Past tense Verb in Arabic - اَلْفِعْلُ الْمَاضِي

The foundational or root word in Arabic is established upon the trilateral verb pattern, typically exemplified by ف – ع – ل, which manifests as the verb فَعَلَ, meaning “he did.” In this trilateral structure, each letter plays a distinct role: ف represents the first radical, ع the second, and ل the third radical. It’s important to note that the root verb always maintains a masculine, third-person, singular form, offering a foundational structure for building words and conveying actions in Arabic.

Similarly, let’s explore some additional examples:

1. ق – ت – ل (قَتَلَ): The root verb signifies “he killed.” Here, ق is the first radical, ت is the second, and ل is the third. The pattern remains consistent with the masculine, third-person, singular form.

2. ش – ر – ب (شَرِبَ): This root verb translates to “he drank.” In this case, ش serves as the first radical, ر as the second, and ب as the third, maintaining the established pattern of masculine, third-person, singular usage.

3. ك – ت – ب (كَتَبَ): This fundamental verb means “he wrote.” ك represents the first radical, ت the second, and ب the third, all conforming to the masculine, third-person, singular structure inherent in root verbs.

Understanding the concept of root verbs and their trilateral structure is essential for comprehending Arabic vocabulary and grammar, as it forms the basis for an extensive array of words and expressions in the language.

Examples:

فَتَحَ

To open

نَصَرَ

To help

The i’raab – الإِعْرابُ of the letters ف and ل remains constant within the root, but when it comes to the letter ع, its i’raab is variable, capable of bearing fatha, kasrah, or dammah.

Examples:

فَعَلَ

كَفَرَ

To deny

فَعِلَ

سَمِعَ

to listen

فَعُلَ

حَرُمَ

to be generous

نَظَرَ

To see

شَرِبَ

To drink

بَعُدَ

To be far distant

دَخَلَ

To enter

حَزِنَ

To grieve

حَسُنَ

To be good

The past tense conjugation table for the verb فَعَلَ is as follows: