The Media Passive: Using 'Tamma' & 'Jara' (Official Tone)
tamma (completed) or jarā (happened) plus the verbal noun.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'tamma' or 'jara' followed by a verbal noun (masdar) to create a passive voice without changing the verb's internal vowel structure.
- Use 'tamma' (تمّ) for completed actions: 'tamma bina'u al-bayti' (The house was built).
- Use 'jara' (جرى) for processes or events: 'jara tawzi'u al-kutubi' (The books were distributed).
- Always follow these verbs with the masdar (verbal noun) of the main action.
Overview
In the landscape of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), particularly within formal, professional, and media discourse, a distinct passive construction has risen to prominence, often supplanting the classical internal passive (المَبْنِيّ لِلْمَجْهُول, al-mabnī lil-majhūl). This structure, built around the helper verbs tamma (تَمَّ, to be completed) and jarā (جَرَى, to take place), is more than a stylistic alternative; it's a grammatical tool that reflects a fundamental shift in formal Arabic expression towards nominalization and impersonality.
Its primary function is to remove the agent (the doer) and focus entirely on the action as a self-contained, objective event. Instead of saying, "The minister signed the treaty" (active) or "The treaty was signed" (internal passive), this construction states, "The signing of the treaty was completed" (تَمَّ تَوْقِيعُ المُعَاهَدَةِ, tamma tawqīʿu al-muʿāhadati). By converting the main verb into a verbal noun (المَصْدَر, al-maṣdar), the action itself becomes the grammatical subject.
This nominalization lends the statement an air of gravity, finality, and bureaucratic authority, making it indispensable in legal, academic, journalistic, and technical fields.
This structure also serves a crucial practical purpose: it eliminates the ambiguity of the internal passive in unvocalized text. The written forms of kataba (كَتَبَ, 'he wrote') and kutiba (كُتِبَ, 'it was written') are identical. The periphrastic phrase tamma kitābatuhu (تَمَّ كِتَابَتُهُ, 'its writing was completed') is, by contrast, completely unambiguous.
For a C2 learner, mastering this construction is not just about expanding your grammatical toolkit—it's about understanding and reproducing the dominant register of contemporary formal Arabic.
Conjugation Table
| Tense | Person | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | ||
| Past (الماضي) | 3rd Masc. | tamma (تَمَّ) |
tammā (تَمَّا) |
tammū (تَمُّوا) |
||
| 3rd Fem. | tammat (تَمَّتْ) |
tammatā (تَمَّتَا) |
tamamna (تَمَمْنَ) |
|||
| 2nd Masc. | tamamta (تَمَمْتَ) |
tamamtumā (تَمَمْتُمَا) |
tamamtum (تَمَمْتُمْ) |
|||
| 2nd Fem. | tamamti (تَمَمْتِ) |
tamamtumā (تَمَمْتُمَا) |
tamamtunna (تَمَمْتُنَّ) |
|||
| 1st Cmn. | tamamtu (تَمَمْتُ) |
tamamnā (تَمَمْنَا) |
tamamnā (تَمَمْنَا) |
|||
| Present (المضارع) | 3rd Masc. | yatimmu (يَتِمُّ) |
yatimmāni (يَتِمَّانِ) |
yatimmūna (يَتِمُّونَ) |
||
| 3rd Fem. | tatimmu (تَتِمُّ) |
tatimmāni (تَتِمَّانِ) |
yatmamna (يَتْمُمْنَ) |
|||
| 2nd Masc. | tatimmu (تَتِمُّ) |
tatimmāni (تَتِمَّانِ) |
tatimmūna (تَتِمُّونَ) |
|||
| 2nd Fem. | tatimmīna (تَتِمِّينَ) |
tatimmāni (تَتِمَّانِ) |
tatmimna (تَتْمِمْنَ) |
|||
| 1st Cmn. | atimmu (أَتِمُّ) |
natimmu (نَتِمُّ) |
natimmu (نَتِمُّ) |
|||
| Tense | Person | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | ||
| Past (الماضي) | 3rd Masc. | jarā (جَرَى) |
jarayā (جَرَيَا) |
jaraw (جَرَوْا) |
||
| 3rd Fem. | jarat (جَرَتْ) |
jaratā (جَرَتَا) |
jarayna (جَرَيْنَ) |
|||
| 2nd Masc. | jarayta (جَرَيْتَ) |
jaraytumā (جَرَيْتُمَا) |
jaraytum (جَرَيْتُمْ) |
|||
| 2nd Fem. | jarayti (جَرَيْتِ) |
jaraytumā (جَرَيْتُمَا) |
jaraytunna (جَرَيْتُنَّ) |
|||
| 1st Cmn. | jaraytu (جَرَيْتُ) |
jaraynā (جَرَيْنَا) |
jaraynā (جَرَيْنَا) |
|||
| Present (المضارع) | 3rd Masc. | yajrī (يَجْرِي) |
yajriyāni (يَجْرِيَانِ) |
yajrūna (يَجْرُونَ) |
||
| 3rd Fem. | tajrī (تَجْرِي) |
tajriyāni (تَجْرِيَانِ) |
yajrīna (يَجْرِينَ) |
|||
| 2nd Masc. | tajrī (تَجْرِي) |
tajriyāni (تَجْرِيَانِ) |
tajrūna (تَجْرُونَ) |
|||
| 2nd Fem. | tajrīna (تَجْرِينَ) |
tajriyāni (تَجْرِيَانِ) |
tajrīna (تَجْرِينَ) |
|||
| 1st Cmn. | ajrī (أَجْرِي) |
najrī (نَجْرِي) |
najrī (نَجْرِي) |
How This Grammar Works
maṣdar—the grammatical subject (fā'il, فَاعِل) of the helper verb (tamma or jarā).iḍāfa, إِضَافَة) and is therefore put into the genitive case (majrūr, مَجْرُور).أَصْدَرَ الوَزِيرُ القَرَارَ (aṣdara al-wazīru al-qarāra, 'The minister issued the decision').aṣdara(أَصْدَرَ): Verb (fi'l)al-wazīru(الوَزِيرُ): Subject (fā'il), in the nominative case (marfūʿ).al-qarāra(القَرَارَ): Object (maf'ūl bihi), in the accusative case (manṣūb).
- 1The agent (
al-wazīr) is completely eliminated. This is the primary objective. - 2The main verb
aṣdara(to issue) is nominalized into itsmaṣdar:iṣdār(إِصْدَار, 'the issuing of'). - 3The helper verb
tammais introduced before themaṣdar. - 4The
maṣdar,iṣdār, becomes the new subject oftammaand takes the nominative case:iṣdāru. - 5The original object,
al-qarār, becomes possessed by themaṣdarin aniḍāfaconstruction, taking the genitive case:al-qarāri.
تَمَّ إِصْدَارُ القَرَارِ (tamma iṣdāru al-qarāri).tamma(تَمَّ): Verb (fi'l).iṣdāru(إِصْدَارُ): Subject (fā'il) oftamma, nominative. It is the first term of theiḍāfa(muḍāf).al-qarāri(القَرَارِ): Possessed noun, genitive (majrūr). It is the second term of theiḍāfa(muḍāf ilayhi).
Formation Pattern
Helper Verb (conjugated for Tense + Gender of the Maṣdar) + Maṣdar of the main verb (Nominative) + Original Object (Genitive)
iḍāfa construction.
tamma for completed, finite actions or jarā for processes and ongoing events. Conjugate it for tense (past/present). Crucially, the verb's gender must agree with the grammatical gender of the maṣdar, not the original object. Most maṣdars are masculine unless they end in tā' marbūṭa (ة).
maṣdar). This requires knowing the standard maṣdar patterns for each verb form. For example:
qaṭa'a (قَطَعَ, to cut) → qaṭʿ (قَطْع).
taf'īl (تَفْعِيل). ḥaddatha (حَدَّثَ, to update) → taḥdīth (تَحْدِيث).
if'āl (إِفْعَال). arsala (أَرْسَلَ, to send) → irsāl (إِرْسَال).
ifti'āl (اِفْتِعَال). iqtaraḥa (اِقْتَرَحَ, to suggest) → iqtirāḥ (اِقْتِرَاح).
Iḍāfa): The maṣdar becomes the muḍāf (and is thus definite by position, losing any tanwīn). The original object of the active sentence becomes the muḍāf ilayhi and takes the genitive case.
يُحَدِّثُ المُهَنْدِسُونَ البَرْنَامَجَ (yuḥaddithu al-muhandisūna al-barnāmaja, 'The engineers are updating the software').
jarā: yajrī (يَجْرِي).
ḥaddatha (Form II). Its maṣdar is taḥdīth (تَحْدِيث), which is grammatically masculine.
iḍāfa: taḥdīthu al-barnāmaji (تَحْدِيثُ البَرْنَامَجِ). taḥdīth is the subject, so it's nominative. al-barnāmaj is now possessed, so it's genitive.
يَجْرِي تَحْدِيثُ البَرْنَامَجِ (yajrī taḥdīthu al-barnāmaji, 'The updating of the software is underway'). Notice yajrī is masculine singular because its subject, taḥdīth, is masculine singular.
When To Use It
tamma and jarā is dictated by the aspect of the action you wish to convey: perfective (completed) versus imperfective (ongoing).tamma (تَمَّ) / yatimmu (يَتِمُّ) for finite, completed events:tamma as applying an official stamp of completion. It frames an action as a finished, recorded, and indisputable fact. Its tone is definitive, conclusive, and transactional.- Official Announcements: Essential for laws, decrees, and treaties.
تَمَّ التَّوْقِيعُ عَلَى الاِتِّفَاقِيَّةِ بِحُضُورِ الطَّرَفَيْنِ.(tamma al-tawqīʿu ʿalā al-ittifāqiyyati bi-ḥuḍūri al-ṭarafayni, 'The signing of the agreement was completed in the presence of both parties.'). - Technical & Financial Transactions: Ubiquitous in banking alerts, software interfaces, and process reports.
تَمَّ تَحْوِيلُ المَبْلَغِ بِنَجَاحٍ.(tamma taḥwīlu al-mablaghi bi-najāḥin, 'The transfer of the amount was successfully completed.'). - Achievements & Milestones: Used to report the conclusion of projects or key stages.
بَعْدَ سَنَوَاتٍ مِنَ العَمَلِ، تَمَّ أَخِيرًا إِصْدَارُ القَامُوسِ التَّارِيخِيِّ.(baʿda sanawātin mina al-ʿamali, tamma akhīran iṣdāru al-qāmūsi al-tārīkhiyyi, 'After years of work, the publication of the historical dictionary was finally completed.').
jarā (جَرَى) / yajrī (يَجْرِي) for processes and ongoing events:jarā as signifying a process in motion. Its root meaning, 'to run' or 'to flow', perfectly captures this durative, procedural nature. Its tone is less about finality and more about official procedure and developing situations.- Developing News & Investigations: Standard in journalism for events as they unfold.
يَجْرِي البَحْثُ عَنِ المَفْقُودِينَ فِي مِنْطَقَةِ الزِّلْزَالِ.(yajrī al-baḥthu ʿan al-mafqūdīna fī minṭaqati al-zilzāli, 'The search for the missing persons is underway in the earthquake zone.'). - Formal Procedures & Arrangements: For meetings, consultations, and preparations that have a procedural quality.
جَرَى تَنْسِيقُ الجُهُودِ بَيْنَ الوِزَارَاتِ المُخْتَلِفَةِ.(jarā tansīqu al-juhūdi bayna al-wizārāti al-mukhtalifati, 'Coordination of efforts between the various ministries took place.'). - Scheduled & Planned Processes: When describing a routine or planned activity that is currently being implemented.
يَجْرِي إِدْخَالُ تَعْدِيلَاتٍ جَذْرِيَّةٍ عَلَى السِّيَاسَةِ.(yajrī idkhālu taʿdīlātin jadhriyyatin ʿalā al-siyāsati, 'Radical adjustments to the policy are being made.').
Common Mistakes
- The
min qibal(مِنْ قِبَل) Calque: The phrasemin qibal('by') is a direct translation (calque) of the English 'by' or French 'par' used to reintroduce the agent into a passive sentence. While rampant in modern journalism, it is considered stylistically poor by linguistic purists because it defeats the agent-deleting purpose of the passive voice. As a C2 learner, you should demonstrate stylistic superiority by avoiding it. If the agent is truly essential, use the active voice. - ❌ Stylistically Weak:
تَمَّ بِنَاءُ الجِسْرِ مِنْ قِبَلِ شَرِكَةٍ صِينِيَّةٍ.(tamma bināʾu al-jisri min qibali sharikatin ṣīniyyatin). - ✅ Better (Active Voice):
بَنَتْ شَرِكَةٌ صِينِيَّةٌ الجِسْرَ.(banat sharikatun ṣīniyyatun al-jisra). - ✅ Correct (True Agentless Passive):
تَمَّ بِنَاءُ الجِسْرِ.(tamma bināʾu al-jisri).
- Incorrect Gender Agreement: This is the most common grammatical error. The helper verb (
tamma/tammatorjarā/jarat) must agree with the grammatical gender of themaṣdar, not the object it governs. Masdars ending intāʾ marbūṭa(ة), likemunāqasha(مُنَاقَشَة) ormuʿālaja(مُعَالَجَة), are feminine. Most others are masculine. - Scenario: The action is 'reviewing' (
murājaʿa, femininemaṣdar) 'the plan' (al-khiṭṭa, feminine). - ✅ Correct:
تَمَّتْ مُرَاجَعَةُ الخِطَّةِ.(tammat murājaʿatu al-khiṭṭati). The feminine verbtammatagrees with the femininemaṣdarmurājaʿa. - Scenario: The action is 'drafting' (
waḍʿ, masculinemaṣdar) 'the strategy' (al-istrātījiyya, feminine). - ❌ Mistake:
تَمَّتْ وَضْعُ الاِسْتِرَاتِيجِيَّةِ.(tammat waḍʿu al-istrātījiyyati) - Verb incorrectly agrees with the feminine object 'strategy'. - ✅ Correct:
تَمَّ وَضْعُ الاِسْتِرَاتِيجِيَّةِ.(tamma waḍʿu al-istrātījiyyati) - Verb correctly agrees with the masculinemaṣdarwaḍʿ.
- Register Overkill (Sociolinguistic Error): Using this profoundly formal structure in casual, everyday conversation sounds robotic, pretentious, or sarcastic. It is a tool for a specific register, and using it outside that context is a jarring sociolinguistic error.
- ❌ Awkward & Unnatural:
سَيَتِمُّ شِرَاءُ الخُبْزِ قَبْلَ العَشَاءِ.(sayatimmu shirāʾu al-khubzi qabla al-ʿashāʾi, 'The purchasing of the bread will be completed before dinner.'). - ✅ Natural:
سَأَشْتَرِي الخُبْزَ قَبْلَ العَشَاءِ.(saʾashtarī al-khubza qabla al-ʿashāʾi, 'I'll buy the bread before dinner.').
Contrast With Similar Patterns
To achieve true mastery, you must distinguish the analytical passive from other passive-like or formal structures. Each carries a different nuance and is appropriate for a different context. Your choice among them signals your control of Arabic stylistic registers.
| Structure | Form & Example | Vibe & Nuance | Common Context |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1. Internal Passive(المبني للمجهول) | Verb vowels change.كُسِرَ الزُّجَاجُ.kusira al-zujāj('The glass was broken') | Classical, literary, concise. Highly efficient and elegant. Can be ambiguous in unvocalized text. The focus is on the state of the object after the action. | Quran, Hadith, classical literature, historical texts, proverbs. Used in modern writing for a formal or literary effect. |
| 2. Analytical Passive(tamma/jarā) | Helper verb + Maṣdar-Iḍāfa.تَمَّ كَسْرُ الزُّجَاجِ.tamma kasru al-zujāj('The breaking of the glass was completed') | Modern, official, bureaucratic. Unambiguous and process-oriented. The focus is on the action itself as a completed event or an official procedure. | News reports, legal documents, technical manuals, corporate emails, academic papers, official announcements. |
| 3. qāma bi- Construction(قَامَ بـِ + مصدر) | Active verb qāma + bi- + Maṣdar.قَامَتِ الرِّيحُ بِكَسْرِ الزُّجَاجِ.qāmat al-rīḥu bi-kasri al-zujāj('The wind undertook the breaking of the glass') | Active, but highly formal and slightly verbose. Used to emphasize the agent's role while still employing the nominal (maṣdar) style. It elevates the agent's action to a formal undertaking. | Formal speeches, academic writing where attribution is key, reports where an entity's specific actions must be highlighted. |
| 4. Reflexive Verb Forms(e.g., Form VII infaʿala) | Verb takes a reflexive pattern.اِنْكَسَرَ الزُّجَاجُ.inkasara al-zujāj('The glass broke') | Inherent, agentless action. Focuses entirely on the change of state within the subject itself. It implies the action happened without a direct external agent, or the agent is completely irrelevant. | Describing natural phenomena, emotional states, or events where the object seems to act as its own subject. اِنْفَتَحَ البَابُ ('the door opened'). |
Real Conversations
While not used in informal speech, you will encounter this structure constantly in the daily flow of information in the Arab world. Recognizing it instantly is key to high-level comprehension.
- Automated Bank SMS:
عَمِيلَنَا العَزِيز، تَمَّ تَنْفِيذُ حَوَالَتِكَ المَالِيَّةِ. الرَّصِيدُ الحَالِيّ هو ١٥٠٠ د.ك.
(ʿamīlanā al-ʿazīz, tamma tanfīdhu ḥawālatika al-māliyyati. al-raṣīdu al-ḥālī huwa 1500 d.k.)
'Dear client, the execution of your financial transfer has been completed. The current balance is 1500 KWD.'
- News Ticker on Al Jazeera:
عَاجِل | يَجْرِي الآنَ التَّصْوِيتُ عَلَى مَشْرُوعِ القَرَارِ فِي مَجْلِسِ الأَمْنِ.
(ʿājil | yajrī al-āna al-taṣwītu ʿalā mashrūʿi al-qarāri fī majlisi al-amni.)
'BREAKING | Voting on the draft resolution in the Security Council is now underway.'
- Internal Corporate Email:
الزُّمَلَاء الكِرَام، نُحِيطُكُمْ عِلْمًا بِأَنَّهُ سَيَتِمُّ تَحْدِيثُ خَوَادِمِ الشَّرِكَةِ يَوْمَ الجُمُعَةِ القَادِم.
(al-zumalāʾ al-kirām, nuḥīṭukum ʿilman bi-annahu sayatimmu taḥdīthu khawādimi al-sharikati yawma al-jumʿati al-qādim.)
'Dear colleagues, we inform you that the updating of the company servers will be completed next Friday.'
- Sarcastic use among educated speakers (mocking bureaucracy):
Person A
هَلْ أَصْلَحْتَ الطَّابِعَةَ؟ ('Did you fix the printer?')Person B (jokingly): لَا، وَلَكِنْ يَجْرِي التَّخْطِيطُ لِإِصْلَاحِهَا فِي المُسْتَقْبَلِ القَرِيبِ. ('No, but planning for its fixing is underway for the near future.')
Progressive Practice
Exercise 1: Deconstruction
Identify the helper verb, the maṣdar, and the muḍāf ilayhi in the following sentences. Note the gender agreement.
تَمَّتْ تَرْقِيَةُ المُدِيرَةِ بَعْدَ تَحْقِيقِهَا أَهْدَافَ المَبِيعَاتِ. (The manager (f) was promoted after her achievement of the sales goals.)
يَجْرِي النَّظَرُ فِي الطُّعُونِ المُقَدَّمَةِ ضِدَّ نَتَائِجِ الاِنْتِخَابَاتِ. (Consideration of the appeals submitted against the election results is underway.)
أُعْلِنَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ تَمَّ اعْتِمَادُ السِّيَاسَةِ الجَدِيدَةِ. (It was announced that the approval of the new policy has been completed.)
Answers: 1: tammat (fem.), tarqiyat (fem. maṣdar), al-mudīrati. 2: yajrī (masc.), al-naẓar (masc. maṣdar), fī al-ṭuʿūn (here the object is a prepositional phrase). 3: tamma (masc.), iʿtimād (masc. maṣdar), al-siyāsati.
Exercise 2: Transformation
Convert the following active sentences into the analytical passive using tamma or jarā. Pay close attention to maṣdar derivation and gender agreement.
اسْتَدْعَتِ المَحْكَمَةُ الشُّهُودَ. ('The court summoned the witnesses.') [Verb Form X]
تُقَيِّمُ لَجْنَةٌ مُسْتَقِلَّةٌ الأَضْرَارَ. ('An independent committee is assessing the damages.') [Verb Form II]
أَعَادَتِ السُّلطَاتُ فَتْحَ الحُدُودِ. ('The authorities reopened the borders.') [Verb أعاد, hollow]
Answers: 1: تَمَّ اسْتِدْعَاءُ الشُّهُودِ. (istidʿāʾ is masc.). 2: يَجْرِي تَقْيِيمُ الأَضْرَارِ. (taqyīm is masc.). 3: تَمَّتْ إِعَادَةُ فَتْحِ الحُدُودِ. (iʿāda is fem.).
Exercise 3: Error Analysis & Correction
Identify and correct the errors in the following sentences. Justify your correction.
تَمَّتْ تَسْلِيمُ الطَّرْدِ إِلَى العُنْوَانِ الخَاطِئِ. (The package was delivered to the wrong address.)
يَجْرُونَ الآنَ مُقَابَلَةَ المُرَشَّحِينَ. (They are now interviewing the candidates.)
تَمَّ بِنَاءُ المَدْرَسَةِ مِنْ قِبَلِ وِزَارَةِ التَّعْلِيمِ. (The school was built by the Ministry of Education.)
Answers: 1: Error: Incorrect gender agreement. taslīm (تَسْلِيم) is a masculine maṣdar. Correction: تَمَّ تَسْلِيمُ الطَّرْدِ.... 2: Error: Incorrect verb conjugation. The verb should agree with the singular maṣdar, not a plural agent. Correction: تَجْرِي الآنَ مُقَابَلَةُ المُرَشَّحِينَ. (tajrī because muqābala is fem.). 3: Error: Stylistically weak use of min qibal. The active voice is stronger. Correction: بَنَتْ وِزَارَةُ التَّعْلِيمِ المَدْرَسَةَ. or simply تَمَّ بِنَاءُ المَدْرَسَةِ..
Quick FAQ
tamma and a synonym like iktamala?While iktamala (اِكْتَمَلَ) also means 'to be complete', they operate in different semantic domains. tamma implies execution and finality—an action was performed and finished by some (unmentioned) agent. It's transactional. iktamala implies something has reached its natural or full state, often without an agent. For example, iktamala al-qamar (اِكْتَمَلَ القَمَرُ, 'the moon became full') or iktamala al-bināʾ (اِكْتَمَلَ البِنَاءُ, 'the building is now complete/finished'). In the periphrastic passive construction, tamma is the standard, conventional choice for signaling a completed official action.
Generally, no. The entire grammatical logic of the tamma/jarā construction depends on having an original object from an active sentence which can be demoted to the muḍāf ilayhi in the genitive case. A sentence like tamma al-nawm (تَمَّ النَّوْمُ, 'The sleeping was completed') is grammatically sound (nawm is the subject of tamma) but logically and stylistically very strange in most contexts. You would only see such a formation in highly specialized jargon (e.g., a sleep study report logging phases), but it is not a productive or natural pattern for intransitive verbs.
The tamma/jarā construction is a quintessential example of the trend towards nominalization (what's called al-uslūb al-ismī, الأسلوب الاسمي) that characterizes Modern Standard Arabic. This trend, heavily influenced by contact with European languages and the demands of modern scientific and bureaucratic discourse, favors abstract nouns (maṣdars) over verbs to convey complex ideas. It creates a more detached, static, and academic tone, contrasting sharply with the more dynamic, verb-centric style (al-uslūb al-fiʿlī, الأسلوب الفعلي) of classical Arabic and spoken dialects. Recognizing this helps you understand why this structure feels so formal and impersonal—it is a core feature of that entire register.
Conjugation of Tamma
| Pronoun | Past Tense | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
|
Huwa
|
tamma
|
It was completed
|
|
Hiya
|
tammat
|
It was completed (f)
|
|
Hum
|
tammu
|
They were completed
|
Meanings
This construction acts as a periphrastic passive, allowing the speaker to focus on the action rather than the agent, especially in modern media and formal reports.
Completion
Indicates that an action has been successfully finalized.
“تمّ توقيعُ الاتفاقيةِ.”
“تمّ الانتهاءُ من المشروعِ.”
Event/Process
Indicates that an event or process occurred or took place.
“جرى نقاشٌ طويلٌ.”
“جرى تنفيذُ الخطةِ.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
tamma + masdar
|
tamma bina'u
|
|
Negative
|
lam yatimma + masdar
|
lam yatimma bina'u
|
|
Question
|
hal tamma + masdar
|
hal tamma bina'u?
|
Formality Spectrum
تمّ إنجازُ التقريرِ. (Work environment)
تمّ الانتهاءُ من التقريرِ. (Work environment)
خلصنا التقرير. (Work environment)
التقرير خلص. (Work environment)
Media Passive Components
Auxiliary
- تمّ Completed
- جرى Happened
Main Verb
- Masdar Verbal Noun
Examples by Level
تمّ العملُ.
The work was done.
تمّ تنظيفُ الغرفةِ.
The room was cleaned.
تمّ توقيعُ العقدِ اليومَ.
The contract was signed today.
جرى نقاشٌ حولَ الميزانيةِ.
A discussion took place regarding the budget.
تمّ إقرارُ القانونِ الجديدِ.
The new law was passed.
جرى استعراضُ كافةِ الخياراتِ المتاحةِ.
All available options were reviewed.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up vowel changes with the tamma construction.
Common Mistakes
tamma kataba
tamma kitabat
tammu al-bayt
tamma bina'u al-bayt
tamma al-aklu
tamma aklu
tamma al-istimrar
jara al-istimrar
Sentence Patterns
تمّ ___ الـ___.
Real World Usage
تمّ انتخابُ الرئيسِ.
Gender Agreement
Smart Tips
Use 'tamma' to sound objective.
Pronunciation
Tamma
Emphasize the shadda on the meem.
Formal Report
تمّ [pause] إنجازُ التقريرِ.
Professional detachment
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Tamma is like a 'Time' stamp—it marks the end of an action.
Visual Association
Imagine a stamp hitting a document. The stamp says 'TAMMA' (Done).
Rhyme
When the action is done, use Tamma for fun.
Story
The architect finished the house. He stamped it 'Tamma'. The news reported it. Everyone knew it was done.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about your day using 'tamma' + masdar.
Cultural Notes
This is the gold standard for news reporting in the Arab world.
Derived from the verb 'tamma' (to be complete).
Conversation Starters
هل تمّ الانتهاءُ من المشروعِ؟
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
___ بناءُ المدرسةِ.
Score: /1
Practice Exercises
1 exercises___ بناءُ المدرسةِ.
Score: /1
Practice Bank
11 exercises___ تَثْبِيتُ التَّحْدِيثِ.
تَمَّ إِغْلَاقُ المَطَارِ مُؤَقَّتًا.
Match the Active form to the Objective form.
تَمَّتْ إِرْسَالُ الرِّسَالَةِ.
Select the correct sentence.
Make a correct sentence.
___ مُرَاجَعَةُ الحِسَابَاتِ حالِيًّا. (The accounts are being reviewed currently.)
Identify the case of the Masdar.
Choose the best translation.
___ يَتِمَّ رَفْعُ المِلَفِّ بَعْدُ.
تَمَّ القَبْضُ عَلَى اللِّصِّ مِنْ الشُّرْطَةِ.
Score: /11
FAQ (1)
Yes, but it sounds formal.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Voz pasiva perifrástica
Spanish uses 'ser' + participle; Arabic uses 'tamma' + masdar.
Passif analytique
Arabic masdar is a noun, not a participle.
Passiv
German is highly inflected; Arabic is not in this construction.
Ukemike
Arabic uses a separate auxiliary word.
Bei-construction
Arabic 'tamma' focuses on completion.
Internal Passive
Internal passive changes vowels; media passive uses an auxiliary.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Grammar Rules
Arabic Passive Voice: Formal Objectivity (Al-Majhul)
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Arabic Passive Voice: 'It Was Done' (Al-Mabni lil-Majhul)
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Passive Voice: Hiding the Doer (Majhul)
Overview In Arabic grammar, the **Passive Voice** is known as `المبني للمجهول` (*al-mabnī li-l-majhūl*), literally meani...
The Art of Hiding the Doer: Passive Voice (Majhul)
Overview The passive voice is a grammatical structure that shifts the focus of a sentence. Instead of highlighting the *...
Arabic Passive Present: The 'Yu- ... -a-' Pattern
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