Irregular "Weak" Verbs(الأفعا ل املعتلّ )
It has been established that the long vowels ا و ي are also called weak vowels because they can become assimilated by the letters around them. Weak vowels can be parts of a root, and when they do the verb will conjugate ever so slightly differently. It is not complicated, but here is an explanation of the changes with examples.
Weak vowel as the 1st letter of the root (usually a waaw): the verb drops the first letter when conjugated.
Example is the verb وَصَلَ meaning "to arrive". The root is و ص ل
وَصَلَ
Singular
Dual
Plural
Weak vowel as the 2nd letter of the root is called a Hollow Verb. The weak vowel will either be a waaw و or a yaa ي and for the present tense, the verb is only different in the 2nd and 3rd person feminine plural. In these cases, highlighted in orange, it gets dropped.
Example is the verb زارَ meaning "to visit". In the past tense, the weak verb in a hollow verb appears as alif ا. Because verbs are presented in the sing. masc. past tense the root of this verb appears to be ز-ا-ر but the root is actually ز و ر.
زارَ
Singular
Dual
Plural
Weak vowel as the 3rd letter of the root is called a Defective Verb. .
There are three kinds of defective verbs:
*Verb root ends in waaw و
*Verb root ends in yaa ي preceded by a kasra - which is indicated by ى in the present tense.
*Verb root ends in yaa ي preceded by fathaَ - which is indicated by a regular ي in the present tense.
Like the hollow verbs above, these verbs appear different in the present tense than in the past tense. The present tense will contain the correct root letters.
The following charts give an example of present tense conjugation with the 1st kind of defective verb; *verb root ends in waaw .و
The rule is: anytime a ون waaw nuun or a ين yaa nuun is added to the end of the verb, the waaw و is dropped. Happens for You (fem), You all (masc) and They (masc) highlighted in green.
Example verb is دَعَو meaning "to invite" the root is د ع و:
دَعَو
Singular
Dual
Plural
The following charts give an example of present tense conjugation with the 2nd kind of defective verb; * Verb root ends in yaa ي preceded by a kasra - which is indicated by ى in the present tense
The rule is: anytime a ون waaw nuun is added to the end of the verb, the yaa ى is dropped. Happens for You all (masc) and They (masc) highlighted in blue. Also, when the yaa ى is followed by an alif ا or yaa ي, the combination of vowel sounds creates a long "ay" sound.
Example verb is نيس meaning "to forget" the root is ن س ي:
نيس
Singular
Dual
Plural
The following charts give an example of present tense conjugation with the 3rd kind of defective verb; *Verb root ends in yaa ي preceded by fathaَ - which is indicated by a regular ي in the present tense.
The rule is: anytime a ون waaw nuun or a ني yaa nuun is added to the end of the verb, the yaa ي is dropped. Happens for You (fem), You all (masc) and They (masc) highlighted in purple.
Example verb is بَكى meaning "to cry" the root is ب ك ي:
بَكى
Singular
Dual
Plural
Weak vowel as the 1st letter of the root (usually a waaw): the verb drops the first letter when conjugated.
Example is the verb وَصَلَ meaning "to arrive". The root is و ص ل
Singular
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Conjugated Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | aSalu | أ صَلُ | أنا |
| You (masc.) | taSalu | تصَلُ | أنتَ |
| You (fem.) | taSaliina | تصَلين | أنتِ |
| He or It | yaSalu | يصَلُ | هُوَ |
| She or It | taSalu | تصَلُ | هيّ |
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| We (No dual) | naSalu | نصَلُ | There is no specific 1st person dual form "we two". Just use the word for "we " ننح |
| You two (masc. or fem.) | taSalaan | تصَلان | انتما |
| They (masc.) two | yaSalaan | يصَلان | هما |
| They (fem.) two | taSalaan | تصَلان | هما |
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| We | naSalu | نصَلُ | نحن |
| you (group masc.) Any group with at least one man is considered masculine | taSaluuna | تصَلونَ | أنتم |
| you ( group fem.) Any group of all females. | taSalunna | تَصَلُنَّ | أنتن |
| they (group masc.) | yaSaluuna | يصَلونَ | هم |
| they (group fem.) | yaSalunna | يصَلُنَّ | هن |
Weak vowel as the 2nd letter of the root is called a Hollow Verb. The weak vowel will either be a waaw و or a yaa ي and for the present tense, the verb is only different in the 2nd and 3rd person feminine plural. In these cases, highlighted in orange, it gets dropped.
Example is the verb زارَ meaning "to visit". In the past tense, the weak verb in a hollow verb appears as alif ا. Because verbs are presented in the sing. masc. past tense the root of this verb appears to be ز-ا-ر but the root is actually ز و ر.
Singular
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Conjugated Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | azuuru | أزورُ | أنا |
| You (masc.) | tazuuru | تزورُ | أنتَ |
| You (fem.) | tazuuruiina | تزورين | أنتِ |
| He or It | yazuuru | يزورُ | هُوَ |
| She or It | tazuuru | تزورُ | هيّ |
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| We (No dual) | nazuuru | نزورُ | There is no specific 1st person dual form "we two". Just use the word for "we " نحن |
| You two (masc. or fem.) | tazuuraan | تزوران | انتما |
| They (masc.) two | yazuuraan | يزوران | هما |
| They (fem.) two | tazuuraan | تزوران | هما |
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| We | nazuuru | نزورُ | نحن |
| you (group masc.) Any group with at least one man is considered masculine | tazuuruuna | تزورون | أنتم |
| you ( group fem.) Any group of all females. | tazurnna | تَزُرن | أنتن |
| they (group masc.) | yazuuruuna | يزورون | هم |
| they (group fem.) | yazurnna | يرزُن | هن |
Weak vowel as the 3rd letter of the root is called a Defective Verb. .
There are three kinds of defective verbs:
*Verb root ends in waaw و
*Verb root ends in yaa ي preceded by a kasra - which is indicated by ى in the present tense.
*Verb root ends in yaa ي preceded by fathaَ - which is indicated by a regular ي in the present tense.
Like the hollow verbs above, these verbs appear different in the present tense than in the past tense. The present tense will contain the correct root letters.
The following charts give an example of present tense conjugation with the 1st kind of defective verb; *verb root ends in waaw .و
The rule is: anytime a ون waaw nuun or a ين yaa nuun is added to the end of the verb, the waaw و is dropped. Happens for You (fem), You all (masc) and They (masc) highlighted in green.
Example verb is دَعَو meaning "to invite" the root is د ع و:
Singular
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Conjugated Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | ad3u | أدْعو | أنا |
| You (masc.) | tad3u | تَدْعو | أنتَ |
| You (fem.) | tad3iina | تَدْعيَن | أنتِ |
| He or It | yad3u | يَدْعو | هُوَ |
| She or It | tad3u | تَدْعو | هيّ |
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| We (No dual) | nad3u | نَدْعو | There is no specific 1st person dual form "we two". Just use the word for "we " نحن |
| You two (masc. or fem.) | tad3uaan | تَدْعوان | انتما |
| They (masc.) two | yad3uaan | يّدْعوان | هما |
| They (fem.) two | tad3uaan | تَدْعوان | هما |
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| We | nad3u | نَدْعو | نحن |
| you (group masc.) Any group with at least one man is considered masculine | tad3uuna | تدْعونَ | أنتم |
| you ( group fem.) Any group of all females. | tad3uunna | تَدْعون | أنتن |
| they (group masc.) | yad3uuna | يدْعونَ | هم |
| they (group fem.) | yad3uunna | يَدْعون | هن |
The following charts give an example of present tense conjugation with the 2nd kind of defective verb; * Verb root ends in yaa ي preceded by a kasra - which is indicated by ى in the present tense
The rule is: anytime a ون waaw nuun is added to the end of the verb, the yaa ى is dropped. Happens for You all (masc) and They (masc) highlighted in blue. Also, when the yaa ى is followed by an alif ا or yaa ي, the combination of vowel sounds creates a long "ay" sound.
Example verb is نيس meaning "to forget" the root is ن س ي:
Singular
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Conjugated Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | ansaa | أنْسى | أنا |
| You (masc.) | tansaa | تَنْسى | أنتَ |
| You (fem.) | tansayna | تَنْسيَن | أنتِ |
| He or It | yansaa | يَنْسى | هُوَ |
| She or It | tansaa | تَنْسى | هيّ |
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| We (No dual) | nansaa | نَنْسى | There is no specific 1st person dual form "we two". Just use the word for "we " نحن |
| You two (masc. or fem.) | tansayaan | تَنْسَيان | انتما |
| They (masc.) two | yansayaan | يَنْسَيان | هما |
| They (fem.) two | tansayaan | تَنْسَيان | هما |
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| We | nansaa | نَنْسى | نحن |
| you (group masc.) Any group with at least one man is considered masculine | tansauuna | تَنْسَو نَ | أنتم |
| you ( group fem.) Any group of all females. | tansaynna | تَنْسَين | أنتن |
| they (group masc.) | yansauuna | يَنْسَو نَ | هم |
| they (group fem.) | yansaynnaَّ | يَنْسَين | هن |
The following charts give an example of present tense conjugation with the 3rd kind of defective verb; *Verb root ends in yaa ي preceded by fathaَ - which is indicated by a regular ي in the present tense.
The rule is: anytime a ون waaw nuun or a ني yaa nuun is added to the end of the verb, the yaa ي is dropped. Happens for You (fem), You all (masc) and They (masc) highlighted in purple.
Example verb is بَكى meaning "to cry" the root is ب ك ي:
Singular
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Conjugated Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | abkii | أَبْكي | أنا |
| You (masc.) | tabkii | تَبْكي | أنتَ |
| You (fem.) | tabkiina | تَبْكين | أنتِ |
| He or It | yabkii | يَبْكي | هُوَ |
| She or It | tabkii | تَبْكي | هيّ |
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| We (No dual) | nabkii | نَبْكي | There is no specific 1st person dual form "we two". Just use the word for "we " نحن |
| You two (masc. or fem.) | tabkiyaan | تَبْكيان | انتما |
| They (masc.) two | yabkiyaan | يَبْكيان | هما |
| They (fem.) two | tabkiyaan | تَبْكيان | هما |
| English Pronoun | Transcription | Arabic Verb | Arabic Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| We | nabkii | نَبْكي | نحن |
| you (group masc.) Any group with at least one man is considered masculine | tabkuuna | تَبْكونَ | أنتم |
| you ( group fem.) Any group of all females. | tansaynna | تَنْسَين | أنتن |
| they (group masc.) | tabkiinna | يَبْكونَ | هم |
| they (group fem.) | yabkiinna | يَبْكين | هن |
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Related Links: Arabic Special Regular Verbs(الأفعال الصحيحة و الخا صة) Some Regular Verbs(بعض الأ فعال العادية) |