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

  kạtạbạ: kịtābạẗkataba: kitābahkataba: kitābaẗktb: ktabẗ

  writing

• ⁧دَرَسَ: دِرَاسَة⁩

  dạrạsạ: dịrāsạẗdarasa: dirāsahdarasa: dirāsaẗdrs: drasẗ

  studying

• ⁧أَكَلَ: أَكْل⁩

  ʼạkạlạ: ʼạklʾakala: ʾaklˈakala: ˈaklˈakl: ˈakl

  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.⁩

  ʼụḥịbbụ ᵃlqịrāʼạẗạ.ʾuḥibbu ᵃlqirāʾata.ˈuḥibbu ᵃlqirāˈaẗa.ˈaḥb ᵃlqraˈaẗ.

  I like reading.

• ⁧أُرِيدُ الذَّهَابَ إِلَى البَيْتِ.⁩

  ʼụrīdụ ᵃḏḏạhābạ ʼịlā ᵃlbạytị.ʾurīdu ᵃd͟hd͟hahāba ʾilā ᵃlbayti.ˈuriydu ᵃḏḏahāba ˌilā ᵃlbayti.ˈaryd ᵃḏhab ˌila ᵃlbyt.

  I want to go to the house.

• ⁧بَدَأَ العَمَلَ.⁩

  bạdạʼạ ᵃlʕạmạlạ.badaʾa ᵃlʿamala.badaˈa ᵃlʿamala.bdˈa ᵃlʕml.

  He started working.

03

With Auxiliary Verbs

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

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

• ⁧هَلْ تَسْتَطِيعُ السِّبَاحَةَ؟⁩

  hạl tạstạṭīʕụ ᵃssịbāḥạẗạ?hal tastaṭīʿu ᵃssibāḥata?hal tastaṭiyʿu ᵃssibāḥaẗa?hl tstṭyʕ ᵃsbaḥẗ?

  Can you swim? (Can you the swimming?)

When using "must" (⁧⁧يَجِبُ⁩⁩ (yạjịbụyad͟jibuyaǧibuyjb)), 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.⁩

  yạjịbụ ʕạlạyyạ ᵃnnạwmụ.yad͟jibu ʿalayya ᵃnnawmu.yaǧibu ʿalayya ᵃnnawmu.yjb ʕly ᵃnwm.

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

04

Functioning as a Regular Noun

Because the ⁧⁧مَصْدَر⁩⁩ (mạṣdạrmaṣdarmaṣdarmṣdr) 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.⁩

  addịrāsạẗụ ṣạʕbạẗụṇ.addirāsatu ṣaʿbatun.ʾaddirāsaẗu ṣaʿbaẗú.aldrasẗ ṣʕbẗ.

  Studying is difficult.

• ⁧أَكْلُ الخُضَارِ مُهِمٌّ.⁩

  ʼạklụ ᵃlḵụḑārị mụhịmmụṇ.ʾaklu ᵃlk͟huḍāri muhimmun.ˈaklu ᵃlẖuḍāri muhimmú.ˈakl ᵃlḵḍar mhm.

  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.⁩

  kịtābạtụkạ jạmīlạẗụṇ jịddạṇ.kitābatuka d͟jamīlatun d͟jiddan.kitābatuka ǧamiylaẗú ǧiddá.ktabtk jmylẗ jda.

  Your writing is very beautiful.

• ⁧سَمِعْتُ كَلَامَهُ.⁩

  sạmịʕtụ kạlāmạhụ.samiʿtu kalāmahu.samiʿtu kalāmahu.smʕt klamh.

  I heard his speaking (what he said).