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Arabic Grammar: Roots, Cases & Verbs

223 cards · 🇺🇸 English

The triliteral root system, the three grammatical cases and how Arabic verbs work.

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A triliteral root in Arabic

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  1. 1A triliteral root in Arabic
    A sequence of three consonants forming the basic meaning of a word (e.g., K-T-B for 'writing')
  2. 2jiḏr (جذر)
    Root - the consonantal skeleton that carries the core meaning
  3. 3The root K-T-B (ك-ت-ب)
    The triliteral root meaning 'to write' - one of the most common examples in Arabic grammar
  4. 4Form words from Arabic roots
    By adding vowels and non-root consonants (transfixes) around the root consonants following specific patterns
  5. 5Kataba (كتب)
    He wrote (past tense, 3rd person masculine singular, from root K-T-B)
  6. 6Yaktubu (يكتب)
    He writes / will write (present/future tense, from root K-T-B)
  7. 7Kātib (كاتب)
    Writer (active participle from root K-T-B)
  8. 8Maktab (مكتب)
    Office or desk (noun with m- prefix from root K-T-B)
  9. 9Katabnā (كتبنا)
    We wrote (1st person plural perfect from K-T-B)
  10. 10Naktubu (نكتب)
    We write / will write (1st person plural imperfect from K-T-B)
  11. 11Arabic term for verb pattern/form
    Wazn (وزن), plural awzān (أوزان) - literally 'weight' or 'measure'
  12. 12ʔaktaba (أكتب)
    He dictated (causative form IV from K-T-B)
  13. 13yuktibu (يكتب)
    He dictates / will dictate (present tense, causative form)
  14. 14Istaktaba (استكتب)
    He had a copy made (form X reflexive/causative from K-T-B)
  15. 15Hebrew equivalent of wazn
    Binyan (בניין) - meaning 'building' or 'structure'
  16. 16Hebrew equivalent of jiḏr
    Šoreš (שורש) - meaning 'root'
  17. 17mishqal
    A noun derivation pattern (similar to binyan for verbs)
  18. 18What percentage of Arabic roots are triliteral
    The vast majority - triliterals are the most common root type in Semitic languages
  19. 19A consonantal root
    A sequence of consonants (usually 3) that carries the core semantic meaning, with vowels added for specific forms
  20. 20The root D-R-S (د-ر-س)
    To study (a common triliteral root)
  21. 21Darasa (درس)
    He studied (past tense from root D-R-S)
  22. 22Madrasa (مدرسة)
    School (place noun from root D-R-S)
  23. 23Dars (درس)
    Lesson (noun from root D-R-S)
  24. 24The root Q-R-ʔ (ق-ر-أ)
    To read (triliteral root)
  25. 25Qara'a (قرأ)
    He read (past tense from Q-R-ʔ)
  26. 26Qur'ān (قرآن)
    Quran / reading (verbal noun from Q-R-ʔ)
  27. 27A transfix
    Non-root consonants or vowels inserted around root consonants to form specific words
  28. 28Form I (fa'ala) in Arabic
    The basic/simple form of a verb (e.g., kataba - he wrote)
  29. 29Form IV (af'ala) in Arabic
    Causative form (e.g., ʔaktaba - he dictated, made someone write)
  30. 30Form X (istaf'ala) in Arabic
    Reflexive/causative/request form (e.g., istaktaba - he had someone write)

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