Lesson 151: Verbal Nouns of Form I

A verbal noun names the action itself: كِتَابَةٌ writing, وُصُولٌ arriving, arrival, فَرَحٌ being glad, joy. For كَتَّبَ, كَاتَبَ, أَكْتَبَ and the rest, the pattern is fixed by the form: تَكْتِيبٌ, مُكَاتَبَةٌ, إِكْتَابٌ. For the ground form, كَتَبَ, Arabic uses many patterns, and the choice is settled by usage, not by rule. Still, about ten type-forms account for the great majority of Form I verbal nouns, and each has a leaning. Learn the leanings, and you will guess most verbal nouns correctly and recognise all of them. A verb may also have two verbal nouns side by side, وَصْفٌ and صِفَةٌ, ذَهَابٌ and مَذْهَبٌ, sometimes with a shade of difference.

Rule 1: 1. فَعْلٌ: the commonest type, for actions done to something

The pattern فَعْلٌ, a single syllable with sukūn on the middle radical, is the usual verbal noun of transitive verbs of the type فَعَلَ: ضَرْبٌ striking, فَتْحٌ opening, نَصْرٌ helping, أَكْلٌ eating, نَقْلٌ transporting, قَتْلٌ killing, تَرْكٌ leaving. Weak verbs keep the same shape: بَيْعٌ selling from بَاعَ, قَوْلٌ saying from قَالَ, جَرْيٌ running from جَرَى, ظَنٌّ thinking from ظَنَّ, وَصْفٌ describing from وَصَفَ. When in doubt about a transitive verb, try فَعْلٌ first.

تَمَّ فَتْحُ الطَّرِيقِ الْجَدِيدَةِ أَمَامَ السَّيَّارَاتِ أَمْسِ.
tamma fatḥu ṭ-ṭarīqi l-jadīdati amāma s-sayyārāti amsi
The new road was opened to cars yesterday.
تَمَّ + verbal noun is the favourite way of the press to say 'was done'.
أَعْلَنَتِ الْبَلَدِيَّةُ عَنْ نَقْلِ سُوقِ الْخُضَرِ إِلَى خَارِجِ الْمَدِينَةِ.
aʿlanati l-baladiyyatu ʿan naqli sūqi l-khuḍari ilā khāriji l-madīnati
The municipality announced the transfer of the vegetable market to outside the city.
طَلَبَ الْمُحَافِظُ مِنَ السُّكَّانِ عَدَمَ تَرْكِ السَّيَّارَاتِ فِي الشَّارِعِ الرَّئِيسِيِّ.
ṭalaba l-muḥāfiẓu mina s-sukkāni ʿadama tarki s-sayyārāti fi sh-shāriʿi r-raʾīsiyyi
The governor asked the inhabitants not to leave cars in the main street.
عَدَمُ + verbal noun = 'not doing', the negative of a verbal noun.
بَيْعُ الْخُبْزِ بِأَكْثَرَ مِنَ السِّعْرِ الرَّسْمِيِّ مَمْنُوعٌ.
bayʿu l-khubzi bi-akthara mina s-siʿri r-rasmiyyi mamnūʿun
Selling bread above the official price is forbidden.
بَيْعٌ from the hollow verb بَاعَ keeps the فَعْل shape.
قَوْلُ الْوَزِيرِ إِنَّ الْأَسْعَارَ سَتَنْزِلُ أَفْرَحَ النَّاسَ.
qawlu l-wazīri inna l-asʿāra sa-tanzilu afraḥa n-nāsa
The minister's saying that prices will fall gladdened the people.

Rule 2: 2. فُعُولٌ and فَعَلَانٌ: movement and change

Intransitive verbs of the type فَعَلَ, above all verbs of going, coming and changing place or condition, prefer فُعُولٌ: خُرُوجٌ going out, دُخُولٌ entering, وُصُولٌ arriving, جُلُوسٌ sitting, سُقُوطٌ falling, وُقُوعٌ happening, نُزُولٌ descending, صُعُودٌ ascending, وُجُودٌ being found, existence, سُكُوتٌ keeping silent. Restless or repeated movement takes فَعَلَانٌ: طَيَرَانٌ flying, جَرَيَانٌ flowing, غَلَيَانٌ boiling, دَوَرَانٌ turning round, خَفَقَانٌ beating (of the heart).

بَعْدَ وُصُولِ الْوَفْدِ إِلَى الْمَطَارِ ذَهَبَ إِلَى الْفُنْدُقِ مُبَاشَرَةً.
baʿda wuṣūli l-wafdi ila l-maṭāri dhahaba ila l-funduqi mubāsharatan
After the delegation's arrival at the airport it went straight to the hotel.
أَدَّى سُقُوطُ الْأَمْطَارِ الْغَزِيرَةِ إِلَى إِغْلَاقِ الطُّرُقِ الْجَبَلِيَّةِ.
addā suqūṭu l-amṭāri l-ghazīrati ilā ighlāqi ṭ-ṭuruqi l-jabaliyyati
The fall of heavy rain led to the closing of the mountain roads.
مُنِعَ دُخُولُ الشَّاحِنَاتِ إِلَى وَسَطِ الْمَدِينَةِ فِي النَّهَارِ.
muniʿa dukhūlu sh-shāḥināti ilā wasaṭi l-madīnati fi n-nahāri
The entry of lorries into the city centre was banned in the daytime.
تَوَقَّفَ طَيَرَانُ الطَّائِرَاتِ الصَّغِيرَةِ بِسَبَبِ الرِّيحِ.
tawaqqafa ṭayarānu ṭ-ṭāʾirāti ṣ-ṣaghīrati bi-sababi r-rīḥi
The flying of small aircraft was suspended because of the wind.
لَمْ يَكُنْ لِوُجُودِ الشُّرْطَةِ أَثَرٌ فِي السُّوقِ.
lam yakun li-wujūdi sh-shurṭati atharun fi s-sūqi
The presence of the police had no effect in the market.

Rule 3: 3. The verbal noun of state verbs: فَعَلٌ، فُعُولَةٌ، فَعَالَةٌ

Verbs of the type فَعِلَ, which describe a temporary state or feeling, usually take فَعَلٌ, with two fatḥas: فَرِحَ → فَرَحٌ joy, تَعِبَ → تَعَبٌ tiredness, غَضِبَ → غَضَبٌ anger, عَطِشَ → عَطَشٌ thirst, مَرِضَ → مَرَضٌ illness, حَزِنَ → حَزَنٌ grief. Verbs of the type فَعُلَ, which describe a lasting quality, take فُعُولَةٌ or فَعَالَةٌ: سَهُلَ → سُهُولَةٌ ease, صَعُبَ → صُعُوبَةٌ difficulty, شَجُعَ → شَجَاعَةٌ courage, نَظُفَ → نَظَافَةٌ cleanliness, فَصُحَ → فَصَاحَةٌ eloquence; the فَعِلَ verb سَلِمَ also has سَلَامَةٌ safety. The related pattern فِعَالَةٌ names trades and offices, as you saw in lesson 147: تِجَارَةٌ, زِرَاعَةٌ, صِنَاعَةٌ, كِتَابَةٌ, قِرَاءَةٌ, رِئَاسَةٌ, وِزَارَةٌ.

اِسْتَقْبَلَ السُّكَّانُ الْخَبَرَ بِفَرَحٍ عَظِيمٍ.
istaqbala s-sukkānu l-khabara bi-faraḥin ʿaẓīmin
The inhabitants received the news with great joy.
عَادَ الْوَزِيرُ مِنَ الرِّحْلَةِ بِسَلَامَةٍ وَلٰكِنْ فِي تَعَبٍ شَدِيدٍ.
ʿāda l-wazīru mina r-riḥlati bi-salāmatin wa-lākin fī taʿabin shadīdin
The minister returned from the journey safely, but very tired.
تَحَدَّثَ الْمُحَافِظُ عَنْ صُعُوبَةِ الْعَمَلِ فِي الْجِبَالِ فِي الشِّتَاءِ.
taḥaddatha l-muḥāfiẓu ʿan ṣuʿūbati l-ʿamali fi l-jibāli fi sh-shitāʾi
The governor spoke of the difficulty of working in the mountains in winter.
تَهْتَمُّ الْبَلَدِيَّةُ بِنَظَافَةِ الشَّوَارِعِ وَالْأَسْوَاقِ.
tahtammu l-baladiyyatu bi-naẓāfati sh-shawāriʿi wa-l-aswāqi
The municipality attends to the cleanliness of the streets and markets.
تَرَكَ التَّاجِرُ التِّجَارَةَ وَاشْتَغَلَ بِالزِّرَاعَةِ.
taraka t-tājiru t-tijārata wa-shtaghala bi-z-zirāʿati
The merchant left trade and took up farming.

Rule 4: 4. فِعْلٌ، فُعْلٌ، فُعْلَةٌ and the long patterns فَعَالٌ، فِعَالٌ، فُعَالٌ، فَعِيلٌ

Two more short patterns are frequent and must simply be learned: فِعْلٌ in عِلْمٌ knowing, ذِكْرٌ mentioning, فِكْرٌ thinking, حِفْظٌ keeping, memorising, حِلْمٌ forbearance; فُعْلٌ in شُرْبٌ drinking, شُكْرٌ thanking, حُكْمٌ judging, ruling, حُبٌّ loving, بُعْدٌ being far; فُعْلَةٌ in قُدْرَةٌ ability, نُصْرَةٌ support, رُؤْيَةٌ seeing. Among the long patterns, فَعَالٌ and فِعَالٌ are common for intransitive verbs: ذَهَابٌ going, نَجَاحٌ succeeding, سَلَامٌ peace, قِيَامٌ standing, صِيَامٌ fasting, لِقَاءٌ meeting, شِرَاءٌ buying, بِنَاءٌ building. فُعَالٌ names ailments and loud sounds: صُدَاعٌ headache, سُعَالٌ cough, زُكَامٌ a cold, صُرَاخٌ screaming, بُكَاءٌ weeping, and also سُؤَالٌ asking. فَعِيلٌ names the cries of animals and continuous sounds, and departure: صَهِيلٌ neighing, نَهِيقٌ braying, زَئِيرٌ roaring, صَفِيرٌ whistling, رَحِيلٌ departing.

أَكَّدَ الْوَزِيرُ قُدْرَةَ الْبِلَادِ عَلَى بِنَاءِ الْمَدَارِسِ بِأَمْوَالِهَا.
akkada l-wazīru qudrata l-bilādi ʿalā bināʾi l-madārisi bi-amwālihā
The minister affirmed the country's ability to build the schools with its own money.
اِنْتَشَرَ السُّعَالُ وَالزُّكَامُ بَيْنَ تَلَامِيذِ الْمَدَارِسِ مَعَ تَغَيُّرِ الْجَوِّ.
intashara s-suʿālu wa-z-zukāmu bayna talāmīdhi l-madārisi maʿa taghayyuri l-jawwi
Coughs and colds spread among the school pupils with the change of weather.
كَانَ لِقَاءُ الْوَفْدَيْنِ قَصِيرًا وَلٰكِنَّهُ كَانَ نَاجِحًا.
kāna liqāʾu l-wafdayni qaṣīran wa-lākinnahu kāna nājiḥan
The meeting of the two delegations was short, but it was successful.
سُمِعَ صَفِيرُ الْقِطَارِ قَبْلَ وُصُولِهِ إِلَى الْمَحَطَّةِ بِدَقَائِقَ.
sumiʿa ṣafīru l-qiṭāri qabla wuṣūlihi ila l-maḥaṭṭati bi-daqāʾiqa
The whistle of the train was heard minutes before its arrival at the station.
حُدِّدَ مَوْعِدُ رَحِيلِ الْوَفْدِ لِيَوْمِ الْخَمِيسِ.
ḥuddida mawʿidu raḥīli l-wafdi li-yawmi l-khamīsi
The date of the delegation's departure was fixed for Thursday.

Rule 5: 5. مَفْعَلٌ / مَفْعِلَةٌ, and وَصَفَ → صِفَةٌ

A verbal noun may also be formed with a prefixed م, مَفْعَلٌ or مَفْعِلَةٌ, the same shape as the noun of place of lesson 126: مَطْلَبٌ demand, مَذْهَبٌ way of going, school of thought, مَعْرِفَةٌ knowing, knowledge, مَغْفِرَةٌ forgiving, مَحَبَّةٌ love, مَسْأَلَةٌ question, مَوْعِدٌ appointed time. Verbs whose first radical is و have, beside the ordinary verbal noun, a short one that drops the و and ends in ة, on the pattern عِلَةٌ: وَصَفَ → صِفَةٌ description, quality (also وَصْفٌ); وَصَلَ → صِلَةٌ connection (also وُصُولٌ arrival); وَعَدَ → عِدَةٌ promise (also وَعْدٌ); وَزَنَ → زِنَةٌ weight (also وَزْنٌ); وَثِقَ بِـ → ثِقَةٌ trust. You met the pattern عِلَةٌ in lesson 120; سِعَةٌ breadth (from وَسِعَ) has the same shape. Finally, some verbs take فَعْلَةٌ or فِعْلَةٌ: رَحْمَةٌ mercy, خِدْمَةٌ service, رَغْبَةٌ desire.

لِهٰذِهِ الْمَدِينَةِ صِفَاتٌ لَا تُوجَدُ فِي غَيْرِهَا.
li-hādhihi l-madīnati ṣifātun lā tūjadu fī ghayrihā
This city has qualities that are not found in any other.
لَا صِلَةَ لِلْوَزِيرِ بِهٰذِهِ الشَّرِكَةِ.
lā ṣilata li-l-wazīri bi-hādhihi sh-sharikati
The minister has no connection with this company.
صِلَةٌ beside وُصُولٌ: the two verbal nouns of وَصَلَ have separated in meaning.
وَفَّتِ الْحُكُومَةُ بِعِدَتِهَا وَفَتَحَتِ الْمَدْرَسَةَ فِي مَوْعِدِهَا.
waffati l-ḥukūmatu bi-ʿidatihā wa-fataḥati l-madrasata fī mawʿidihā
The government kept its promise and opened the school on time.
مَعْرِفَةُ اللُّغَاتِ الْأَجْنَبِيَّةِ مَطْلَبٌ مِنْ مَطَالِبِ الْعَصْرِ.
maʿrifatu l-lughāti l-ajnabiyyati maṭlabun min maṭālibi l-ʿaṣri
Knowledge of foreign languages is one of the demands of the age.
لَيْسَ لِي ثِقَةٌ بِهٰذَا الْخَبَرِ لِأَنَّ مَصْدَرَهُ غَيْرُ مَعْرُوفٍ.
laysa lī thiqatun bi-hādha l-khabari li-anna maṣdarahu ghayru maʿrūfin
I have no trust in this report, because its source is unknown.
مَصْدَرٌ 'source' is itself a مَفْعَل noun, and the grammarians' word for the verbal noun.

The type-forms of the Form I verbal noun

The 'leaning' is a tendency, not a law. The dictionary gives the verbal noun with every Form I verb; make a habit of noting it.
Type-form	Leaning	Examples
فَعْلٌfaʿlun	transitive verbs of action; the commonest of all	ضَرْبٌ، فَتْحٌ، أَكْلٌ، نَقْلٌ، بَيْعٌ، قَوْلٌ، ظَنٌّ، جَرْيٌḍarbun, fatḥun, aklun, naqlun, bayʿun, qawlun, ẓannun, jaryun
فُعُولٌfuʿūlun	intransitive verbs of movement and change	خُرُوجٌ، دُخُولٌ، وُصُولٌ، جُلُوسٌ، سُقُوطٌ، وُجُودٌkhurūjun, dukhūlun, wuṣūlun, julūsun, suqūṭun, wujūdun
فَعَلَانٌfaʿalānun	restless or repeated movement	طَيَرَانٌ، جَرَيَانٌ، غَلَيَانٌ، دَوَرَانٌṭayarānun, jarayānun, ghalayānun, dawarānun
فَعَلٌfaʿalun	temporary states and feelings (verbs فَعِلَ)	فَرَحٌ، تَعَبٌ، غَضَبٌ، عَطَشٌ، مَرَضٌ، حَزَنٌfaraḥun, taʿabun, ghaḍabun, ʿaṭashun, maraḍun, ḥazanun
فُعُولَةٌ / فَعَالَةٌfuʿūlatun / faʿālatun	lasting qualities (verbs فَعُلَ)	سُهُولَةٌ، صُعُوبَةٌ، شَجَاعَةٌ، نَظَافَةٌ، سَلَامَةٌsuhūlatun, ṣuʿūbatun, shajāʿatun, naẓāfatun, salāmatun
فِعَالَةٌfiʿālatun	trades, crafts and offices	تِجَارَةٌ، زِرَاعَةٌ، صِنَاعَةٌ، كِتَابَةٌ، قِرَاءَةٌ، وِزَارَةٌtijāratun, zirāʿatun, ṣināʿatun, kitābatun, qirāʾatun, wizāratun
فِعْلٌ / فُعْلٌfiʿlun / fuʿlun	no fixed leaning; learn them	عِلْمٌ، ذِكْرٌ، حِفْظٌ؛ شُرْبٌ، شُكْرٌ، حُكْمٌ، حُبٌّʿilmun, dhikrun, ḥifẓun; shurbun, shukrun, ḥukmun, ḥubbun
فُعْلَةٌ / فَعْلَةٌ / فِعْلَةٌfuʿlatun / faʿlatun / fiʿlatun	abstract notions	قُدْرَةٌ، رُؤْيَةٌ؛ رَحْمَةٌ، رَغْبَةٌ؛ خِدْمَةٌqudratun, ruʾyatun; raḥmatun, raghbatun; khidmatun
فَعَالٌ / فِعَالٌfaʿālun / fiʿālun	intransitive verbs, many weak roots	ذَهَابٌ، نَجَاحٌ، سَلَامٌ؛ قِيَامٌ، صِيَامٌ، لِقَاءٌ، شِرَاءٌ، بِنَاءٌdhahābun, najāḥun, salāmun; qiyāmun, ṣiyāmun, liqāʾun, shirāʾun, bināʾun
فُعَالٌfuʿālun	ailments and loud sounds	صُدَاعٌ، سُعَالٌ، زُكَامٌ، صُرَاخٌ، بُكَاءٌ، سُؤَالٌṣudāʿun, suʿālun, zukāmun, ṣurākhun, bukāʾun, suʾālun
فَعِيلٌfaʿīlun	cries of animals, continuous sounds, departure	صَهِيلٌ، نَهِيقٌ، زَئِيرٌ، صَفِيرٌ، رَحِيلٌṣahīlun, nahīqun, zaʾīrun, ṣafīrun, raḥīlun
مَفْعَلٌ / مَفْعِلَةٌmafʿalun / mafʿilatun	verbal noun with prefixed م	مَطْلَبٌ، مَذْهَبٌ، مَعْرِفَةٌ، مَغْفِرَةٌ، مَحَبَّةٌmaṭlabun, madhhabun, maʿrifatun, maghfiratun, maḥabbatun
عِلَةٌʿilatun	verbs with first radical و: the و dropped, ة added	صِفَةٌ، صِلَةٌ، عِدَةٌ، زِنَةٌ، ثِقَةٌṣifatun, ṣilatun, ʿidatun, zinatun, thiqatun

Twenty common verbs with their verbal nouns

Learn each verb as a triple: perfect, imperfect vowel, verbal noun. Several verbs have a second verbal noun in brackets.
Verb	Verbal noun	Meaning
كَتَبَ (u)kataba	كِتَابَةٌkitābatun	to write
قَرَأَ (a)qaraʾa	قِرَاءَةٌqirāʾatun	to read
فَتَحَ (a)fataḥa	فَتْحٌfatḥun	to open; to conquer
أَكَلَ (u)akala	أَكْلٌaklun	to eat
شَرِبَ (a)shariba	شُرْبٌshurbun	to drink
دَخَلَ (u)dakhala	دُخُولٌdukhūlun	to enter
خَرَجَ (u)kharaja	خُرُوجٌkhurūjun	to go out
جَلَسَ (i)jalasa	جُلُوسٌjulūsun	to sit
ذَهَبَ (a)dhahaba	ذَهَابٌdhahābun	to go
رَجَعَ (i)rajaʿa	رُجُوعٌrujūʿun	to return
عَلِمَ (a)ʿalima	عِلْمٌʿilmun	to know
عَرَفَ (i)ʿarafa	مَعْرِفَةٌmaʿrifatun	to know, recognise
فَهِمَ (a)fahima	فَهْمٌfahmun	to understand
سَمِعَ (a)samiʿa	سَمْعٌ (سَمَاعٌ)samʿun (samāʿun)	to hear
نَظَرَ (u)naẓara	نَظَرٌnaẓarun	to look
طَلَبَ (u)ṭalaba	طَلَبٌṭalabun	to seek, ask for
فَرِحَ (a)fariḥa	فَرَحٌfaraḥun	to be glad
قَالَ (u)qāla	قَوْلٌqawlun	to say
وَصَلَ (i)waṣala	وُصُولٌ (صِلَةٌ)wuṣūlun (ṣilatun)	to arrive (to connect)
وَصَفَ (i)waṣafa	وَصْفٌ (صِفَةٌ)waṣfun (ṣifatun)	to describe

The verbal noun in the language of the press

Arabic prose, and newspaper prose above all, prefers a verbal noun in iḍāfa to a whole clause. Where English says the minister arrived yesterday and visited the hospital, a news item will often say بَعْدَ وُصُولِ الْوَزِيرِ أَمْسِ قَامَ بِزِيَارَةِ الْمُسْتَشْفَى after the arrival of the minister yesterday he made a visit to the hospital. Three constructions recur on every page: تَمَّ + verbal noun, was carried out (تَمَّ افْتِتَاحُ الْمَدْرَسَةِ); قَامَ بِـ + verbal noun, carried out (قَامَ الْوَزِيرُ بِزِيَارَةِ الْمَصْنَعِ); and a preposition + verbal noun where English uses a clause (لِمُعَايَنَةِ الْمَوْقِعِ in order to inspect the site, بَعْدَ تَوْقِيعِ الِاتِّفَاقِ after the agreement was signed). The object of the verbal noun follows it in the genitive, or, if the agent already occupies that place, in the accusative: زِيَارَةُ الْوَزِيرِ الْمُسْتَشْفَى the minister's visit to the hospital.

Verbal Nouns of Form I

Step 1 of 5: Learn

Rule 1: 1. فَعْلٌ: the commonest type, for actions done to something

Rule 2: 2. فُعُولٌ and فَعَلَانٌ: movement and change

Rule 3: 3. The verbal noun of state verbs: فَعَلٌ، فُعُولَةٌ، فَعَالَةٌ

Rule 4: 4. فِعْلٌ، فُعْلٌ، فُعْلَةٌ and the long patterns فَعَالٌ، فِعَالٌ، فُعَالٌ، فَعِيلٌ

Rule 5: 5. مَفْعَلٌ / مَفْعِلَةٌ, and وَصَفَ → صِفَةٌ

The type-forms of the Form I verbal noun

Twenty common verbs with their verbal nouns

Vocabulary

Step 2 of 5: Read

Various news

Notes

Comprehension

In the Quran

Step 3 of 5: Practice

Exercises

Step 4 of 5: Quiz

Translate from Arabic to English

Translate from English to Arabic

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

How many questions would you like?

Step 5 of 5: Finish