irregular verbs / الأَفْعال غَيْر السالِمة

Arabic dialects map

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 / أَسْماءVerbs / أَفْعالالوَزْن
Form
المَعْنى
Meaning
المَصْدَر
Verbal noun 
اِسْمُ المَفْعُول
Passive Participle
(recipient)
اِسْمُ الفاعِل
Active Participle (agent)
الأَمْر
Imperative
المُضارِع
Imperfect
(present)
الماضي
Perfect
(past)
أَكْلٌمَأْكُولٌآكِلٌكُلْيَأكُلُأَكَلَIto eat
تَأْكِيدٌمُؤَكَّدٌمُؤَكِّدٌأَكِّدْيُؤَكِّدُأَكَّدَIIto assert
مُؤاخَذةٌمُؤاخَذٌمُؤاخِذٌآخِذْيُؤاخِذُآخَذَIIIto blame
إِيمانٌمُؤْمَنٌمُؤْمِنٌآَمِنْيُؤْمِنُآمَنَIVto believe /  to have faith
تَأَمَُلٌمُتَأَمَّلٌمُتَأَمِّلٌتَأَمَّلْيَتَأَمَّلَتَأَمَّلَVto meditate
تَآمُرٌمُتَآمَرٌمُتَآمِرٌتَآمَرْيَتَآمَرَتَآمَرَVIto conspire
N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AVIIN/A
اِتَّخَاذٌمُتَّخَذٌمُتَّخِذٌاِتَّخِذْيَتَّخِذُاِتَّخَذَVIIIto take/ to adopt
N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AIXN/A
اِسْتِأْذانٌمُسْتَأْذَنٌمُسْتَأْذِنٌسْتَأْذِنْيَسْتَأْذِنُاِسْتَأْذَنَXto ask permission

Verbs with a hamza as the 2nd root-letter

Augmented forms table

Nouns / أَسْماءVerbs / أَفْعالالوَزْن
Form
المَعْنى
Meaning
المَصْدَر
Verbal noun 
اِسْمُ المَفْعُول
Passive Participle
(recipient)
اِسْمُ الفاعِل
Active Participle
(agent)
الأَمْر
Imperative
المُضارِع
Imperfect
(present)
الماضي
Perfect
(past)
سُؤَالٌمَسْؤُولٌسائِلٌسَل / اِسْأَلْيَسْأَلُسَأَلَIto ask / to inquire
تَرْئِيسٌمُرَئَّسٌمُرَئِّسٌرَئِّسْيُرَئِّسُرَأَّسَIIto appoint as chief or head
مُلاءَمةٌمُلاءَمٌمُلائِمٌلَائِمْيُلائِمُلاءَمَIIIto accommodate
إكْآبٌمُكْأبٌمُكْئِبٌأَكْئِبْيُكْئِبُأَكْأَبَIVto sadden
تَرَؤُّسٌمُتَرأَّسٌمُتَرَئِّسٌتَرَأَّسْيَتَرَأَسُتَرَأَسَVto preside
تَساؤُلٌمُتَساءَلٌ مُتَسائِلٌتَسَاءَلْيَتَسَاءَلُتَساءَلَVIto wonder / to ask oneself
N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AVIIN/A
اِبْتِئاسٌمُبْتَأَسٌمُبْتَئِسٌاِبْتَئِسْيَبْتَئِسُاِبْتَأَسَVIIIbe afflicted
N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AIXN/A
اِسْتِرْآفٌمُسْتَرْأَفٌمُسْتَرْئِفٌاِسْتَرْئِفْيَسْتَرْئِفُاِسْتَرْأَفَXto beg for mercy

Verbs with a hamza as the 3rd root-letter

Augmented forms table

Nouns / أَسْماءVerbs / أَفْعالالوَزْن
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 / قُرْآنٌمَقْروءٌقارئٌاِقْرَأْيَقْرَأُقَرَأَIto read
تَخْبِئَةٌ مُخَبَّأٌمُخَبِّئٌخَبِّئْيُخَبِّئُخَبَّأَIIto hide (smthing)
مُفاجَأةٌمُفاجأٌمُفاجِئٌفَاجِئْيُفاجِئُفاجَأَIIIto surprise
إِطْفاءٌمُطْفَأٌمُطْفِئٌأَطْفِئْيُطْفِئُأَطْفَأَIVto turn off
تَجَزُّؤٌمُتَجَزَِّأٌمُتَجَزِِّئٌتَجَزَّأْيَتَجَزَّأُتَجَزَّأَVto split 
تَكافُؤٌمُتَكافَأٌ مُتَكافِئٌتَكَافَأْيَتَكافَأُتَكافَأَVIto balance each other
اِنْطِفاءٌمُنْطَفَأٌمُنْطَفِئٌاِنْطَفِئْيَنْطَفِئُاِنْطَفَأَVIIto die out / to be estinguished
اِخْتِباءٌمُخْتَبَأٌمُخْتَبِئٌ اِخْتَبِئْيَخْتَبِئُاِخْتَبَأَVIIIto hide (oneself)
N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AIXN/A
اِسْتِهْزاءٌمُسْتَهْزَأٌمُسْتَهْزِئٌاِسْتَهْزِئْيَسْتَهْزِئُاِسْتَهْزَأَXto 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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