Arabic Verbal Sentence: Rules, Examples, and Grammar Explained

Welcome to the captivating world of the Arabic language! If you want to express action and movement, the Arabic verbal sentence, known as Al-Jumla al-Fi’liyya, is your gateway. In this article, we’ll explore its components, explain how it works with attached pronouns arabic, and show you how to transform a sentence’s focus, a concept we’ll call moving sentences. Let’s begin!

Understanding the Arabic Verbal Sentence

An Arabic verbal sentence is a sentence that begins with a verb. It’s used to describe an event or an action performed by a person or a thing. In its simplest form, it consists of two main parts: the verb (fi’l) and the subject (fa’il).

• The Verb (الفعل): The word that indicates an action in a specific tense (past, present, or command).
• The Subject (الفاعل): The one who performs the action, which is always in the nominative case.

Simple Examples

• Wrote the boy. (كتب الولدُ).
• Drinks the child. (يشربُ الطفلُ).
• Slept the cat. (نام القطُّ).

Types of Verbs in a Verbal Sentence

Verbs can be categorized into two types based on their need for a direct object:

• Intransitive Verbs (Al-Fi’l al-Lazim): These verbs are complete with just a subject and do not require an object.
  • Went Ahmad to school. (ذهب أحمدُ إلى المدرسة.)
• Transitive Verbs (Al-Fi’l al-Muta’addi): These verbs require a direct object to complete their meaning.
  • Drank Muhammad the water. (شرب محمدٌ الماءَ.)

The Parts of an Arabic Verbal Sentence

The verbal sentence is typically made up of three main parts.

The Verb

The verb is the foundation of the sentence and comes in three tenses:

• Past Tense (Al-Madi): Refers to an action that happened and is now finished.
  • Examples: The boy ate the apple. (أكلَ الولدُ التفاحة.) – The girl ate the apple. (أكلتْ البنتُ التفاحة.)
• Present Tense (Al-Mudari): Refers to an action happening now or in the future.
  • Examples: The boy eats the apple. (يأكلُ الولدُ التفاحة.) – The girl eats the apple. (تأكلُ البنتُ التفاحة.)
• Command Tense (Al-Amr): A verb used to give a command.
  • Examples: Write your homework. (اكتبْ واجبك.) – Write your homework (to a female). (اكتبي واجبك.)

The Subject

The subject is the one performing the action and can appear in three forms:

• Explicit Noun (Ism Zahir): A noun that appears clearly after the verb. Example: The teacher came. (جاء المعلمُ.)
• Attached Pronoun (Damir Muttasil): This is a pronoun that is directly attached to the verb. Attached pronouns arabic are key to understanding verb conjugation.
  • Examples of how pronouns attach to the verb:
    • Ta’ al-Fa’il (the subject’s ta): Used for the past tense. (I wrote: كتبتُ, you [m] wrote: كتبتَ, you [f] wrote: كتبتِ)
    • Waw al-Jama’a (the plural waw): Used for the plural male. (They wrote: كتبوا, they write: يكتبون)
    • Nun al-Niswa (the female nun): Used for the plural female. (They wrote: كتبنَ, they write: يكتبنَ)
    • Ya’ al-Mukhataba (the addressed ya): Used for the singular female you. (Write: اكتبي)
• Hidden Pronoun (Damir Mustatir): A pronoun that doesn’t appear in the sentence but is understood from the context. Example: He writes the lesson. (يكتبُ الدرس.) (The subject is the hidden pronoun “he”.)

The Object

The object is the recipient of the action and is not always a necessary part of the sentence. Example: The child ate the apple. (أكل الطفلُ التفاحةَ.)

Key Rules in the Arabic Verbal Sentence

The Jumla Fi’liyya follows a few important rules that are essential for accurate and natural-sounding Arabic.

Verb-Subject Agreement

The verb agrees with its subject in gender (masculine or feminine) but not in number if the subject comes after the verb.

• The boy said. (قالَ الولدُ.)
• The girl said. (قالت البنتُ.)
• The boys came. (جاء الأولادُ.) (The verb remains singular.)

The Passive Voice (Al-Mabni li-l-Majhul)

Sometimes, the subject is unknown. In this case, the verb changes form and the direct object takes the place of the subject, becoming the “deputy subject” (na’ib fa’il).

• Active Voice: The boy ate the apple. (أكل الولدُ التفاحةَ.)
• Passive Voice: The apple was eaten. (أُكلَتْ التفاحةُ.) (The subject is unknown, and the apple became the deputy subject.)

Transforming Sentence Focus (Moving Sentences)

The concept of moving sentences refers to the simple process of converting a nominal sentence (which starts with a noun) into a verbal one. This transformation changes the sentence’s focus.

• Nominal Sentence: The players are playing the ball. (اللاعبون يلعبون الكرة.) (Focus is on the players.)
• Verbal Sentence: Are playing the players the ball. (يلعبُ اللاعبون الكرة.) (Focus is on the action of playing.)

Remember: When you begin the sentence with a verb, the verb must remain in the singular form, as in the example above.

Conclusion

Mastering the Arabic verbal sentence is a fundamental step toward fluency. The versatility of verbs in Arabic offers incredible flexibility, especially with attached pronouns arabic that allow you to express the subject in a single word. By practicing moving sentences between their nominal and verbal forms, you will gain a deeper understanding of sentence structure and focus. To continue your journey and practice these concepts, download the Kaleela app and explore interactive lessons designed to help you master Arabic grammar with ease.