Arabic: An Essential Grammar

18.15 The meanings of the ten verb forms I–X

The basic meanings of the ten verb forms I–X are outlined below with

some examples. Observe that many derived verb forms can have

several different meanings and that some verbs have quite idiomatic or

specialized meanings in some of their derived verb forms. Therefore it

is recommended that the student learn the specific meaning of each

derived verb form of each verb separately, rather than relying upon the

general rules given below.

perfect

I II III IV V

َف َع َل ع َلََّف َفا َع َل َأ ْف َع َل ع َلََّت َف

fa



ala fa



ala fa ̄



ala

af



ala tafa



ala

imperfect

ّع ُل َي ْف َع ُلَُي َف ُي َفا ِع ُل ُي ْف ِع ُل ع ُلََّي َت َف

yaf



alu yufa



ilu yufa ̄



ilu yuf



ilu yatafa



alu

perfect

VI VII VIII IX X

ِإ ْن َف َع َل َت َفا َع َل ِإ ْف َت َع َل لَّ ِإ ْف َع ِإ ْس َت ْف َع َل

tafa ̄



ala

infa



ala

ifta



ala

if



alla

istaf



ala

imperfect

َي ْن َف ِع ُل َي َت َفا َع ُل َي ْف َت ِع ُل لُّ َي ْف َع َيس َت ْف ِع ُل

yatafa ̄



alu yanfa



ilu yafta



ilu yaf



allu yastaf



ilu

Form I

The basic form (I) can be transitive or intransitive.

Iَك َت َب kataba (transitive) imperf. َيـ ْكـ ُت ُب yaktubu

to write

Iَجَل َس g ̆alasa (intransitive) imperf. َي ْجِل ُس yag ̆lisu

118 to sit

Derived

verb forms,

transitive

and

intransitive

verbs