Lesson 81
Exclamation Taʿajjub (Comprehensive)
التعجب شامل
Complete rules for both exclamation formulae, including which verbs cannot form taʿajjub and what alternatives to use instead.
Taʿajjub Eligibility Rules
VerbEligible?ReasonExample / Alternative
جَمُلَYes ✓Trilateral, active, non-colourمَا أَجْمَلَهُ!
عَلِمَYes ✓Trilateral, mental state verbمَا أَعْلَمَهُ!
اِسْتَغْفَرَNo ✗Form X more than trilateralمَا أَكْثَرَ اسْتِغْفَارَهُ!
أَحْمَرNo ✗Already on أَفْعَل (colour)مَا أَشَدَّ حُمْرَتَهُ!
مَاتَNo ✗Defective verb no active human controlمَا أَكْثَرَ مَوْتَهُمْ!
Standard Workarounds
Bridge verbUseExample
مَا أَشَدَّIntensify a qualityمَا أَشَدَّ احْمِرَارَهُ!
مَا أَكْثَرَFrequency/quantityمَا أَكْثَرَ اسْتِغْفَارَهُ!
مَا أَحْسَنَGeneral beauty/goodnessمَا أَحْسَنَ تَعَاوُنَهُمْ!
مَا أَعْظَمَ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ! أَعْظِمْ بِخَالِقِ هَذَا الْكَوْنِ!
Mā aʿẓama khalqa llāhi! Aʿẓim bikhāliqi hādhā l-kawni!
How great is Allah's creation! How great is the Creator of this universe! (Formula 1 then Formula 2 for the same root)
أَسْمِعْ بِهِمْ وَأَبْصِرْ يَوْمَ يَأْتُونَنَا
Asmiʿ bihim wa-abṣir yawma yaʾtūnanā
"How well they will hear and see on the Day they come to Us!" (18:38) Quranic Formula 2: أَسْمِعْ بِهِمْ and أَبْصِرْ both imperative-form taʿajjub verbs.
- Formula 1: مَا + أَفْعَلَ + accusative noun. The أَفْعَلَ is a frozen past-tense verb (not a comparative).
- Formula 2: أَفْعِلْ + بِ + genitive noun. The form looks like an imperative but functions as a declarative exclamation.
- The four eligibility conditions: trilateral root, active voice, not already on أَفْعَل, verb admits gradation (not a quantity/count verb).
- For ineligible verbs: bridge through مَا أَشَدَّ or مَا أَكْثَرَ + the masdar of the ineligible verb in the accusative.
- 18:38 is the clearest Quranic example of Formula 2 both أَسْمِعْ and أَبْصِرْ are taʿajjub forms, not real imperatives.