The Feminine Signs In Arabic Verbs (علامات التأنيث فى الأفعال)

The Feminine Signs In Arabic Verbs

 (علامات التأنيث فى الأفعال)

By: Yusuf Basirat Bolanle

Introduction

In Arabic language, gender specifications and identifications in anything that has to do with females has its own special sign, place and identification, Unlike other languages. English language for instance, where some of gender identities are shared together between both masculine and feminine. For instance, the pronouns you, they, them, likewise almost all verbs are used equally for both masculine and feminine.

However, The reverse is the case in Arabic language, as both females and males are sharing entirely different identities and signs to each other. 

In this lesson, we shall talk about how to identify or form feminine verbs in Arabic language. We shall discuss the feminine signs in the three major types of verbs. The past, the present and the command tenses.

In Arabic language, if the subject of a sentence is a female, the verb as well will be feminine verb. This however is applicable to the singular, the dual and the plural forms of feminine nouns as well as their verbs.

Discussion

The feminine sign in singular verbs

A singular feminine verb in Arabic language goes with a singular feminine noun or subject in a sentence. If the subject is a singular female, surely the verb will be a singular feminine as well. A feminine verb is an action that is performed by females, either the female is singular, dual or plural. Females verbs are specifically identified by some female signs, either the verbs are in their past, present or Command tense. Examples of feminine singular verbs in their past, present and command states are: 

Past tense

جلست راضية على الكرسي

Rodiyah sat on the chair

لعبت فاطمة فى الميدان

Fatimah played on the field

Present tense

تجلس راضية على الكرسي

Rodiyah is sitting on the chair

تلعب فاطمة فى الميدان

Fatimah is playing on the field

Command tense

اجلسى على الكرسي يا راضية

Sit on the chair you Rodiyah

العبى فى الميدان يا فاطمة

Play on the field you Fatimah

The above sentences show the feminine sign in singular verbs with singular subjects in the past, present and command tenses. In the singular past tense, the feminine sign is (التاء التأنيث الساكنة) the feminine Taa with assukun (ت) at the end of the verb. The singular feminine sign in the present tense form is the attachment of prefix taa (ت) to the beginning of the verb while the singular feminine sign in command tense is the attachment of feminine yaa (ى) to its end.

The feminine sign in Dual verbs

The dual feminine verbs are verbs that are performed by two females entities, either the females are human or non human beings. This verbs can as well be in the past, present or command tense form. The dual feminine verbs as well have their own signs and identifications as will be given in the Examples Below:

Past tense

راضية و فاطمة جلستا على الكرسي

Rodiyah and Fatimah sat on the chair

زينب و رقية لعبتا فى الميدان

Zainab and Ruqoyah played on the field

Present tense

راضية وفاطمة تجلسان على الكرسي

Rodiyah and Fatimah are sitting on the chair

فاطمة و رقية تلعبان فى الميدان

Fatimah and Ruqoyah are playing on the field

Command tense

اجلسا يا راضية و فاطمة

Sit down you Fatimah and Rodiyah

العبا يا رقية و زينب

Play, you Ruqoyah and Zainàb

The above sentences show the dual feminine verbs signs in their past, present and command tense. In the past tense, the dual feminine sign is the feminine taa (ت) at the end of the verb preceded by the dual alif, and the (ا) dual alif attached to the end of the verbs is the sign that the action is performed by two people. The dual feminine sign in the present tense form is the initial Taa (ت), the (ت) at the beginning of the verbs. The dual alif attached to the end of the verbs is also a sign that the action is performed by two people. Likewise, in the command tense, the dual sign is only in the dual alif (ا) attached to the end of the verbs because dual form of command tense share the same picture and appearance with the masculine form.

The feminine sign in Plural verbs

The feminine plural verbs are the actions performed by the group of females or more than two females. The plural form in Arabic language are the objects from three and above in number. The feminine plural verbs are as well can be identified through the feminine sign attached to the end of the verbs. Let's look at the following examples of the feminine sign in feminine verbs in the past, present and command verbs.

The past tense

البنات جلسن على الكرسي

The Females sat on the chair

الطالبات لعبن فى الميدان

The female students plàyed on the field

The present tense

البنات يجلسن على الكرسي

The females are sitting on the chair

الطالبات يلعبن فى الميدان

The female students are playing on the field

The command tense

اجلسن على الكرسي يا بنات

Sit down on the chair you females

العبن فى الميدان يا طالبات

Play on the field you female students

In the above examples, the feminine sign in the plural past tense is the attachment of the feminine plural Nun (نون النسوة) (ن) to the end of the verbs. In the present tense form, the feminine plural sign is also the attachment of the feminine plural Nun (ن) to the end of the verbs, likewise, in the command tense, the feminine plural sign is the same feminine plural Nun (ن) added to the end of the verbs. This means the sign of females in the plural feminine verbs remain the same ( Nun) for the past, present and command tense.