Active Participles — Standard Arabic Grammar

The active participle is a specific form derived from a verb. It functions as a noun or an adjective to indicate the entity performing an action or being in a specific state. In English, this concept often translates to words ending in "-er" (like "writer") or "-ing" (like "sleeping").

The "Doer" of the Action

One common use of the active participle is to turn a verb into a noun that describes a person's role or profession. It identifies the person who performs the verb.

⁧هُوَ كَاتِبٌ مَشْهُورٌ.⁩
hụwạ kātịbụṇ mạšhūrụṇ.huwa kātibun mas͟hhūrun.huwa kātibú mašhuwrú.hw katb mšhwr.
He is a famous writer.
⁧أَنَا طَالِبٌ فِي الْجَامِعَةِ.⁩
ʼạnā ṭālịbụṇ fī ᵃljāmịʕạẗị.ʾanā ṭālibun fī ᵃld͟jāmiʿati.ˈanā ṭālibú fiy ᵃlǧāmiʿaẗi.ˈana ṭalb fy ᵃljamʕẗ.
I am a student at the university.

Formation: The Fāʿil Pattern

For most basic three-letter verbs, the active participle follows a strict sound pattern called (fāʕịlfāʿilfāʿilfaʕl). To create this form, you elongate the vowel after the first letter of the root (adding an 'ā' sound) and add a short 'i' sound (kasra) to the second letter.

For example, the verb (kạtạbạkatabakatabaktb) - to write becomes (kātịbkātibkātibkatb) - writer/writing.

⁧مَنْ هُوَ الْقَارِئُ؟⁩
mạn hụwạ ᵃlqārịʼụ?man huwa ᵃlqāriʾu?man huwa ᵃlqāriˈu?mn hw ᵃlqarˈa?
Who is the reader?

Expressing Continuous Action (Present Progressive)

While Arabic verbs have a present tense, that tense usually indicates habitual actions (what you do generally). To express what you are doing right now, especially with verbs of motion (going, traveling) or body position (sitting, standing), Arabic uses the active participle.

In this context, the participle acts like an adjective describing your current state.

⁧أَنَا ذَاهِبٌ إِلَى الْمَكْتَبِ.⁩
ʼạnā ḏāhịbụṇ ʼịlā ᵃlmạktạbị.ʾanā d͟hāhibun ʾilā ᵃlmaktabi.ˈanā ḏāhibú ˌilā ᵃlmaktabi.ˈana ḏahb ˌila ᵃlmktb.
I am going to the office (right now).
⁧أَيْنَ أَنْتَ مُسَافِرٌ؟⁩
ʼạynạ ʼạntạ mụsāfịrụṇ?ʾayna ʾanta musāfirun?ˈayna ˈanta musāfirú?ˈayn ˈant msafr?
Where are you traveling?

Contrast this with the regular present tense verb, which implies a habit:

⁧أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَكْتَبِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.⁩
ʼạḏhạbụ ʼịlā ᵃlmạktạbị kụllạ yạwmịṇ.ʾad͟hhabu ʾilā ᵃlmaktabi kulla yawmin.ˈaḏhabu ˌilā ᵃlmaktabi kulla yawmí.ˈaḏhb ˌila ᵃlmktb kl ywm.
I go to the office every day.

Gender Agreement

Because active participles function as nouns or adjectives, they must agree in gender with the person they describe. If the doer is female, you must add the feminine ending ⁧ة⁩ (tāʼ mạrbūṭạẗtāʾ marbūṭahtāˈ marbuwṭaẗtaʼ mrbwṭẗ).

⁧أُمِّي نَائِمَةٌ.⁩
ʼụmmī nāʼịmạẗụṇ.ʾummī nāʾimatun.ˈummiy nāˌimaẗú.ˈamy naˌimẗ.
My mother is sleeping.
⁧هِيَ جَالِسَةٌ عَلَى الْكُرْسِيِّ.⁩
hịyạ jālịsạẗụṇ ʕạlā ᵃlkụrsịyyị.hiya d͟jālisatun ʿalā ᵃlkursiyyi.hiya ǧālisaẗú ʿalā ᵃlkursiyyi.hy jalsẗ ʕla ᵃlkrsy.
She is sitting on the chair.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Standard Arabic course

16 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 2. A few of them, with the words “Active Participles” is about in bold:

هذه صديقتي آنا, وهي طالبة.
hặḏịhị ṣạdīqạtⁱ ī ʼānnā, wạ hịyạ ṭālịbạẗụṇ.hād͟hihi ṣadīqatⁱ ī ʾānnā, wa hiya ṭālibatun.hāḏihi ṣadiyqatⁱ iy ˈānnā, wa hiya ṭālibaẗú.hḏh ṣdyqtⁱ y ʾana, w hy ṭalbẗ.
This is my friend, Anna. She is a student.
Lesson 2
إنه نائم أيضا. هي ليست نائمة.
ʼịnnạhụ nāʼịmụṇ ʼạyḑạṇ. hịyạ lạysạt nāʼịmạẗạṇ.ʾinnahu nāʾimun ʾayḍan. hiya laysat nāʾimatan.ˌinnahu nāˌimú ˈayḍá. hiya laysat nāˌimaẗá.ˌinh naˌim ˈayḍa. hy lyst naˌimẗ.
He is also sleeping. She isn't.
Lesson 16

Comments

Loading comments…