Introduction to the passive verb
The known verb اَلْفِعْلُ الْمَعْرُوْفُ is the active voice of the verb. Here we know the subject, i.e., the doer of the verb is specified. Also, we have discussed these kinds of verbs in all the preceding chapters on the pattern of فَعَلَ – فَعِلَ – فَعُلَ. Nevertheless, in Arabic, it also exists what we call the unknown verb or a passive verb.
Example:
أَن سَخِطَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَفِي الْعَذَابِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَ
That Allah has become angry with them, and in the punishment, they will abide eternally. (5:80)
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ
Until, when he reached the setting of the sun (18:86)
Thus, we call in Arabic the passive voice of the verb: الَفِعْلُ المَجْهُوْلُ (unknown). Here we do not know the subject, i.e., the doer is not specified. Also, from a transitive verb – الْفِعْلُ الْمُتَعَدَّي, we usually form the passive verb.
It has two components – the passive verb and the object as the subject اَلْفَاعِلُ is not present. Thus, the object will take the harakah of the subject, i.e., dammah. Also in Arabic, we call the deputy of subject نَائِبُ الفَاعِل.
Example:
وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ
And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open] (18:49)
الْكِتَابُ = نَائِبُ الفَاعِل وُضِعَ= المَجْهُوْلُ
In Arabic, we form the passive verb by changing the harakah of the active participle فَعَلَ – فَعِلَ – فَعُلَ to فُعِلَ. Thus, the change is standard for all verbs. In more, the dammah characterizes the change on the first radical and kasrah on the second radical.
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1. The passive verb of consonants – الصَّحِيحُ
Table of رُفِعَ:
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
رُفِعَ | رُفِعَا | رُفِعُوا |
He was raised | They two were raised. | They all were raised. |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
رُفِعَتْ | رُفِعَتَا | رُفِعْنَ |
She was raised | They two were raised. | They all were raised. |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
رُفِعْتَ | رُفِعْتُمَا | رُفِعْتُمْ |
You raised | You both raised | You all raised |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
رُفِعْتِ | رُفِعْتُمَا | رُفِعْتُنَّ |
You were raised | You two were raised. | You all were raised. |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
رُفِعْتُ | – | رُفِعْنَا |
I was raised | – | We were raised |
Table of نُصِرَ and سُمِعَ:
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
نُصِرَ | نُصِرَا | نُصِرُوا |
He was helped | They two were helped. | They all were helped. |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
نُصِرَتْ | نُصِرَتَا | نُصِرَنَ |
She was helped | They two were helped. | They all were helped. |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
نُصِرَتَ | نُصِرَتُمَا | نُصِرَتُمْ |
You helped | You both helped | You all helped |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
نُصِرَتِ | نُصِرَتُمَا | نُصِرَتُنَّ |
You were helped | You two were helped | You all were helped |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
نُصِرَتُ | – | نُصِرَنَا |
I was raised | – | We were raised |
Examples used in the Holy Quran
وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ
And the sun and the moon are joined (75:9)
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحَادُّونَ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ كُبِتُوا كَمَا كُبِتَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ
Indeed, those who oppose Allah and His Messenger are abased as those before them were abased. (58:5)
وَفُتِحَتِ السَّمَاءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَابًا
And the heaven is opened and will become gateways. (78:19)
2. Passive Hamzated verb
Introduction to the Passive Hamzated verb
The Passive Hamzated verb is when hamza أ comes as first, second, or third radical as in أَكَلَ – سَأَلَ or قَرَأَ the passive voice is on the same pattern as that of فُعِلَ. Thus, the first radical bears a dammah -ُ and the second radical bears a kasrah -ِ. The following tables demonstrate their conjugation.
Table of the passive hamzated verb أُمِرَ:
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
أُمِرَ | أُمِرَا | أُمِرُوْا |
He was commanded | They two were commanded | They all were commanded |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
أُمِرَتْ | أُمِرَتَا | أُمِرْنَ |
She was commanded | They two were commanded | They all were commanded |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
أُمِرْتَ | أُمِرْتُمَا | أُمِرْتُمْ |
You commanded | You both commanded | You all commanded |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
أُمِرْتِ | أُمِرْتُمَا | أُمِرْتُنَّ |
You were commanded | You two were commanded. | You all were commanded. |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
أُمِرْتُ | – | أُمِرْنَا |
I was commanded | – | We were commanded |
Table of the passive hamzated verb سُئِلَ:
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
سُئِلَ | سُئِلَا | سُئِلُوْا |
He was asked | They two were asked | They all were asked |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
سُئِلَتْ | سُئِلَتَا | سُئِلْنَ |
She was asked | They two were asked | They all were asked |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
سُئِلْتَ | سُئِلْتُمَا | سُئِلْنَ |
You asked | You both asked | You all asked |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
سُئِلْتِ | سُئِلْتُمَا | سُئِلْتُنَّ |
You were asked | You two were asked. | You all were asked. |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
سُئِلْتُ | – | سُئِلْنَا |
I was asked | – | We were asked |
Table of the passive hamzated verb هُزِأَ:
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
هُزِأَ | هُزِأَا | هُزِأُوْا |
He was ridiculed | They two were ridiculed | They all were ridiculed |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
هُزِأَ تْ | هُزِأَ تَا | هُزِأَ نَ |
She was ridiculed | They two were ridiculed | They all were ridiculed |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
هُزِأَ تَ | هُزِأَ تُمَا | هُزِأَ تُمْ |
You ridiculed | You both ridiculed | You all ridiculed |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
هُزِأَ تِ | هُزِأَ تُمَا | هُزِأَ تُنَّ |
You were ridiculed | You two were ridiculed. | You all were ridiculed. |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
هُزِأَ تُ | – | هُزِأَ نَا |
I was ridiculed | – | We were ridiculed |
3. Passive weak verb
Passive weak Assimilated verb – المِثَالى
When و comes as the first radical in place of ف in the active voice, the pattern will be the same as فُعِلَ, and we will not observe any changes.
Table of the passive weak verb وُعِدَ
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
وُعِدَ | وُعِدَا | وُعِدُوْا |
He was promised | They two were promised. | They all were promised. |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
وُعِدَتْ | وُعِدَتَا | وُعِدْنَ |
She was promised | They two were promised. | They all were promised. |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
وُعِدْتَ | وُعِدْتُمَا | وُعِدْتُمْ |
You promised | You both promised | You all promised |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
وُعِدْتِ | وُعِدْتُمَا | وُعِدْتُنَّ |
You were promised | You two were promised. | You all were promised. |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
وُعِدْتُ | – | وُعِدْنَا |
I was promised | – | We were promised |
Verbs with the first radical “ى” are usually intransitive verbs – اَلْفِعْلُ اللَّازِمُ. Hence passive voice of these verbs cannot be formed. Example: يَئِسَ
Passive weak Hollow verbs – الأَجْوَفُ
When و comes as the second radical in place of ع as in قَالَ, the passive should be قُوِلَ according to the rule, but it is read as قِيْلَ for easy pronunciation.
Table of the passive hollow verb قِيْلَ
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
قِيْلَ | قِيْلَا | قِيْلُوْا |
He was told | They two were told | They all were told |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
قِيْلَتْ | قِيْلَتَا | قُلْنَ |
She was told | They two were told | They all were told |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
قُلتَ | قُلتُمَا | قُلتُمْ |
You told | You both told | You all told |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
قُلتِ | قُلتُمَا | قُلتُنَّ |
You were told | You two were told. | You all were told. |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
قُلتُ | – | قُلنَا |
I was told | – | We were told |
As we see from the above table, the passive voice of the third person feminine plural is قُلْنَ. The pattern will then carry forward as the past tense table.
Table of the passive hollow verb خِيْفَ
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
خِيْفَ | خِيْفَا | خِيْفُوْا |
He was feared | They two were feared. | They all were feared. |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
خِيْفَتْ | خِيْفَتَا | خِفْنَ |
She was feared | They two were feared. | They all were feared. |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
خِفْتَ | خِفْتُمَا | خِفْتُمْ |
You feared | You both feared | You all feared |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
خِفْتِ | خِفْتُمَا | خِفْتُنَّ |
You were feared | You two were feared. | You all were feared. |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
خِفْتُ | – | خِفْنَا |
I was feared | – | We were feared |
As خَافَ is an exception to the pattern of قَالَ, the third person feminine plural will be خِفْنَ, and then the table will carryforwards as in the past tense.
When ى comes as second radical in place of ع as in بَاعَ, the passive voice should have been يبُيِعَ according to the general rule. However, it is written as بِيْعَ for easy pronunciation.
Table of the passive hollow verb خِيْفَ
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
بِيْعَ | بِيْعَا | بِيْعُوْا |
He was sold | They two were sold | They all were sold |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
بِيْعَتْ | بِيْعَتَا | بِعْنَ |
She was sold | They two were sold | They all were sold |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
بِعْتَ | بِعْتُمَا | بِعْتُمْ |
You sold | You both sold | You all sold |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
بِعْتِ | بِعْتُمَا | بِعْتُنَّ |
You were sold | You two were sold. | You all were sold. |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
بِعْتُ | – | بِعْنَا |
I was sold | – | We were sold |
From the above pattern, we see that the passive verb of the third person feminine plural is بِعْنَ and the pattern following it is the same as in the past tense.
Passive weak defective verbs – النَّاقِصُ
When و comes in place of ل as in دَعَا, then its passive verb instead of being دُعِوَ will be written as دُعِىَ.
Table of the passive defective verb دُعِيَ
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
دُعِىَ | دُعِيَا | دُعُوْا |
He was called | They two were called. | They all were called. |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
دُعِيَتْ | دُعِيَتَا | دُعِيْنَ |
She was called | They two were called. | They all were called. |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
دُعِيْتَ | دُعِيْتُمَا | دُعِيْتُمْ |
You called | You both called | You all called |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
دُعِيْتِ | دُعِيْتُمَا | دُعِيْتُنَّ |
You were called | You two were called. | You all were called. |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
دُعِيْتُ | – | دُعِيْنَا |
I was called | – | We were called |
When ى comes in place of ل as in رَمَى and لَقَى, the passive verb pattern follows رَمِيَ respectively as according to the standard pattern of فُعِلَ.
4. Passive voice of the double lettered verb
Introduction
Double lettered verbs (Doubly weak verbs) such as وَقَى become وُقِيَ according to فُعِلَ and will follow the standard pattern.
Double lettered verbs – الْمُضَاعَفُ
Double lettered verbs like عَضَّ become عُضَّ and follow the standard pattern.
Table of the double lettered verb عُضَّ
3rd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
عُضَّ | عُضَّا | عُضُّوْا |
He was bitten | They two were bitten. | They all were bitten. |
3rd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
عُضَّتْ | عُضَّتَا | عُضِضْنَ |
She was bitten | They two were bitten. | They all were bitten. |
2nd person masculine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
عُضِضْتُ | عُضِضْتُمَا | عُضِضْتُمْ |
You bitten | You both bitten | You all bitten |
2nd person feminine
Singular | Dual | Plural |
عُضِضْتِ | عُضِضْتُمَا | عُضِضْتُنَّ |
You were bitten | You two were bitten. | You all were bitten. |
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular | Dual | Plural |
عُضِضْتُ | – | عُضِضْنَا |
I was bitten | – | We were bitten |
Examples of Double lettered verbs used in the Holy Quran:
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ
And when it is said to them, “Do not cause corruption on the earth,” they say, “We are but reformers.” (2:11)
وَقِيلَ يَا أَرْضُ ابْلَعِي مَاءَكِ وَيَا سَمَاءُ أَقْلِعِي وَغِيضَ الْمَاءُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَاسْتَوَتْ عَلَى الْجُودِيِّ
And it was said, “O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain].” And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and the ship came to rest on the [mountain of] Judiyy. (11:44)
وَأَشْرَقَتِ الْأَرْضُ بِنُورِ رَبِّهَا وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ وَجِيءَ بِالنَّبِيِّينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُم بِالْحَقِّ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the record [of deeds] will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and it will be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged. (39:69)
وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ
And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it (18:49)
قُلْ إِنِّي نُهِيتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ
Say, “Indeed, I have been forbidden to worship those you invoke besides Allah.” (6:56)
You have now completed this Arabic lesson. The next one will be insha’Allah about the double emphasis in Arabic.
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