The Imperfect Tense in Arabic - الْفِعْلُ الْمُضَارِعُ | Arabic Free Course

Introduction

The imperfect tense in Arabic expresses both the present and the future, referring to an action that is incomplete. The conjugation of the imperfect tense is done by adding prefixes and suffixes to the past form.

Example:

1. The Regular Imperfect

The conjugation of the imperfect form of فَعَلَ: يَفْعَلُ is as follows:

3rd person masculine

3rd person feminine

2nd person masculine

2nd person feminine

1st person (masculine/feminine)

The prefixes are ن – أ – ت – ي. They are also called the signs of the present tense اَلْمُضَارِعُ. The suffixes are انِ (dual), ونَ (masculine plural), نَ (feminine plural), and ينَ (feminine singular second person). There is no suffix for the first person.

Examples of imperfect verbs used in the Noble Qur’an

وَيَفْعَلُ اللّٰهُ مَا يَشَاءُ

And Allah does whatever He wills. (14:27)

الَّذِينَ يُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللّٰهِ وَلَا يَنقُضُونَ الْمِيثَاقَ

Those who fulfill their covenant with Allah and do not break the pact. (13:20)

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللّٰهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ

That is because they disbelieved in Allah’s signs and killed the prophets unjustly. (3:112)

The Future Tense

When the imperfect tense is preceded by سَ or سَوْفَ (meaning “soon” or “in the near future”), it expresses a future meaning. These particles are called future markers.

سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ

The foolish among the people will say: (2:142)

كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ

No! You will soon know! (102:3)

2. The Verb with Hamza in the Imperfect

Introduction

A “Hamzated verb” is a verb whose first radical is the letter أ (hamza), as in أَكَلَ : يَأْكُلُ. It follows the same conjugation pattern as فَعَلَ : يَفْعَلُ.

Conjugation of the verb أَكَلَ : يَأْكُلُ

3rd person masculine

3rd person feminine

2nd person masculine

2nd person feminine

1st person (masculine/feminine)

Examples of hamzated verbs in the Noble Qur’an:

وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ

…and they kill the prophets without right and those who enjoin justice among people. (3:21)

وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ

And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. (3:49)

Conjugation of the verb سَئِلَ : يَسْأَلُ

When the hamza أ occurs as the second radical, as in سَئِلَ : يَسْأَلُ, there is no change in conjugation. This verb follows the same pattern as فَعَلَ : يَفْعَلُ.

3rd person masculine

3rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

Qur’anic examples

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ

And they ask you about the soul. (17:85)

وَهُمْ لَا يَسْأَمُونَ

...without ever tiring! (41:38)

Imperfect conjugation of the verb قَرَأَ : يَقْرَأُ

When the hamza أ occurs as the third radical, as in قَرَأَ : يَقْرَأُ, there is no change in conjugation. It also follows the pattern فَعَلَ : يَفْعَلُ.

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

Examples of hamzated verbs in the imperfect tense used in the Noble Qur’an:

فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكَ

So ask those who read the Scripture before you. (10:94)

اللَّـهُ يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ

Allah begins the creation. (30:11)

3. Assimilated Verbs in the Imperfect Tense

Introduction to Assimilated Verbs

Assimilated verbs الْمِثالُ are a type of weak verb whose first radical is a weak letter (و or ي). They follow the pattern فَعَلَ without change in conjugation.

الْمِثالُ الْواوى – Assimilated verbs where و replaces the first radical

The weak letter و is dropped when forming the imperfect tense الْمُضَارِعُ. Example of the conjugation of the verb وَعَدَ : يَعِدُ:

3^rd person masculine of وَعَدَ

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

Note 1: the second radical in the imperfect tense usually carries a kasrah. However, in some verbs, it may carry a fatha.

The conjugation of the assimilated verb in the imperfect tense وَهَبَ – يَهَبُ is as follows:

3^rd person masculine

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3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

Note 2: The verb وَجِلَ is an exception to the pattern of وَعَدَ. Here, the letter و is not omitted in the imperfect tense. The conjugation follows the pattern يَفْعَلُ and becomes يَوْجَلُ.

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

4. Hollow Verbs in the Imperfect Tense

Hollow verbs are those whose middle root letter is weak, that is و or ى. These letters replace the middle radical ع and are often replaced by an alif ا to ease pronunciation.

Hollow verbs with the letter و — الْأَجْوَفُ الْوَاوِي

For example, قَوَلَ becomes قَالَ. In the imperfect tense, the و reappears: قَالَ – يَقُولُ.

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

In the 3^rd and 2^nd person feminine plural, the و is dropped, giving يَقُلْنَ and تَقُلْنَ.

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

Here, in the 2^nd and 3^rd person feminine plural, the alif is dropped, and the letter خ carries a fatha, as in يَخَفْنَ and تَخَفْنَ.

Hollow verbs with the letter Ya الْأَجْوَفُ الْيَائِي

Here, ى replaces the middle radical ع, as in بَيَعَ, which becomes بَاعَ. In the past tense, ى is dropped. In the imperfect tense, it reappears except in the feminine plural of the 2^nd and 3^rd person. Example: بَاعَ – يَبِيعُ.

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

In the 2^nd and 3^rd person feminine plural, the letter ى is dropped, producing يَبِعْنَ and تَبِعْنَ.

These hollow verbs follow the pattern فَاعَ – يَفِيعُ, maintaining a consistent conjugation model similar to the verb بَاعَ – يَبِيعُ.

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5. Defective Verbs in the Imperfect Tense الْفِعْلُ النَّاقِصُ

Defective verbs are those whose last radical is weak — either و or ى. These weak letters often drop in certain forms of conjugation, particularly in the imperfect tense and imperative mood.

Defective verbs ending with و – الْفِعْلُ النَّاقِصُ الْوَاوِي

Example: دَعَا – يَدْعُو (to call). In the imperfect tense, the final weak letter و reappears except in some plural forms.

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

In some plural feminine forms, the weak letter و disappears, producing forms like يَدْعُونَ and تَدْعُونَ depending on context.

Examples from the Noble Qur’an

وَيَدْعُو الإِنسَانُ بِالشَّرِّ دُعَاءَهُ بِالْخَيْرِ

Man prays for evil as he prays for good. (17:11)

Defective Verbs Ending with ى – الْفِعْلُ النَّاقِصُ الْيَائِي

These verbs end with the weak letter ى, which often changes or disappears when conjugated in the imperfect tense. Example: رَمَى – يَرْمِي (to throw).

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

In the feminine plural of the 2^nd and 3^rd persons, the weak letter ى becomes ي, resulting in forms like تَرْمِينَ and يَرْمِينَ.

Examples from the Noble Qur’an

وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللّٰهَ رَمَى

It was not you who threw when you threw, but Allah threw. (8:17)

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6. Doubled Verbs in the Imperfect Tense الْفِعْلُ الْمُضَعَّفُ

Doubled verbs are those whose second and third radicals are identical, such as رَدَّ (to return) or مَدَّ (to stretch). These verbs follow the same conjugation pattern as فَعَلَ – يَفْعَلُ in the imperfect tense.

Example: رَدَّ – يَرُدُّ

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

Examples from the Noble Qur’an

فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللّٰهِ وَالرَّسُولِ

Then refer it to Allah and the Messenger. (4:59)

فَيَرُدُّكَ إِلَى مَعَادٍ

He will bring you back to your final destination. (28:85)

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

Note: شَاءَ is conjugated in the imperfect as يَشَاءُ.

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4. Hollow Verbs in the Imperfect Tense الْفِعْلُ الْأَجْوَفُ

Hollow verbs are those whose middle root letter is weak — either و or ى. These weak letters replace the middle radical ع and are often substituted by an alif ا in pronunciation for ease.

Hollow verbs with the letter و — الْأَجْوَفُ الْوَاوِي

For example, قَوَلَ becomes قَالَ. In the imperfect tense, the و reappears: قَالَ – يَقُولُ.

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

In the 3^rd person and 2^nd person feminine plural, the و is omitted, producing يَقُلْنَ and تَقُلْنَ.

Hollow Verbs with the Letter ي — الْأَجْوَفُ الْيَائِي

In this case, the weak letter ي replaces the middle radical ع, as in بَيَعَ, which becomes بَاعَ. In the past tense, the ي is omitted for ease of pronunciation, but it reappears in the imperfect tense — except in the feminine plural forms (2^nd and 3^rd persons). Example: بَاعَ – يَبِيعُ.

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

In the 2^nd and 3^rd person feminine plural, the letter ي is dropped, forming يَبِعْنَ and تَبِعْنَ.

5. Defective Verbs in the Imperfect Tense الْفِعْلُ النَّاقِصُ

Defective verbs are those whose final root letter is weak, that is و or ى. When conjugated, this weak final radical often drops in some forms depending on the grammatical ending.

Example: the verb رَمَى – يَرْمِي (to throw)

The weak letter ى is retained in the imperfect tense except in the dual and plural forms where it may drop. Let’s review the conjugation of رَمَى – يَرْمِي:

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

Note: The singular and plural feminine forms of the 2^nd person are identical (تَرْمِينَ).

Defective Verbs Ending with و — الْفِعْلُ النَّاقِصُ الْوَاوِي

These verbs have و as their final root letter. When conjugated in the imperfect tense, the weak letter و remains, except in some plural forms where it drops to ease pronunciation. Example: دَعَا – يَدْعُو (to call, to invite).

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

Note: For verbs ending with و, the weak letter may disappear in certain plural feminine forms, as in يَدْعُونَ → يَدْعُنَّ.

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Defective Verb رَأَى – يَرَى (to see)

The verb رَأَى belongs to the group of defective verbs whose third root letter is a weak letter (ى), and whose first radical is also weak. This combination creates an irregular pattern. In the imperfect tense, the hamza (أ) drops, and the verb follows the pattern يَفْعَلُ with the vowel fatha on the second radical.

3^rd person masculine

3^rd person feminine

2^nd person masculine

2^nd person feminine

1^st person (masculine/feminine)

The verb رَأَى – يَرَى is considered irregular because it combines a weak initial radical and a weak final radical, leading to specific vowel changes and omission of the hamza.

7. Doubled Verbs in the Imperfect Tense الْفِعْلُ الْمُضَعَّفُ

Doubled verbs are those in which the second and third root letters are identical and carry a shaddah (ّ). They are pronounced with an emphasis on the doubled consonant. Example: ظَنَّ – يَظُنُّ (to think, to suppose).

Conjugation of ظَنَّ – يَظُنُّ in the Imperfect Tense

Examples from the Qur’an

وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَمَسُّهُمُ الْعَذَابُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ

“And those who deny Our signs – the punishment will touch them for their rebelliousness.” (6:49)

يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا

“They consider it a favor to you that they have embraced Islam.” (49:17)

وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ ... إِلَّا أَمَانِيَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

“Among them are unlettered people who know nothing of the Scripture except conjecture.” (2:78)

يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ

“The Day when man will flee from his brother.” (80:34)

This free Arabic course is now complete. The next lesson, in shaa Allah, will cover the past continuous tense in Arabic.

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