Past Passive: The "It was done" Pattern (U-I-A)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The passive voice shifts focus from the doer to the action by changing the vowel pattern to U-I-A.
- Change the first vowel to 'u' and the penultimate to 'i' (e.g., kataba -> kutiba).
- The subject (doer) is omitted; the object becomes the subject of the passive verb.
- The new subject takes the nominative case (damma) instead of the accusative.
Overview
Arabic, like many languages, offers a grammatical construction to shift focus from the performer of an action to the recipient of that action or the action itself. This is known as the Passive Voice (المبني للمجهول - al-mabnī lil-majhūl), literally "that which is built for the unknown." It's a fundamental aspect of clear and concise communication, particularly when the agent is unknown, irrelevant, or intentionally concealed. Think of phrases like صُنِعَ في الصين (ṣuniʿa fī al-Ṣīn - "Made in China"); the focus is on the product and its origin, not the individual who manufactured it.
Mastering the passive voice allows you to understand and produce sentences where the subject is acted upon, rather than performing an action. This article focuses specifically on the Past Passive for Form I (trilateral root) verbs, characterized by a distinct U-I-A vowel pattern.
How This Grammar Works
حركات - ḥarakāt) are re-patterned.نائب الفاعل assumes the grammatical role and case (مرفوع - marfūʿ, nominative) of the original active subject, and the verb will agree with it in gender and number. This mechanism is an efficient linguistic feature that sets Arabic apart from many Indo-European languages.كَتَبَ الطالبُ الرسالةَ (kataba al-ṭālibu al-risālata - "The student wrote the letter"), الطالب (al-ṭālib) is the doer (subject), and الرسالة (al-risāla) is the object. When made passive, the doer is removed, and الرسالة becomes the نائب الفاعل: كُتِبَت الرسالةُ (kutibat al-risālatu - "The letter was written"). Notice how الرسالة is now nominative (الرسالةُ) and the verb كُتِبَتْ is feminine to agree with it.Formation Pattern
ضمّة (ḍamma - 'u' sound), the second root letter takes a كسرة (kasra - 'i' sound), and the third root letter retains a فتحة (fatḥa - 'a' sound). This applies to the perfect tense (past tense) verb. The model verb for this pattern is فُعِلَ (fuʿila). Let's break down the transformation using كَتَبَ (kataba - "he wrote") as an example:
كَتَبَ (kataba).
ك with فتحة (كَ).
ت with فتحة (تَ).
ب with فتحة (بَ).
ضمّة: كَ becomes كُ.
كسرة: تَ becomes تِ.
فتحة: بَ stays بَ.
كُتِبَ (kutiba - "it was written").
U-I-A pattern is the cornerstone for Form I past passive verbs. Here are more examples:
أَكَلَ (akala - he ate) → أُكِلَ (ukila - it was eaten)
فَتَحَ (fataḥa - he opened) → فُتِحَ (futiḥa - it was opened)
دَرَسَ (darasa - he studied) → دُرِسَ (durisa - it was studied)
شَرِبَ (shariba - he drank) → شُرِبَ (shuriba - it was drunk)
سَمِعَ (samiʿa - he heard) → سُمِعَ (sumiʿa - it was heard)
الأجوف - al-ajwaf), where the middle radical is a weak letter (usually ا, و, or ي), the pattern adapts. For example, قَالَ (qāla - he said) becomes قِيلَ (qīla - it was said). The ا vowel changes to a ي combined with the كسرة from the second radical rule. Similarly, بَاعَ (bāʿa - he sold) becomes بِيعَ (bīʿa - it was sold). While these specific transformations can be complex, the key at this A1 level is to recognize قِيلَ and بِيعَ as passive forms, rather than necessarily deriving them from scratch. The general principle of vowel modification still applies, even if the specific outcome for weak verbs is different.
Conjugation Table
| Pronoun | Active Past (كَتَبَ - kataba) |
Passive Past (كُتِبَ - kutiba) |
English Translation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| :------ | :-------------------------- | :--------------------------- | :-------------------- | ||
| هو (he) | كَتَبَ (kataba) |
كُتِبَ (kutiba) |
It was written (by him) | ||
| هي (she) | كَتَبَتْ (katabat) |
كُتِبَتْ (kutibat) |
It was written (by her) | ||
| هما (they, masc. dual) | كَتَبَا (katabā) |
كُتِبَا (kutibā) |
They (two) were written | ||
| هما (they, fem. dual) | كَتَبَتَا (katabatā) |
كُتِبَتَا (kutibatā) |
They (two) were written | ||
| هم (they, masc. plural) | كَتَبُوا (katabū) |
كُتِبُوا (kutibū) |
They were written | ||
| هنّ (they, fem. plural) | كَتَبْنَ (katabna) |
كُتِبْنَ (kutibna) |
They were written | ||
| أنتَ (you, masc. sing.) | كَتَبْتَ (katabta) |
كُتِبْتَ (kutibta) |
You were written | ||
| أنتِ (you, fem. sing.) | كَتَبْتِ (katabti) |
كُتِبْتِ (kutibti) |
You were written | ||
| أنتما (you, dual) | كَتَبْتُمَا (katabtumā) |
كُتِبْتُمَا (kutibtumā) |
You (two) were written | ||
| أنتم (you, masc. plural) | كَتَبْتُمْ (katabtum) |
كُتِبْتُمْ (kutibtum) |
You were written | ||
| أنتنّ (you, fem. plural) | كَتَبْتُنَّ (katabtunna) |
كُتِبْتُنَّ (kutibtunna) |
You were written | ||
| أنا (I) | كَتَبْتُ (katabtu) |
كُتِبْتُ (kutibtu) |
I was written | ||
| نحن (we) | كَتَبْنَا (katabnā) |
كُتِبْنَا (kutibnā) |
We were written |
When To Use It
- 1When the Doer is Unknown (
الجهالة- al-jahāla): This is perhaps the most common reason to use the passive. If you genuinely don't know who performed an action, the passive voice is essential.
سُرِقَت سيارتي أمس.(Suriqat sayyāratī ams. - "My car was stolen yesterday.") – You don't know who stole it.وُجِدَ الكتابُ على الطاولة.(Wujida al-kitābu ʿalá al-ṭāwilati. - "The book was found on the table.") – The person who found it is unknown or not important.
- 1When the Doer is Unimportant or Obvious (
الإيجاز- al-ījaz /الوضوح- al-wuḍūḥ): Sometimes, the identity of the doer is either self-evident or simply not relevant to the message. The focus is entirely on the action or its outcome.
اِفْتُتِحَ المَتْحَفُ الجديدُ الأسبوعَ الماضي.(Iftutiḥa al-matḥafu al-jadīdu al-usbuʿa al-māḍī. - "The new museum was opened last week.") – It's clear that officials or a team opened it; the specific individuals are not the news.أُكِلَتِ الوجبةُ كلها.(Ukilați al-wajbatu kulluhā. - "The whole meal was eaten.") – Who ate it might be irrelevant; the fact that it's gone is the point.
- 1To Avoid Blame or Maintain Formality/Objectivity (
التأدّب- al-taʾaddub /الموضوعية- al-mawḍūʿiyyah): In formal contexts, news reporting, or when wishing to be polite, the passive voice can depersonalize an action, especially if it's negative or controversial.
أُلْغِيَ الاِجْتِمَاعُ بسبب الطقس السيئ.(Ulghiya al-ijtimāʿu bi-sabab al-ṭaqsi al-sayyiʾi. - "The meeting was cancelled due to bad weather.") – This avoids directly blaming a person for the cancellation.أُذِيعَ الخبرُ في الراديو.(Udīʿa al-khabaru fī al-rādiyū. - "The news was broadcast on the radio.") – Focuses on the dissemination of news, not the specific broadcaster.
- 1For Emphasis on the Object: When the outcome or the receiver of the action is more significant than the agent, the passive construction naturally brings the
نائب الفاعلto the forefront.
صُرِفَ المالُ على المشروع.(Ṣurifa al-mālu ʿalá al-mashrūʿi. - "The money was spent on the project.") – The emphasis is on the money and the project, not who spent it.
Common Mistakes
- 1The "By" Trap (
من قبل- min qibal): A direct translation of "by" (e.g., "The book was written by John") usingمن قبل(min qibal) is generally avoided and often sounds unnatural in classical Arabic passive constructions. If the doer is known and relevant, Arabic prefers the active voice. The passive voice inherently means the doer is unknown or unimportant. If you know the doer, sayكتب جون الكتابَ(kataba John al-kitāba - "John wrote the book"). Do not sayكُتِبَ الكتابُ من قبل جون(kutiba al-kitābu min qibal John).
- 1Confusing with Present Tense "I" Conjugation: The
ضمّة(usound) at the beginning of the past passive verb can sometimes be confused with theأَ-(a-) prefix used for the first-person singular (I) in the present tense active voice. For example,أُكِلَ(ukila - it was eaten) is a past passive verb. It should not be confused withآكُلُ(ā'kulu - I eat), which is a present active verb with a different initial sound and meaning.
- 1Incorrect Gender/Number Agreement with
نائب الفاعل: A crucial error is failing to make the passive verb agree in gender and number with its new subject, theنائب الفاعل. Remember, if theنائب الفاعلis feminine, the verb must be feminine; if it's plural, the verb must reflect that, especially in initial position.
- Incorrect:
كُتِبَ الرسالةُ.(Incorrect:الرسالةis feminine, verb should be feminine) - Correct:
كُتِبَتِ الرسالةُ.(kutibati al-risālatu. - "The letter was written.") - Incorrect:
فُتِحَ الأبوابُ.(Incorrect:الأبوابis plural, verb should be plural/feminine singular asغير العاقل- non-human plural) - Correct:
فُتِحَتِ الأبوابُ.(futiḥati al-abwābu. - "The doors were opened.") (Treatأبوابas feminine singular for verb agreement).
- 1Applying U-I-A to Derived Verb Forms: The U-I-A pattern is specific to Form I (trilateral, unconjugated basic root). Arabic has many derived verb forms (Form II, III, IV, etc.), each with its own, different, passive formation pattern. Attempting to apply
U-I-Ato, for instance, a Form IV verb likeأَكْرَمَ(akrama - "he honored") would be incorrect. Its passive isأُكْرِمَ(ukrima), which does not fitU-I-A.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
- 1Active Voice vs. Passive Voice (Form I): This is the most direct contrast. The active voice states who performs the action, while the passive states what was acted upon.
- Active:
كَسَرَ الولدُ الزجاجَ.(kasara al-waladu al-zujāja. - "The boy broke the glass.") – Focus on the boy. - Passive:
كُسِرَ الزجاجُ.(kusira al-zujāju. - "The glass was broken.") – Focus on the glass, doer unknown/unimportant.
- 1Past Passive vs. Present Passive (Form I): While this article focuses on the past passive, it's helpful to see how the active/passive distinction carries into the present tense, as it uses a similar internal vowel modification, reinforcing the core concept of Arabic grammar.
- Active Past:
كَتَبَ(kataba - he wrote) → Passive Past:كُتِبَ(kutiba - it was written) - Active Present:
يَكْتُبُ(yaktubu - he writes/is writing) → Passive Present:يُكْتَبُ(yuktabu - it is written/being written)
ُ (damma) on the first radical and َ (fatha) on the second-to-last radical in the present passive, a pattern distinct from the past passive's U-I-A but still relying on internal vowel change.- 1Passive Voice vs. Reflexive/Intransitive Verbs (e.g., Form VII
اِنْفَعَلَ): Learners sometimes confuse the passive with verbs that express an action happening to the subject inherently, or a natural breaking/changing.
كَسَرَ(kasara - he broke [something]) – Transitive, active.كُسِرَ(kusira - it was broken [by someone/something]) – Transitive, passive.اِنْكَسَرَ(inkasara - it broke [by itself], it got broken) – Intransitive/Reflexive Form VII. This form implies an action happening internally or naturally, without a direct external agent necessarily being emphasized. While the meaning can be similar to passive ("the glass broke" vs. "the glass was broken"), the grammatical structure is different, andاِنْكَسَرَis always active in form, even if passive in meaning for English speakers. At A1, focus onكُسِرَas the primary passive mechanism.
Real Conversations
Far from being a mere academic exercise, the past passive voice is frequently used in everyday Arabic, particularly when discussing events or situations where the agent is not central to the message.
- News Reports & Media: News often relies on the passive voice to maintain objectivity and focus on events rather than attributing blame immediately.
- قُتِلَ ثلاثةُ أشخاصٍ في الحادث. (Qutila thalāthatu ashkhāṣin fī al-ḥādith. - "Three people were killed in the accident.")
- صُودِرَت كميةٌ كبيرةٌ من المخدرات. (Ṣūdirat kammiyatun kabīratun min al-mukhaḍḍarāt. - "A large quantity of drugs was confiscated.")
- Personal Anecdotes & Complaints: When something happens to you, and you don't know who is responsible, the passive is natural.
- سُرِقَ هاتفي من الحقيبة. (Suriqa hātifī min al-ḥaqībah. - "My phone was stolen from the bag.")
- فُقِدَ جوازُ سفري. (Fuqida jawāzu safarī. - "My passport was lost.")
- Common Fixed Expressions: Some passive verbs are used so frequently that they become almost idiomatic.
- وُلِدَ في... (wulida fī... - "He was born in..."). This is perhaps one of the most common passive constructions you'll encounter.
- قِيلَ أنَّ... (qīla anna... - "It was said that..."). This is a very common way to report information without attributing the source.
- عُرِفَ أنَّ... (ʿurifa anna... - "It was known that..."). Similar to قِيلَ.
- Formal Announcements & Instructions: Public notices or regulations often use the passive to create an impersonal, authoritative tone.
- يُمنَعُ التدخينُ في هذا المكان. (Yumnaʿu al-tadhkhīnu fī hādhā al-makān. - "Smoking is prohibited in this place.") – This is present passive, but demonstrates the principle of depersonalization. For past, مُنِعَ التدخينُ... (muniʿa al-tadhkhīnu... - "Smoking was prohibited...")
These examples demonstrate that the past passive is not just a grammatical concept but a living part of the Arabic language, enabling concise and contextually appropriate communication across various domains.
Progressive Practice
To truly internalize the Arabic past passive (U-I-A) pattern, systematic practice is essential. Start with basic recognition and move towards active production. Here's a structured approach:
- Identify the Passive: Begin by identifying passive verbs in short Arabic sentences or texts. Look for the ُ (damma) on the first radical and ِ (kasra) on the second-to-last radical of a past tense verb. Translate these sentences, consciously noting the shift in focus.
- Example: شُرِبَ الماءُ. (Shuriba al-māʾu. - "The water was drunk.")
- Transform Active to Passive: Take simple active past tense sentences and convert them to the passive voice. This exercise forces you to remove the active subject, change the verb's vowels, and make the original object the نائب الفاعل with correct case and agreement.
- Active: كَتَبَ الطالبُ الرسالةَ. (kataba al-ṭālibu al-risālata. - "The student wrote the letter.")
- Passive: كُتِبَتِ الرسالةُ. (kutibati al-risālatu. - "The letter was written.")
- Conjugation Drills: Practice conjugating passive verbs across all personal pronouns. Take a Form I verb like فَتَحَ (fataḥa) and derive its passive (فُتِحَ - futiḥa), then conjugate فُتِحَ for هو, هي, أنتَ, أنا, etc. Pay close attention to the suffixes and how they attach to the transformed stem.
- Fill-in-the-Blanks: Complete sentences with the correct passive form of a given verb, ensuring agreement with the نائب الفاعل.
- _______ البابُ. (Verb: فَتَحَ) → فُتِحَ البابُ. (futiḥa al-bābu. - "The door was opened.")
- _______ الكتبُ. (Verb: قَرَأَ) → قُرِئَتِ الكتبُ. (quriʾati al-kutubu. - "The books were read.")
- Translate English Passive: Translate simple English passive sentences into Arabic. This challenges you to think in terms of the Arabic passive structure from the outset.
- "The food was cooked." → طُبِخَ الطعامُ. (ṭubikha al-ṭaʿāmu.)
- "The picture was drawn." → رُسِمَتِ الصورةُ. (rusimati al-ṣūratu.)
Consistent engagement with these types of exercises will solidify your understanding and ability to both comprehend and produce the Arabic past passive voice naturally.
Quick FAQ
عَلَّمَ (ʿallama - he taught) is عُلِّمَ (ʿullima - he was taught), which clearly doesn't follow U-I-A.و, ا, or ي as a root letter), especially hollow verbs (أجوف like قَالَ - قِيلَ), the passive forms deviate from the strict U-I-A. While it's good to recognize these common passive forms (e.g., قِيلَ, بِيعَ - bīʿa), don't get bogged down in deriving them from scratch until you're more comfortable with verb morphology.اِنْكَسَرَ for "it broke") or specific circumlocutions. Nevertheless, some MSA passive forms, such as وُلِدَ (wulida - he was born), are very common and understood across most dialects.من قبل (min qibal) or similar phrases in a passive construction is generally considered grammatically awkward and stylistically poor. If the doer is known and significant, Arabic prefers to use the active voice: أَصْلَحَ الميكانيكيُّ السيارةَ. (aṣlaḥa al-mīkānīkiyyu al-sayyārata. - "The mechanic repaired the car.") The passive أُصْلِحَتِ السيارةُ. (uṣliḥati al-sayyāratu. - "The car was repaired.") is reserved for when the mechanic's identity is not the focus.سكون (sukūn)?تاء التأنيث الساكنة (tāʾ al-taʾnīth al-sākinah) for feminine subjects, like in كُتِبَتْ. When this تْ is followed by a word starting with الـ (al-), the سكون on the تْ often changes to a كسرة (تِ) for ease of pronunciation, to avoid two silent letters in a row. So, كُتِبَتْ الرسالةُ becomes كُتِبَتِ الرسالةُ (kutibati al-risālatu).سكون on the تْ before this phonetic rule applies.Form I Passive Conjugation (Past)
| Pronoun | Active (He wrote) | Passive (It was written) |
|---|---|---|
|
Huwa
|
Kataba
|
Kutiba
|
|
Hiya
|
Katabat
|
Kutibat
|
|
Anta
|
Katabta
|
Kutibta
|
|
Anti
|
Katabti
|
Kutibti
|
|
Ana
|
Katabtu
|
Kutibtu
|
|
Nahnu
|
Katabna
|
Kutibna
|
Meanings
The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action itself rather than the person performing it. It is essential for formal reports, news, and objective writing.
Unknown Doer
When the agent is unknown or irrelevant.
“سُرِقَتِ المحفظةُ (The wallet was stolen).”
“وُجِدَ المفتاحُ (The key was found).”
Formal/Academic
Used to maintain an objective tone in research.
“أُجريتِ التجربةُ (The experiment was conducted).”
“تُمُّتِ الدراسةُ (The study was completed).”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
U-I-A pattern
|
Kutiba al-darsu
|
|
Negative
|
Ma + U-I-A
|
Ma kutiba al-darsu
|
|
Question
|
Hal + U-I-A
|
Hal kutiba al-darsu?
|
|
Feminine
|
U-I-A + at
|
Kutibat al-risalatu
|
|
Plural
|
U-I-A + u
|
Kutibu al-durus
|
|
Formal
|
Tamma + Masdar
|
Tamma katbu al-dars
|
Formality Spectrum
كُتِبَ التقريرُ (Professional setting)
تَمَّ كِتابةُ التقريرِ (Professional setting)
كَتَبوا التقريرَ (Professional setting)
التقرير اتكتب (Professional setting)
Passive Voice Logic
Focus
- Action Action
Subject
- Unknown Unknown
Examples by Level
كُتِبَ الدرسُ
The lesson was written.
أُكِلَ الطعامُ
The food was eaten.
قُرِئَ الكتابُ
The book was read.
سُمِعَ الصوتُ
The sound was heard.
سُرِقَتِ المحفظةُ
The wallet was stolen.
وُجِدَ المفتاحُ
The key was found.
فُتِحَ البابُ
The door was opened.
غُلِقَ المحلُ
The shop was closed.
أُعْلِنَ القرارُ
The decision was announced.
أُجْرِيَتِ العمليةُ
The operation was performed.
تُمُّتِ الموافقةُ
The approval was completed.
عُرِفَ السببُ
The reason was known.
أُصْدِرَ القانونُ الجديدُ
The new law was issued.
تُمُّتِ السيطرةُ على الحريقِ
The fire was brought under control.
أُحِيطَ علماً بالموضوعِ
The matter was noted.
قُدِّمَ التقريرُ للجنةِ
The report was submitted to the committee.
أُشِيدَ بجهودِ الفريقِ
The team's efforts were praised.
أُدِيرَ النقاشُ بحكمةٍ
The discussion was managed wisely.
أُبْرِمَتِ الاتفاقيةُ
The agreement was signed.
أُسِّسَ المركزُ عامَ 1990
The center was founded in 1990.
أُسْتُحْدِثَتْ أساليبُ جديدةٌ
New methods were introduced.
أُسْتُقْبِلَ الضيوفُ بحفاوةٍ
The guests were received warmly.
أُسْتُعِيدَتِ الثقةُ بالنفسِ
Self-confidence was regained.
أُسْتُخْدِمَ المنهجُ التحليليُ
The analytical method was used.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up the subject and object.
Both mean 'it was done'.
Both can imply no agent.
Common Mistakes
Kataba al-darsu
Kutiba al-darsu
Kutiba al-darsa
Kutiba al-darsu
Kutiba al-risalatu
Kutibat al-risalatu
Suriqa al-rajulu
Suriqa al-malu
Tamma kataba
Tamma katbu
Kutibtu al-darsu
Kutiba al-darsu
Ma kutiba al-darsa
Ma kutiba al-darsu
U'lina al-khabara
U'lina al-khabaru
Tamma al-kitaba
Tamma katbu
Kutiba al-darsun
Kutiba al-darsu
U'turiqa al-bab
Turiqa al-bab
Tamma al-qatl
Qutila
Kutiba al-darsu min Ahmed
Kutiba al-darsu min qibal Ahmed
Sentence Patterns
___ (verb) ___ (noun) ___.
Ma ___ (verb) ___ (noun) ___.
Hal ___ (verb) ___ (noun) ___?
Tamma ___ (masdar) ___ (noun).
Real World Usage
أُعْلِنَ عن فوزِ المرشحِ
أُجْرِيَتِ الدراسةُ
سُرِقَتِ المحفظةُ
تم نشر الصورة
اتعملت
أُدِيرَ المشروعُ بنجاحٍ
Focus on the Vowels
Don't Forget the Case
Use Tamma for Clarity
Dialect vs Fusha
Smart Tips
Look for verbs starting with 'u'.
Use passive to sound objective.
Use passive.
Passive is your friend.
Pronunciation
Damma
The 'u' sound is short and rounded.
Kasra
The 'i' sound is short and high.
Declarative
Kutiba al-darsu ↓
Falling intonation for statements.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'U-I-A' as 'Under-In-Action'. The subject goes UNDER, the verb is IN the passive, and the ACTION is the focus.
Visual Association
Imagine a book floating in the air. No one is holding it. It is just 'being read'.
Rhyme
Active is fast, Passive is slow, change the vowels to U-I-A so we know.
Story
The king's crown was stolen. Nobody saw who did it. The guards said 'Suriqa al-taju' (The crown was stolen). The thief remained a mystery.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 3 sentences about your day using the passive voice (e.g., 'The coffee was drunk').
Cultural Notes
The internal passive is highly valued in formal writing and news.
They rarely use the internal passive, preferring 'it-' prefix.
They often use 'tamma' or active voice with 'they'.
The internal passive is a Proto-Semitic feature.
Conversation Starters
هل كُتِبَ التقريرُ؟
ماذا فُعِلَ اليومَ؟
هل عُرِفَ السببُ؟
هل أُعْلِنَ عن الموعدِ؟
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
Kataba al-waladu al-darsa. -> ___ al-darsu.
Find and fix the mistake:
Kutiba al-darsa.
Which sentence is passive?
Sariqa al-lissu al-malu.
Can you use passive with intransitive verbs?
A: Hal ___ al-kitabu? B: Na'am, quri'a.
al-darsu / kutiba / amsi
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesKataba al-waladu al-darsa. -> ___ al-darsu.
Find and fix the mistake:
Kutiba al-darsa.
Which sentence is passive?
Sariqa al-lissu al-malu.
Can you use passive with intransitive verbs?
A: Hal ___ al-kitabu? B: Na'am, quri'a.
al-darsu / kutiba / amsi
Kataba -> ?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesThe window ___ (was opened).
Match the pairs
Which word is passive? `نَشَرَ` (nashara) vs `نُشِرَ` (nushira)
Fuhima / . / al-su'al
Translate: `صُنِعَ في الصين`
Find the gender agreement error.
The plan ___ (was studied).
When would you say 'Suriqa al-mal' (The money was stolen)?
Root: Dh-k-r (Dhakara). Passive: ___
Connect meaning
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
It is the vowel change for Form I passive verbs.
It is rare in dialects; use 'tamma' instead.
Because it becomes the subject.
Yes, frequently.
Add 'at' to the end.
Only transitive verbs.
Yes, very.
Use 'min qibal'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Se vende
Arabic is morphological; Spanish is syntactic.
Il est fait
Arabic avoids auxiliary verbs.
Es wird gemacht
Arabic is more concise.
Taberareru
Arabic changes the root vowels.
Bei
Arabic is inflectional.
U-I-A
None.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Continue With
Passive Voice: Hiding the Doer (Majhul)
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