Arabic: An Essential Grammar

has d
̇

ammah, but the middle radical has fat

̇

hah /a/, the basic pattern

being: ُي ْف َع ُل yuf



alu, e.g.

19.3 The passive forms of the derived verb forms (stems) II, III, IV,

VIII and X are conjugated regularly in the perfect and the imperfect

like the active verbs, except for the internal vowel changes mentioned

above, e.g.

Imperfect

Active Passive

َيـ ْكـ ُتـ ُب yaktubu, he writes ُيـ ْكـ َتـ ُب yuktabu, it is (being) written

َي ْشـ ُت ُم yasˇtumu, he insults ُي ْش َت ُم yusˇtamu, he is (being) insulted

perfect imperfect

active passive active passive

Form II ر َسََّد ّر َسَُد ّر ُسَر ُس ُي َدَُّي َد

darrasa durrisa yudarrisu yudarrasu

he taught he was taught he teaches he is taught

Form III َشا َه َد ُشو ِه َد ُي َشا َه ُد ُي َشا ِه ُد

sˇa ̄hada sˇu ̄hida yusˇa ̄hidu yusˇa ̄hadu

he saw he was seen he sees he is seen

Form IV ُأ ْر ِس َل َأ ْر َس َل ُي ْر َس ُل ُي ْر ِس ُل




arsala

ursila yursilu yursalu

he sent he was sent he sends he is sent

Form VIIIُأ ْن ُت ِخ َب ِإ ْن َت َخ َب ُي ْن َت َخ ُب َي ْن َت ِخ ُب




intah

̆

aba

untuh

̆

iba yantah

̆

ibu yuntah

̆

abu

he elected he was elected he elects he is elected

Form X ُأ ْس ُت ْق ِب َل ِإ ْس َت ْق َب َل ُي ْس َت ْق َب ُل َي ْس َت ْق ِب ُل




istaqbala

ustuqbila yastaqbilu yustaqbalu

he received he was received he receives he is received

Note: In the passive of the eighth and tenth forms, the initial vowel in modern Arabic is

commonly kasrah, e.g. ِإ ْن ُت ِخ َب and ِإ ْس ُت ْق ِب َل.

See the conjugations of the derived verb forms in Appendix 2.

129

Passive

verbs