Lesson 86
Verb Measure I Faʿala and its Types
الميزان الصرفي الفعل الثلاثي
Form I verbs have three sub-types based on the middle root vowel in the present tense: fatḥa, kasra, or ḍamma. Each sub-type has general semantic tendencies though not rigid rules.
Form I Sub-Types
Sub-typePastPresentSemantic tendency
فَعَلَ - يَفْعُلكَتَبَيَكْتُبTransitive physical actions
فَعَلَ - يَفْعِلجَلَسَيَجْلِسIntransitive motion/posture
فَعَلَ - يَفْعَلفَتَحَيَفْتَحGeneral (broadest category)
فَعِلَ - يَفْعَلعَلِمَيَعْلَمMental / emotional states
فَعُلَ - يَفْعُلكَرُمَيَكْرُمNatural qualities (stative)
Form I Masdar Patterns
Sub-typeCommon masdar patternExample masdar
فَعَلَ-يَفْعُل (transitive)فِعَالَة / فَعْلكِتَابَة / كَتْب
فَعَلَ-يَفْعِل (intransitive)فُعُولجُلُوس
فَعِلَ (mental)فِعْلعِلْم
فَعُلَ (qualities)فَعَل / فَعَالَةكَرَم / كَرَامَة
كَتَبَ جَلَسَ عَلِمَ كَرُمَ
Kataba Jalasa ʿAlima Karuma
He wrote (transitive). He sat (intransitive). He knew (mental). He was generous (natural quality). Four Form I sub-types, each requiring a different present-tense vowel.
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَيَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُون
Yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wa-mā khalfahum wa-yaʿlamūna mā tafʿalūn
"He knows what is before them and what is behind them." (2:255) "And they know what you do." Both يَعْلَم and يَفْعَل are Form I (فَعِلَ / فَعَلَ) mental and action verbs.
- The present-tense middle vowel (ḍamma, kasra, or fatḥa) MUST be memorised per verb no rule predicts it from the root.
- فَعُلَ (natural qualities): كَرُمَ (generous), شَجُعَ (brave), كَبُرَ (big) stative verbs, typically intransitive, past and present both on ḍamma.
- Form I masdar: no fixed pattern each verb has its own masdar (كِتَابَة, جُلُوس, فَتْح, عِلْم, كَرَم) must be learnt with the verb.
- Form I can be transitive (كَتَبَ رِسَالَةً he wrote a letter) or intransitive (جَلَسَ he sat) the lexicon determines this.
- Recognising the Form I sub-type helps predict the passive: يُكْتَب (Form I passive, ḍamma-fatḥa) vs يُجْلَس both use مُفَعَّل pattern in the present passive.