Quadriliteral verbs / الأَفْعال الرُباعِيّة

Arabic dialects map

Simple form / الفِعْل الرُباعي المُجَرّد

Quadriliteral verbs in Arabic (الأَفْعال الرُباعية), possess four letters in their root (the pattern فَعْلَلَ) differentiating them from the typical triliteral verb. They are conjugated similarly to form II (فَعَّلَ) of the triliteral verb and have 3 augmented forms. Several quadriliteral verbs (فَعْلَلَ) are formed from a doubled biliteral syllable, giving an onomatopoeic effect, or constructed from words borrowed from other languages.

burst out laughingقَهْقَهَ 
to whisper or instil evil (usually devil)وَسْوَسَ
shake/rockزَلْزَلَ 
to flutter رَفْرَفَ
To ululateزَغْرَدَ 
To translateتَرْجَمَ 
To televiseتَلْفَزَ 
To say ‘bismillah’بَسْمَلَ 
المَصْدَر
Verbal noun 
اِسْمُ المَفْعُول
Passive Participle
(recipient)
اِسْمُ الفاعِل
Active Participle
(agent)
الأَمْر
Imperative
المُضارِع
Imperfect
(present)
الماضي
Perfect
(past)
الوَزْن
Form
المَعْنى
Meaning
فَعْلَلةٌ / فِعْلالٌمُفَعْلَلٌمُفَعْلِلٌفَعْلِلْيُفَعْلِلُفَعْلَلَ
I
(default pattern)
زَلْزَلة / زِلْزالٌمُزَلْزَِلٌمُزَلْزِِلٌزَلْزِلْيُزَلْزِلُزَلْزَلَshake / rock

Augmented forms / الأَوْزان المَزيدة

There are 3 augmented forms (الأَوْزان المَزيدة), only two of which are still used:

  • Form II (تَفَعْلَلَ) is the reflexive-passive of form I and is conjugated like form V of triliteral verbs (الفِعْل الثُلاثيّ):
المَصْدَر
Verbal noun 
اِسْمُ المَفْعُول
Passive Participle
(recipient)
اِسْمُ الفاعِل
Active Participle
(agent)
الأَمْر
Imperative
المُضارِع
Imperfect
(present)
الماضي
Perfect
(past)
الوَزْن
Form
المَعْنى
Meaning
تَفَعْلُلٌمُتَفَعْلَلٌمُتَفَعْلِلٌتَفَعْلَلْيَتَفَعْلَلَتَفَعْلَلَ
II
(default pattern)
تَدَهْوُرٌمُتَدَهْوَرٌمُتَدَهْوِرٌتَدَهْوَرْيَتَدَهْوَرُتَدَهْوَرَTo deteriorate
  • Form IV (اِفْعَلَلَّ) is conjugated like form X of triliteral verbs having a doubled root letter (الفِعْل المُضاعَف). Very few verbs are actually built with this form.
المَصْدَر
Verbal noun 
اِسْمُ المَفْعُول
Passive Participle
(recipient)
اِسْمُ الفاعِل
Active Participle
(agent)
الأَمْر
Imperative
المُضارِع
Imperfect
(present)
الماضي
Perfect
(past)
الوَزْن
Form
المَعْنى
Meaning
اِفْعَلِّالٌمُفْعَلَلٌّمُفْعَلِلٌّاِفْعَلِلَّيَفْعَلِلُّاِفْعَلَلَّ
IV
(default pattern)
اِقْشِعْرارٌمُقْشَعَرٌّمُقْشَعِرٌّاِقْشَعَرَّيَقْشَعِرُّاِقْشَعَرَّTo shudder
  • Note: Form III (اِفْعَنْلَلَ) is only included here for reference since it has almost disappeared.
المَصْدَر
Verbal noun 
اِسْمُ المَفْعُول
Passive Participle
(recipient)
اِسْمُ الفاعِل
Active Participle
(agent)
الأَمْر
Imperative
المُضارِع
Imperfect
(present)
الماضي
Perfect
(past)
الوَزْن
Form
المَعْنى
Meaning
اِفْعِنْلَالٌمُفْعَنْلَلٌمُفْعَنْلِلٌاِفْعَنْلِلْيَفْعَنْلِلُاِفْعَنْلَلَ
III
(default pattern)
اِحْرِنْجامٌمُحْرَنْجَمٌمُحْرَنْجِمٌحْرَنْجِمْيَحْرَنْجِمُاِحْرَنْجَمَTo foregather

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