Ultimate Guide to Arabic Verbs: Fi'il Mujarrad vs Fi'il Mazid Explained
A Beginner's Guide to Fi’l Mujarrad and Fi’l Mazid
We will learn Arabic morphology, known as صَرْف (Sarf)! If you are a beginner learning Arabic, understanding how verbs are structured is one of the most powerful shortcuts to mastering the language. Unlike English, where verbs change using auxiliary words or irregular forms, Arabic verbs follow a highly logical and beautiful system of patterns.
Verb Classification Based on the Composition
In Arabic, verbs are classified based on their composition or structure, الْفِعْلُ بِالنَّظَرِ إِلَى تَرْكِيْبِهِ. Every single Arabic verb falls into one of two major categories:
- Fi’l Mujarrad (اَلْفِعْلُ الْمُجَرَّدُ) – Bare or Unaugmented Verbs
- Fi’l Mazid (اَلْفِعْلُ الْمَزِيْدُ) – Augmented or Derived Verbs
Let's break these down step-by-step with clear explanations, patterns, and examples so you can confidently recognize them in your reading!
1. Fi'l Mujarrad (اَلْفِعْلُ الْمُجَرَّدُ) — The Core Foundation
What is fi’l mujarrad?
Fi'l Mujarrad is a verb in which all of its letters are original root letters. No extra letters have been added to modify the core meaning. Think of it as the raw, fundamental base of the verb.
Fi’l mujarrad Classification
Depending on how many original letters the root contains, Fi’l Mujarrad is divided into two types:
A. Triliteral Bare Verbs: Fi’l Mujarrad Thulathi (اَلْفِعْلُ الْمُجَرَّدُ الثُّلَاثِيُّ)
These are verbs composed of exactly 3 original letters. This is the most common verb type in Arabic. In the past tense, they follow 3 distinct weight patterns or templates (وَزْن / Wazan):
| Pattern (Wazan) | Vowel on Second Letter | Examples (Misal) | English Meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| فَعَلَ (Fa'ala) | Fathah (a) | نَصَرَ ، رَدَّ ، قَالَ ، دَعَا | To help, to reply, to say, to call |
| فَعِلَ (Fa'ila) | Kasrah (i) | فَرِحَ | To rejoice / be happy |
| فَعُلَ (Fa'ula) | Dhammah (u) | حَسُنَ | To be good / beautiful |
B. Quadriliteral Bare Verbs: Fi’l Mujarrad Ruba'i (اَلْفِعْلُ الْمُجَرَّدُ الرُّبَاعِيُّ)
These are rare verbs that consist of 4 original root letters. Unlike the triliteral verbs, there is only one single pattern for this category:
| Pattern (Wazan) | Structure | Examples (Misal) | English Meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| فَعْلَلَ (Fa'lala) | 4 Original Letters | طَمْأَنَ ، بَسْمَلَ ، دَحْرَجَ | To reassure, to say "Bismillah", to roll down |
2. Fi’l Mazid (اَلْفِعْلُ الْمَزِيْدُ) — The Expanded Verbs
What is fi’l mazid?
Fi’l Mazid is a verb where extra letters (1, 2, or 3 letters) have been added to the original root letters. Adding these letters expands or alters the meaning of the original verb (e.g., making a verb causative, reflexive, or intensive).
Fi’l Mazid Classification
Just like the bare verbs, Fi’l Mazid is split based on whether the original base was 3 letters or 4 letters:
A. Triliteral Augmented Verbs: Fi’l Mazid Thulathi (اَلْفِعْلُ الْمَزِيْدُ الثُّلَاثِيُّ)
These are 3-letter roots expanded by adding extra letters. They are grouped into three sub-categories depending on how many letters are added:
Category 1: Added 1 Letter (3 Patterns / Wazan)
| No. | Pattern (Wazan) | Examples (Misal) | English Meanings / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | أَفْعَلَ (Af'ala) | أَحْسَنَ ، أَكْرَمَ ، أَنْسَى ، أَسْمَعَ | To do good, to honor, to make forget, to make hear |
| 2 | فَاعَلَ (Fa'ala) | وَاعَدَ ، لَاقَى ، جَامَلَ | To make an appointment, to meet, to flatter |
| 3 | فَعَّلَ (Fa''ala) | عَظَّمَ ، عَلَّمَ ، خَرَّجَ | To glorify, to teach, to graduate/extricate |
Category 2: Added 2 Letters (5 Patterns / Wazan)
| No. | Pattern (Wazan) | Examples (Misal) | English Meanings / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | انْفَعَلَ (Infa'ala) | انْطَلَقَ ، انْصَرَفَ ، انْدَفَعَ | To launch/go, to dismiss oneself, to rush |
| 2 | افْتَعَلَ (Ifta'ala) | اجْتَمَعَ ، انْتَصَرَ ، اقْتَرَبَ | To gather, to be victorious, to approach |
| 3 | تَفَعَّلَ (Tafa''ala) | تَعَلَّمَ ، تَلَقَّى ، تَرَدَّدَ | To learn, to receive, to hesitate |
| 4 | تَفَاعَلَ (Tafa'ala) | تَبَاعَدَ ، تَبَارَى ، تَلَاوَمَ | To move apart, to compete, to blame each other |
| 5 | افْعَلَّ (If'alla) | احْمَرَّ ، اخْضَرَّ ، اعْوَجَّ | To turn red, to turn green, to become crooked |
Category 3: Added 3 Letters (4 Patterns / Wazan)
| No. | Pattern (Wazan) | Examples (Misal) | English Meanings / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | اسْتَفْعَلَ (Istaf'ala) | اسْتَغْفَرَ ، اسْتَخْرَجَ ، اسْتَغْنَى | To seek forgiveness, to extract, to deem rich/independent |
| 2 | افْعَوْعَلَ (If'aw'ala) | اغْرَوْرَقَ ، اخْشَوْشَنَ | To become flooded (eyes with tears), to become rough |
| 3 | افْعَوَّلَ (If'awwala) | اجْلَوَّذَ | To speed along |
| 4 | افْعَالَّ (If'alla) | احْمَارَّ ، اخْضَارَّ ، اصْفَارَّ | To turn intensely red, intensely green, intensely yellow |
B. Quadriliteral Augmented Verbs: Fi’l Mazid Ruba'i (اَلْفِعْلُ الْمَزِيْدُ الرُّبَاعِيُّ)
These are 4-letter core roots that receive additional letters to form derived meanings. They are divided into two types:
Category 1: Added 1 Letter (1 Pattern)
The pattern is تَفَعْلَلَ (Tafa'lala). Example: تَدَحْرَجَ (to roll down), تَبَعْثَرَ (to be scattered), تَدَهْوَرَ (to deteriorate).
Category 2: Added 2 Letters (2 Patterns)
- افْعَلَلَّ (If'alalla) – Example: اطْمَأَنَّ (to be reassured), اقْشَعَرَّ (to shudder/get goosebumps)
- افْعَنْلَلَ (If'anlala) – Example: افْرَنْقَعَ (to disperse), احْرَنْجَمَ (to crowd together)
Summary Table for Quick Revision
| Verb Classification | Type | Number of Patterns (Wazan) |
|---|---|---|
| Fi’l Mujarrad (Bare) | Thulathi (3 Root Letters) | 3 Patterns (فَعَلَ, فَعِلَ, فَعُلَ) |
| Ruba'i (4 Root Letters) | 1 Pattern (فَعْلَلَ) | |
| Fi’l Mazid (Augmented) | Thulathi + 1 Letter | 3 Patterns |
| Thulathi + 2 Letters | 5 Patterns | |
| Thulathi + 3 Letters | 4 Patterns | |
| Ruba'i (+1 or +2 Letters) | 3 Patterns total (1 for +1, 2 for +2) |
Figure: Mind map of Arabic verb structures (Sarf)
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