Arabic Passive Present: The 'Yu- ... -a-' Pattern
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
To make a verb passive in Arabic, change the internal vowels to 'u' on the first letter and 'a' on the second-to-last.
- Start with 'Yu-' for the present tense passive: 'yaktubu' (he writes) becomes 'yuktabu' (it is written).
- Ensure the penultimate root letter always carries a fatha (a) sound.
- The subject of the active sentence disappears, and the object becomes the subject of the passive verb.
Overview
In Arabic, mastering the passive voice is crucial for expressing actions where the performer is unknown, unimportant, or intentionally omitted. The Arabic Passive Present, often identified by its distinctive yu- or tu- opening sound and an a vowel before the final consonant, allows you to shift focus from who performs an action to what happens or to whom it happens. This grammatical construction is fundamental across various registers, from daily conversations to news reports and formal texts.
Understanding it from an A1 level means recognizing this pattern and grasping its core function: to present the action as being received rather than initiated.
Consider the difference between saying يَكتُبُ مُحمّدٌ الرِّسالةَ. (Muhammad writes the letter.) and تُكتَبُ الرِّسالةُ. (The letter is written.). In the second sentence, the emphasis is entirely on the letter and the act of writing, with Muhammad (the writer) receding from view. This shift in focus is a powerful linguistic tool, enabling you to speak about events and states without needing to identify the agent, which is a frequent necessity in any language.
The Arabic passive achieves this elegantly through internal changes to the verb itself, primarily via vowel modifications, rather than adding auxiliary verbs like "is" or "are" as in English.
Conjugation Table
| Pronoun | Active Present (He writes) | Passive Present (It is written) | Explanation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| :-------- | :--------------------------- | :---------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------- | ||
| هو (He) | يَكتُبُ (yaktubu) |
يُكتَبُ (yuktabu) |
It (masc. singular) is written | ||
| هي (She) | تَكتُبُ (taktubu) |
تُكتَبُ (tuktabu) |
It (fem. singular) is written | ||
| هما (They, masc. dual) | يَكتُبانِ (yaktubaani) |
يُكتَبانِ (yuktabaani) |
They (masc. dual) are written | ||
| هما (They, fem. dual) | تَكتُبانِ (taktubaani) |
تُكتَبانِ (tuktabaani) |
They (fem. dual) are written | ||
| هم (They, masc. plural) | يَكتُبونَ (yaktuboona) |
يُكتَبونَ (yuktaboona) |
They (masc. plural) are written | ||
| هنّ (They, fem. plural) | يَكتُبنَ (yaktubna) |
يُكتَبنَ (yuktabna) |
They (fem. plural) are written | ||
| أنتَ (You, masc. singular) | تَكتُبُ (taktubu) |
تُكتَبُ (tuktabu) |
You (masc. singular) are written | ||
| أنتِ (You, fem. singular) | تَكتُبينَ (taktubeena) |
تُكتَبينَ (tuktabeena) |
You (fem. singular) are written | ||
| أنتما (You, dual) | تَكتُبانِ (taktubaani) |
تُكتَبانِ (tuktabaani) |
You (dual) are written | ||
| أنتم (You, masc. plural) | تَكتُبونَ (taktuboona) |
تُكتَبونَ (tuktaboona) |
You (masc. plural) are written | ||
| أنتنّ (You, fem. plural) | تَكتُبنَ (taktubna) |
تُكتَبنَ (tuktabna) |
You (fem. plural) are written | ||
| أنا (I) | أَكتُبُ (aktubu) |
أُكتَبُ (uktabu) |
I am written | ||
| نحن (We) | نَكتُبُ (naktubu) |
نُكتَبُ (nuktabu) |
We are written |
How This Grammar Works
harakat (short vowels) that signals a fundamental change in grammatical function.فاعل - faa'il) performs the action. For instance, in يَقرَأُ الطّالِبُ الكِتابَ. (yaqra'u al-ṭaalibu al-kitaaba. - The student reads the book.), الطّالِبُ (the student) is the فاعل who performs the action يَقرَأُ (reads) upon الكِتابَ (the book), which is the مفعول به (object).فاعل is removed or unstated. The original مفعول به (object) then steps into the role of the نائب الفاعل (naa'ib al-faa'il), or "deputy subject." This نائب الفاعل functions grammatically like a subject, meaning it takes the nominative case (often indicated by a ḍamma on its final letter) and dictates the gender and number agreement of the passive verb. So, يُقرَأُ الكِتابُ. (yuqra'u al-kitaabu. - The book is read.) illustrates الكِتابُ (the book) as the نائب الفاعل, and the verb يُقرَأُ (is read) agrees with it in masculine singular form.yu-/tu- prefix sets the passive stage, and the fatḥa on the penultimate letter solidifies the passive present tense. This internal modification is a hallmark of Arabic verbal morphology and reflects a deep grammatical interconnectedness within the language.Formation Pattern
يَكتُبُ (yaktubu - he writes) into يُكتَبُ (yuktabu - it is written) by following these two steps:
يَـ, تَـ, أَـ, or نَـ for active verbs) always changes its vowel from a fatḥa (a) to a ḍamma (u). This is the first and most immediate indicator of the passive voice. For example:
يَكتُبُ (yaktubu) becomes يُكتَـ... (yukta-...)
تَشرَبُ (tashrabu) becomes تُشرَـ... (tushra-...)
أَفهَمُ (afhamu) becomes أُفهَـ... (ufha-...)
نَفتَحُ (naftaḥu) becomes نُفتَـ... (nufta-...)
fatḥa (a). This rule applies regardless of what the vowel was in the active form (kasra, ḍamma, or fatḥa). This fatḥa is characteristic of the passive present.
يُكتَبُ (yuktabu) - The ت had a ḍamma in يَكتُبُ, now it has a fatḥa.
تُشرَبُ (tushrabu) - The ر had a fatḥa in تَشرَبُ, it remains fatḥa.
أُفهَمُ (ufhamu) - The ه had a fatḥa in أَفهَمُ, it remains fatḥa.
نُفتَحُ (nuftaḥu) - The ت had a fatḥa in نَفتَحُ, it remains fatḥa.
ya-) | ـَـ (-a-) | يَفعَلُ (yafʿalu) | ـُـ (-u-) | يُفعَلُ (yufʿalu) |
ta-) | ـَـ (-a-) | تَفعَلُ (tafʿalu) | ـُـ (-u-) | تُفعَلُ (tufʿalu) |
a-) | ـَـ (-a-) | أَفعَلُ (afʿalu) | ـُـ (-u-) | أُفعَلُ (ufʿalu) |
na-) | ـَـ (-a-) | نَفعَلُ (nafʿalu) | ـُـ (-u-) | نُفعَلُ (nufʿalu) |
يُـ...ـَـ...ُ (yu-...-a-...-u), or more generally ḍamma on the prefix and fatḥa on the penultimate letter, is the signature of the Arabic Passive Present for Form I verbs. Remember this distinct vowel sequence, as it is your primary clue for identifying and constructing this grammatical structure.
When To Use It
- When the Agent is Unknown: This is perhaps the most straightforward use. If you genuinely do not know who performed an action, the passive voice is the natural choice. This is common in reports of incidents or observations.
يُسرَقُ المالُ.(yusraqu al-maalu.- The money is stolen.) – The identity of the thief is unknown.يُقالُ إِنَّهُ سَيَأتي.(yuqaalu innahu say'ati.- It is said that he will come.) – The source of the information is not specified.
- When the Agent is Unimportant or Obvious: In many contexts, identifying the agent would be redundant or unnecessary because it's already clear from the context, or the agent's identity holds no particular significance. General truths, processes, or widely understood actions fall into this category.
يُباعُ الخُبزُ في المَخبَزِ.(yubaaʿu al-khubzu fi al-makhbazi.- Bread is sold in the bakery.) – It is understood that bakers sell bread; their identity is not the point.تُصنَعُ السياراتُ في المَصنَعِ.(tusnaʿu al-sayyaraatu fi al-maṣnaʿi.- Cars are manufactured in the factory.) – The specific workers are less important than the process itself.
- When the Agent is Deliberately Hidden or Avoided: Sometimes, the passive voice is used to de-emphasize or even obscure the agent, often to avoid blame, maintain formality, or create a sense of objectivity. This is a common rhetorical device in political discourse or official statements.
اقتِراحاتٌ تُقدَّمُ لمُناقَشَتِها.(iqtiraahaatun tuqaddamu li-munaaqashatiha.- Suggestions are presented for discussion.) – The proposer of the suggestions is not named, making the ideas the central focus.تُتَّخَذُ القراراتُ بَعْدَ مُشاوراتٍ.(tuttakhaḏu al-qaraaraatu baʿda mushaawaraatin.- Decisions are made after consultations.) – The entity making the decisions is left vague.
- To Emphasize the Action or its Result: By placing the recipient of the action in the subject position (
نائب الفاعل), the passive voice inherently draws attention to what happened to that entity, rather than who caused it. This creates a different narrative focus. يُكتَبُ الدَّرسُ على السَّبّورةِ.(yuktabu al-darsu ʿala al-saboorati.- The lesson is written on the blackboard.) – The state of the lesson being written is highlighted.يُفهمُ الشَّرحُ بسهولةٍ.(yufhamu al-sharḥu bi-suhoolatin.- The explanation is understood easily.) – The ease of understanding is the main point.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing Active and Passive Vowelization: The most frequent error is incorrectly applying the vowel changes, leading to an active verb being mistaken for a passive one, or vice-versa. Remember, the
ḍamma(u) on the prefix is non-negotiable for the passive, and thefatḥa(a) on the penultimate letter is equally critical. - Incorrect:
يَشرَبُ الماءُ.(yashrabu al-maau.- He drinks the water.) (This is active, implying a male subject drinks the water. If you meanThe water is drunk, it should beيُشرَبُ الماءُ.(yushrabu al-maau.)). - Correction:
يُشرَبُ الماءُ.(yushrabu al-maau.- The water is drunk.)
- Attempting to State the Agent with "By": In English, you can say "The letter was written by John." In Arabic, it is generally ungrammatical and conceptually contradictory to explicitly mention the agent (
فاعل) in a true passive construction. If the agent's identity is important, you should use the active voice instead. Avoid direct translation of "by" using prepositions likeبواسطة(biwāsiṭati) orمِن قِبَلِ(min qibali) immediately after the passive verb in formal MSA; these are sometimes seen in modern media but are often considered less elegant or non-standard when used to name the agent directly. - Incorrect:
تُكتَبُ الرِّسالةُ بواسطةِ الطّالبِ.(tuktabu al-risaalatu biwāsiṭati al-ṭaalibi.) – Though understandable, this is not standard passive construction in MSA. Whileبواسطةmeans 'by means of', it doesn't function as an agent marker in the passive voice. - Correction (use active if agent is key):
يَكتُبُ الطّالِبُ الرِّسالةَ.(yaktubu al-ṭaalibu al-risaalata.- The student writes the letter.)
- Incorrect Agreement with
نائب الفاعل: The passive verb must agree in gender and number with itsنائب الفاعل(the new subject, which was the original object). If theنائب الفاعلis feminine, the passive verb must be feminine (starting withتُـ); if it's masculine, it starts withيُـ. This is a common source of error for beginners. - Incorrect:
يُكتَبُ القِصَّةُ.(yuktabu al-qiṣṣatu.) -القِصَّةُ(story) is feminine, butيُكتَبُis masculine. - Correction:
تُكتَبُ القِصَّةُ.(tuktabu al-qiṣṣatu.- The story is written.)
- Over-Generalizing to Intransitive Verbs: The passive voice primarily applies to transitive verbs – those that take a direct object. Intransitive verbs (which do not take a direct object, like
نَزَلَ- to descend,جَلَسَ- to sit,نامَ- to sleep) generally cannot form a passive voice in Arabic, as there is no object to become theنائب الفاعل. There are some exceptions for certain types of intransitive verbs that can be made pseudo-passive with a prepositional phrase, but this is beyond the A1 level. - Incorrect:
يُنامُ الطِّفلُ.(Attempting to say "The child is slept.") - This is ungrammatical. - Correction:
ينامُ الطِّفلُ.(yanaamu al-ṭiflu.- The child sleeps.) - Use the active voice.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
- Active Present (المضارع المعلوم -
al-muḍaariʿ al-maʿloom):
يـ, تـ, أَـ, نـ), their internal vowel structures are distinct. The active present typically has a fatḥa (a) on its prefix and a ḍamma (u), kasra (i), or fatḥa (a) on its penultimate radical, depending on the verb.- Active:
يَدرُسُ الطّالِبُ العربيّةَ.(yadrusu al-ṭaalibu al-ʿarabiyyata.- The student studies Arabic.) - Passive:
تُدرَسُ العربيّةُ.(tudrasu al-ʿarabiyyata.- Arabic is studied.)
fatḥa (a) | ḍamma (u) |u, i, a) | fatḥa (a) |فاعل) | The action/recipient (نائب الفاعل) |- Passive Past (الماضي المجهول -
al-maaḍi al-majhuul):
ḍamma (u), and the second-to-last consonant takes a kasra (i).- Passive Past:
كُتِبَ الدَّرسُ.(kutiba al-darsu.- The lesson was written.) - Passive Present:
يُكتَبُ الدَّرسُ.(yuktabu al-darsu.- The lesson is written.)
u on the first radical and i on the penultimate, while passive present uses u on the prefix and a on the penultimate. Both, however, serve to hide the doer (مجهول).- Passive of Derived Arabic Verbs (Forms II-X):
فَعَّلَ, Form III فاعَلَ, etc.) also have their own passive present forms. These follow similar principles of internal vowel changes but with additional complexities due to the extra letters in their root patterns. For instance, the passive present of Form II يُفَعَّلُ (yufaʿʿalu) is distinct from Form I يُفعَلُ.Real Conversations
The Arabic Passive Present is not confined to textbooks; it's a living part of the language used across various communication settings. Recognizing it in authentic contexts will significantly improve your comprehension.
- Public Announcements and Signs: You will frequently encounter passive verbs on official notices, instructions, and signs, where the agent is implicitly understood or irrelevant. For example, a sign prohibiting an action often uses the passive.
- يُمنَعُ التَّدخينُ في هذا المَكانِ. (yumnaʿu al-tadkheenu fi haaḏa al-makaani. - Smoking is prohibited in this place.)
- تُفتَحُ المَتاجِرُ في السّاعةِ التّاسِعَةِ. (tuftaḥu al-mataajiru fi al-saaʿati al-taasiʿati. - Shops are opened at nine o'clock.)
- News and Media: News reporting often prioritizes the event or the victim over the perpetrator, especially when the perpetrator is unknown or when maintaining an objective tone is desired. The passive voice is a cornerstone of journalistic Arabic.
- يُعَتَقَلُ عَدَدٌ مِنَ المشتبه بهم. (yuʿtaqalu ʿadadun mina al-mushtabahi bihim. - A number of suspects are arrested.)
- تُنَظَّمُ مُظاهَراتٌ في العاصِمَةِ. (tunazzamu muẓaaharaatun fi al-ʿaaṣimati. - Demonstrations are organized in the capital.)
- Everyday Speech (General Statements): While direct conversation might lean towards active voice, the passive is still common when discussing general facts, customs, or processes.
- يُستَخدَمُ الهاتفُ الذَّكيُّ كثيراً. (yustakhdamu al-haatifu al-ḏakiyyu katheeran. - The smartphone is used a lot.)
- يُحتَفَلُ بِعيدِ الفِطرِ بَعْدَ رَمَضانَ. (yuḥtafalu bi-ʿeedi al-fiṭri baʿda ramaḍaana. - Eid al-Fitr is celebrated after Ramadan.)
- Technical or Scientific Descriptions: In contexts describing procedures, scientific principles, or how things function, the passive voice is essential to focus on the process rather than the human agents involved.
- يُخزَنُ الماءُ في خَزّاناتٍ كَبيرةٍ. (yukhzanu al-maau fi khazzaanaatin kabeeratin. - Water is stored in large tanks.)
- تُجرى التَّجارِبُ في المختبرِ. (tujraa al-tajaaribu fi al-mukhtabari. - Experiments are conducted in the laboratory.)
This broad usage demonstrates that the passive present is a fundamental building block for comprehensive understanding and expression in Arabic. It allows for succinct communication when the agent is not the primary point of information.
Progressive Practice
Consistent practice is key to internalizing the Arabic Passive Present. Start with foundational exercises and gradually increase complexity, focusing on both recognition and production.
- Passive Verb Identification: Begin by simply identifying passive present verbs in sentences. Look for the ḍamma on the imperfective prefix (يُـ, تُـ, أُـ, نُـ) and the fatḥa on the second-to-last root letter. This visual and auditory recognition is the first step.
- Exercise: Read a short Arabic news article or a simple paragraph. Underline every verb you suspect is in the passive present. Verify your choices.
- Active to Passive Transformation: Take simple active present sentences with a clear subject and object, and convert them to the passive voice. Remember to drop the original subject, make the object the new نائب الفاعل, and adjust the verb's gender and number agreement.
- Example Active: يَفتَحُ الرَّجُلُ البابَ. (yaftaḥu al-rajulu al-baaba. - The man opens the door.)
- Transformed Passive: يُفتَحُ البابُ. (yuftaḥu al-baabu. - The door is opened.)
- Translation from English Passive: Translate English passive sentences into Arabic. This forces you to actively construct the Arabic passive form. Pay close attention to the gender and number of the English subject, as this will determine the prefix of your Arabic passive verb.
- English: "The lesson is understood."
- Arabic: يُفهَمُ الدَّرسُ. (yufhamu al-darsu.)
- Focus on نائب الفاعل Agreement: Practice with various نائب الفاعل types: masculine singular, feminine singular, plural, etc. Ensure the passive verb's prefix (يُـ or تُـ) and any suffixes (ـونَ, ـينَ, etc.) correctly match the نائب الفاعل.
- تُرسَلُ الرَّسائِلُ. (tursalu al-rasaa'ilu. - The messages are sent.) – Note الرَّسائِلُ (messages) is a non-human plural, which often takes feminine singular verb agreement.
- Sentence Completion: Fill in the blanks with the correct passive present form of a given root, ensuring agreement and proper vowelization.
- Listening Practice: Actively listen for passive verbs in spoken Arabic (news, documentaries, podcasts). The u- sound at the beginning will be your primary audio cue. The more you hear it, the more naturally you'll produce it.
Quick FAQ
- Q: Can any verb be made passive?
No. Generally, only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can be made passive. This is because the direct object is what becomes the نائب الفاعل (the new subject) in the passive construction. Intransitive verbs (like 'to sit' or 'to sleep') do not have a direct object and therefore typically cannot form a passive voice in this way. For example, you can say يُكتَبُ الدَّرسُ. (The lesson is written.), but not يُجلَسُ. (You cannot literally say "It is sat.").
- Q: How do I know the gender of the
نائب الفاعل(the new subject) to make the verb agree?
The نائب الفاعل is derived from the original direct object. If the original object was feminine (e.g., الرِّسالةُ - the letter), the passive verb will be feminine (e.g., تُكتَبُ). If it was masculine (e.g., الكِتابُ - the book), the passive verb will be masculine (e.g., يُكتَبُ). You need to identify the gender of the noun that is acting as the نائب الفاعل.
- Q: Is the passive voice more formal than the active voice?
Often, yes. The passive voice tends to be more common in formal writing, news, official announcements, and academic texts where objectivity or a focus on the action/event is preferred over identifying an agent. However, it is also used in everyday speech for general statements (e.g., يُقالُ... - It is said...). So, it's not exclusively formal, but it lends itself well to formal contexts.
- Q: What if the verb has multiple objects? Which one becomes the
نائب الفاعل?
For A1 learners, focus on verbs with a single direct object. In more advanced Arabic, if a verb takes two objects, typically the first direct object becomes the نائب الفاعل. However, this is a nuance to explore once you are comfortable with the basic structure.
- Q: Does the final
ـُ(-u) vowel change in the passive present?
The final ـُ (-u) (indicating the nominative case or rafʿ) is part of the verb's ending for the imperfect tense and generally remains. Changes to the final vowel (ـَ for subjunctive, ـْ for jussive) are related to the verb's mood and syntactic context, not its voice. The internal vowel changes (prefix ḍamma, penultimate fatḥa) are what signify the passive voice in the present tense.
Present Passive Conjugation (Form I)
| Pronoun | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
|
Huwa
|
yaktubu
|
yuktabu
|
|
Hiya
|
taktubu
|
tuktabu
|
|
Anta
|
taktubu
|
tuktabu
|
|
Anti
|
taktubina
|
tuktabina
|
|
Ana
|
aktubu
|
uktabu
|
|
Nahnu
|
naktubu
|
nuktabu
|
Meanings
The passive voice is used when the actor is unknown, irrelevant, or when you want to emphasize the object of the action.
Focus on Object
Shifting the grammatical focus to the receiver of the action.
“يُؤْكَلُ الطَّعَامُ (The food is being eaten).”
“يُشْرَبُ الشَّايُ (The tea is being drunk).”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Yu- + Root + a + u
|
yuktabu
|
|
Negative
|
La + Yu- + Root + a + u
|
la yuktabu
|
|
Question
|
Hal + Yu- + Root + a + u
|
hal yuktabu?
|
|
Plural
|
Yu- + Root + a + u + na
|
yuktabuna
|
|
Feminine
|
Tu- + Root + a + u
|
tuktabu
|
|
1st Person
|
U- + Root + a + u
|
uktabu
|
Formality Spectrum
يُفْتَحُ الْبَابُ (Formal announcement)
يُفْتَحُ الْبَابُ (Formal announcement)
الْبَابُ مَفْتُوحٌ (Formal announcement)
الْبَابُ مَفْتُوح (Formal announcement)
Passive Voice Transformation
Transformation
- yuktabu is written
Examples by Level
يُكْتَبُ الدَّرْسُ
The lesson is written.
يُؤْكَلُ الطَّعَامُ
The food is eaten.
يُفْتَحُ الْمَحَلُّ فِي الصَّبَاحِ
The shop is opened in the morning.
يُسْمَعُ صَوْتُ الْمُوسِيقَى
The sound of music is heard.
يُعْرَفُ هَذَا الْقَانُونُ بِصَرَامَتِهِ
This law is known for its strictness.
يُقَدَّرُ الْجُهْدُ الْمَبْذُولُ
The effort exerted is appreciated.
Easily Confused
They look like passive verbs but are reflexive.
Form II passive uses a different vowel pattern (Yu-a-a).
They describe a state, not an action.
Common Mistakes
yaktubu
yuktabu
yaktub
yuktabu
yaktuba
yuktabu
aktubu
uktabu
yudrusu
yudrasu
la yudrusu
la yudrasu
hal yudrusu
hal yudrasu
yaktubuna
yuktabuna
yudras
yudrasu
yudrasa
yudrasu
yudarras
yudarras
yudrasu min qibal
yudrasu
yudras
yudrasu
Sentence Patterns
يُ___ ___
هَلْ يُ___ ___؟
لا يُ___ ___
يُ___ ___ فِي ___
Real World Usage
يُعْلَنُ الْقَرَارُ الْجَدِيدُ
تُدْرَسُ الظَّاهِرَةُ
يُفْتَحُ الْغِطَاءُ
يُشَارُ إِلَى هَذَا
يُقَدَّرُ جُهْدُكُمْ
يُقَدَّمُ الطَّعَامُ
Focus on the Object
Don't Overuse
Check the Vowels
Dialect Differences
Smart Tips
Use the passive to sound more objective.
Use the passive.
Use the passive.
Use the passive to avoid blaming.
Pronunciation
Damma (u)
The 'u' sound should be short and rounded.
Fatha (a)
The 'a' sound should be clear and open.
Statement
يُكْتَبُ الدَّرْسُ ↘
Falling intonation for statements.
Question
هَلْ يُكْتَبُ الدَّرْسُ ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think 'YOU' for the start (Yu) and 'A' for the middle (a).
Visual Association
Imagine a book floating in the air writing itself. The 'U' is the book opening, the 'A' is the pen moving.
Rhyme
Start with Yu, end with a, the passive voice is on its way.
Story
A chef is cooking. He is invisible. The food is being cooked by magic. The food says: 'I am being cooked' (yu-tab-khu).
Word Web
Challenge
Take 5 verbs you know and turn them into passive form in 5 minutes.
Cultural Notes
Used in news and formal writing to maintain neutrality.
Passive is often replaced by 'it-' prefix verbs.
Similar to Egyptian, uses 'in-' or 'it-' prefixes.
The passive voice in Arabic is a Semitic feature, common to Hebrew and Aramaic.
Conversation Starters
هَلْ يُفْتَحُ الْمَحَلُّ الْآنَ؟
مَاذَا يُؤْكَلُ فِي هَذَا الْمَطْعَمِ؟
هَلْ يُشْرَبُ الشَّايُ بِالسُّكَّرِ؟
هَلْ يُدْرَسُ هَذَا الْكِتَابُ فِي الْجَامِعَةِ؟
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
___ (yaktubu) ad-darsu.
Which is the passive of 'yadrusu'?
Find and fix the mistake:
yaktubu al-kitabu (wrong)
yashrabu al-waladu al-shaya
yuf'alu
A: Hal ___ al-bab? B: Na'am, yuftahu.
yudrasu / ad-darsu / fi / al-fasli
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises___ (yaktubu) ad-darsu.
Which is the passive of 'yadrusu'?
Find and fix the mistake:
yaktubu al-kitabu (wrong)
yashrabu al-waladu al-shaya
yuf'alu
A: Hal ___ al-bab? B: Na'am, yuftahu.
yudrasu / ad-darsu / fi / al-fasli
yaktubu -> ?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesMatch the pairs
What does 'Yughlaqu' (يُغلَقُ) mean?
Al-kitāb y_qra'u (The book is read).
Al-tuffāḥa yu'kalu (The apple is eaten).
hunā / al-'arabiyya / tudrasu
Yusmaḥu bi-al-dukhūl.
Select the passive sentence.
The teacher ___ (is asked).
Yuktabu al-kitāb min qibal Aḥmad (The book is written by Ahmad).
For passive present, the vowel before the last letter is always:
Match roots to meanings
Score: /11
FAQ (8)
It's a way to focus on the object of an action.
Use the 'Yu-a' pattern.
In formal writing or when the agent is unknown.
Yes, in formal Arabic.
The vowel changes can be tricky.
English uses 'to be'; Arabic uses vowel changes.
Dialects often use different structures.
Practice the vowel changes daily.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Se + verb
Arabic changes the verb itself; Spanish adds a particle.
Être + past participle
Arabic is synthetic; French is analytic.
Werden + past participle
Arabic is synthetic; German is analytic.
Verb + reru
Arabic changes internal vowels; Japanese adds a suffix.
Bei + verb
Arabic is synthetic; Chinese is analytic.
Yu-a
It is the standard.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Continue With
Passive Voice: Hiding the Doer (Majhul)
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Arabic Passive Voice: Formal Objectivity (Al-Majhul)
Overview The Arabic Passive Voice, known as `Al-Majhul` (المجهول), represents a significant shift in grammatical focus....
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