Core
Recognise the pattern and understand the model verb in a sentence.
A
Why this matters
Learn the meaning before memorising the pattern.
Develop
Use two or three verbs from this family in accurate past and present sentences.
Your goal: Form IV often expresses causing, enabling or bringing about an action. Its verbs are common in messages, travel, work and formal communication.
1
Discover the pattern
Notice what changes and what stays connected to the root.
Root and pattern
Rootر-س-ل
Past patternأَفْعَلَ
Present patternيُفْعِلُ
A hamza prefix is added in the past: أَفْعَلَ. The common present is يُفْعِلُ. Notice that the past hamza is not retained as an extra أ after the present prefix.
| Past | Present | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أَرْسَلَ | يُرْسِلُ | to send |
Notice the relationship: خَرَجَ means to go out; أَخْرَجَ can mean to take or bring something out. This demonstrates a common causative relationship, but many Form IV meanings are lexical.
2
Learn the family
Read each pair aloud, then use the verbs in meaningful sentences.
| Past | Present | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أَدْخَلَ | يُدْخِلُ | to bring in or enter something |
| أَخْرَجَ | يُخْرِجُ | to take out |
| أَعْلَنَ | يُعْلِنُ | to announce |
أُرْسِلُ رِسَالَةً إِلَى صَدِيقِي.
I am sending a message to my friend.
أَدْخَلَتِ الْمُعَلِّمَةُ الطُّلَّابَ إِلَى الْفَصْلِ.
The teacher brought the students into the classroom.
أَعْلَنَ الْمُدِيرُ مَوْعِدَ الِاجْتِمَاعِ.
The headteacher announced the meeting time.
Look closely: أَرْسَلَ → يُرْسِلُ → أُرْسِلُ. The last form means “I send”: the initial أ is the first-person present prefix, not the past Form IV hamza.
3
Practise and apply
Move from recognising the pattern to using the language yourself.
Misconception clinic
Do not assume that every verb beginning with أ is Form IV. A present verb such as أَكْتُبُ is Form I, first person.
أَرْسَلَ / يُرْسِلُ / أُرْسِلُ
Distinguish the past derivational hamza from the present person prefix.
Quick pattern check
0/11. Which pair is a Form IV past and present?
The normal Form IV present is يُفْعِلُ.
Apply the form
Write a short message about organising a meeting. Explain what you sent, what the headteacher announced and what you will send tomorrow.
Success checklist: Use the correct verb form and person; check the past/present vowels; use a natural sentence and reread your Arabic.
Not yet marked complete.
Compare with a model response
Complete your own response first. This is one possible answer, not the only correct response.
أَرْسَلْتُ رِسَالَةً إِلَى صَدِيقِي أَمْسِ. وَأَعْلَنَ الْمُدِيرُ مَوْعِدَ الِاجْتِمَاعِ. سَأُرْسِلُ الْمَعْلُومَاتِ غَدًا.
I sent a message to my friend yesterday. The headteacher announced the meeting time. I will send the information tomorrow.
Stretch: explore a deeper connection
Compare خَرَجَ and أَخْرَجَ, then give an example of an intransitive verb becoming transitive through Form IV.
Use the optional morphology reference if you need a pattern reminder.
4
Final self-check
Try the questions without looking back. Your feedback explains the key feature.
Form IV · Self-check
0/31. Which pair is a Form IV past and present?
The normal Form IV present is يُفْعِلُ.
2. Which form means “I send”?
أُرْسِلُ uses the first-person present prefix.
3. Why is أَكْتُبُ not Form IV?
Identify the root, stem and person separately.
5
What you can now do
Review the essentials before moving to the next form.
Lesson mastery summary
- recognise Form IV and its characteristic pattern;
- understand and use the model verb in context;
- distinguish this family from a related form;
- check the accuracy of your own Arabic sentences.
Return in a few days and repeat the self-check. Learn the next form only when you are ready.