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
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 |
3 Comments
Masha' Allah, which country?
ReplyDeleteFrom Nigeria, thanks for reading
DeleteNigeria, thanks for the reading
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