Verbal Nouns

01

Formation and Memorization

Unlike English, where you simply add "-ing" to a verb, Arabic verbal nouns do not follow a single rule for the most common verbs (Form I). The pattern changes depending on the verb. Because they are irregular, you must memorize the verbal noun whenever you learn a new verb.

• ⁧كَتَبَ: كِتَابَة⁩

  kataba: kitābahkataba: kitābahkataba: kitābahkataba: kitabah

  writing

• ⁧دَرَسَ: دِرَاسَة⁩

  darasa: dirāsahdarasa: dirāsahdarasa: dirāsahdarasa: dirasah

  studying

• ⁧أَكَلَ: أَكْل⁩

  akala: aklakala: aklʾakala: ʾaklakala: akl

  eating

02

Using Verbal Nouns as Objects

The most common use for beginners is to complete the meaning of another verb. When you want to say "I like to eat" or "I want to sleep", Arabic uses the verbal noun. Literally, you are saying "I like the eating" or "I want the sleeping".

Since the verbal noun acts as the direct object of the main verb, it takes the accusative case (ending in -a or -an).

• ⁧أُحِبُّ القِرَاءَةَ.⁩

  uḥibbu al-qirāʾah.uḥibbu al-qirāʾah.uḥibbu ʾal-qirāʾah.uḥibu al-qiraʾah.

  I like reading.

• ⁧أُرِيدُ الذَّهَابَ إِلَى البَيْتِ.⁩

  urīdu adh-dhahāba ilá al-bayt.urīdu adh-dhahāba ilá al-bayt.uriydu ʾadh-dhahāba ilá ʾal-bayt.urydu adh-dhahaba ilá al-bayt.

  I want to go to the house.

• ⁧بَدَأَ العَمَلَ.⁩

  badaʾa al-ʿamal.badaʾa al-ʿamal.badaʾa ʾal-ʿamal.badaʾa al-ʿamal.

  He started working.

03

With Auxiliary Verbs

Verbal nouns are required after specific auxiliary verbs, such as "can" (⁧⁧يَسْتَطِيعُ⁩⁩ (yastaṭīʿuyastaṭīʿuyastaṭiyʿuyastaṭyʿu)) or impersonal verbs like "must" (⁧⁧يَجِبُ⁩⁩ (yajibuyad͟jibuyaǧibuyajibu)).

When using "can", the verbal noun is the object (what you can do).

• ⁧هَلْ تَسْتَطِيعُ السِّبَاحَةَ؟⁩

  hal tastaṭīʿu as-sibāḥah?hal tastaṭīʿu as-sibāḥah?hal tastaṭiyʿu ʾas-sibāḥah?hal tastaṭyʿu as-sibaḥah?

  Can you swim? (Can you the swimming?)

When using "must" (⁧⁧يَجِبُ⁩⁩ (yajibuyad͟jibuyaǧibuyajibu)), the structure is literally "The action is necessary upon me." Therefore, the verbal noun becomes the subject of the sentence and takes the nominative case (ending in -u or -un).

• ⁧يَجِبُ عَلَيَّ النَّوْمُ.⁩

  yajibu ʿalayya an-nawm.yad͟jibu ʿalayya an-nawm.yaǧibu ʿalayya ʾan-nawm.yajibu ʿalaya an-nawm.

  I have to sleep. (The sleeping is necessary upon me.)

04

Functioning as a Regular Noun

Because the ⁧⁧مَصْدَر⁩⁩ (maṣdar) is a noun, it behaves exactly like any other noun in the language. It can take the definite article ⁧⁧ال⁩⁩ (al-al-ʾal-al-), it can be described by adjectives, and it can be the subject of a sentence.

• ⁧الدِّرَاسَةُ صَعْبَةٌ.⁩

  ad-dirāsatu ṣaʿbah.ad-dirāsatu ṣaʿbah.ʾad-dirāsatu ṣaʿbah.ad-dirasatu ṣaʿbah.

  Studying is difficult.

• ⁧أَكْلُ الخُضَارِ مُهِمٌّ.⁩

  aklu al-khuḍāri muhimm.aklu al-khuḍāri muhimm.ʾaklu ʾal-khuḍāri muhimm.aklu al-khuḍari muhim.

  Eating vegetables is important.

05

Possession and Verbal Nouns

You will often see verbal nouns combined with possessive suffixes. This usually indicates who is performing the action. For example, instead of saying "how you write," Arabic might say "your writing."

• ⁧كِتَابَتُكَ جَمِيلَةٌ جِدًّا.⁩

  kitābatuka jamīlah jiddan.kitābatuka d͟jamīlah d͟jiddan.kitābatuka ǧamiylah ǧiddan.kitabatuka jamylah jidan.

  Your writing is very beautiful.

• ⁧سَمِعْتُ كَلَامَهُ.⁩

  samiʿtu kalāmah.samiʿtu kalāmah.samiʿtu kalāmah.samiʿtu kalamah.

  I heard his speaking (what he said).