Strengthen Your Nahw
A complete, step-by-step course in Classical Arabic Grammar — from foundations to advanced parsing. Every lesson builds on the last, with interactive exercises and full Tarkeeb practice.
Foundations of Nahw
What is grammar? Word types, sentences, signs & pronouns.
Declinability & Iʿrāb
Mabnī & Muʿrab, signs of iʿrāb, pronouns & adverbs.
Further Isms
Definite & indefinite, gender, number, subject & predicate.
Governing Words
ʿĀmil, naṣb, jazm, derived nouns & conditional structures.
Tarkeeb Practice
41 real sentences — parse, label (Arabic only), translate.
Work through chapters in order. Each section has theory, examples, and interactive exercises. Your progress is tracked automatically in the header bar. The Tarkeeb (parsing) practice sets at the end apply everything you have learned — treat them like exam preparation. Labels must always be in Arabic.
What is Nahw?
Nahw (النَّحْو) is the science that teaches us how to join a noun, verb, or particle to form a correct sentence — and what the condition (iʿrāb) of the last letter of each word should be.
Subject Matter
Its subject matter is the كَلِمَة (single word) and the كَلَام (sentence / meaningful speech).
Three-Level Objective
Exercises
Drag from here:
Drop in order:
The Three Word Types
Every Arabic word meaningfully uttered by a human is called a لَفْظ مَوْضُوع. All such words fall into exactly three types:
Examples of Each Type
Exercises
Words:
Types:
Types of Ism, Fiʿl & Ḥarf
Types of Ism
| Type | Arabic | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proper Noun | مُعَرَّب | A named individual | زَيْد، مَكَّة |
| Common Noun | نَكِرَة | Any unspecified noun | رَجُل، كِتَاب |
| Definite Noun | مَعْرِفَة | A specific / known noun | اَلرَّجُل، الْكِتَاب |
| Pronoun | ضَمِير | Replaces a noun | هُوَ، هِيَ، أَنَا |
| Verbal Noun (Maṣdar) | مَصْدَر | The root meaning of a verb | ضَرْب (hitting) |
Types of Fiʿl
| Type | Arabic | Sign | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Past Tense | مَاضِي | accepts تَ of speaker | ضَرَبَ | He hit |
| Present/Future | مُضَارِع | begins with أ ن ي ت | يَضْرِبُ | He hits / will hit |
| Command | أَمْر | accepts نُون of emphasis | اِضْرِبْ | Hit! |
Types of Ḥarf
| Type | Arabic | Examples | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepositions | حُرُوفُ الْجَرِّ | مِنْ، إِلَى، فِي | Give kasrah to the ism after them |
| Coordinators | حُرُوفُ الْعَطْف | وَ، فَ، أَوْ | Join words or sentences |
| Nasb Particles | حُرُوفُ النَّصْب | أَنْ، لَنْ، كَيْ | Give fatḥah to the muḍāriʿ verb |
| Jazm Particles | حُرُوفُ الْجَزْم | لَمْ، لَا، إِنْ | Give sukūn to the muḍāriʿ verb |
Exercises
Sentences & Phrases
A كَلَام (sentence) is a combination of words that gives a complete, useful meaning. It is always either a Jumlah Fiʿliyyah (verbal sentence) or a Jumlah Ismiyyah (nominal sentence).
Jumlah Ismiyyah — Nominal Sentence
Begins with an ism. Contains two parts:
Allāh is the All-Mighty.
Jumlah Fiʿliyyah — Verbal Sentence
Begins with a verb. Contains: Fiʿl (verb) + Fāʿil (subject) + optionally Mafʿūl (object):
Allāh has made the Kaʿbah.
Phrases (Murakkab)
| Phrase Type | Arabic | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descriptive | مُرَكَّب وَصْفِي | Noun + its adjective | اَلرَّجُلُ الْكَرِيمُ |
| Possessive | مُرَكَّب إِضَافِي | Noun + its possessor (muḍāf + muḍāf ilayh) | كِتَابُ الطَّالِبِ |
| Propositional | مُرَكَّب ظَرْفِي | Noun + a Jār wa-Majrūr | زَيْدٌ فِي الْبَيْتِ |
Exercises
Signs of Word Types
Since the three word types are not always obvious, the scholars have given us signs (علامات) to help identify each type:
Signs of an Ism
| Sign | Arabic | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts tanwīn (nunation) | التَّنْوِين | رَجُلٌ، كِتَابًا، بَيْتٍ |
| Accepts the definite article اَل | أَل التَّعْرِيف | اَلرَّجُل، اَلْكِتَاب |
| Follows a preposition | دُخُولُ حَرْف الْجَرّ | فِي الْبَيْتِ، مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ |
| Acts as Mubtadaʾ or Fāʿil | اَلْإِسْنَاد | زَيْدٌ قَائِمٌ |
Signs of a Fiʿl
| Sign | For which type? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts قَدْ | Past or Present | قَدْ ذَهَبَ / قَدْ يَذْهَبُ |
| Accepts تَ (of speaker or listener) | Past tense only | ذَهَبْتُ / ذَهَبْتَ |
| Begins with one of أَ نَ يَ تَ | Muḍāriʿ | أَذْهَبُ، نَذْهَبُ، يَذْهَبُ |
| Accepts نُون of emphasis | Muḍāriʿ or Amr | اِذْهَبَنَّ، يَذْهَبَنَّ |
| Accepts yāʾ (of feminine) | Amr | اِذْهَبِي (for a female) |
The Ḥarf Has No Signs
The Ḥarf does not accept any of the signs of an ism or fiʿl. Its identification is therefore by elimination — if a word cannot accept any ism signs or fiʿl signs, it is a ḥarf.
Exercises
Personal Pronouns — Full Tables
Pronouns (ضَمَائِر) are words used in place of names. They refer to the speaker (مُتَكَلِّم), the one addressed (مُخَاطَب), or the absent person (غَائِب). All pronouns are Mabnī (their ending does not change).
Unattached (Detached) Pronouns — مَنْفَصِل
| Person | Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd M. Sg. (Ghāʾib) | هُوَ | He / It |
| 3rd M. Dual | هُمَا | They two (m.) |
| 3rd M. Pl. | هُمْ | They (m.) |
| 3rd F. Sg. | هِيَ | She / It |
| 3rd F. Dual | هُمَا | They two (f.) |
| 3rd F. Pl. | هُنَّ | They (f.) |
| 2nd M. Sg. (Mukhāṭab) | أَنْتَ | You (m. sg.) |
| 2nd M. Dual | أَنْتُمَا | You two (m.) |
| 2nd M. Pl. | أَنْتُمْ | You (m. pl.) |
| 2nd F. Sg. | أَنْتِ | You (f. sg.) |
| 2nd F. Dual | أَنْتُمَا | You two (f.) |
| 2nd F. Pl. | أَنْتُنَّ | You (f. pl.) |
| 1st Sg. (Mutakallim) | أَنَا | I |
| 1st Pl. | نَحْنُ | We |
Attached Pronouns (مُتَّصِل) in Rafʿ
These attach to the end of a verb and serve as its Fāʿil. Example: the وا in ضَرَبُوا (they hit), the تَ in ضَرَبْتَ (you hit).
Attached Pronouns in Naṣb & Jarr
| Pronoun | Attached form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Me / My | ـِي / ـنِي | خَلَقَنِي | He created me |
| Him / His | ـهُ | رَأَيْتُهُ | I saw him |
| Her / Her | ـهَا | رَأَيْتُهَا | I saw her |
| Us / Our | ـنَا | خَلَقَنَا | He created us |
| You (m. sg.) / Your | ـكَ | رَأَيْتُكَ | I saw you |
| Them (m. pl.) / Their | ـهُمْ | رَأَيْتُهُمْ | I saw them |
Exercises
Pronouns:
Meanings:
Prepositions — Ḥurūf al-Jarr
Every ḥarf jarr gives a kasrah (jarr) to the ism after it. That ism is then called مَجْرُور. Together the ḥarf + majrūr form a Jār wa-Majrūr (prepositional phrase), which attaches to the verb or acts as khabar.
| Particle | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| بِ | with, by | كَتَبْتُ بِالْقَلَمِ | I wrote with the pen. |
| كَ | like, as | زَيْدٌ كَالْأَسَدِ | Zayd is like a lion. |
| لِ | for, belonging to | اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ | All praise is for Allāh. |
| مِنْ | from | رَجَعْتُ مِنَ السَّفَرِ | I returned from the journey. |
| إِلَى | to, towards | سَافَرْتُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ | I travelled to Madinah. |
| فِي | in, inside | زَيْدٌ فِي الْبَيْتِ | Zayd is in the house. |
| عَنْ | about, away from | سَأَلَ عَنِ الْمَرِيضِ | He asked about the patient. |
| عَلَى | on, upon | اَلثَّوْبُ عَلَى الْكُرْسِيِّ | The cloth is on the chair. |
| حَتَّى | until, up to | نِمْتُ حَتَّى الصُّبْحِ | I slept till dawn. |
| مُنْذُ / مُذْ | since, for | مَا رَأَيْتُهُ مُنْذُ أُسْبُوعٍ | I have not seen him for a week. |
| خَلَا / حَاشَا / عَدَا | except, besides | جَاءَ النَّاسُ حَاشَا زَيْدٍ | The people came except Zayd. |
| مَعَ | with, together with | اَللهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ | Allāh is with the patient. |
Exercises
Particles Resembling a Fiʿl — إِنَّ & Sisters
Like transitive fiʿls, these particles govern two words. But they reverse the iʿrāb: the Mubtadaʾ becomes manṣūb (called اِسْمُ إِنَّ) and the Khabar remains marfūʿ (called خَبَرُ إِنَّ).
| Particle | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| إِنَّ | certainly, verily, indeed | إِنَّ اللهَ عَلِيمٌ | Verily, Allāh is All-Knowing. |
| أَنَّ | that (mid-sentence) | أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الِامْتِحَانَ قَرِيبٌ | I know that the exam is near. |
| كَأَنَّ | as if | كَأَنَّ الْبَيْتَ جَدِيدٌ | It is as if the house is new. |
| لَكِنَّ | but, however | الْبَيْتُ جَدِيدٌ لَكِنَّ الْأَثَاثَ قَدِيمٌ | The house is new but the furniture is old. |
| لَيْتَ | if only, I wish | لَيْتَ الشَّبَابَ يَعُودُ | I wish youth would return. |
| لَعَلَّ | maybe, hopefully | لَعَلَّ الِامْتِحَانَ سَهْلٌ | Hopefully the exam will be easy. |
Verily, Allāh is All-Knowing.
Exercises
Auxiliary (Defective) Fiʿls — كَانَ & Sisters
These fiʿls need two maʿmūls (governed words) — one is not enough. They enter upon a Mubtadaʾ and Khabar. They give rafʿ to the Mubtadaʾ (= اِسْمُ كَانَ) and naṣb to the Khabar (= خَبَرُ كَانَ).
| Fiʿl | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| كَانَ | was | كَانَ الْبَيْتُ نَظِيفًا | The house was clean. |
| صَارَ | became | صَارَ الرَّجُلُ غَنِيًّا | The man became wealthy. |
| أَصْبَحَ | became in the morning | أَصْبَحَ زَيْدٌ مَرِيضًا | Zayd became ill in the morning. |
| أَمْسَى | became in the evening | أَمْسَى الْعَامِلُ مُتْعَبًا | The worker became tired in the evening. |
| ظَلَّ | remained during the day | ظَلَّ الْمَطَرُ نَازِلًا | It rained all day. |
| بَاتَ | spent the night | بَاتَ زَيْدٌ نَائِمًا | Zayd spent the night sleeping. |
| لَيْسَ | is not | لَيْسَ الْخَادِمُ قَوِيًّا | The servant is not strong. |
| مَا دَامَ | as long as | اِجْلِسْ مَا دَامَ زَيْدٌ جَالِسًا | Sit as long as Zayd is sitting. |
The house was clean.
Exercises
Mabnī & Muʿrab
Every Arabic word is either Mabnī (its ending never changes) or Muʿrab (its ending changes based on its grammatical role). This is the most important distinction in Nahw.
What is Mabnī?
All Ḥurūf are mabnī. Most Fiʿls are mabnī (past tense and command are always mabnī). A small set of isms are mabnī — these include pronouns, demonstratives, relative pronouns, and question words.
What is Muʿrab?
All standard isms are muʿrab. The muḍāriʿ (present-future) verb is also muʿrab — its ending changes when affected by nasb and jazm particles.
| Category | Mabnī? | Muʿrab? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ḥarf | ✓ Always | ✗ | All particles are mabnī without exception |
| Fiʿl Māḍī | ✓ | ✗ | Past tense always mabnī |
| Fiʿl Amr | ✓ | ✗ | Command always mabnī |
| Fiʿl Muḍāriʿ | Conditional | Conditional | Muʿrab by default; mabnī if followed by nūn tawkīd or nūn niswa |
| Standard Ism | ✗ | ✓ | Its ending reflects its grammatical role |
| Pronouns (ḍamāʾir) | ✓ | ✗ | All pronouns are mabnī |
Exercises
Signs of Iʿrāb
The three grammatical states (rafʿ, naṣb, jarr) each have a set of signs. Some signs are regular (aṣliyyah) and some are substitute (farʿiyyah).
| State | Arabic | Regular Sign | Substitute Signs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | رَفْع | ḍammah (ـُ) | wāw (in the five nouns & sound m. pl.), alif (dual) |
| Accusative (Object) | نَصْب | fatḥah (ـَ) | kasrah (sound f. pl.), yāʾ (dual & five nouns), alif (asmāʾ khamsah) |
| Genitive (After prep.) | جَرّ | kasrah (ـِ) | yāʾ (dual, sound m. pl., five nouns), fatḥah (diptotes) |
| Jussive (After jazm) | جَزْم | sukūn (ـْ) | dropping the final nūn (of al-afʿāl al-khamsah) |
The Five Noble Nouns (الْأَسْمَاءُ الْخَمْسَة)
| Noun | Meaning | Rafʿ | Naṣb | Jarr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| أَب | father | أَبُوكَ | أَبَاكَ | أَبِيكَ |
| أَخ | brother | أَخُوكَ | أَخَاكَ | أَخِيكَ |
| حَم | father-in-law | حَمُوكَ | حَمَاكَ | حَمِيكَ |
| فَم | mouth | فُوهُ | فَاهُ | فِيهِ |
| ذُو | possessor of | ذُو مَالٍ | ذَا مَالٍ | ذِي مَالٍ |
Exercises
Indeclinable Isms
Although most isms are muʿrab, certain categories of isms are mabnī — their endings are fixed. These fall into five main groups.
| Category | Arabic | Examples | Fixed Ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronouns | ضَمَائِر | هُوَ، أَنَا، نَحْنُ | Fixed |
| Demonstrative Isms | اِسْم إِشَارَة | هَذَا، هَذِهِ، ذَلِكَ | Fixed |
| Relative Isms | اِسْم مَوْصُول | اَلَّذِي، اَلَّتِي، الَّذِينَ | Fixed |
| Question Isms | اِسْم اِسْتِفْهَام | مَنْ، مَا، أَيْنَ | Fixed |
| Conditional Isms | اِسْم شَرْط | مَنْ، مَا، أَيُّ | Fixed |
Demonstrative Isms — Full Table
| Number / Gender | Near (here) | Far (there) |
|---|---|---|
| M. Singular | هَذَا | ذَلِكَ |
| F. Singular | هَذِهِ | تِلْكَ |
| M./F. Dual (rafʿ) | هَذَانِ / هَاتَانِ | ذَانِكَ / تَانِكَ |
| M. Plural | هَؤُلَاءِ | أُولَئِكَ |
| F. Plural | هَؤُلَاءِ | أُولَئِكَ |
Exercises
Personal Pronouns — Roles
Pronouns are classified as: Bāriz (apparent, written) — either Munfaṣil (detached) or Muttaṣil (attached); and Mustatir (hidden, implied inside the verb).
Munfaṣil (Detached) Pronouns in Rafʿ
Used as subject in a nominal sentence. E.g. هُوَ كَاتِبٌ — He is a writer.
Munfaṣil (Detached) Pronouns in Naṣb
These are the إِيَّا pronouns, used as objects when a verb's object needs to be emphasised before the verb: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ — You alone we worship.
| Person | Naṣb Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd M. sg. | إِيَّاهُ | Him |
| 3rd F. sg. | إِيَّاهَا | Her |
| 3rd M. pl. | إِيَّاهُمْ | Them (m.) |
| 2nd M. sg. | إِيَّاكَ | You (m. sg.) |
| 1st sg. | إِيَّايَ | Me |
| 1st pl. | إِيَّانَا | Us |
Mustatir (Hidden) Pronouns
The fiʿl اِضْرِبْ (Hit!) has no visible subject, yet the subject "you (m. sg.)" is understood. This is a ضَمِير مُسْتَتِر. It can be:
- Wājib al-istitar (obligatorily hidden): in the command form and some other verbs where no separate subject can appear
- Jāʾiz al-istitar (optionally hidden): where either a separate ism or the hidden pronoun is possible
Exercises
Relative Pronouns
A relative pronoun connects a noun to a descriptive clause (called the Ṣilah = the relative clause). The Ṣilah must contain a ʿĀʾid (returning pronoun) that refers back to the ism mawṣūl.
| Pronoun | Meaning | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| اَلَّذِي | Who / Which / That | M. singular |
| اَلَّتِي | Who / Which / That | F. singular |
| اَلَّذَانِ / اَلَّذَيْنِ | Who / Which (two) | M. dual (rafʿ / naṣb-jarr) |
| اَللَّتَانِ / اَللَّتَيْنِ | Who / Which (two) | F. dual |
| اَلَّذِينَ | Those who / Which | M. plural |
| اَللَّاتِي / اَللَّوَاتِي | Those who / Which | F. plural |
| مَنْ | Who (indefinite) | For rational beings |
| مَا | What / That which | For non-rational things |
الَّذِي = relative pronoun | جَاءَ = ṣilah | the hidden pronoun in جَاءَ referring to الرَّجُل = ʿāʾid
Exercises
Demonstrative Isms — Detailed Study
An Ism Ishārah "points to" something specific. The thing pointed to is called the Mushār Ilayh. The ism ishārah is always mabnī (it does not change its form).
| Number/Gender | Near | Far | Meaning (near/far) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M. Sg. | هَذَا | ذَلِكَ | This / That |
| F. Sg. | هَذِهِ | تِلْكَ | This / That |
| M. Dual — Rafʿ | هَذَانِ | ذَانِكَ | These two / Those two |
| M. Dual — Naṣb/Jarr | هَذَيْنِ | ذَيْنِكَ | These two / Those two |
| F. Dual — Rafʿ | هَاتَانِ | تَانِكَ | These two / Those two |
| Both Pl. | هَؤُلَاءِ | أُولَئِكَ | These / Those |
Exercises
Isms Acting as Fiʿls & Isms of Sound
These are isms that carry the meaning of fiʿls but do not accept the signs of a fiʿl (no تَ of past, no قَدْ, etc.). They are Mabnī and govern the word after them.
With the Meaning of a Past Fiʿl
| Ism | Equivalent Fiʿl | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| هَيْهَاتَ | بَعُدَ | Far from it! (It is distant) |
| شَتَّانَ | اِفْتَرَقَ | What a difference! |
| سَرْعَانَ | أَسْرَعَ | He hastened |
With the Meaning of an Amr (Command)
| Ism | Equivalent Fiʿl | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| رُوَيْدَ | أَمْهِلْ | Give respite! Slowly! | رُوَيْدَ زَيْدًا |
| دُونَكَ | خُذْ | Take! | دُونَكَ الْحَلِيبَ |
| عَلَيْكَ | اِلْزَمْ | Hold on to! It is upon you | عَلَيْكَ سُنَّتِي |
| حَيَّ / هَيَّا | أَقْبِلْ | Come! Hasten! | حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ |
| صَهْ | اُسْكُتْ | Silence! Be quiet! | صَهْ |
Isms of Sound (أَسْمَاءُ الْأَصْوَات)
Words that denote specific sounds. They are always Mabnī.
| Ism | Sound Denoted |
|---|---|
| أُفٍّ | Pain, disgust |
| مَهْ | Stop it! |
| غَاقٍ | Cawing of a crow |
Exercises
Adverbs — Ẓurūf
A Ẓarf (adverb) is an ism that indicates time or place and is always in the naṣb state due to an understood preposition (فِي). It always connects (muta'alliq) to a verb or something functioning as a verb.
| Type | Ẓarf | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | يَوْمَ | On the day | جِئْتُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ | I came on Friday. |
| Time | لَيْلَةَ | On the night of | وُلِدَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ | He was born on Laylat al-Qadr. |
| Time | غَدًا | Tomorrow | سَأَذْهَبُ غَدًا | I will go tomorrow. |
| Place | فَوْقَ | Above | الطَّائِرُ فَوْقَ الشَّجَرَةِ | The bird is above the tree. |
| Place | تَحْتَ | Below, under | الْكِتَابُ تَحْتَ الْمِنْضَدَةِ | The book is under the desk. |
| Place | عِنْدَ | At / with (near) | اَلْمَالُ عِنْدَ زَيْدٍ | The money is with Zayd. |
| Place | أَمَامَ | In front of | الطَّالِبُ أَمَامَ الْبَاب | The student is in front of the door. |
Exercises
Kinayāt & Numerical Phrases
Kinayāt are isms that refer vaguely to quantity or attributes without naming them explicitly. They function as mabnī isms and govern the ism after them in jarr.
| Kinayah | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| كَمْ | How many? / Many (interrogative or declarative) | كَمْ كِتَابٍ قَرَأْتَ؟ |
| كَذَا | Such-and-such (a number) | أَعْطَانِي كَذَا دِرْهَمًا |
| كَيْتَ | Such-and-such (a matter) | حَدَثَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ |
كَمْ Interrogative vs Declarative
| Type | Meaning | After كَمْ | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interrogative (اِسْتِفْهَامِيَّة) | How many? | Singular nakirah in naṣb | كَمْ كِتَابًا قَرَأْتَ؟ |
| Declarative (خَبَرِيَّة) | How many! / Many a… | Singular nakirah in jarr | كَمْ كِتَابٍ قَرَأْتُ! |
Exercises
Munsarif & Ghayr Munsarif
Most isms take tanwīn and are called Munsarif (fully declinable). Some isms are Ghayr Munsarif (diptotes) — they do not accept tanwīn and are given fatḥah instead of kasrah in the jarr state.
Causes of Ghayr Munsarif (Two Causes = Ghayr Munsarif)
| Cause | Arabic | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Feminine form (tāʾ marbūṭah or alif) | التَّأْنِيث | فَاطِمَة، حَمْرَاء |
| Non-Arabic origin | الْعَجَمَة | إِبْرَاهِيم، يُوسُف |
| End in alif of ta'nīth maqṣūrah/mamdūdah | أَلِف التَّأْنِيث | حُبْلَى، صَحْرَاء |
| Compound names | التَّرْكِيب | بَعْلَبَكّ |
| Pattern of فَعْلَان | وَزْن فَعْلَان | عَطْشَان، غَضْبَان |
| Pattern of أَفْعَل | وَزْن أَفْعَل | أَحْمَر، أَكْبَر |
| Plural on pattern مَفَاعِل / مَفَاعِيل | صِيغَة مُنْتَهَى الْجُمُوع | مَسَاجِد، مَصَابِيح |
| Additional letters on proper noun | الزِّيَادَة | عُمَر (with extra alif) |
| Proper noun with waẓīfah | الْوَصْفِيَّة | أَحْمَد (when used as a name) |
Exercises
Iʿrāb of Muʿrab Isms
Every muʿrab ism can appear in three states depending on its grammatical role: Rafʿ (nominative) · Naṣb (accusative) · Jarr (genitive)
| State | Role in Sentence | Sign (regular) |
|---|---|---|
| Rafʿ | Mubtadaʾ, Khabar, Fāʿil, Nāʾib Fāʿil | Ḍammah ـُ (or wāw/alif for plurals/duals) |
| Naṣb | Mafʿūl bih, Mafʿūl fīh, Ḥāl, Tamyīz, Munādā nakirah | Fatḥah ـَ (or kasrah for f. sound pl.) |
| Jarr | After ḥarf jarr, muḍāf ilayh | Kasrah ـِ (or fatḥah for diptotes) |
A servant opened the door of the house.
Exercises
Maʿrifa & Nakira
A Nakira (indefinite noun) refers to a non-specific, unidentified entity. A Maʿrifa (definite noun) refers to a specific, known entity. This distinction affects agreement, sentence structure, and iʿrāb in some contexts.
Types of Maʿrifa (in Order of Specificity)
| Type | Arabic | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proper Noun | عَلَم | زَيْد، مَكَّة | Inherently definite |
| Pronoun | ضَمِير | هُوَ، أَنَا | Always definite — refers to specific persons |
| Definite Article | مُعَرَّف بِأَل | اَلرَّجُل | Made definite by اَل |
| Demonstrative | اِسْم إِشَارَة | هَذَا، تِلْكَ | Points to something specific |
| Relative Pronoun | اِسْم مَوْصُول | اَلَّذِي، اَلَّتِي | Made definite by the relative clause |
| Muḍāf to a Maʿrifa | مُضَاف إِلَى مَعْرِفَة | كِتَابُ زَيْدٍ | Becomes definite through the possessive link |
Exercises
Gender — Mudhakkar & Muʾannath
Arabic has two grammatical genders: Mudhakkar (masculine) and Muʾannath (feminine). Gender affects agreement between nouns, adjectives, verbs, and pronouns.
Signs of Feminine
| Sign | Arabic | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Tāʾ Marbūṭah | تَاء مَرْبُوطَة (ة) | مَدْرَسَة، طَالِبَة، مُعَلِّمَة |
| Alif Maqṣūrah | أَلِف مَقْصُورَة (ى) | حُبْلَى، كُبْرَى، دُنْيَا |
| Alif Mamdūdah | أَلِف مَمْدُودَة (اء) | حَمْرَاء، صَحْرَاء، بَيْضَاء |
| Semantic femininity | التَّأْنِيث الْمَعْنَوِيّ | أُمّ، أُخْت، شَمْس، أَرْض |
Agreement Rules
A verb, adjective, or pronoun must agree with its noun in gender: ذَهَبَتِ الطَّالِبَةُ (The female student went) — the verb takes tāʾ for feminine. اَلْكِلَابُ الْحَارِسَةُ جَالِسَةٌ — The guard dogs are sitting (feminine plural, non-rational = f. agreement).
Exercises
Number — Singular, Dual & Plural
Arabic uniquely distinguishes three numbers: singular (one), dual (exactly two), and plural (three or more).
| Number | Arabic | How Formed | Rafʿ | Naṣb/Jarr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | مُفْرَد | Base form | رَجُلٌ | رَجُلًا / رَجُلٍ |
| Dual | تَثْنِيَة | Add ـَانِ (rafʿ) or ـَيْنِ (naṣb/jarr) | رَجُلَانِ | رَجُلَيْنِ |
| Sound M. Plural | جَمْع مُذَكَّر سَالِم | Add ـُونَ (rafʿ) or ـِينَ (naṣb/jarr) | رِجَالٌ / مُسْلِمُونَ | مُسْلِمِينَ |
| Sound F. Plural | جَمْع مُؤَنَّث سَالِم | Add ـَات; kasrah for naṣb (irregular) | مُسْلِمَاتٌ | مُسْلِمَاتٍ |
| Broken Plural | جَمْع تَكْسِير | Internal pattern change | رِجَالٌ، كُتُبٌ | رِجَالًا، كُتُبًا |
Broken Plural Patterns (Examples)
| Singular | Plural | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| كِتَاب | كُتُب | فُعُل |
| رَجُل | رِجَال | فِعَال |
| مَسْجِد | مَسَاجِد | مَفَاعِل (ghayr munsarif) |
| طَالِب | طُلَّاب / طَلَبَة | فُعَّال / فَعَلَة |
Exercises
Subject & Predicate — Detailed Iʿrāb
A nominal sentence consists of a Mubtadaʾ (مُبْتَدَأ — the subject/topic) and a Khabar (خَبَر — the predicate/comment). Both are marfūʿ (nominative). The mubtadaʾ is generally a maʿrifa.
Types of Khabar
| Type | Arabic | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single word (mufrad) | خَبَر مُفْرَد | اَللهُ عَزِيزٌ | Allāh is the All-Mighty. |
| Prepositional phrase (jār wa-majrūr) | جَار وَمَجْرُور | زَيْدٌ فِي الْبَيْتِ | Zayd is in the house. |
| Adverb (ẓarf) | خَبَر ظَرْف | اَلْمَالُ عِنْدَ زَيْدٍ | The wealth is with Zayd. |
| Verbal sentence (jumlah fiʿliyyah) | خَبَر جُمْلَة | اَللهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ | Allāh loves the doers of good. |
The great success. (or: Success — which is the greatest.)
Exercises
The ʿĀmil — Governing Word اَلْعَامِلُ
What Is an ʿĀmil?
An ʿĀmil (عَامِل) is any word or particle that causes a change in the iʿrāb (ending) of the word after it. Arabic grammar revolves around the relationship between governing words and the words they govern (مَعْمُول).
Every iʿrāb state (rafʿ, naṣb, jarr, jazm) has specific ʿawāmil that produce it:
| Iʿrāb State | Produced By | Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| Rafʿ رَفْع | Ibtidāʾ (subject position), fiʿl agreement | Ism only |
| Naṣb نَصْب | Fiʿl (transitive), inna & sisters, kāna & sisters, particles of naṣb | Ism & fiʿl muḍāriʿ |
| Jarr جَرّ | Ḥurūf al-jarr, iḍāfah (muḍāf structure) | Ism only |
| Jazm جَزْم | Particles of jazm, conditional structure | Fiʿl muḍāriʿ only |
Two Main Categories of ʿĀmil
Exercise
Particles of Naṣb نَوَاصِبُ الْمُضَارِعِ
The fiʿl muḍāriʿ is originally in rafʿ. Four particles place it into naṣb, changing its ending from ḍammah → fatḥah (or dropping the nūn in the five verbs).
| Particle | Name | Meaning / Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| أَنْ | An | "to / that" — introduces infinitive-like clause | أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ (I want to go) |
| لَنْ | Lan | "will never / shall not" — emphatic negation of future | لَنْ أَكْذِبَ (I will never lie) |
| كَيْ | Kay | "so that / in order to" — purpose | جِئْتُ كَيْ أَتَعَلَّمَ (I came in order to learn) |
| إِذَنْ | Idhan | "in that case / then" — response particle | إِذَنْ أَنْجَحَ (In that case I will succeed) |
Exercise
Active, Passive & Intransitive Fiʿl مَعْلُوم — مَجْهُول — لَازِم
Arabic verbs are classified by whether they express the doer (fāʿil) explicitly or conceal it, and whether they take an object at all.
| Type | Arabic | Definition | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active (Maʿlūm) | فِعْل مَعْلُوم | Doer (fāʿil) is known and mentioned | كَتَبَ زَيْدٌ الدَّرْسَ | Zayd wrote the lesson |
| Passive (Majhūl) | فِعْل مَجْهُول | Doer is hidden; object promoted to nāʾib fāʿil | كُتِبَ الدَّرْسُ | The lesson was written |
| Intransitive (Lāzim) | فِعْل لَازِم | Cannot take an object; action stays with the doer | جَلَسَ زَيْدٌ | Zayd sat |
Passive Voice Formation Rules
Māḍī (past): First letter gets ḍammah, second-to-last gets kasrah → كَتَبَ → كُتِبَ
Muḍāriʿ (present): First letter gets ḍammah, second-to-last gets fatḥah → يَكْتُبُ → يُكْتَبُ
The promoted subject is called Nāʾib al-Fāʿil (نَائِبُ الْفَاعِلِ) and remains in rafʿ.
Exercise
Transitive Fiʿl & Afʿāl al-Qulūb الْمُتَعَدِّي وَأَفْعَالُ الْقُلُوبِ
Transitive Fiʿl (Mutaʿaddī)
A Mutaʿaddī verb is one that takes a direct object (mafʿūl bih) in naṣb. The action crosses from the doer to something else.
Examples: كَتَبَ (wrote)، أَكَلَ (ate)، فَتَحَ (opened)، ضَرَبَ (struck)
Afʿāl al-Qulūb — Verbs of the Heart أَفْعَالُ الْقُلُوبِ
These are a special subgroup of transitive verbs that govern two mafʿūls (both in naṣb). They express inner states — belief, knowledge, thinking, perception.
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ظَنَّ | to think / suppose | ظَنَنْتُ زَيْدًا عَالِمًا — I thought Zayd was a scholar |
| حَسِبَ | to reckon / consider | حَسِبْتُهُ صَادِقًا — I considered him truthful |
| خَالَ | to imagine / fancy | خِلْتُ الْأَمْرَ سَهْلًا — I imagined the matter easy |
| عَلِمَ | to know (with certainty) | عَلِمْتُ زَيْدًا قَائِمًا — I knew Zayd was standing |
| وَجَدَ | to find | وَجَدْتُ الْبَابَ مَفْتُوحًا — I found the door open |
| رَأَى | to see / perceive | رَأَيْتُ الطَّالِبَ مُجْتَهِدًا — I saw the student hardworking |
Exercise
Muqārabah, Rajāʾ & Shurūʿ Verbs أَفْعَالُ الْمُقَارَبَةِ وَالرَّجَاءِ وَالشُّرُوعِ
These three groups of verbs behave like kāna's sisters — they take an ismu-hā (in rafʿ) and a khabaru-hā (in naṣb). However, their khabar is always a fiʿl muḍāriʿ preceded by أَنْ (explicit or implied).
| Group | Meaning | Key Verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muqārabah مُقَارَبَة | Nearness / imminence — "about to" | كَادَ، كَرَبَ، أَوْشَكَ | كَادَ زَيْدٌ يَقُومُ — Zayd was about to stand |
| Rajāʾ رَجَاء | Hope / expectation | عَسَى، حَرَى، اِخْلَوْلَقَ | عَسَى اللهُ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ — Perhaps Allah will forgive |
| Shurūʿ شُرُوع | Beginning / commencement — "began to" | شَرَعَ، أَخَذَ، جَعَلَ، طَفِقَ، أَنْشَأَ، عَلِقَ، هَبَّ، قَامَ، بَدَأَ | أَخَذَ الطِّفْلُ يَبْكِي — The child began to cry |
- With كَادَ and Muqārabah: أَنْ is not used (or rarely) — كَادَ يَقُومُ
- With عَسَى and Rajāʾ: أَنْ is commonly used — عَسَى أَنْ يَقُومَ
- With Shurūʿ verbs: أَنْ is not used — شَرَعَ يَكْتُبُ
Exercise
Praise, Blame & Wonder اَلْمَدْحُ وَالذَّمُّ وَالتَّعَجُّبُ
Verbs of Praise & Blame (Madḥ & Dhamm)
Two frozen verbs — نِعْمَ (how excellent!) and بِئْسَ (how wretched!) — express superlative praise or blame. They are followed by a subject in rafʿ and a المخصوص (the person/thing being praised or blamed).
| Verb | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| نِعْمَ | How excellent! / What a good…! | نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ زَيْدٌ | What an excellent man Zayd is! |
| بِئْسَ | How wretched! / What a bad…! | بِئْسَ الْعَمَلُ الْكَذِبُ | What a wretched deed lying is! |
Verbs of Wonder (Taʿajjub)
Arabic has two standard patterns to express admiration or astonishment:
| Pattern | Formula | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern 1 | مَا أَفْعَلَهُ | مَا أَحْسَنَ زَيْدًا | How beautiful Zayd is! |
| Pattern 2 | أَفْعِلْ بِهِ | أَحْسِنْ بِزَيْدٍ | How beautiful is Zayd! |
Grammar of Pattern 2: أَحْسِنْ appears as a command form but is not actually a command here. The بِ is a zāʾidah (extra) particle; the noun is technically a fāʿil.
Exercise
Particles of Jazm جَوَازِمُ الْمُضَارِعِ
Jazm only applies to the fiʿl muḍāriʿ. Its sign is sukūn (or deletion of the final nūn in the Five Verbs, or deletion of the weak letter in defective verbs).
Jazm particles fall into two groups based on how many verbs they govern:
| Particle | Governs | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| لَمْ | 1 verb | did not (negates māḍī meaning) | لَمْ يَذْهَبْ — he did not go |
| لَمَّا | 1 verb | not yet | لَمَّا يَقُمْ — he has not yet stood |
| لَامُ الْأَمْر | 1 verb | let…! / command via lām | لِيَقُمْ زَيْدٌ — let Zayd stand! |
| لَا النَّاهِيَة | 1 verb | do not! (prohibition) | لَا تَكْذِبْ — do not lie! |
| Conditional particles — govern TWO verbs (condition + response) | |||
| إِنْ | 2 verbs | if | إِنْ تَقُمْ أَقُمْ — if you stand, I will stand |
| مَنْ | 2 verbs | whoever | مَنْ يَعْمَلْ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ — whoever does good will see it |
| مَا | 2 verbs | whatever | مَا تَفْعَلْ يُكْتَبْ — whatever you do will be written |
| مَهْمَا | 2 verbs | whatever (emphatic) | مَهْمَا تَأْتِ بِهِ — whatever you bring |
Exercise
Conditional Isms أَسْمَاءُ الشَّرْطِ
Conditional isms are noun-like words that introduce a conditional structure. They are indeclinable (mabnī) but govern two verbs in jazm: the condition verb (فِعْلُ الشَّرْطِ) and the response verb (جَوَابُ الشَّرْطِ).
| Conditional Ism | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| مَنْ | whoever (for rational beings) | مَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ — whoever does evil will be recompensed for it |
| مَا | whatever (for non-rational things) | مَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يَعْلَمْهُ اللهُ — whatever good you do, Allah knows it |
| أَيُّ | whichever / whichever of | أَيُّمَا تَدْعُوا فَلَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى |
| أَيْنَ | wherever (place) | أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِكُكُمُ الْمَوْتُ — wherever you are, death will reach you |
| مَتَى | whenever (time) | مَتَى تَسْأَلْهُ يُعْطِكَ — whenever you ask Him, He will give you |
| كَيْفَمَا | however / in whatever manner | كَيْفَمَا تَكُونُوا يُوَلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ |
مَنْ يَصْبِرْ يَنْجَحْ — whoever is patient will succeed
Both يَصْبِرْ and يَنْجَحْ carry sukūn.
Exercise
Ism al-Fāʿil & Ṣīghat Mubālaghah اِسْمُ الْفَاعِلِ وَصِيغَةُ الْمُبَالَغَةِ
Ism al-Fāʿil — Active Participle
Ism al-Fāʿil expresses the doer of an action as a descriptive noun. It can describe, act as a noun, and even govern a mafʿūl bih in naṣb when it carries present/future meaning.
Pattern: From 3-letter roots → فَاعِل
| Root | Meaning | Ism al-Fāʿil | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| كَتَبَ | to write | كَاتِب | writer / one who writes |
| عَلِمَ | to know | عَالِم | scholar / knower |
| صَبَرَ | to be patient | صَابِر | one who is patient |
| ضَرَبَ | to strike | ضَارِب | one who strikes |
Ṣīghat Mubālaghah — Intensive Form
These are intensified versions of ism al-fāʿil — they convey habitual, excessive, or extreme performance of the action.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| فَعَّال | One who does frequently | كَذَّاب | habitual liar |
| فَعُول | One intensely engaged | صَبُور | very patient / enduring |
| فَعِيل | Intense quality | رَحِيم | very merciful |
| فَعِل | Intense state | حَذِر | very cautious |
| مِفْعَال | One greatly inclined to action | مِعْطَاء | very generous (great giver) |
Exercise
Ism al-Mafʿūl & Ṣifah Mushabbahah اِسْمُ الْمَفْعُولِ وَالصِّفَةُ الْمُشَبَّهَةُ
Ism al-Mafʿūl — Passive Participle
Ism al-Mafʿūl expresses the object of an action — "the one acted upon." It is derived from transitive verbs only.
Pattern (3-letter root): مَفْعُول
| Root | Meaning | Ism al-Mafʿūl | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| كَتَبَ | to write | مَكْتُوب | written / that which is written |
| فَتَحَ | to open | مَفْتُوح | opened |
| عَلِمَ | to know | مَعْلُوم | known |
| ضَرَبَ | to strike | مَضْرُوب | struck / beaten |
Ṣifah Mushabbahah — Resemblant Adjective
Unlike ism al-fāʿil (which describes a temporary action), Ṣifah Mushabbahah describes a permanent or stable quality — a trait embedded in the person. It is derived from intransitive verbs only.
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| فَعِل | حَسَنٌ ← حَسِنَ | beautiful / having beauty (stable trait) |
| فَعْلَان | عَطْشَان | thirsty (inherent state) |
| أَفْعَل (color/defect) | أَحْمَر، أَعْمَى | red; blind |
| فَعْل | صَعْب، سَهْل | difficult; easy |
ضَارِب (fāʿil) = one who is [currently] striking — temporary
شُجَاع (ṣifah mushabbahah) = brave — a permanent character trait
Exercise
Ism al-Tafḍīl — Comparative & Superlative اِسْمُ التَّفْضِيلِ
Ism al-Tafḍīl expresses that something surpasses others in a quality — equivalent to "-er" (comparative) or "-est" (superlative) in English. All forms follow the pattern أَفْعَل.
| Base Adjective | Meaning | Ism al-Tafḍīl | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| كَبِير | big | أَكْبَر | bigger / biggest |
| صَغِير | small | أَصْغَر | smaller / smallest |
| حَسَن | good/beautiful | أَحْسَن | better / best |
| كَثِير | many/much | أَكْثَر | more / most |
| عَظِيم | great | أَعْظَم | greater / greatest |
How Ism al-Tafḍīl is Used
| Usage | Structure | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative with مِنْ | أَفْعَل + مِنْ | زَيْدٌ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ عَمْرٍو | Zayd is bigger than Amr |
| Superlative with definite article | اَلْ + أَفْعَل | هُوَ الْأَكْبَرُ | He is the biggest |
| Superlative with iḍāfah | أَفْعَل + مُضَاف إِلَيْهِ | أَكْبَرُ الطُّلَّابِ | The biggest of the students |
Exercise
Maṣdar, Muḍāf Structures, Ism Tāmm & Kināyāt الْمَصْدَرُ — الْمُضَافُ — اِسْمٌ تَامٌّ — كِنَايَات
Maṣdar — Verbal Noun الْمَصْدَر
The Maṣdar is the verbal noun — the abstract action itself. It is the source (aṣl) from which the verb and other derivatives are considered to be derived.
| Verb | Maṣdar | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| كَتَبَ | كِتَابَة / كَتْب | writing |
| ذَهَبَ | ذَهَاب | going / departure |
| فَهِمَ | فَهْم | understanding |
| اِجْتَهَدَ | اِجْتِهَاد | striving / effort |
The Maṣdar can function as: (1) a subject/predicate, (2) a mafʿūl muṭlaq (absolute object), (3) a mafʿūl bih, or (4) a muḍāf.
Muḍāf & Muḍāf Ilayhi — Construct State الْمُضَافُ وَالْمُضَافُ إِلَيْهِ
When two nouns are joined in an iḍāfah (construct), the first (muḍāf) loses tanwīn and definite article, and the second (muḍāf ilayhi) takes jarr.
Examples: كِتَابُ الطَّالِبِ (the student's book), بَيْتُ اللهِ (the House of Allah), بَابُ الْمَدِينَةِ (the gate of the city)
Ism Tāmm — Complete / Non-Deficient Ism اِسْم تَامّ
An Ism Tāmm is complete in itself — it does not need a complement to complete its meaning, unlike ism nāqiṣ (deficient ism like ضَمِير). All regular nouns are tāmm.
Kināyāt — Pronouns of Quantity/Distance كِنَايَات
These are special words that stand in for an unknown or unspecified quantity or entity:
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| كَمْ | how many / how much (interrogative) | كَمْ طَالِبًا؟ — how many students? |
| كَمْ (declarative) | many a… / how many (exclamatory) | كَمْ طَالِبٍ نَجَحَ — many a student passed |
| كَذَا | so-and-so (number) | used for unspecified numbers |
Exercise
Tarkeeb Practice — Set 1 تَرْكِيب — الْمَجْمُوعَةُ الْأُولَى
For each sentence below: (1) identify every word's grammatical role, (2) determine its iʿrāb state and sign, and (3) translate the full sentence. Labels must be in Arabic. Click "Show Analysis" to reveal the model answer.
Tarkeeb Practice — Set 2 تَرْكِيب — الْمَجْمُوعَةُ الثَّانِيَة
Continue the parsing practice. Apply everything learned. Remember: all labels must be in Arabic. Work through each sentence independently before revealing the analysis.