Welcome to an important grammatical concept that will deepen your understanding of Arabic sentences: the passive voice in Arabic! Just like in English, the passive voice in Arabic allows you to describe an action without necessarily naming the person or thing performing it. Mastering the difference between active and passive in Arabic will not only make your comprehension sharper but also give you more flexibility in expressing ideas. Let’s explore how this elegant grammatical structure works!
Active vs. Passive Voice in Arabic: The Core Difference
Before diving into the passive voice, let’s quickly review the active voice:
- Active Voice (المَبْنِيّ لِلْمَعْلُوم – Al-Mabnī lil-Maʿlūm): In an active sentence, the subject performs the action. The doer is known and explicitly stated.
- English Example: John opened the door. (John is the doer)
- Arabic Example: فَتَحَ جَوْنُ الْبَابَ. (Fataḥa Jawnu al-bāba.) – John opened the door.
- Passive Voice (المَبْنِيّ لِلْمَجْهُول – Al-Mabnī lil-Majhūl): In a passive sentence, the subject receives the action. The doer of the action is either unknown, unimportant, or deliberately not mentioned.
- English Example: The door was opened. (We don’t know who opened it, or it’s not relevant)
- Arabic Example: فُتِحَ الْبَابُ. (Futiḥa al-bābu.) – The door was opened.
Notice that in Arabic, forming the passive voice involves changing the verb’s form itself, rather than adding an auxiliary verb like “was” or “were” as in English.
Forming the Passive Voice in Arabic: A Change in the Verb
The rules for forming the passive in Arabic depend on the verb’s tense (past or present).
Past Tense Passive (فعل ماضٍ مبني للمجهول – Fiʿl Māḍin Mabnī lil-Majhūl):
To make a three-letter past tense verb passive, you apply a specific vowel change:
- Rule: The first letter (فَاء الْفِعْل – Fāʾ al-Fiʿl) takes a damma (ـُ ), and the letter before the last (عَيْن الْفِعْل – ʿAyn al-Fiʿl) takes a kasra (ـِ ).
- (For longer verbs, general rule is first letter damma, all vowels before last letter kasra, and last letter stays the same)
| Active Verb (Past) | Transliteration | Meaning (Active) | Passive Verb (Past) | Transliteration | Meaning (Passive) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| كَتَبَ | Kataba | He wrote | كُتِبَ | Kutiba | It was written |
| فَتَحَ | Fataḥa | He opened | فُتِحَ | Futiḥa | It was opened |
| شَرِبَ | Shariba | He drank | شُرِبَ | Shuriba | It was drunk |
| ضَرَبَ | Ḍaraba | He hit | ضُرِبَ | Ḍuriba | He was hit |
| قُتِلَ (More complex) | Qatala | He killed | قُتِلَ | Qutila | He was killed |
Present Tense Passive (فعل مضارع مبني للمجهول – Fiʿl Muḍāriʿ Mabnī lil-Majhūl):
To make a present tense verb passive, the rule is similar but with a slight difference for the letter before last:
- Rule: The first letter (يَاء الْمُضَارَعَة – Yāʾ al-Muḍāraʿah or تَاء الْمُضَارَعَة – Tāʾ al-Muḍāraʿah) takes a damma (ـُ ), and the letter before the last (عَيْن الْفِعْل – ʿAyn al-Fiʿl) takes a fatha (ـَ ).
| Active Verb (Present) | Transliteration | Meaning (Active) | Passive Verb (Present) | Transliteration | Meaning (Passive) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| يَكْتُبُ | Yaktubu | He writes | يُكْتَبُ | Yuktabu | It is written |
| يَفْتَحُ | Yaftaḥu | He opens | يُفْتَحُ | Yuftaḥu | It is opened |
| يَشْرَبُ | Yashrabu | He drinks | يُشْرَبُ | Yushrabu | It is drunk |
| يُضْرَبُ | Yaḍribu | He hits | يُضْرَبُ | Yuḍrabu | He is hit |
The “Vice-Subject” (نائب الفاعل – Nāʾib al-Fāʿil)
When a sentence is made passive, the original object of the active verb takes the place of the subject. This new “subject” in the passive sentence is called the نائب الفاعل (Nāʾib al-Fāʿil), meaning “vice-subject” or “deputy subject.”
- The Nāʾib al-Fāʿil always takes the nominative case (مَرْفُوع – marfūʿ), just like a normal subject.
Example:
- Active: The boy broke the cup. – كَسَرَ الْوَلَدُ الْكُوبَ. (Kasara al-waladu al-kūba.)
- (الْوَلَدُ – al-waladu = Subject, الْكُوبَ – al-kūba = Object)
- Passive: The cup was broken. – كُسِرَ الْكُوبُ. (Kusira al-kūbu.)
- (الْكُوبُ – al-kūbu = Nāʾib al-Fāʿil, now in nominative case)
When to Use Passive in Arabic
The passive voice in Arabic is used in situations similar to English:
- When the doer is unknown: The car was stolen. (لا نعرف من سرقها)
- When the doer is unimportant: The new school was built. (المهم هو المدرسة لا الباني)
- To emphasize the action or the receiver of the action: Justice was served. (التركيز على العدل)
- To generalize: Arabic is spoken in many countries.
Active and Passive in Arabic: A Quick Comparison
| Feature | Active Voice (مَبْنِيّ لِلْمَعْلُوم) | Passive Voice (مَبْنِيّ لِلْمَجْهُول) |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | The doer of the action (Subject) | The action itself or its receiver (Nāʾib al-Fāʿil) |
| Verb Form | Standard verb forms | Verb form changes (vowel alterations) |
| Subject | Present and performs the action | Often unmentioned or unknown; the Nāʾib al-Fāʿil is present |
| Object | Takes accusative case (مَنْصُوب) | Becomes Nāʾib al-Fāʿil, takes nominative case (مَرْفُوع) |
Tips for Mastering Passive in Arabic
- Practice Verb Transformations: Drill yourself on converting active verbs to their passive forms for both past and present tenses.
- Identify the Nāʾib al-Fāʿil: Learn to recognize the noun that takes the place of the subject in a passive sentence.
- Listen Actively: Pay attention to news reports or formal speeches in Arabic, as the passive voice is frequently used there.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Use It: The best way to learn is by practicing. Start with simple passive sentences.
Understanding the passive in Arabic adds a powerful tool to your grammatical arsenal. It allows for more sophisticated and nuanced expression, reflecting the elegance of the Arabic language.
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