Verbs
Arabic verbs follow certain patterns. Verbs in verbform 1 are all formed in almost the same way. Only the middle vowel varies.
The patterns for forming verbs in verbform 1 in the past tense are fa3ala, fa3ila and fa3ula. That means the first root letter, the vowel a, the second root letter, a vowel (either a, i or u), the third root letter and the vowel a.
The patterns for present tense in verbform 1 are yaf3alu, yaf3ilu and yaf3ulu.
fa3ala
There are three groups of verbs that follow the pattern fa3ala in past tense. The difference between them is how they are inflected in present tense.
fa3ala yaf3alu
The pattern fa3ala yaf3alu means that the middle vowel is a in both past and present tense.
sabaHa means he swam while yasbaHu means he swims.
fataHa means he opened while yaftaHu means he opens.
fa3ala yaf3ilu
The pattern fa3ala yaf3ilu means that the middle vowel is a in the past tense while it is i the present tense.
Hafara means he dug while yaHfiru means he digs.
Hamala means he carried while yaHmilu means he carries.
fa3ala yaf3ulu
The pattern fa3ala yaf3ulu means that the middle vowel is a in past tense and u in present tense.
Talaba means he ordered while yaTlubu means he orders.
sakana means he lived while yaskunu means he livs.
fa3ila
The pattern fa3ila means that the middle vowel of the past tense is i. These verbs always follow the pattern yaf3alu in the present tense. That is, the middle vowel is a in the present tense.
fahima means he understood while yafhamu means he understands.
DaHika means he laughed while yaDHaku means he laughs.
fa3ula
The pattern fa3ula means that the middle vowel is u in the past tense. For these verbs, the middle vowel is u in the present tense as well , ie the pattern of the present tense is yaf3ulu. Not many verbs follow this pattern.
kabura means he grew while yakburu means he grows.
ba3uda means he stayed away while yab3udu means he stays away.
Verb in higher verbforms
We have now gone through all the patterns for Arabic verbs in verbform 1. These verbs are many and often have a general meaning. On this site you will also find verbs in verbform 2 to 10 which have more specific meanings linked to their verb forms.
Arabic word patterns
Arabic words follow certain patterns. The patterns make it easier to recognize, memorize and figure out the meaning of Arabic words.
Most Arabic words have a root consisting of three letters. In addition to the root letters, the words contain vowels and sometimes extra letters. The patterns show how the three root letters should be combined with vowels and sometimes extra letters to form words.
To represent the root letters of the word, the letters f, 3 and l are usually used. The letter f (fa) represents the first root letter, 3 (ayn) represents the second root letter and l (lam) represents the third root letter. Some words really have the root f,3 and l. But most words have different root letters.
Using Arabic patterns
As an example, we can look at the root k,t and b. That is, the first root letter is k (kaf), the second root letter is t (ta) and the third is b (ba).
The pattern fa3ala is a common Arabic pattern for verbs. This means that the verb is created by adding the short vowel (a) after each root letter. With the root (k,t,b), the verb becomes kataba that means to write.
The pattern maf3uul is a passive participle, that means that words with this pattern often describe the object of an action. The word is build by of the prefix (ma), the first root letter, the second root letter, the long vowel (uu) and the third root letter. With the root (k,t,b), the verb becomes maktuub that means written.
The patternmaf3al is used for words that describe places or times. You get the words by combining the prefix (ma), the first root letter, the second root letter, the short vowel (a) and the third root letter. With the root (k,t,b), the verb becomes maktab that means office.
Do I need to learn Arabic patterns?
If you think Arabic word patterns seem boring or hard to learn, then just ignore them. Most native Arabic speakers I have talked to about Arabic word patterns, have little or no knowledge of them. It is only at the university in Sweden where I read Arabic, and in textbooks by Western authors, that I have noticed interest in the Arabic word patterns.
Personally, I find the patterns very useful. I can guess the meaning of words I have never heard before, thanks to the patterns and the root letters. Above all, I think that Arabic word patterns are interesting and pleasant, actually therapeutic. When life feels chaotic and insecure, it's nice that every new Arabic word I encounter fits into the patterns I know.
More about Arabic patterns
On this website, you will find the most important Arabic patterns for forming words, and many more in addition to them. See all Arabic word patterns
This site contains thousands of words and each word has a page with detailed information about the word. Among many other things, you can see the pattern of the word. Learn more about Arabic word patterns