Verbs with fixed prepositions | Arabic free courses

Introduction

Verbs with fixed prepositions are some verbs which are found with prepositions attached to their object. Verbs with such prepositions sometimes convey different meanings.

For example:

Verbs with fixed prepositions – قَضَ

قَضَ means “to judge, to fulfill, to decree,” but when it comes with the proposition عَلَى, it means “to bring to an end, to kill.”

 

وَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is (2:117)

فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَىٰ فَقَضَىٰ عَلَيْهِ

so Moses struck him and [unintentionally] killed him (28:15)

 

Email Address*

Your country*

---

 

Verbs with fixed prepositions – شَهِدَ

 

شَهِدَ means “to bear witness, to be present. When it comes with عَلَى it means “to bear witness against, give testimony against”.

 

فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ

So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; (2:185)

قَالُوا شَهِدْنَا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِنَا

They will say, “We bear witness against ourselves”; (6:130)

 

Verbs with fixed prepositions – تَابَ

 

تَابَ with or without إلى means “to repent” but when it comes with عَلَى it means, “o accept repentance, to forgive”.

 

فَمَن تَابَ مِن بَعْدِ ظُلْمِهِ وَأَصْلَحَ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِ

But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, indeed, Allah will turn to him in forgiveness. (5:39)

 

Verbs with fixed prepositions – جَاءَ

When جَاءَ comes without any preposition it means “to come”. However, when it is used with the preposition بِ it means, “to get/to bring”.

 

فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْقَصَصَ

So when he came to him and related to him the story (28:25)

قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَابَ الَّذِي جَاءَ بِهِ مُوسَىٰ

Say, “Who revealed the Scripture that Moses brought (6:91)

 

The following table shows verbs with fixed prepositions  with fixed prepositions:

 

Verb with meaning	Preposition	Meaning with preposition
قَالَ  He said, to speak, to inspire, to indicate	لِ	He said, to speak, to inspire, to indicate
وَهَبَ  To give as a gift, to grant, to bestow on, dedicate	لِ	To give as a gift, to grant, to bestow on, dedicate
غَفَرَ To cover, veil	لِ	To forgive, pardon
شَكَرَ To realize or acknowledge one’s favor, to thank, be grateful	لِ	To realize or acknowledge one’s favor, to thank, be grateful
سَجَدَ To prostrate, to be submissive	لِ	To prostrate, to be submissive
اَذِنَ To bear, perceive, respond, listen, allow, give permission	لِ	To bear, perceive, respond, listen, allow, give permission
شَهِدَ Be witness, be present	لِ	Be witness, be present
	عَلى	To bear witness, give testimony against
عَفَا To pass over, to forget	عَنْ – لِ	To forgive, to pardon
	عَنْ	To abound
كَشَفَ To remove	عَنْ	To pull away, to remove, take off, to open up, lay open, to bare
نَهَى To forbid	عَنْ	To prevent, forbid, prohibit, restrain
ضَلَّ To go astray	عَنْ	To stray, disappear, go away, failed
تَلَا To follow	عَلَى	To recite
مَرَّ To pass, move, pass on	عَلَى	To pass on, by
	بِ	To pass with, carry
دَلَّ Indicated, showed, pointed at, guided, discovered	عَلَى	To indicate, point, show, guide, discover
قَضَى To fulfill, to judge, decide	عَلَى	To bring to an end, i.e. to kill
قَصَّ To communicate, narrate (a story), to follow one’s track	عَلَى	To communicate, narrate (a story), to follow one’s track
دَخَلَ To enter	عَلَى	To enter
عَرَضَ To happen, to take place	عَلَى	To show, to set before, propound a matter
	لِ	To offer, to present
تَابَ To seek forgiveness, to repent	إِلَى	To seek forgiveness, to repent
	عَلَى	To accept repentance, to forgive
وَصَلَ To reach a place, to arrive at, to seek friendship, to reconcile	إِلى	To agree, to make up, to reconcile, to arrive at, to reach a place
طَلَعَ To appear, rise, to ascend	عَلَى – عَنْ	To depart from
رَضِىَ To be pleased, satisfied, content, chosen, prefer	بِ – عَنْ	To be pleased
جَاءَ He came	بِ	He brought, he got
أَتَى He came, arrived	بِ	He brought, he got, he gave
هَمَّ To interest, regard, concern, worry, care	بِ	To have in mind, intend, desire
خَرَجَ To  come out	بِ	To come out, produce
أَمَرَ To command	بِ	To command
عَاذَ To seek protection take refuge	بِ	To seek protection take refuge
كَفَرَ To be ungrateful, negligent, thankless	بِ	To hide, to refuse, to deny, reject, to disbelieve, denied ungratefully
ذَهَبَ He went, is gone	بِ	Took away
	عَنْ	is gone away, departed
رَغِبَ To long	فِي	to desire, long for
	عَنْ	to have no desire, to be averse
	إِلى	to supplicate
	عَنْ – بِ	to prefer (one thing over another)
بَاءَ Settled, incurred, earned	إِلى	To come back to, return
	بِ	To bring, lead back, to bear
بَغَى To seek, wish for, desire, oppress	عَلَى	To be unjust, to oppress
ضَرَبَ To strike, to beat		with مَتَلَا: to coin a similitude, give a parable, set an example

 

Examples used in the Noble Quran

 

إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ ۖ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

When his Lord said to him, “Submit”, he said “I have submitted [in Islam] to the Lord of the worlds.” (2:131)

فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ

but when We remove from him his affliction (10:12)

أَوْ كَالَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا

Or [consider such an example] as the one who passed by a township which had fallen into ruin. (2:259)

 

This Arabic lesson is now finished. The next one will be insha’Allah about the imperfect tense in Arabic.

Al-dirassa center offers you the possibility to study the Arabic language easily with a qualified teacher. If you are interested, do not hesitate to consult us.

Discover our private classes by Zoom or Skype with a private tutor