When you start learning Arabic grammar, you’ll encounter the fā‘il. Therefore, understanding the fa il in arabic is the key to building a correct and clear sentence. This article, in turn, will be your guide to understanding this concept, as well as two related terms: Ism al-fā‘il and Na’ibul fā‘il.
What is the Fa il (الفَاعِل)?
The fā‘il is the subject of a verb in an active sentence. In other words, it is the noun that does the action. Furthermore, the fā‘il is always in the nominative case, which is marked by a dammah (ـُ) sound at the end of the word.
- Example: “كَتَبَ الطَالِبُ.” (Kataba al-ṭālibu.)
- Meaning: “The student wrote.”
- Explanation: Here,”الطَالِبُ” (al-ṭālibu) is the fā‘il because he is the one performing the action of “writing.” Specifically, the dammah at the end shows that it is the doer.
The Two Types of Fa il
The types of fā‘il are divided into two main categories: explicit and implicit.
Explicit Fā‘il (ظَاهِر)
This is when the doer is a clear and visible noun in the sentence. This, therefore, is the most common type of fā’il.
- Example: “يَشْرَبُ الوَلَدُ.” (Yashrabu al-waladu.)
- Meaning: “The boy drinks.”
- Explanation: “الوَلَدُ” (al-waladu) is the explicit fā‘il. The verb comes first, followed by the noun that performs the action.
Implicit Fā‘il (مُسْتَتِر)
This is when the doer is a hidden pronoun that is understood from the verb’s form. Consequently, it is not a separate word, but a part of the verb itself.
- Example: “يَشْرَبُ.” (Yashrabu.)
- Meaning: “He drinks.”
- Explanation: The “he” is not a separate word, but is understood from the form of the verb “يَشْرَبُ.” The fā‘il is a hidden pronoun here.
The Active Participle: Ism al-Fa il (اسم الفاعل)
The Ism al-fā‘il is a noun that is derived from a verb. Its purpose is to describe a person or thing that is actively performing an action. Therefore, the اسم الفاعل in english is known as the “active participle.” You can think of it as a noun that comes from a verb, for example, “write” becoming “writer.”
How to form the Ism al-Fā‘il
The form of the Ism al-fā’il depends on the number of root letters in the verb. The most common and simple rule is for three-letter verbs, which follow the pattern فَاعِل (fā‘il).
- Example: كتب (kataba) to كاتب (kātib)
- Take the three root letters of the verb: ك – ت – ب.
- Add an أَلِف (alif) after the first letter: كَاْتَبَ.
- Add a كَسْرَة (kasrah) under the second letter: كَاْتِبَ.
- Add a ضَمَّة (dammah) at the end to make it a noun: كَاتِبٌ (kātibun), which means “writer.”
- More Examples for 3-Letter Verbs:
- دَرَسَ (darasa – “he studied”) → دَارِسٌ (dārisun – “student” or “one who studies”)
- عَمِلَ (ʿamila – “he worked”) → عَامِلٌ (ʿāmilun – “worker”)
- لَعِبَ (laʿiba – “he played”) → لاَعِبٌ (lāʿibun – “player”)
The Connection to Fā‘il Grammar
The concept of changing a verb like كتب (kataba) to a noun like كاتب (kātib) is, in fact, directly related to fā‘il (فاعل) grammar. Here’s the key distinction:
- Fā‘il (فاعل) is a grammatical role. It is the name for the noun that performs the action in an active sentence. It answers the question, “Who is doing the action?”
- Ism al-Fā‘il (اسم الفاعل), or the active participle, is a type of noun. It is a word derived from a verb that describes the person or thing performing the action.
- An Analogy: To illustrate, think of it this way: “The student is a writer.” In the sentence, “The student wrote the story,” “the student” is the fā‘il. The word “writer” (كاتب) is the Ism al-Fā‘il. It describes the profession or state of the person. In short, the Ism al-Fā‘il is a noun you create from a verb, and this noun can then function as a fā‘il in a sentence. Ultimately, they are two distinct but interconnected concepts within Arabic grammar _ Ism al-faail.
The Deputy Doer: Na’ibul Fā‘il (نائب الفاعل)
The Na’ibul fā‘il is used in passive sentences. It means “deputy doer” or “substitute doer.” When an active sentence is changed into a passive one, the original doer is removed, and the object of the action takes its place, thereby becoming the Na’ibul fā‘il. This noun is also in the nominative case (with a dammah).
- Active Sentence: “شَرِبَ الوَلَدُ الحَلِيبَ.” (Shariba al-waladu al-ḥalība.) – “The boy drank the milk.”
- Passive Sentence: “شُرِبَ الحَلِيبُ.” (Shuriba al-ḥalību.) – “The milk was drunk.”
- Explanation: In the passive sentence, “الحَلِيبُ” (al-ḥalību) is the Na’ibul fā‘il. It is no longer the object; rather, it has taken the place of the doer and now has a dammah ending.
Understanding the Object: Maf’ul bihi (المَفْعُول بِهِ)
To fully understand the fā’il, you also need to know its counterpart, the object. The maf’ul bihi (المَفْعُول بِهِ) is, therefore, the noun that receives the action. It is always in the accusative case, marked with a fatha (ـَ) sound at the end.
- Example: “قَرَأَ الطَالِبُ الكِتَابَ.” (Qara’a al-ṭālibu al-kitāba.)
- Meaning: “The student read the book.”
- Explanation: “الطَالِبُ” (al-ṭālibu) is the fā‘il (the doer). Conversely, “الكِتَابَ” (al-kitāba) is the maf’ul bihi (the object), as it is the thing being read.
Summary of Key Concepts
- Fā‘il (الفَاعِل): The actual doer of the action in an active sentence. It is always in the nominative case (dammah).
- Ism al-fā‘il (اسم الفاعل): The active participle; a noun derived from a verb that describes the person or thing doing the action (e.g., kātib – writer).
- Na’ibul fā‘il (نائب الفاعل): The deputy doer; a noun that takes the place of the doer in a passive sentence. It is also in the nominative case (dammah).
- Maf’ul bihi (المَفْعُول بِهِ): The object; the noun that receives the action. It is always in the accusative case (fatha).
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the fa il and its related concepts is an important step in mastering Arabic grammar. By knowing the difference between the fā‘il, the Ism al-fā‘il, and the Na’ibul fā‘il, you will be able to build more precise and correct sentences in Arabic. For more insights into Arab culture and to master the language, be sure to download the Kaleela Arabic learning app today!
