Arabic: An Essential Grammar

Note: The above words َغ ًدا and َضا ِح ًكا are in the accusative case, because they

function as adverbs (see chapter 38).

23.3 In the case of a habitual action or something which happens

regularly, the imperfect tense should replace the active participle as

follows:

23.4 Passive participle

The passive participle, ِإ ْس ُم  ْلـ َم ْف ُعو ِل , is a deverbal adjective or noun

which indicates (the result or effect of) a completed action. In English

it corresponds to the past participle. The passive participle of the tri-

literal verb (form I) is formed according to the pattern of َمـ ْف ُعو ٌل

maf



u ̄lun, e.g.

َخ َر َج َضا ِح ًكا َي ْض َحك^ )َو ُه َو (^ َخ َر َج^

h

̆

arag ̆a d

̇

a ̄h

̇

ikan. h

̆

arag ̆a (wa-huwa) yad

̇

h

̇

aku.

He went out laughing. He went out (while) laughing.

He was laughing as he went out.

With the active participle With the imperfect (a habitual action)

َأْلـ َحا ِر ُس َجاِلـ ٌس ُه َنا ُه َناَأْلـ َحا ِر ُس َي ْجِلـ ُس ) َدا ِئ ً ما(




al-h

̇

a ̄risu g ̆a ̄lisun huna ̄.

al-h

̇

a ̄risu yag ̆lisu (da ̄

iman) huna ̄.

The guard is sitting here. The guard (always) sits here.

َأْل َعا ِم ُل َذا ِه ٌب ِإَ لى َع َمِل ِهص َبا ِحَّ َي ْذ َه ُب ْل َعا ِم ُل ِإَ لى َع َمِل ِه ِفي ل




al-



a ̄milu d

̄

a ̄hibun

ila ̄



amali-hi.

yad

̄

habu l-



a ̄milu

ila ̄



amali-hi fı

• s
  ̇

-s

̇

aba ̄h

̇

i.

The worker is going (or: is

on his way) to (his) work.

The worker (always) goes to (his) work

in the morning.

َأ َ نا َرا ِك ٌب ِح َصا ًنا َي ْو ٍم ل ََّأ ْر َك ُب ِح َصا ً نا ُك




ana ̄ ra ̄kibun h

̇

is

̇

a ̄nan.

arkabu h

̇

is

̇

a ̄nan kulla yawmin.

I am riding a horse

(just now).

I ride a horse every day.

َمك ُتو ٌب written, a letter َم ْق ُتو ٌل (is) killed, murdered

161

Participles,

verbal

nouns,

nouns of

place, time,

instrument