Form I vowels
Learn كَتَبَ / يَكْتُبُ، فَهِمَ / يَفْهَمُ، جَلَسَ / يَجْلِسُ as complete pairs. Form I maṣdars are often lexical.
A
How to use this reference
A reference for comparing patterns, not a list to memorise in one sitting.
Use this page after studying individual forms. It brings together regular sound-root models, common verbal-noun patterns and participles. The tables are a guide to recognition and analysis; actual verb meanings and irregular forms must still be learned from reliable vocabulary entries.
Scope: These are the ten commonly taught numbered families of triliteral verbs. Arabic also has quadriliteral verbs, weak-root changes and other patterns. A root need not occur in every family, and a theoretically possible form is not necessarily a word in normal use.
1
The ten patterns
Read each past/present pair alongside a real example.
| Form | Past pattern | Present pattern | Example pair |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | فَعَلَ | يَفْعُلُ | كَتَبَ / يَكْتُبُ |
| II | فَعَّلَ | يُفَعِّلُ | عَلَّمَ / يُعَلِّمُ |
| III | فَاعَلَ | يُفَاعِلُ | شَارَكَ / يُشَارِكُ |
| IV | أَفْعَلَ | يُفْعِلُ | أَرْسَلَ / يُرْسِلُ |
| V | تَفَعَّلَ | يَتَفَعَّلُ | تَعَلَّمَ / يَتَعَلَّمُ |
| VI | تَفَاعَلَ | يَتَفَاعَلُ | تَعَاوَنَ / يَتَعَاوَنُ |
| VII | اِنْفَعَلَ | يَنْفَعِلُ | اِنْكَسَرَ / يَنْكَسِرُ |
| VIII | اِفْتَعَلَ | يَفْتَعِلُ | اِكْتَسَبَ / يَكْتَسِبُ |
| IX | اِفْعَلَّ | يَفْعَلُّ | اِحْمَرَّ / يَحْمَرُّ |
| X | اِسْتَفْعَلَ | يَسْتَفْعِلُ | اِسْتَعْمَلَ / يَسْتَعْمِلُ |
Form I: The displayed يَفْعُلُ is one common present pattern. Other families include يَفْعِلُ and يَفْعَلُ. Learn each verb’s past–present pair; do not infer it from the past spelling alone.
2
Verbal nouns and participles
See how a verb can be related to an action noun, a doer or an affected thing.
A verbal noun (maṣdar) names an action or process. An active participle can identify a doer or describe a state. A passive participle can describe something affected by an action. These are morphological categories, not guaranteed English translations.
| Form | Common verbal noun pattern | Active participle pattern | Passive participle pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Varies; learn individually | فَاعِلٌ | مَفْعُولٌ |
| II | تَفْعِيلٌ | مُفَعِّلٌ | مُفَعَّلٌ |
| III | مُفَاعَلَةٌ / فِعَالٌ | مُفَاعِلٌ | مُفَاعَلٌ |
| IV | إِفْعَالٌ | مُفْعِلٌ | مُفْعَلٌ |
| V | تَفَعُّلٌ | مُتَفَعِّلٌ | مُتَفَعَّلٌ |
| VI | تَفَاعُلٌ | مُتَفَاعِلٌ | Not normally used with intransitive models |
| VII | اِنْفِعَالٌ | مُنْفَعِلٌ | Not normally used with intransitive models |
| VIII | اِفْتِعَالٌ | مُفْتَعِلٌ | مُفْتَعَلٌ |
| IX | اِفْعِلَالٌ | مُفْعَلٌّ | Not normally used |
| X | اِسْتِفْعَالٌ | مُسْتَفْعِلٌ | مُسْتَفْعَلٌ |
Use, not just shape: Passive participles are not equally natural or common for every verb. Intransitive verbs often have no ordinary passive participle. Some apparent active/passive forms coincide after weak-root changes. Always check the actual lexical entry before using a derived noun.
| Verb | Verbal noun | Active participle | Passive participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| كَتَبَ | كِتَابَةٌ | كَاتِبٌ | مَكْتُوبٌ |
| عَلَّمَ | تَعْلِيمٌ | مُعَلِّمٌ | مُعَلَّمٌ |
| شَارَكَ | مُشَارَكَةٌ | مُشَارِكٌ | — |
| أَرْسَلَ | إِرْسَالٌ | مُرْسِلٌ | مُرْسَلٌ |
| تَعَلَّمَ | تَعَلُّمٌ | مُتَعَلِّمٌ | — |
| تَعَاوَنَ | تَعَاوُنٌ | مُتَعَاوِنٌ | — |
| اِنْكَسَرَ | اِنْكِسَارٌ | مُنْكَسِرٌ | — |
| اِكْتَسَبَ | اِكْتِسَابٌ | مُكْتَسِبٌ | مُكْتَسَبٌ |
| اِحْمَرَّ | اِحْمِرَارٌ | مُحْمَرٌّ | — |
| اِسْتَعْمَلَ | اِسْتِعْمَالٌ | مُسْتَعْمِلٌ | مُسْتَعْمَلٌ |
A dash means that an ordinary passive participle is not supplied for this model; it does not assert that no related form can exist in any context.
3
Important exceptions and distinctions
Regular patterns are a starting point, not a substitute for lexical knowledge.
Weak and hamzated roots
Hollow, final-weak and hamzated verbs may contract or change spelling. Compare قَالَ / يَقُولُ، اِخْتَارَ / يَخْتَارُ.
Form VIII assimilation
The inserted ت can assimilate or change near certain root consonants. The root and lexical pair explain surface forms such as اِتَّصَلَ / يَتَّصِلُ.
Form VII and passive
اِنْكَسَرَ الْكَأْسُ. is Form VII. كُسِرَ الْكَأْسُ. is the grammatical passive of Form I. They are not the same construction.
Imperatives: The imperative is derived from the appropriate present stem, with root-specific changes. Examples include اُكْتُبْ، عَلِّمْ، شَارِكْ، أَرْسِلْ، تَعَلَّمْ، تَعَاوَنْ، اِنْصَرِفْ، اِكْتَسِبْ، اِسْتَعْمِلْ. Form IX imperatives are not part of the ordinary core reference.
For full tense, person, passive-voice and participle teaching, return to the existing Verbs collection. This reference does not replace those lessons.
4
Reference self-check
Use the tables to repair any uncertainties, then retry.
Morphology reference · Self-check
0/31. Which family normally has the pattern تَفَعَّلَ?
Form V adds ت and doubles the middle radical.
2. Which family commonly uses the verbal noun pattern اِسْتِفْعَالٌ?
This is a common Form X verbal-noun pattern.
3. Which statement is correct?
Morphology helps recognition, but lexical usage and verb transitivity matter.
5
Your next step
Use the reference selectively
- recognise the characteristic past and present patterns;
- distinguish verbal nouns, active participles and passive participles;
- allow for weak roots, assimilation and lexical exceptions;
- return to an individual form whenever a pattern needs more practice.