْتَفْعَلَ / يَسْتَفْعِلُ | اِسْتَخْدَمَ / يَسْتَخْدِمُ | to use |
اِنْتَقَلَ / يَنْتَقِلُ (to move house) belongs to form VIII, not VII: the ن there is the first letter of the root ن ق ل.
What the patterns mean
- II and IV make a verb causative. عَلِمَ he knew → عَلَّمَ he taught; خَرَجَ he went out → أَخْرَجَ he took out.
- III aims the action at somebody. كَتَبَ he wrote → كَاتَبَ he wrote to; عَمِلَ he worked → عَامَلَ he treated.
- V and VI are the reflexive of II and III. عَلَّمَ he taught → تَعَلَّمَ he taught himself, he learned; عَاوَنَ he helped → تَعَاوَنَ they helped each other.
- VII is intransitive or passive in sense. كَسَرَ he broke it → اِنْكَسَرَ it broke.
- VIII often turns the action back on the doer. جَمَعَ he gathered → اِجْتَمَعَ he gathered with others.
- X asks for or seeks something. خَدَمَ he served → اِسْتَخْدَمَ he put into service; عَلِمَ he knew → اِسْتَعْلَمَ he inquired.
One root through several forms: عَلِمَ to know, عَلَّمَ to teach, تَعَلَّمَ to learn, اِسْتَعْلَمَ to inquire.
Two spelling and sound details
The present prefix. Forms II, III and IV take a damma on the prefix: يُدَرِّسُ، يُشَارِكُ، يُرْسِلُ. Forms V to X take a fatha: يَتَعَلَّمُ، يَجْتَمِعُ، يَسْتَخْدِمُ.
The alif. Form IV has a real hamza that is always pronounced: أَرْسَلَ. The alif of VII, VIII and X is hamzat al-wasl, dropped after another word: وَاسْتَخْدَمَ (wa-stakhdama).
Watch out as an English speaker
- English adds words ("make someone learn"); Arabic changes the shape of the verb. ✓ عَلَّمَ is "to make know", nothing else needed.
- Do not give forms II-IV a fatha prefix. ✗ يَدَرِّسُ / ✓ يُدَرِّسُ.
- Do not look words up alphabetically. A dictionary lists اِسْتَخْدَمَ under خ د م.
- The form carries meaning: تَعَلَّمَ (learn) and عَلَّمَ (teach) are not interchangeable, though both come from ع ل م.
Example dialogue
مَاذَا تَدْرُسُ؟ — What are you studying?
أَتَعَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ، وَأُدَرِّسُ الْإِنْجِلِيزِيَّةَ. — I am learning Arabic, and I teach English.
هَلْ تَسْتَخْدِمُ كُتُبًا؟ — Do you use books?
نَعَمْ، وَأُشَارِكُ فِي مَجْمُوعَةٍ تَجْتَمِعُ كُلَّ أُسْبُوعٍ. — Yes, and I take part in a group that meets every week.
سَأُرْسِلُ لَكَ الْعُنْوَانَ. — I will send you the address.