Arabic: An Essential Grammar

(a) Verbs withو /w/ or ي /y/ as initial and final radical: These verbs

obey both the rules for verbs with a weak initial radical as well as

the rules for verbs with a weak final radical, e.g.

The active participle is َوا ٍق wa ̄qin ‘protective, preservative’ and

is declined like َقا ٍض qa ̄d

̇

in ‘judge’. The verbal noun (mas

̇

dar)

is ِو َقا ٌء wiqa ̄

un or ِو َقا َي ٌة wiqa ̄yatun ‘protection, prevention’.

Note: Verb form VIII is very common for the above-mentioned verb,

being ت َقىَِّإ

ittaqa ̄ ‘to fear God’ (Quranic), for ِإ ْو َت َقى

iwtaqa ̄. The verbal

noun (mas

̇

dar) of form VIII of this verb is ت َقا ٌءَِّإ

ittiqa ̄

un.

(b) Verbs with wa ̄w (^) و /w/ and ya ̄


(^) ي /y/ as second and third radical,
respectively, are conjugated in the same way as verbs with a weak
final radical. The weak middle radical و /w/ or ي /y/ is fully
pronounced, e.g.
33.11 Weak verbs with hamzah
Verbs with a weak middle radical و... /w/ or ...ـيـ... /y/ and final hamzah
are very common, e.g.
Perfect Imperfect Imperative
Ind. Subj. Juss. Singular Plural
Masc. Fem. Masc. Fem.
ِقي َن ُقوا ِقي ِق َي ِق َي ِق َي َي ِقي َو َقى
waqa ̄ yaqı

• yaqiya yaqi qi! qı
  
  
  • !qu ̄!qı
    
    
    • na!
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

to protect,

prevent

Perfect Imperfect

َش َوى sˇawa ̄, to grill, barbecue (for: َش َو َي sˇawaya) َي ْش ِوي yasˇwı

(conjugated like v. َر َمى rama ̄, to throw َي ْر ِمي yarmı

• )

َق ِو َي qawiya, to be strong َي ْق َوى yaqwa ̄

(conjugated like v. َن ِس َي nasiya, to forget َي ْن َسى yansa ̄)

250

Verbs with

a weak final

radical,

doubly

weak verbs