يُجري

The Arabic verb يُجري (yujrī) is a highly versatile and frequently used Form IV verb that translates primarily to 'to perform', 'to conduct', 'to carry out', or 'to execute'. It is derived from the root ج-ر-ي (j-r-y), which in its base Form I (جرى / يجري) means 'to run' or 'to flow'. When transformed into Form IV (أجرى / يُجري), the meaning shifts to a causative sense: 'to make something run' or 'to cause something to flow', which metaphorically evolved in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) to mean setting a process in motion or carrying out an action. Understanding this semantic shift is crucial for learners, as it bridges the physical act of running with the abstract concept of executing a task. This verb is an essential component of professional, academic, medical, and journalistic Arabic. You will rarely find a news broadcast or a formal report that does not employ this verb in some capacity. It elevates the register of the sentence, replacing simpler verbs like فعل (to do) or عمل (to make/do) with a more precise and formal alternative. For instance, while one might say 'he did an interview' in colloquial speech, the standard and correct MSA phrasing is 'he conducted an interview' using يُجري. The verb is transitive, meaning it requires a direct object to complete its meaning. The objects it takes are typically nouns representing processes, events, or structured activities. Common examples include operations (عمليات), tests (اختبارات), interviews (مقابلات), research (بحوث), and modifications (تعديلات). By mastering this verb, learners significantly enhance their ability to communicate in formal settings and comprehend complex texts. The morphological structure of the verb follows the standard rules for defective verbs (verbs ending in a weak letter) in Form IV. The past tense is أجرى (ajrā), the present tense is يُجري (yujrī), and the verbal noun (masdar) is إجراء (ijrā'). The verbal noun itself is extremely common, often used in the plural form إجراءات (ijrā'āt) to mean 'procedures' or 'measures'.

Root Origin

Derived from ج-ر-ي meaning to run or flow.

Furthermore, the verb's usage extends into the legal and administrative domains. Governments 'carry out' reforms, committees 'conduct' investigations, and organizations 'implement' policies. In all these scenarios, يُجري serves as the linguistic engine driving the action. It is important to note the difference between the active and passive voices. The passive present tense is يُجْرى (yujrā), meaning 'is conducted' or 'is performed'. This passive form is ubiquitous in academic writing and news reporting, where the focus is often on the action itself rather than the agent performing it. For example, 'A study is being conducted' translates to تُجرى دراسة. Notice the agreement in gender; since 'study' (دراسة) is feminine, the verb takes the feminine prefix 't' (تُجرى). The active participle (اسم الفاعل) is مُجْرٍ (mujr) in the indefinite nominative/genitive, and المُجري (al-mujrī) in the definite, meaning 'the one who conducts'. The passive participle (اسم المفعول) is مُجْرًى (mujran), meaning 'that which is conducted'.

Form IV Shift

Causative transformation from physical running to abstract execution.

To fully grasp the utility of يُجري, one must practice its conjugation across different pronouns and tenses. In the past tense: I conducted (أجريتُ), we conducted (أجرينا), you (m) conducted (أجريتَ), he conducted (أجرى), she conducted (أجرت). In the present tense: I conduct (أُجري), we conduct (نُجري), you (m) conduct (تُجري), he conducts (يُجري), she conducts (تُجري). The jussive mood (المجزوم), which is used after particles like لم (did not), drops the final weak letter: لم يُجْرِ (he did not conduct). This is a common stumbling block for learners, as the visual absence of the final 'ya' can be confusing. However, recognizing this grammatical rule is essential for accurate reading and writing. The imperative form (فعل الأمر) is أَجْرِ (ajri), meaning 'conduct!' or 'perform!'.

Jussive Form

Drops the final weak letter: لم يُجْرِ.

Using the verb يُجري correctly requires an understanding of its syntactical environment and the specific collocations it forms. As a transitive verb, it directly impacts an object without the need for a preposition, although prepositions may follow the object to add detail. The basic sentence structure follows the standard Arabic Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) order: يُجري (Verb) + الفاعل (Subject) + المفعول به (Object). For example, يُجري الطبيب فحصاً (The doctor conducts an examination). The beauty of this verb lies in its ability to pair with a vast array of abstract nouns to describe professional and formal actions. When you want to say someone is 'making a phone call', you do not use the verb for 'make' (صنع); instead, you use يُجري اتصالاً. When a mechanic is 'making modifications' to a car, he is يُجري تعديلات. This demonstrates how يُجري acts as a sophisticated light verb in Arabic, carrying the grammatical weight while the noun provides the specific semantic meaning of the action. This is very similar to how 'make', 'do', 'take', or 'have' function in English (e.g., make a decision, take a test), but يُجري is specifically tailored for formal processes and procedures.

Syntax

Verb + Subject + Direct Object (Noun of process).

In terms of tense and aspect, يُجري is the imperfect (present/future) tense. To indicate ongoing action in the present, it is used as is, often with context clues like الآن (now). To indicate future intent, the prefix 'sa-' (سـ) or the particle 'sawfa' (سوف) is added: سيُجري (he will conduct) or سوف يُجري. For past continuous or habitual past actions, it is combined with the verb 'kāna' (كان): كان يُجري (he was conducting / he used to conduct). The passive voice is equally important for learners to master. When the agent is unknown or irrelevant, the passive تُجْرى (for feminine objects) or يُجْرى (for masculine objects) is used. For instance, تُجرى الاستعدادات (preparations are being made). Notice how the verb agrees with the plural non-human noun 'preparations', which is treated as feminine singular in Arabic grammar. This highlights the intersection of vocabulary and grammar; knowing the word is not enough; one must know how it interacts with the rules of agreement.

Future Tense

Add سـ or سوف to indicate future: سيُجري.

Another critical aspect of using يُجري is its negation. In the present tense, it is negated with لا (lā): لا يُجري (he does not conduct). In the past tense, while one can use ما أجرى (mā ajrā), it is more common and formal to use لم (lam) followed by the jussive form: لم يُجْرِ (lam yujri). For the future, لن (lan) is used followed by the subjunctive form: لن يُجرِيَ (lan yujriya), where the final 'ya' takes a fatha. Mastering these negation patterns is a hallmark of an advanced Arabic speaker. Furthermore, the verbal noun إجراء (ijrā') is incredibly versatile. It can be used in construct states (إضافة) such as إجراء عملية (the performing of an operation) or as a plural noun indicating steps or measures: اتخذت الحكومة إجراءات صارمة (The government took strict measures). The frequent use of both the verb and its masdar makes this root one of the most productive in formal Arabic discourse.

Negation

Present: لا يُجري. Past: لم يُجْرِ. Future: لن يُجرِيَ.

The verb يُجري is ubiquitous across various formal and professional domains in the Arab world. Its primary habitat is the news media. Whether you are watching Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, or reading a local newspaper, you will encounter this verb daily. Journalists use it to describe diplomatic activities, such as when a president 'holds talks' (يُجري محادثات) with a foreign counterpart, or when a committee 'conducts an investigation' (تُجري تحقيقاً) into a matter of public interest. It is the standard verb for reporting on official actions and procedures. In the medical field, it is absolutely essential. A doctor does not simply 'do' a surgery; they 'perform' it (يُجري عملية جراحية). Medical dramas, health reports, and hospital documents rely heavily on this verb to describe tests (فحوصات), analyses (تحاليل), and procedures. If you visit a doctor in an Arabic-speaking country, you might hear them say, 'سوف نُجري لك بعض التحاليل' (We will run some tests for you). This makes it a high-priority vocabulary word for anyone working in or interacting with the healthcare sector.

Media Context

Used extensively in news for diplomatic talks and investigations.

In the corporate and business world, يُجري is equally prevalent. Human resources departments 'conduct interviews' (تُجري مقابلات) with candidates. Management 'carries out evaluations' (تُجري تقييمات) of employee performance. Companies 'make modifications' (تُجري تعديلات) to their products or policies. It conveys a sense of structured, deliberate action that is appropriate for a professional environment. In academic and scientific contexts, researchers and scientists 'conduct experiments' (يُجرون تجارب) and 'carry out studies' (يُجرون دراسات). The passive form is particularly common here, as scientific writing often emphasizes the process over the individual: تُجرى التجارب في بيئة معقمة (The experiments are conducted in a sterile environment). Understanding this verb is therefore crucial for students studying at Arab universities or professionals reading Arabic research papers.

Business Context

Used for interviews, evaluations, and corporate modifications.

Even in everyday administrative tasks, the verb appears frequently. When you go to a bank to 'make a transaction' or to a government office to 'process paperwork', the concept of إجراء (the verbal noun) or the verb itself is used. For example, making a phone call is formally expressed as يُجري اتصالاً. While colloquial dialects might use simpler verbs (like 'sawe' in the Gulf or 'ya'mal' in Egypt and the Levant), anyone striving to speak or understand 'White Arabic' (Educated Spoken Arabic) or Modern Standard Arabic will use يُجري. It is a marker of education and formal register. Therefore, while you might not hear it in a casual street market, you will certainly hear it in a bank, a hospital, a university, or on the television.

Administrative Context

Used for processing paperwork, transactions, and formal calls.

One of the most frequent mistakes learners make with the verb يُجري is confusing it with its Form I counterpart, يَجري (yajrī). While they share the same root (ج-ر-ي), their meanings and pronunciations are distinct. يَجري (with a fatha on the ya) means 'he runs' (physically) or 'it happens/occurs'. For example, الولد يَجري في الحديقة (The boy runs in the park) or ماذا يَجري هنا؟ (What is happening here?). On the other hand, يُجري (with a damma on the ya) means 'he conducts' or 'he performs'. Using the wrong vowel completely changes the meaning of the sentence. A learner might intend to say 'The doctor is performing an operation' but accidentally say الطبيب يَجري عملية, which sounds like 'The doctor is running an operation' in a nonsensical physical way, instead of the correct الطبيب يُجري عملية. Paying close attention to the initial vowel (damma for Form IV present tense) is critical for accurate communication.

Vowel Confusion

يَجري (yajrī) = he runs. يُجري (yujrī) = he conducts.

Another common error relates to the jussive mood (المجزوم). Because يُجري ends in a weak letter (ya), it must be dropped when preceded by a jussive particle like لم (did not) or لا (negative imperative). Learners often write or say لم يُجري (keeping the ya), which is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is لم يُجْرِ (lam yujri), with a kasra under the ra to indicate the dropped ya. This mistake is prevalent even among native speakers in informal writing, but in formal contexts, exams, or professional correspondence, it is considered a glaring error. Similarly, in the imperative form, the ya must be dropped: أَجْرِ (ajri), not أجري (unless addressing a female: أجري). Mastering the morphology of defective verbs (الفعل الناقص) is essential to avoid these pitfalls.

Jussive Error

Failing to drop the final weak letter after لم.

Learners also tend to overuse the verb يفعل (to do) or يعمل (to make/do) in contexts where يُجري is the appropriate and natural choice. For instance, translating 'He did an interview' literally as فعل مقابلة sounds unnatural and poorly translated to an Arab ear. The correct collocation is أجرى مقابلة. Similarly, 'He did a surgery' should not be عمل عملية in formal Arabic, but rather أجرى عملية. Recognizing that يُجري is the dedicated verb for formal processes, procedures, and structured actions will significantly elevate a learner's fluency and make their Arabic sound much more authentic and sophisticated. It is a matter of learning collocations rather than just direct translations of isolated words.

Collocation Error

Using يفعل (to do) instead of يُجري for formal processes.

While يُجري is highly specific in its collocations, there are several similar verbs in Arabic that share the general meaning of 'doing', 'performing', or 'executing'. Understanding the nuances between these verbs allows for greater precision in expression. The most common alternative is يقوم بـ (yaqūmu bi), which translates to 'to undertake' or 'to carry out'. Unlike يُجري, which takes a direct object, يقوم requires the preposition بـ (bi). For example, you can say يُجري دراسة (he conducts a study) or يقوم بدراسة (he undertakes a study). Both are highly formal and often interchangeable in academic and professional contexts. However, يقوم بـ is slightly broader and can be used with a wider variety of nouns, including tasks, duties, and physical actions (e.g., يقوم بزيارة - he pays a visit), whereas يُجري is more tightly bound to processes, tests, and procedures.

يقوم بـ (yaqūmu bi)

To undertake/carry out. Requires the preposition بـ.

Another related verb is يُنَفِّذ (yunaffidh), which means 'to execute' or 'to implement'. This verb carries a stronger sense of completing a planned action, enforcing a rule, or carrying out an order. For instance, a government 'implements' a project (تُنفذ مشروعاً) or a soldier 'executes' an order (يُنفذ أمراً). While you might يُجري (conduct) an evaluation to decide what to do, you would يُنفذ (implement) the resulting plan. يُنفذ implies bringing something from the planning stage into reality. A third related verb is يُطَبِّق (yutaṭabbiq), meaning 'to apply' or 'to implement' in the sense of putting a theory, rule, or law into practice. You 'apply' a law (تُطبق القانون) or a new system (تُطبق نظاماً جديداً). It is less about conducting a process and more about enforcing a standard or utilizing a method.

يُنفذ (yunaffidh)

To execute or implement a plan, project, or order.

Finally, there are the basic verbs يفعل (yaf'al) and يعمل (ya'mal), both meaning 'to do' or 'to make'. These are the most general verbs of action in Arabic. While they can technically be used to describe someone doing an interview or an operation, doing so lowers the register significantly and sounds colloquial or unrefined in Modern Standard Arabic. They are better suited for general actions: ماذا تفعل؟ (What are you doing?) or يعمل في مكتب (He works in an office). In summary, while يفعل is the generic 'do', يُجري is the specialized 'conduct/perform' for procedures, يقوم بـ is the formal 'undertake', يُنفذ is 'execute/implement', and يُطبق is 'apply'. Choosing the right verb demonstrates a high level of Arabic proficiency and an understanding of nuanced vocabulary.

يُطبق (yutaṭabbiq)

To apply a rule, theory, or system.