If you are learning languages, you probably know that passive verbs are important in Arabic and other languages. They are basic to grammar. We all know that grammar can be a challenging subject. Today, we are here to help with that.
Now, in this article, we will give you a simple introduction to passive verbs in Arabic, so let’s start, shall we?
Introduction to Passive Verbs in Arabic
المبني للمجهول: In Arabic, it is used to indicate that the action has been done by someone or something unknown or unnamed. The subject of the verb is a receiver of the action and not a doer.
Forming Passive Verbs in Arabic
1. Past Tense (الماضي):
To form the passive voice in the past tense, you change the vowel pattern of the verb:
- The first vowel (usually a fatḥa) becomes a dumma.
- The second vowel (usually a kasra) becomes a fatḥa.
Example:
Active: كَتَبَ (kataba) – “He wrote.”
Passive: كُتِبَ (kutiba) – “It was written.”
2. Present Tense (المضارع):
To form the passive voice in the present tense, you also change the vowel pattern:
- The prefix vowel (if any) becomes a dumma.
- The internal vowel (usually a fatḥa or kasra) becomes a dumma.
Example:
- Active: يَكْتُبُ (yaktubu) – “He writes.”
- Passive: يُكْتَبُ (yuktabu) – “It is written.”
Examples of Passive Verbs in Sentences
Past Tense:
- Active: المعلم كتب الدرس. (al-mu’allim kataba ad-dars.) – “The teacher wrote the lesson.”
- Passive: كُتِبَ الدرس. (kutiba ad-dars.) – “The lesson was written.”
Present Tense:
- Active: الطالب يقرأ الكتاب. (at-ṭālib yaqra’u al-kitāb.) – “The student reads the book.”
- Passive: يُقْرَأُ الكتاب. (yuqra’u al-kitāb.) – “The book is read.”
Points to Remember
- The subject in the active sentence becomes the agent (hidden or implied) in the passive sentence.
- The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
- Intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take a direct object) cannot be made passive.
Practice Sentences
- Active: المدير يُكْرِمُ الموظفين. (al-mudīr yukrimu al-muwaẓẓafīn.) – “The manager honors the employees.”
Passive: يُكْرَمُ الموظفون. (yukramu al-muwaẓẓafūn.) – “The employees are honored.”
- Active: البنت تكتب الرسالة. (al-bint taktubu ar-rasāla.) – “The girl writes the letter.”
Passive: تُكْتَبُ الرسالة. (tuktabu ar-rasāla.) – “The letter is written.”
Mastering the passive voice in Arabic means, therefore, keeping these patterns in mind and practicing them with various verbs.
Examples from the Quran to Explain the Passive Verbs
The Quran also holds many examples of the passive verbs, showing their usage and role in classical Arabic. Here are a few examples with explanations:
Example 1: Surah Al-Baqarah (2:6)
Arabic: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Transliteration: Inna alladhīna kafarū sawā’un ‘alayhim ‘a’anthartahum am lam tunthirhum lā yu’minūn
Translation: “Indeed, those who disbelieve – it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them – they will not believe.”
Passive Verb: تُنذِرْهُمْ (tunthirhum) – “you warn them”
Here, تُنذِرْهُمْ (tunthirhum) is in the passive voice, implying that the action of warning is performed by an unspecified subject.
Example 2: Surah Al-Baqarah (2:286)
Arabic: لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
Transliteration: Lā yukallifu Allāhu nafsan illā wus’ahā
Translation: “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear.”
Passive Verb: يُكَلِّفُ (yukallifu) – “burden”
Here, يُكَلِّفُ (yukallifu) is a passive verb meaning “to burden,” indicating that the soul is being burdened by Allah’s command.
Example 3: Surah Al-Furqan (25:77)
Arabic: قُلْ مَا يَعْبَأُ بِكُمْ رَبِّي لَوْلَا دُعَاؤُكُمْ
Transliteration: Qul mā ya’ba’u bikum rabbī lawlā du’ā’ukum
Translation: “Say, ‘What would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication?’”
Passive Verb: يَعْبَأُ (ya’ba’u) – “care”
Here, يَعْبَأُ (ya’ba’u) is in the passive form, implying that the caring is done by Allah (though not explicitly stated).
Example 4: Surah Al-Qiyamah (75:3-4)
Arabic: أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَلَّنْ نَجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ بَلَىٰ قَادِرِينَ عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ
Transliteration: Ayahsabu al-insānu allan najma’a ‘iẓāmuhu balā qādirīna ‘alā an nusawwiya banānahu
Translation: “Does man think that We will not assemble his bones? Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertips.”
Passive Verb: نَجْمَعَ (najma’a) – “assemble”
In this verse, نَجْمَعَ (najma’a) is in the passive voice, indicating that the bones will be assembled by an unspecified doer, which is understood to be Allah.
Example 5: Surah Al-Qadr (97:4)
Arabic: تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ
Transliteration: Tanazzalu al-malā’ikatu wa-r-rūḥu fīhā bi-idhni rabbihim min kulli amr
Translation: “The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.”
Passive Verb: تَنَزَّلُ (tanazzalu) – “descend”
Here, تَنَزَّلُ (tanazzalu) is a passive verb indicating the action of descending performed by the angels and the Spirit with Allah’s permission.
The following examples prove the use of passive verbs in the Quran and how actions are described without indicating who the doer is. This normally remains implied or is understood from the context.
Master foundational skills! Learn how Arabic numbers are written alongside understanding passive verb constructions in our essential guides.
The Passive Verb of Consonants
In Arabic, passive verbs follow specific patterns based on the root consonants of the verb. Let’s break down the passive formation for different types of root consonants:
1. Regular (Sound) Verbs (الفعل الصحيح)
For regular verbs with no weak letters (و, ي, or ى), the passive formation in past and present tenses involves changing the vowels as previously mentioned.
Example:
- Root: ك-ت-ب (k-t-b) – “to write”
- Active Past: كَتَبَ (kataba) – “He wrote”
- Passive Past: كُتِبَ (kutiba) – “It was written”
- Active Present: يَكْتُبُ (yaktubu) – “He writes”
- Passive Present: يُكْتَبُ (yuktabu) – “It is written”
2. Verbs with Weak Letters (الفعل المعتل)
These verbs have one or more weak letters (و, ي, ى) in their root. The formation rules are slightly different due to the presence of these letters.
Example with an initial weak letter:
- Root: و-ع-د (w-`-d) – “to promise”
- Active Past: وَعَدَ (wa`ada) – “He promised”
- Passive Past: وُعِدَ (wu`ida) – “It was promised”
- Active Present: يَعِدُ (ya`idu) – “He promises”
- Passive Present: يُوعَدُ (yū`adu) – “It is promised”
Example with a final weak letter:
- Root: د-ع-و (d-`-w) – “to call”
- Active Past: دَعَا (da`ā) – “He called”
- Passive Past: دُعِيَ (du`iya) – “It was called”
- Active Present: يَدْعُو (yad`ū) – “He calls”
- Passive Present: يُدْعَى (yud`ā) – “It is called”
3. Geminate Verbs (الفعل المضاعف)
These verbs have a doubled middle consonant. The formation of the passive is regular but requires careful attention to the consonant doubling.
Example:
- Root: ر-د-د (r-d-d) – “to return”
- Active Past: رَدَّ (radda) – “He returned”
- Passive Past: رُدَّ (rudda) – “It was returned”
- Active Present: يَرُدُّ (yaruddu) – “He returns”
- Passive Present: يُرَدُّ (yuraddu) – “It is returned”
Examples from the Quran with Consonants
Example 1: Surah Al-Fil (105:3)
Arabic: وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ
Transliteration: Wa-arsala ‘alayhim ṭayran abābīl
Translation: “And He sent against them birds in flocks,”
Passive Verb: أُرْسِلَ (ursila) – “was sent”
Here, أُرْسِلَ (ursila) comes from the root ر-س-ل (r-s-l), meaning “to send.” The verb is in the passive past tense.
Example 2: Surah Al-Baqara (2:221)
Arabic: وَلَا تُنكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنُوا
Transliteration: Wa-lā tunkihū al-mushrikīn ḥattā yu’minū
Translation: “And do not marry polytheistic men [to your women] until they believe.”
Passive Verb: تُنكِحُوا (tunkihū) – “Do not be married”
Here, تُنكِحُوا (tunkihū) comes from the root ن-ك-ح (n-k-ḥ), meaning “to marry.” The verb is in the passive form.
Summary
Regular Verbs: Change vowels (dumma for the first vowel, fatḥa for the second in the past; dumma for the prefix and internal vowel in the present).
Weak Verbs: Handle weak letters carefully while changing the vowel patterns.
Geminate Verbs: Double middle consonant remains, but vowel changes apply as in regular verbs.
Understanding these patterns and practicing with different roots helps in mastering the passive forms in Arabic.
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