Verbs: Passive Forms — Standard Arabic Grammar

The passive voice allows you to describe an action without mentioning who performed it. This is used when the doer is unknown, obvious, or intentionally hidden.

In an active sentence, the structure is Doer + Verb + Receiver. In a passive sentence, the Doer is removed, and the Receiver becomes the grammatical subject of the sentence.

Unlike English, which uses helper verbs like "was" or "is" (e.g., "was written"), Arabic indicates the passive voice by changing the vowel patterns within the verb itself.

Passive in the Past Tense

To form the passive voice for standard three-letter verbs in the past tense, the vowel pattern changes to u-i-a ( (fụʕịlạfuʿilafuʿilafʕl)).

The first letter takes a Damma (⁧ُ⁩ (u) sound: u).
The second letter takes a Kasra (⁧ِ⁩ (i) sound: i).

Compare the active verb "he wrote" with the passive "it was written":

⁧كَتَبَ⁩
kạtạbạkatabakatabaktb
he wrote
⁧كُتِبَ⁩
kụtịbạkutibakutibaktb
it was written

Examples in sentences:

⁧كُسِرَ الْبَابُ.⁩
kụsịrạ ᵃlbābụ.kusira ᵃlbābu.kusira ᵃlbābu.ksr ᵃlbab.
The door was broken.
⁧سُرِقَتِ السَّيَّارَةُ.⁩
sụrịqạtị ᵃssạyyārạẗụ.suriqati ᵃssayyāratu.suriqati ᵃssayyāraẗu.srqt ᵃsyarẗ.
The car was stolen.

Passive in the Present Tense

To form the passive voice in the present tense, the vowel pattern changes to yu-a-u ( (yụfʕạlụyufʿaluyufʿaluyfʕl)).

The prefix (the first letter) takes a Damma (⁧ُ⁩ (u) sound: u).
The letter before the last takes a Fatha (⁧َ⁩ (aaʾaa) sound: a).

Compare the active "he writes" with the passive "it is written":

⁧يَكْتُبُ⁩
yạktụbụyaktubuyaktubuyktb
he writes
⁧يُكْتَبُ⁩
yụktạbụyuktabuyuktabuyktb
it is written

Examples in sentences:

⁧يُعْرَفُ الْحَقُّ.⁩
yụʕrạfụ ᵃlḥạqqụ.yuʿrafu ᵃlḥaqqu.yuʿrafu ᵃlḥaqqu.yʕrf ᵃlḥq.
The truth is known.
⁧تُشْرَبُ الْقَهْوَةُ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ.⁩
tụšrạbụ ᵃlqạhwạẗụ kụllạ ṣạbāḥịṇ.tus͟hrabu ᵃlqahwatu kulla ṣabāḥin.tušrabu ᵃlqahwaẗu kulla ṣabāḥí.tšrb ᵃlqhwẗ kl ṣbaḥ.
Coffee is drunk every morning.

The Deputy Subject (Changing Case Endings)

When a sentence changes from active to passive, the original object (the receiver of the action) takes the place of the missing subject. In Arabic grammar, this is called the "Deputy Subject" ( (nāʼịbụ ᵃlfāʕịlịnāʾibu ᵃlfāʿilināˌibu ᵃlfāʿilinaˌib ᵃlfaʕl)).

Because this word is now acting as the subject, its case ending changes from Accusative (ending in ⁧ـَ⁩ (ạaa) or ⁧ـً⁩ (ạṇanáa)) to Nominative (ending in ⁧ـُ⁩ (ụuu) or ⁧ـٌ⁩ (ụṇunú)).

Active sentence (Object has Fatha):

⁧فَتَحَ الرَّجُلُ الْبَابَ.⁩
fạtạḥạ ᵃrrạjụlụ ᵃlbābạ.fataḥa ᵃrrad͟julu ᵃlbāba.fataḥa ᵃrraǧulu ᵃlbāba.ftḥ ᵃrjl ᵃlbab.
The man opened the door.

Passive sentence (New Subject has Damma):

⁧فُتِحَ الْبَابُ.⁩
fụtịḥạ ᵃlbābụ.futiḥa ᵃlbābu.futiḥa ᵃlbābu.ftḥ ᵃlbab.
The door was opened.

Absence of the "Doer"

A key rule in Arabic passive constructions is that the original doer cannot be mentioned. In English, you can say "The apple was eaten by the boy." In Arabic, you cannot add "by the boy" in a passive sentence.

If you need to mention the doer, you must use the active voice.

⁧أَكَلَ الْوَلَدُ التُّفَّاحَةَ.⁩
ʼạkạlạ ᵃlwạlạdụ ᵃttụffāḥạẗạ.ʾakala ᵃlwaladu ᵃttuffāḥata.ˈakala ᵃlwaladu ᵃttuffāḥaẗa.ˈakl ᵃlwld ᵃtfaḥẗ.
The boy ate the apple.

If you use the passive, the doer must remain unmentioned:

⁧أُكِلَتِ التُّفَّاحَةُ.⁩
ʼụkịlạtị ᵃttụffāḥạẗụ.ʾukilati ᵃttuffāḥatu.ˈukilati ᵃttuffāḥaẗu.ˈaklt ᵃtfaḥẗ.
The apple was eaten.

Agreement in Gender

The passive verb must agree in gender with the new subject (the Deputy Subject). If the new subject is feminine, the verb must take feminine markers, even if the original hidden doer was masculine.

⁧قَرَأَ الطَّالِبُ الرِّسَالَةَ.⁩
qạrạʼạ ᵃṭṭālịbụ ᵃrrịsālạẗạ.qaraʾa ᵃṭṭālibu ᵃrrisālata.qaraˈa ᵃṭṭālibu ᵃrrisālaẗa.qrˈa ᵃṭalb ᵃrsalẗ.
The student (male) read the letter.
⁧قُرِئَتِ الرِّسَالَةُ.⁩
qụrịʼạtị ᵃrrịsālạẗụ.quriʾati ᵃrrisālatu.quriˈati ᵃrrisālaẗu.qrˈat ᵃrsalẗ.
The letter was read.

Note that (qụrịʼạtịquriʾatiquriˈatiqrˈat) has the feminine (t) ending because (arrịsālạẗụarrisālatuʾarrisālaẗualrsalẗ) is feminine.

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