CHAPTER 1
The verb system in Arabic ุงูุฃููุนุงู
Verbs are that part of speech that express action or the occurrence of an event. Verbs are usually the first element in MSA sentences that contain verbs, followed by performers mers of actions, called ูุงุนูู in Arabic. A sentence whose initial element is a verb is known as a verbal sentence. A sentence beginning with a noun is called a nominal sentence. There are grammatical consequences for the choice of placing the verb or the performer of action at the head of the sentence. Examples of verbal and nominal sentences follow:
ููุตููู ุงูุตููุฏููู ุฃูู
ูุณู. | The friend (M) arrived yesterday. |
ุงูุตููุฏูููุฉู ููุตูููุช ุฃูู
ูุณู. | The friend (F) arrived yesterday. |
1.1 THE PERFORMER OF ACTION ูุงุนูู
All verbs have a ูุงุนูู, the performer of action. This element could be expressed as a noun, or nouns, or as a pronoun, explicit or implied. An expressed noun functioning as a performer is always in the nominative case; it can be definite or indefinite. Definite singular nouns must end with a Dhamma in the writing system of formal Arabic, pronounced -u; indefinite singular nouns end with two Dhammas in orthography, pronounced -un. Dual definite and indefinite nouns such as ูุงุนูู must have ุงูู - at their ends; regular masculine plural nouns have ููู -; irregular plural nouns, like singular nouns, have either a Dhamma or two, depending on their determination (whether they are definite or indefinite). Finally, regular feminine plural nouns must have ุงุช - with either a Dhamma or two, depending on their determination.
1.2 VERB TENSES
Verbs can convey a sense of time frame: past, present, or future; whether the action happened in the past or was a single occurrence, or if one action happened before or after another, whether it happens regularly and habitually, or is happening at the present time, or whether it will happen at some future time. These time references of events expressed by verbs are called tenses. Verb tenses in Arabic are divided into the following:
1. Past tense is used to express a past, completed action (see Chapter 11), or an action which was ongoing in the past (see Chapter 18 on past continuous tense), or two actions which happened in the past with one action occurring before the other (see past perfect tense, Chapter 19).
2. Present tense is used to express actions in the present, either happening habitually or regularly, or to state a fact. Additionally, this tense can be used to express the future (see Chapter 14). Forms of the present tense are also used in imperatives and their negatives, and follow subjunctive particles.
3. Future tense employs verbs to express action that will happen at some point in the future (see Chapter 14).
1.3 INTRANSITIVE VERBS ุงูุฃูููุนุงูู ุงููุงุฒูู
ูุฉู VERSUS TRANSITIVE VERBS ุงูุฃููุนุงู ุงูู
ูุชูุนูุฏููููุฉ
1.3.1 Intransitive verbs ุงูุฃูููุนุงูู ุงููุงุฒูู
ูุฉู
Some verbs require only a performer of action, the ูุงุนูู, to make a complete sentence. For example, the verbs ูุงู
ู โhe slept, to sleepโ or ุงูุจูุชูุณูู
ู โhe smiled, to smileโ express actions that are unilaterally performed by one person, namely the person who slept or smiled. Such verbs are referred to as intransitive verbs ููุนู ูุงุฒู
) / Pl ุฃููุนุงู ูุงุฒูู
ูุฉ ), verbs that do not require direct objects as in ููุจูุฑู โto become bigger,โ ุถูุญููู โto laugh.โ Intransitive verbs are often used with prepositions which are learned as part and parcel of learning the verb itself and how it is used. Examples of intransitive verbs include: ุฐูููุจู ุฅูู โto go to,โ ุฑูุฌูุนู ู
ููู/ ุฅููู โto return from/to,โ ุฎูุฑูุฌู ู
ููู โto go out, exit,โ etc.
1.3.2 Transitive verbs ุงูุฃููุนุงูู ุงูู
ูุชูุนูุฏููููุฉ
Some verbs express actions by a performer that extends explicitly or implicitly to something or someone else. Such verbs are called transitive verbs ( ููุนู ู
ูุชูุนูุฏูู / Pl ุฃููุนุงู ู
ูุชูุนูุฏููููุฉ ). A transitive verb not only has a ูุงุนูู, performer, but can take what is referred to as ู
ูููุนููู ุจููู, a direct object. Examples of transitive verbs include ุฏูุฑูุณู โto study,โ ููุชูุจู โto write,โ ููููู
ู โto understand,โ ุดูุฑูุจู โto drink,โ etc. If the direct object is not mentioned, the speaker/writer is using a stylistic strategy called truncation and is leaving it to the listener/reader to fill it in. A limited number of verbs take two direct objects. Examples of such verbs include: ุฃุนูุทู โto give,โ ุนูููููู โto appoint,โ ุงูููุชูุฎูุจู โto elect, select.โ Consider the following examples:
ุฃูุนูุทูู ุงูุฑููุฌููู ุงูููููุฏู ุฏููุงุฑุงู. | The man gave the boy a dinar. |
ุนูููููู ุงูุฑููุฆูุณู ุงูุฃูุณุชุงุฐู ูุฒูุฑุงู. | The president appointed the professor as a minister. |
1.4 NOUNS AS DIRECT OBJECTS
Direct objects are always in the accusative case ( ู
ูููุตูุจ ); they can be definite or indefinite (see Chapter 3 on cases). Singular, definite nouns functioning as direct objects must end with a fat-Ha in formal spoken or scripted Arabic. On the other hand, if the direct object is indefinite masculine, it must end with an โalif bearing two fat-Has ุงู (tanwiin) in the orthography. Masculine, indefinite nouns as direct objects ending with hamza do not take this โalif-bearing two fat-Has, as in, for example, ุณูู
ุงุกู โsky,โ ู
ุงุกู โwater,โ ููุงุกู โair,โ etc. Feminine nouns functioning as direct objects end with two fat-Has placed above the feminine marker, the taaโ marbuuTa ุฉู. Consider the following:
ุงูุทุงููุจูุฉู ููุฑูุฃูุช ููุชุงุจุงู. | The student (F) read a book. |
ุญูุณูู ุดูุฑูุจู ููููููุฉู. | Hussein drank coffee. |
Dual masculine or feminine nouns must end with ูููู -ู when functioning as direct objects, as in the following examples:
ูุงุจููุง ู
ูููุธูููููููู. | They met two employees. |
ุฏุนููููุง ุตูุฏูููุชููููู. | We invited two friends (F). |
Regular masculine nouns end with ููู-; irregular plural nouns as objects behave largely like singular nouns with respect to their accusative case endings; definite feminine regular plural nouns must have a kasra instead of fat-Ha or two fat-Has if they are indefinite. Consider the following examples:
ููุธููููุชู ุงูุดููุฑูููุฉู ู
ูููููุฏูุณููู. | The company employed engineers (M). |
ูุงุจูููุชู ุงูู
ูุฏูุฑูุฉู ู
ูุฏูุฑููุณุงุชู. | The director met teachers (F, Pl). |
1.5 PRONOUNS AS DIRECT OBJECTS
If the direct object is a pronoun, this pronoun assumes a cliticized, shortened form that must attach to the end of the verb as a suffix (see Chapter 5 on pronouns). The direct object pronoun cannot stand independently and is understood to be in the accusative case. Consider the following:
ุงูุฃุจู ูุงุจููููุง ุฃูู
ูุณู. | The father met us yesterday. |
ูููู ุดุงููุฏูุชููุง ูู ุงูู
ูููุชูุจูุฉูุ | Did you see her... |