The Five Verbs In Arabic Language (الأفعال الخمسة)

 The Five Verbs In Arabic Language (الأفعال الخمسة)

By: Yusuf Basirat Bolanle

In our previous lessons, we have discussed the major classification of verbs in Arabic language, Which are The Past tense, the Present tense,  the command tense and probably the future tense.

In this lesson, we are going to discuss another important set of verbs in Arabic language. This set of verb is not categorically put under the major types of the verbs, because it is as well has a lot to do with the present tense form of verb. This set of verb is known as (الأفعال الخمسة) the Five Verbs.

What are Five Verbs?

Five verbs are the present tense form of verb that end with the following suffixes or attachments:

1- The dual Alif (الف الإثنين) (ا)

2-The Masculine Plural Was (واو الجماعة) (و)

3- The Second Person Singular Feminine Yaa (ياء المخاطبة) (ي)

So, the five verbs in Arabic language are simply:

1-  يفعلان

2-  تفعلان

3-  يفعلون

4-  تفعلون

5-  تفعلين

It s very important to know that when these five verbs are in position to take arraf'u sign, like being in a position where they stand alone and or not preceded by any particles of Nazb or Jazm, the nun (ن) at their end will be clearly put and added to them. But whenever they are in the position to take Annazb or Aljazm sign, like being preceded by one of Nazb or Jazm particles, then the nun (ن) at their end will be removed or erased.

Let us briefly explain the definition of five verbs with examples as stated above

1-  The Dual Alif (الف الإثنين) (ا)

The dual alif (الف الإثنين) is always attached to a present tense if the action is performed by two people in the present time. The dual alif can be attached to actions performed by two people who are not present at the point of the discussion  (the third person dual), likewise the action performed by the two people whom we are talking to, (the second person dual). Examples are:  

            The third person dual

Third person dual in Arraf'u position

 

المدرسان يكتبان على السبورة

The two teachers are writing on the board

العاملان يعملان فى المصنع

The two workers are working in the factory

................................ 

Third person dual in Annazb position

المدرسان لن يكتبا على السبورة

The two teachers won't write on the board

................................

The Third Person Dual in AlJazm Position

العاملان لم يعملا فى المصنع

The two workers didn't work in the factory

..................................

The Second Person Dual

Second person dual in Arraf'u position

أنتما تدرسان فى الجامعة

You are both studying in the university

أنتما تكتبان على السبورة

You are both writing on the board

.................................

Second person dual in annazb position

أنتما لن تدرسا فى الجامعة

You both won't study in the university

................................

Second person dual in Aljazm position

أنتما لم تكتبا على السبورة

You are both didn't write on the board

...........................................

2-   The Masculine Plural Was (واو الجماعة)

This is attached to a present tense whenever the statement is addressing the second person masculine plural or the third person masculine plural. Examples are:

The Third Person Pural

Third person plural in arraf'u position

المدرسون يكتبون على السبورة

The teachers are writing on the board

العمال يعملون فى المصنع

The workers are working in the factory

....................................

Third person plural in Annazb position

المدرسون لن يكتبوا على السبورة

The teachers won't write on the board

................................

Third person plural in Aljazm position

العمال لم يعملوا فى المصنع

The workers didn't work in the factory

...................................

The second person plural

Second person plural in arraf'u position

أنتم تكتبون على السبورة

You are all writing on the board

أنتم تعملون فى المصنع

You are all Woking in the factory

.................................

Second person plural in annazb position

أنتم لن تكتبوا على السبورة

You will not write on the board

..................................

Second person plural in aljazm position

أنتم لم تعملوا فى المصنع

You did not work in the factory

...................................................

3-   The Second Person Feminine Yaa (ياء المخاكبة)

This is always attached to a present tense whenever the expression is addressing the second person singular female only. Examples are:

Second person singular female in arraf'u position

أنت تدرسين فى الجامعة

You are studying in the university

أنت تكتبين على السبورة

You are writing on the board

...................................

Second person singular female in annazb position

أنت لن تدرسى فى الجامعة

You will not study in the university

.....................................

Second person singular female in Aljazm position

أنت لم تكتبى على السبورة

You didn't write on the board

Discussion

Let us look vividly into the above examples, we notice that the first set of examples under each sub headings are in Arraf'u position because they are not preceded by any present tense particles either Nazb or Jazm particles. In the second category, they are in Nazb position because they are preceded by (لن) which is one of Nazb particles and in the third category, they are in Jazm position because they are preceded by (لم) which is one of Jazm particles.

But the question now is, what are the signs of Arraf'u, Annazb and Ajazm in the above examples?

 If we look deeply into those examples, we will discover that there is no any clear sign of Addamah or Alfatha or Assukun on them, which are the signs of Arraf'u, Annazb and Aljazm respectively.

However, in the position of arraf'u, instead of putting a clear Addamah sign which is the sign for arraf'u, there, we find Annum (ن) added permanently to the end of the verbs. like, in the first category of each of the examples above. The Nun(ن) that is clearly added to the end is what indicates arraf'u position and in place of Addamah sign.

Looking at the last examples in  both Annazb and Aljazm positions,  with one of Nazb and Jazm particles, we expect to see the two clear signs of Nazb which is Alfatha and that of Jazm which is Assukun, instead we see the omission of Annum (ن). This means that whenever the present tense is in this type of condition, the omission of Nun (ن) has already represents and in place of the clear fatha or assukun sign that supposed to be put in the present tense.

There is no doubt that whenever any of the Five Verbs is in Arraf'u position to take Addamah sign, then, the inclusion of (ن)Annum represents the Addamah sign, likewise in the Nazb and Jazm position, the omission of Annum (ن) represents Alfatha and Assukun sign respectively.

Conclusively, the Five Verbs can be easily identified on the scale of (فعل) as follows: 

The Five Verbs in their Different Positions

 

(افعال الخمسة فى حالة الرفعٖ والنصب والجزم)

أفعال خمسة فى حالة الجزم	أفعال خمسة فى حالة النصب	أفعال الخمسة فى حالة الرفع
The five verbs in Genitive position with (لم) particle	The five verbs inAccusasive position with (لن) particle	The five verbs in Nominative position without pre -particles
لم يفعلا	لن يفعلا	يفعلان
لم تفعلا	لن تفعلا	تفعلان
لم يفعلوا	لن يفعلوا	يفعلون
َلم تفعلوا	لن تفعلوا	تفعلون
لم تفعلى	لن تفعلى	تفعلين

Explanation of the Table

Now, a critical look at the above table, we will discover that the first column consists of the five verbs with either the dual alif (الف الإثنين) or the masculine plural waw (واو الجماعة) or second person singular feminine Yaa (ياء المخاطبة), which are in their Arraf'u positions. This can be seen by the addition of Annum (ن) at the end of each of the verb. The nun (ن) is added because the verbs are not preceded by any particles of Nazb or Jazm. Hence, they are in the position to take Addamah parsing mark. The inclusion of the Nun (ن) at the end indicates that the verbs are in their right Arraf'u positions to take Addamah sign.

However, looking at the second column, we will discover that there is addition of one of Annazb particles which is (لن). This indicates that the five verbs are in position to take Alfatha parsing mark, as a result of that, the Annum (ن) at the end of the verbs were erazed. This means that whenever the five verbs are in the position to take alfatha sign, then, the omission of annum (ن) will replace the alfatha sign, 

Likewise the last column which consists of the one of the jazm particles (لم) the ommision of Annun (ن) at the end of the five verbs in this case also denotes that the verb are in position to take Assukun parsing mark. Just like Annazb case. So, whenever the five verbs are in the position to take Aljazm parsing mark, then, there will be ommission or deletion of the Annum (ن) at the end of the verbs. The verbs only end with the Nun (ن) when they are not preceded by any particles of the present tense which are either Nazb or Jazm particles.

Note:

1-  The Five verbs must be in their present tense form, hence they are derivatives of the present tense form of verb (فعل المضارع)

2-   There are other particles of the present tense Annazb and Aljazm particles other than the two mentioned above which are (لن) and (لم). Those two are only used as examples. 

3- Arraf'u position (Nominative case) means that the verbs are in positions to take Ad-dammah parsing mark or sign

4- The Nazb position (Accusative case) means that the verbs are in the position to take Al-fatha parsing mark or sign

5-  Aljazm position (Genitive case) means that the verbs are in the position to take As-sukun parsing mark or sign

6-  Read more about Annazb and Aljazm particles from the link below:

-  Nazb Particles of the present tense

-  Jazm particles of the present tense