Amongst the irregular verbs in Arabic, some root words are classified as “healthy” (صَحِيح), and others are labeled as “weak” (مُعْتَلّ) litt. diseased.
- Irregular verbs with healthy roots either have:
- A doubled root, meaning the two last root-letter are merged into one and written with a shadda, like مَدَّ (to extend/spread out).
- A hamza as the first, second, or third root letter, respectively:
أَكَلَ to eat | سَأَلَ to ask/enquire | قَرَأَ to read |
- The weak three-letter roots feature either a و or ي (or both).

Hamzated roots / الفِعْل المَهْموز
There are three categories of hamzated root verbs:
- Verbs with a hamza as the 1st root-letter
- Verbs with a hamza as the 2nd root-letter
- Verbs with a hamza as the 3rd root-letter
Verbs of this type can prove to be troublesome due to the need for proper hamza support, which is dependent upon vowels and the surrounding environment.
Verbs with a hamza as the 1st root-letter
Augmented forms table
Nouns / أَسْماء | Verbs / أَفْعال | الوَزْن Form | المَعْنى Meaning | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
المَصْدَر Verbal noun | اِسْمُ المَفْعُول Passive Participle (recipient) | اِسْمُ الفاعِل Active Participle (agent) | الأَمْر Imperative | المُضارِع Imperfect (present) | الماضي Perfect (past) | ||
أَكْلٌ | مَأْكُولٌ | آكِلٌ | كُلْ | يَأكُلُ | أَكَلَ | I | to eat |
تَأْكِيدٌ | مُؤَكَّدٌ | مُؤَكِّدٌ | أَكِّدْ | يُؤَكِّدُ | أَكَّدَ | II | to assert |
مُؤاخَذةٌ | مُؤاخَذٌ | مُؤاخِذٌ | آخِذْ | يُؤاخِذُ | آخَذَ | III | to blame |
إِيمانٌ | مُؤْمَنٌ | مُؤْمِنٌ | آَمِنْ | يُؤْمِنُ | آمَنَ | IV | to believe / to have faith |
تَأَمَُلٌ | مُتَأَمَّلٌ | مُتَأَمِّلٌ | تَأَمَّلْ | يَتَأَمَّلَ | تَأَمَّلَ | V | to meditate |
تَآمُرٌ | مُتَآمَرٌ | مُتَآمِرٌ | تَآمَرْ | يَتَآمَرَ | تَآمَرَ | VI | to conspire |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | VII | N/A |
اِتَّخَاذٌ | مُتَّخَذٌ | مُتَّخِذٌ | اِتَّخِذْ | يَتَّخِذُ | اِتَّخَذَ | VIII | to take/ to adopt |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | IX | N/A |
اِسْتِأْذانٌ | مُسْتَأْذَنٌ | مُسْتَأْذِنٌ | سْتَأْذِنْ | يَسْتَأْذِنُ | اِسْتَأْذَنَ | X | to ask permission |
Verbs with a hamza as the 2nd root-letter
Augmented forms table
Nouns / أَسْماء | Verbs / أَفْعال | الوَزْن Form | المَعْنى Meaning | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
المَصْدَر Verbal noun | اِسْمُ المَفْعُول Passive Participle (recipient) | اِسْمُ الفاعِل Active Participle (agent) | الأَمْر Imperative | المُضارِع Imperfect (present) | الماضي Perfect (past) | ||
سُؤَالٌ | مَسْؤُولٌ | سائِلٌ | سَل / اِسْأَلْ | يَسْأَلُ | سَأَلَ | I | to ask / to inquire |
تَرْئِيسٌ | مُرَئَّسٌ | مُرَئِّسٌ | رَئِّسْ | يُرَئِّسُ | رَأَّسَ | II | to appoint as chief or head |
مُلاءَمةٌ | مُلاءَمٌ | مُلائِمٌ | لَائِمْ | يُلائِمُ | لاءَمَ | III | to accommodate |
إكْآبٌ | مُكْأبٌ | مُكْئِبٌ | أَكْئِبْ | يُكْئِبُ | أَكْأَبَ | IV | to sadden |
تَرَؤُّسٌ | مُتَرأَّسٌ | مُتَرَئِّسٌ | تَرَأَّسْ | يَتَرَأَسُ | تَرَأَسَ | V | to preside |
تَساؤُلٌ | مُتَساءَلٌ | مُتَسائِلٌ | تَسَاءَلْ | يَتَسَاءَلُ | تَساءَلَ | VI | to wonder / to ask oneself |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | VII | N/A |
اِبْتِئاسٌ | مُبْتَأَسٌ | مُبْتَئِسٌ | اِبْتَئِسْ | يَبْتَئِسُ | اِبْتَأَسَ | VIII | be afflicted |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | IX | N/A |
اِسْتِرْآفٌ | مُسْتَرْأَفٌ | مُسْتَرْئِفٌ | اِسْتَرْئِفْ | يَسْتَرْئِفُ | اِسْتَرْأَفَ | X | to beg for mercy |
Verbs with a hamza as the 3rd root-letter
Augmented forms table
Nouns / أَسْماء | Verbs / أَفْعال | الوَزْن Form | المَعْنى Meaning | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
المَصْدَر Verbal noun | اِسْمُ المَفْعُول Passive Participle (recipient) | اِسْمُ الفاعِل Active Participle (agent) | الأَمْر Imperative | المُضارِع Imperfect (present) | الماضي Perfect (past) | ||
قِراءَةٌ / قُرْآنٌ | مَقْروءٌ | قارئٌ | اِقْرَأْ | يَقْرَأُ | قَرَأَ | I | to read |
تَخْبِئَةٌ | مُخَبَّأٌ | مُخَبِّئٌ | خَبِّئْ | يُخَبِّئُ | خَبَّأَ | II | to hide (smthing) |
مُفاجَأةٌ | مُفاجأٌ | مُفاجِئٌ | فَاجِئْ | يُفاجِئُ | فاجَأَ | III | to surprise |
إِطْفاءٌ | مُطْفَأٌ | مُطْفِئٌ | أَطْفِئْ | يُطْفِئُ | أَطْفَأَ | IV | to turn off |
تَجَزُّؤٌ | مُتَجَزَِّأٌ | مُتَجَزِِّئٌ | تَجَزَّأْ | يَتَجَزَّأُ | تَجَزَّأَ | V | to split |
تَكافُؤٌ | مُتَكافَأٌ | مُتَكافِئٌ | تَكَافَأْ | يَتَكافَأُ | تَكافَأَ | VI | to balance each other |
اِنْطِفاءٌ | مُنْطَفَأٌ | مُنْطَفِئٌ | اِنْطَفِئْ | يَنْطَفِئُ | اِنْطَفَأَ | VII | to die out / to be estinguished |
اِخْتِباءٌ | مُخْتَبَأٌ | مُخْتَبِئٌ | اِخْتَبِئْ | يَخْتَبِئُ | اِخْتَبَأَ | VIII | to hide (oneself) |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | IX | N/A |
اِسْتِهْزاءٌ | مُسْتَهْزَأٌ | مُسْتَهْزِئٌ | اِسْتَهْزِئْ | يَسْتَهْزِئُ | اِسْتَهْزَأَ | X | to mock / to ridicule |
Doubled roots / الفِعْل المُضاعَف
The two last root letters are the same letter hence, written as one letter with a shadda.
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