A1 · Iniciante Capítulo 22

Focusing on the Action: The Passive Voice

6 Regras totais
60 exemplos
6 min
Regras neste capítulo Prática rápida

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of focusing on the action itself by learning to hide the doer in Arabic.

  • Identify the passive voice in Arabic news and speech.
  • Apply the U-I-A vowel pattern to past tense verbs.
  • Construct present tense passive sentences using the Yu- ... -a- pattern.
Focus on the action, not the actor!

O que você vai aprender

Ready for a cool trick in Arabic? This chapter is all about shifting your focus from *who* did an action to *what* happened! You're going to master the passive voice, called Al-Majhul in Arabic, which lets you describe events when the doer is either unknown, unimportant, or you just don't want to mention them. Imagine you're walking past a construction site and want to say,

The building *is being constructed*.
Or you hear some news and want to report,
The decision *was made*,
without knowing or caring who made it. This skill is gold for understanding everyday conversations, news, and even casual reports where the action itself is the star! Here's the cool part: Arabic makes this super intuitive! You'll learn specific, simple vowel pattern changes – like a secret code – that transform active verbs into passive ones. We'll start with past actions, where you'll see how changing vowels to a u-i sound (like turning 'fa'ala' into 'fu'ila') instantly makes the verb passive. Then we'll move to present actions, where a «yu-...-a-» pattern works its magic. Don't worry about complex grammar terms; it's all about recognizing and applying these easy-to-learn sound melodies. Even for longer, derived verbs, you'll discover simple tricks to shift the focus. By the end of this chapter, you won't just understand passive sentences; you'll be able to confidently form your own! You'll sound more natural, understand more news and conversations, and feel like a true Arabic speaker. This isn't just a grammar lesson; it's a superpower for expressing yourself more flexibly. You've got this!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Transform a simple active sentence into a passive one using correct vowel patterns.

Guia do capítulo

Overview

Welcome to an exciting chapter in your A1 Arabic grammar journey! Today, we're diving into the fascinating world of the passive voice, known in Arabic as المبني للمجهول (Al-Mabni lil-Majhul), which literally translates to
the built for the unknown.
This powerful grammatical tool allows you to shift the focus of your sentences from *who* performed an action to *what* happened, making your Arabic sound more natural and sophisticated. Mastering the Arabic passive voice is crucial for understanding everyday conversations, news headlines, and formal reports, where the doer of an action might be unknown, unimportant, or deliberately left unmentioned.
Imagine you want to say
The door was opened
without knowing or caring who opened it. Or perhaps you're reporting
The decision was made
– the action itself is the star! This skill is a game-changer for your comprehension and expression in A1 Arabic.
The beauty of Al-Majhul lies in its intuitive system of vowel changes, which act like a secret code to transform active verbs into passive ones. You'll learn simple, consistent patterns that apply across different verb types, making this seemingly complex topic surprisingly accessible. Get ready to add a new superpower to your Arabic communication!

How This Grammar Works

The core idea behind Arabic Passive Voice: 'It Was Done' (Al-Mabni lil-Majhul) is to highlight the action and its recipient, rather than the actor. When a verb is made passive, the original subject (the doer) is either omitted or becomes less prominent, and the original direct object steps in to become the new subject, called the نائب الفاعل (Na'ib al-Fa'il), meaning
deputy of the doer.
This new subject will always be in the nominative case (ending in a dhamma or equivalent).
Let's break down
The Art of Hiding the Doer: Passive Voice (Majhul)
into its key patterns.
For past actions, we use the Past Passive: The It was done Pattern (U-I-A). This involves a simple vowel change for most three-letter (Form I) verbs:
  1. 1The first letter takes a dhamma (u-sound).
  2. 2The second-to-last letter takes a kasra (i-sound).
  3. 3The last letter retains its original vowel (usually a fatha for past tense).
Example:

Active: كَتَبَ (kataba - he wrote)

Passive: كُتِبَ (kutiba - it was written)

Sentence: كُتِبَ الدَّرْسُ (kutiba ad-darsu - The lesson was written). Here, الدَّرْسُ (ad-darsu) is the Na'ib al-Fa'il.

For present or future actions, we use the Arabic Passive Present: The 'Yu- ... -a-' Pattern. This also follows a consistent vowel change:
  1. 1The prefix (like يَ- or تَ-) takes a dhamma (u-sound).
  2. 2The second-to-last letter takes a fatha (a-sound).
  3. 3The last letter retains its original vowel (usually a dhamma for present tense).
Example:

Active: يَكتُبُ (yaktubu - he writes)

Passive: يُكتَبُ (yuktabu - it is written)

Sentence: يُكتَبُ الدَّرْسُ الآنَ (yuktabu ad-darsu al-'aana - The lesson is being written now).

Even for longer, derived verbs (Forms II-X), the principle remains similar, forming the Passive of Derived Arabic Verbs (Forms II-X). Generally, past passive forms will incorporate more 'u' and 'i' sounds, while present passive forms will have a 'u' prefix and an 'a' sound before the last consonant. For instance, from عَلَّمَ (ʿallama - he taught, Form II), the passive past is عُلِّمَ (ʿullima - he was taught), and the passive present is يُعَلَّمُ (yuʿallamu - he is taught).
Don't worry about memorizing all forms at A1; recognizing the 'u-i' and 'yu-...-a' patterns is your first big step!

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: كَتَبَ الدَّرْسُ (kataba ad-darsu) (He wrote the lesson.) - *Intended: The lesson was written.*
✓ Correct: كُتِبَ الدَّرْسُ (kutiba ad-darsu) (The lesson was written.)
*Explanation:* To make the verb passive, the first letter must take a dhamma (كُ) and the second-to-last letter must take a kasra (تِ). The original subject is removed, and the direct object becomes the nominative Na'ib al-Fa'il.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: يُكتِبُ الرِّسَالَةُ (yukribu ar-risalatu) (The letter is written.) - *Incorrect vowel on the second-to-last letter.*
✓ Correct: يُكتَبُ الرِّسَالَةُ (yuktabu ar-risalatu) (The letter is written.)
*Explanation:* For the present passive, the second-to-last letter must take a fatha (تَ), not a kasra (تِ). The prefix (يُ-) is correct, but the internal vowel was wrong.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: فُتِحَ البَابَ (futiha al-baaba) (The door was opened.) - *Incorrect case for the Na'ib al-Fa'il.*
✓ Correct: فُتِحَ البَابُ (futiha al-baabu) (The door was opened.)
*Explanation:* The Na'ib al-Fa'il (البَابُ) must always be in the nominative case, indicated by a dhamma (ـُ) at the end, not the accusative case (ـَ).

Real Conversations

A

A

مَاذَا حَدَثَ لِلْبَابِ؟ (Maadha hadatha lil-baab?) (What happened to the door?)
B

B

فُتِحَ البَابُ مُنْذُ قَلِيلٍ. (Futiha al-baabu mundhu qaliilin.) (The door was opened a little while ago.)
A

A

هَلْ يُقْرَأُ الْكِتَابُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ؟ (Hal yuqra'u al-kitaabu kulla yawmin?) (Is the book read every day?)
B

B

نَعَم، يُقْرَأُ الْكِتَابُ فِي الصَّبَاحِ. (Na'am, yuqra'u al-kitaabu fi as-sabaah.) (Yes, the book is read in the morning.)

Quick FAQ

Q

What is the main difference between active and passive voice in A1 Arabic grammar?

The main difference is the focus. Active voice emphasizes the *doer* of the action (e.g.,

Ahmed wrote the letter
). Passive voice, or Al-Majhul, emphasizes the *action itself* and its recipient, often omitting or downplaying the doer (e.g.,
The letter was written
).

Q

Do all Arabic verbs have a passive form?

Most transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can be made passive. Intransitive verbs (verbs that don't take a direct object, like he slept) generally do not have a passive form, as there's no object to become the Na'ib al-Fa'il.

Q

How do I know when to use the passive voice in Arabic?

You should use the passive voice Arabic when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or you want to deliberately hide their identity. It's very common in news reports, formal announcements, and when discussing general truths where the actor is irrelevant.

Q

What happens to the direct object in a passive sentence?

In a passive sentence, the original direct object of the active sentence becomes the new subject, called the نائب الفاعل (Na'ib al-Fa'il). It takes the nominative case (marked by a dhamma or equivalent) and dictates the gender and number agreement for the passive verb.

Cultural Context

The Arabic passive voice (Al-Majhul) is very prevalent in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), especially in formal contexts like news reports, academic texts, and official statements. It allows speakers and writers to maintain objectivity or to politely avoid assigning blame or credit. While less frequent in very casual spoken dialects compared to MSA, understanding it is still essential for comprehending media and more formal conversations.
It’s also deeply rooted in classical Arabic, making it a fundamental aspect of the language's structure.

Exemplos-chave (8)

1

Suriqat maḥfaẓatī fī as-sūq.

Minha carteira foi roubada no mercado.

A Arte de Esconder o Autor: Voz Passiva (Majhul)
2

Yu'rafu hādhā al-maṭ'am bi-l-pītzā.

Este restaurante é conhecido pela pizza.

A Arte de Esconder o Autor: Voz Passiva (Majhul)
3

Suriqa hātifī fī al-maṭār.

Meu telefone foi roubado no aeroporto.

A Voz Passiva: Escondendo o autor (Majhul)
4

Yusmaḥu bi-al-taṣwīr hunā.

É permitido fotografar aqui.

A Voz Passiva: Escondendo o autor (Majhul)
5

كُتِبَ الدَّرْسُ في الدَّفْتَرِ.

A aula foi escrita no caderno.

Voz Passiva em Árabe: 'Foi feito' (Al-Mabni lil-Majhul)
6

يُفْتَحُ البابُ كُلَّ صَباحٍ.

A porta é aberta toda manhã.

Voz Passiva em Árabe: 'Foi feito' (Al-Mabni lil-Majhul)
7

Wulidtu fi al-tis'inat.

Eu nasci nos anos noventa.

Passado Passivo: O Padrão "Foi feito" (U-I-A)
8

Suriqa hatifi.

Meu telefone foi roubado.

Passado Passivo: O Padrão "Foi feito" (U-I-A)

Dicas e truques (4)

💡

O Som Inicial 'U'

Se um verbo começar com som de 'U' (Damma), preste atenção! É um grande indício de voz passiva. «أُكِلَ الطَّعَامُ» (A comida foi comida).
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: A Arte de Esconder o Autor: Voz Passiva (Majhul)
💡

A Armadilha do 'Por'

Olha só, em árabe, se você sabe quem fez a ação, use a voz ativa. É muito mais elegante! Nunca tente dizer 'feito por [pessoa]' na voz passiva. É uma pegadinha! Se você sabe, diga: «كَتَبَ أحمَد الكِتاب» (Ahmad escreveu o livro).
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: A Voz Passiva: Escondendo o autor (Majhul)
🎯

A Regra do 'U'

Se um verbo árabe começa com o som 'U' (Damma), é quase certo que é passivo! Mas sempre confira a segunda vogal. «كُتِبَ» ou «يُكْتَبُ»
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Passiva em Árabe: 'Foi feito' (Al-Mabni lil-Majhul)
🎯

A 'Identidade de Nascimento'

O verbo passivo mais comum que você vai usar é وُلِدَ (Wulida - ele nasceu) ou وُلِدْتُ (Wulidtu - eu nasci). Memorize esse imediatamente! Por exemplo, para dizer que você nasceu nos anos noventa, diria:
وُلِدْتُ في التسعينات
.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passado Passivo: O Padrão "Foi feito" (U-I-A)

Vocabulário-chave (5)

مَجْهول (Majhul) Unknown/Passive كُتِبَ (Kutiba) It was written يُكْتَبُ (Yuktabu) It is being written فِعْل (Fi'l) Verb/Action بُني (Buniya) It was built

Real-World Preview

building

At the Construction Site

Review Summary

  • Fu'ila (u-i-a)
  • Yu- ... -a-

Erros comuns

Students often forget to change the vowels, keeping the active voice. Remember to shift to the U-I-A pattern.

Wrong: Kataba al-kitab (He wrote the book - active)
Correto: Kutiba al-kitab (The book was written - passive)

Ensure the first letter has a 'u' sound (Yu) and the middle has an 'a' sound.

Wrong: Yaktubu al-kitab (He writes the book)
Correto: Yuktabu al-kitab (The book is being written)

Sometimes learners overthink derived verbs. Stick to the simple vowel shift rules taught.

Wrong: Buniya al-bayt (The house was built - wait, this is correct)
Correto: Buniya al-bayt

Next Steps

You have mastered a key Arabic secret! Keep practicing those vowel melodies and you'll sound like a native in no time.

Listen to a news clip and identify one passive verb.

Continue to: The Foundation of Arabic Verbs

Prática rápida (10)

Preencha a lacuna com a forma passiva do passado (Ele enviou -> Foi enviado).

الرِّسَالَةُ ___ (أَرْسَلَ) أَمْسِ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: أُرْسِلَتْ
A passiva passada da Forma IV é 'u-i'. Como 'رسالة' (mensagem) é feminino, adicionamos o 't' no final.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passiva de verbos árabes derivados (Formas II-X)

Complete a frase para significar 'A carteira foi roubada'.

___ Al-mahfaza (A carteira). (Raiz: s-r-q)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Suriqat
Como 'carteira' (mahfaza) é feminino, precisamos da terminação 't'. O padrão passivo é U-I-A, então 'Suriqat'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passado Passivo: O Padrão "Foi feito" (U-I-A)

Selecione a forma passiva correta.

Which word means 'It is eaten'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: yu'kalu (يُؤْكَلُ)
Precisamos do prefixo 'Yu-' e do '-a-' antes do final. 'Ya'kulu' é ativo ('ele come').

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Presente Passivo em Árabe: O Padrão 'Yu- ... -a-'

Qual frase esconde corretamente o agente?

You want to say 'The apple was eaten' without saying who did it.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ukilat at-tuffāḥa (أُكِلَت التُّفَّاحَة)
A Opção 2 usa o padrão passivo 'Ukila' (com 't' para maçã feminina). A Opção 1 menciona o menino (ativo). A Opção 3 é 'ela come' (ativo).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: A Arte de Esconder o Autor: Voz Passiva (Majhul)

Qual frase diz corretamente 'Este aplicativo é usado'?

Choose the passive present form:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: يُسْتَخْدَمُ هَذَا التَّطْبِيقُ
A passiva presente da Forma X começa com 'u' e tem um 'a' na penúltima radical.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passiva de verbos árabes derivados (Formas II-X)

Complete a frase para significar 'A porta foi aberta'.

___ al-bābu. (A porta foi aberta)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Futiḥa
Precisamos do padrão passivo passado u-i-a («فُتِحَ»). «فَتَحَ» é ativo 'ele abriu', «يَفتَحُ» é presente ativo.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: A Voz Passiva: Escondendo o autor (Majhul)

Corrija o gênero do verbo passivo.

Find and fix the mistake:

كُتِبَ الرِّسالَةُ. (A carta foi escrita.)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: كُتِبَت الرِّسالَةُ
Como 'al-risalah' (a carta) é feminino, o verbo também deve ser feminino: 'kutibat'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Passiva em Árabe: 'Foi feito' (Al-Mabni lil-Majhul)

Complete a frase.

The door ___ (is opened) every day. (Bāb = masc)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: yuftaḥu (يُفتَحُ)
Começa com 'Yu-' para masculino passivo. 'Tu-' seria para feminino.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Presente Passivo em Árabe: O Padrão 'Yu- ... -a-'

Qual é a forma passiva correta para 'É bebido'?

Escolha a forma Passiva Presente correta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Yushrabu
O passivo presente usa o padrão 'u-a' («يُشرَبُ»). «يَشرَبُ» é ativo 'ele bebe'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: A Voz Passiva: Escondendo o autor (Majhul)

Corrija o erro nesta frase passiva.

Find and fix the mistake:

Kutiba al-risāla ams.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kutibat al-risāla ams.
«الرِّسالَة» (a carta) é feminino, então o verbo deve concordar em gênero: «كُتِبَت», não «كُتِبَ».

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: A Voz Passiva: Escondendo o autor (Majhul)

Score: /10

Perguntas comuns (6)

O objeto ganha uma promoção! Ele vira o 'Vice-Sujeito' (Na'ib Fa'il) e recebe um final Damma (u) em vez de Fatha (a). «كُتِبَ الدَّرْسُ» (não darsa).
Sim, mas as vogais podem mudar um pouco dependendo do dialeto (Egípcio, Levantino). O conceito é o mesmo. Por exemplo: «فُقِدَتْ الفِلُوسُ» (O dinheiro foi perdido).
Significa 'Desconhecido'. O termo gramatical 'Al-Mabni li-l-Majhul' se traduz literalmente como 'A estrutura para o desconhecido', porque quem fez a ação é um mistério.
Principalmente verbos transitivos (verbos que recebem um objeto). Você não consegue tornar 'ele sentou' passivo a menos que adicione uma preposição, o que é mais avançado.
Significa que o verbo precisa de um 'Maf'ul Bihi' (Objeto) pra fazer sentido. Por exemplo, 'bater' (daraba) precisa de alguém ou algo pra ser batido. Só esses verbos podem virar passivos. «ضَرَبَ»
Na gramática tradicional, não. Você diria apenas 'Kutiba al-kitab' (O livro foi escrito). Se quiser mencionar o Ali, use a voz ativa: 'Kataba 'Ali al-kitab'. «كُتِبَ الكِتابُ»
Capítulo anterior
Linking Sentences Together
Próximo capítulo
The Foundation of Arabic Verbs
Voltar ao roteiro