Lesson 91: Form IV | Fusha Path

Many of the most frequent verbs in the Quran and in daily speech are Form IV: أَنْزَلَ he sent down, أَرْسَلَ he sent, أَسْلَمَ he submitted, أَخْبَرَ he informed, أَصْبَحَ he became. The form is made by prefixing أَ to the three radicals, the first of which loses its vowel: خَرَجَ becomes أَخْرَجَ. This hamza is a true hamzat al-qaṭʿ: it is always pronounced, even after وَ (وَأَخْرَجَ), and it stays in the imperative (أَخْرِجْ take out!). Only in the imperfect and the participles does it disappear, swallowed by the prefix: يُخْرِجُ, مُخْرِجٌ. Keep this in mind, because the Form I imperative اُكْتُبْ has the other kind of hamza, which vanishes inside a sentence.

Rule 1: 1. Formation of Form IV

Perfect أَفْعَلَ: أَرْسَلَ he sent. Imperfect يُفْعِلُ: يُرْسِلُ, with ḍamma on the prefix (the mark of Forms II, III and IV) and kasra before the last radical. Imperative أَفْعِلْ: أَرْسِلْ. The endings are those of every verb you know, so the only new things are the hamza and the sukūn on the first radical. Compare Form I يَخْرُجُ he goes out with Form IV يُخْرِجُ he takes out: the vowels alone carry the difference.

أَرْسَلَتِ الْأُمُّ ابْنَهَا إِلَى السُّوقِ.
arsalati l-ummu bnahā ila s-sūqi
The mother sent her son to the market.
يُدْخِلُ الْخَادِمُ الضُّيُوفَ إِلَى الْمَجْلِسِ.
yudkhilu l-khādimu ḍ-ḍuyūfa ila l-majlisi
The servant shows the guests into the sitting room.
أَخْرِجِ الْكَرَاسِيَّ إِلَى الْحَدِيقَةِ!
akhriji l-karāsiyya ila l-ḥadīqati
Take the chairs out into the garden!
Imperative أَخْرِجْ; the sukūn becomes kasra before the article. The hamza is pronounced.
لَمْ يُغْلِقْ أَحَدٌ بَابَ الْمَخْزَنِ.
lam yughliq aḥadun bāba l-makhzani
Nobody closed the storeroom door.
Jussive of أَغْلَقَ, the verb behind مُغْلَقٌ 'closed' of lesson 23.
أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُشْعِلَ الْمِصْبَاحَ.
urīdu an ushʿila l-miṣbāḥa
I want to light the lamp.
First person أُشْعِلُ, subjunctive أُشْعِلَ.

Rule 2: 2. The causative meaning

Form IV makes the subject cause the Form I action. An intransitive verb becomes transitive: جَلَسَ he sat, أَجْلَسَهُ he seated him; دَخَلَ he entered, أَدْخَلَهُ he brought him in; نَزَلَ he came down, أَنْزَلَهُ he brought it down. A transitive verb becomes doubly transitive, with two accusatives: سَمِعَ الْخَبَرَ he heard the news, أَسْمَعَهُ الْخَبَرَ he made him hear the news; عَلِمَ الْأَمْرَ he knew the matter, أَعْلَمَهُ الْأَمْرَ he informed him of the matter. Stative verbs of the type فَعُلَ become factitive: كَرُمَ he was generous, أَكْرَمَ الضَّيْفَ he treated the guest generously; حَسُنَ it was good, أَحْسَنَ he did well.

أَجْلَسَ الْأَبُ الضَّيْفَ عَلَى أَحْسَنِ كُرْسِيٍّ.
ajlasa l-abu ḍ-ḍayfa ʿalā aḥsani kursiyyin
The father seated the guest on the best chair.
أَنْزَلَتِ الْبِنْتُ الْحَقِيبَةَ مِنْ فَوْقِ الْخِزَانَةِ.
anzalati l-bintu l-ḥaqībata min fawqi l-khizānati
The girl brought the bag down from the top of the cupboard.
أَسْمَعَنَا الْجَدُّ قِصَّةً قَدِيمَةً.
asmaʿana l-jaddu qiṣṣatan qadīmatan
Grandfather told us (made us hear) an old story.
Two objects: ـنَا and قِصَّةً.
أَعْلَمَ الْخَادِمُ سَيِّدَهُ وُصُولَ الضُّيُوفِ.
aʿlama l-khādimu sayyidahu wuṣūla ḍ-ḍuyūfi
The servant informed his master of the guests' arrival.
أَكْرَمَتْ جَدَّتِي الضُّيُوفَ بِالطَّعَامِ وَالشَّرَابِ.
akramat jaddatī ḍ-ḍuyūfa bi-ṭ-ṭaʿāmi wa-sh-sharābi
My grandmother honoured the guests with food and drink.
أَطْعَمَتِ الْأُمُّ الْأَطْفَالَ ثُمَّ أَلْبَسَتْهُمْ ثِيَابَ النَّوْمِ.
aṭʿamati l-ummu l-aṭfāla thumma albasathum thiyāba n-nawmi
The mother fed the children, then dressed them in their night clothes.

Form II or Form IV?

حَضَّرَتِ الْأُمُّ الطَّعَامَ.

ḥaḍḍarati l-ummu ṭ-ṭaʿāma

The mother prepared the food. (Form II)

أَحْضَرَتِ الْأُمُّ الطَّعَامَ.

aḥḍarati l-ummu ṭ-ṭaʿāma

The mother brought the food. (Form IV)

Both forms can be causative, and from some roots both exist. Sometimes they mean the same (نَزَّلَ and أَنْزَلَ to send down, خَبَّرَ and أَخْبَرَ to inform); often they have specialised: حَضَّرَ to prepare but أَحْضَرَ to bring (both from حَضَرَ to be present); عَلَّمَ to teach but أَعْلَمَ to inform (from عَلِمَ to know); بَلَّغَ to convey but أَبْلَغَ to notify. Learn each pair as two words.

Rule 3: 3. Denominative Form IV

From nouns Form IV makes verbs of four kinds. (a) Producing the thing: أَثْمَرَ to bear fruit (ثَمَرٌ), أَمْطَرَ to rain (مَطَرٌ), أَزْهَرَ to blossom (زَهْرٌ). (b) Going towards a region: أَنْجَدَ to go to Najd, أَيْمَنَ to go to Yemen, أَعْرَقَ to go to Iraq. (c) Entering a time of day: أَصْبَحَ to enter the morning (صَبَاحٌ), أَمْسَى to enter the evening (مَسَاءٌ), أَظْهَرَ to reach midday (ظُهْرٌ). (d) Falling into a state: أَفْلَسَ to go bankrupt (to be left with a فَلْسٌ, a penny), أَقْفَرَ to become desert (قَفْرٌ), أَجْدَبَ to suffer drought (جَدْبٌ). أَصْبَحَ and أَمْسَى have gone on to mean simply to become, and like صَارَ take an accusative predicate.

أَثْمَرَتْ شَجَرَةُ التِّينِ فِي حَدِيقَتِنَا.
athmarat shajaratu t-tīni fī ḥadīqatinā
The fig tree in our garden has borne fruit.
أَمْطَرَتِ السَّمَاءُ طُولَ اللَّيْلِ فَأَغْلَقْنَا النَّوَافِذَ.
amṭarati s-samāʾu ṭūla l-layli fa-aghlaqna n-nawāfidha
It rained all night, so we closed the windows.
أَنْجَدَ التُّجَّارُ بَعْدَ مَوْسِمِ الْحَجِّ.
anjada t-tujjāru baʿda mawsimi l-ḥajji
The merchants went to Najd after the pilgrimage season.
أَصْبَحَ الْبَيْتُ نَظِيفًا بَعْدَ سَاعَةٍ.
aṣbaḥa l-baytu naẓīfan baʿda sāʿatin
The house became clean within an hour.
Accusative predicate, as after كَانَ and صَارَ.
أَفْلَسَ التَّاجِرُ فَبَاعَ بَيْتَهُ.
aflasa t-tājiru fa-bāʿa baytahu
The merchant went bankrupt and sold his house.

Conjugation of Form IV: أَرْسَلَ to send

All thirteen persons, active and passive. The hamza is kept in the perfect and the imperative and lost in the imperfect.
Person	Perfect	Imperfect	Imperative	Passive perfect	Passive imperfect
he	أَرْسَلَarsalahe sent	يُرْسِلُyursiluhe sends		أُرْسِلَursilahe was sent	يُرْسَلُyursaluhe is sent
she	أَرْسَلَتْarsalat	تُرْسِلُtursilu		أُرْسِلَتْursilat	تُرْسَلُtursalu
you (m.)	أَرْسَلْتَarsalta	تُرْسِلُtursilu	أَرْسِلْarsil	أُرْسِلْتَursilta	تُرْسَلُtursalu
you (f.)	أَرْسَلْتِarsalti	تُرْسِلِينَtursilīna	أَرْسِلِيarsilī	أُرْسِلْتِursilti	تُرْسَلِينَtursalīna
I	أَرْسَلْتُarsaltu	أُرْسِلُursilu		أُرْسِلْتُursiltu	أُرْسَلُursalu
they two (m.)	أَرْسَلَاarsalā	يُرْسِلَانِyursilāni		أُرْسِلَاursilā	يُرْسَلَانِyursalāni
they two (f.)	أَرْسَلَتَاarsalatā	تُرْسِلَانِtursilāni		أُرْسِلَتَاursilatā	تُرْسَلَانِtursalāni
you two	أَرْسَلْتُمَاarsaltumā	تُرْسِلَانِtursilāni	أَرْسِلَاarsilā	أُرْسِلْتُمَاursiltumā	تُرْسَلَانِtursalāni
they (m.)	أَرْسَلُواarsalū	يُرْسِلُونَyursilūna		أُرْسِلُواursilū	يُرْسَلُونَyursalūna
they (f.)	أَرْسَلْنَarsalna	يُرْسِلْنَyursilna		أُرْسِلْنَursilna	يُرْسَلْنَyursalna
you (m. pl.)	أَرْسَلْتُمْarsaltum	تُرْسِلُونَtursilūna	أَرْسِلُواarsilū	أُرْسِلْتُمْursiltum	تُرْسَلُونَtursalūna
you (f. pl.)	أَرْسَلْتُنَّarsaltunna	تُرْسِلْنَtursilna	أَرْسِلْنَarsilna	أُرْسِلْتُنَّursiltunna	تُرْسَلْنَtursalna
we	أَرْسَلْنَاarsalnā	نُرْسِلُnursilu		أُرْسِلْنَاursilnā	نُرْسَلُnursalu

Participles and verbal noun of Form IV

As in Forms II and III: مُـ with kasra for the active participle, fatḥa for the passive.
Form	Pattern	أَرْسَلَ	Meaning
Active participle	مُفْعِلٌmufʿilun	مُرْسِلٌmursilun	sending; sender
Passive participle	مُفْعَلٌmufʿalun	مُرْسَلٌmursalun	sent; a messenger
Verbal noun	إِفْعَالٌifʿālun	إِرْسَالٌirsālun	sending, dispatch

Rule 4: 4. Passive, participles and verbal noun

Passive perfect أُفْعِلَ: أُرْسِلَ he was sent, أُغْلِقَ it was closed, أُخْبِرَ he was informed. Passive imperfect يُفْعَلُ: يُرْسَلُ, تُغْلَقُ. Participles مُفْعِلٌ and مُفْعَلٌ: مُرْسِلٌ sender, مُرْسَلٌ sent; مُغْلِقٌ one who closes, مُغْلَقٌ closed; مُسْلِمٌ one who submits, a Muslim. The verbal noun is إِفْعَالٌ: إِرْسَالٌ, إِخْبَارٌ informing, إِكْرَامٌ honouring, إِسْلَامٌ submission, إِصْلَاحٌ repair, reform. Its hamza is written with kasra and is, again, a hamzat al-qaṭʿ.

أُغْلِقَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْبَيْتِ وَأُطْفِئَتِ الْمَصَابِيحُ.
ughliqat abwābu l-bayti wa-uṭfiʾati l-maṣābīḥu
The doors of the house were closed and the lamps were put out.
أُخْبِرَ الْجِيرَانُ بِمَوْعِدِ الْعُرْسِ.
ukhbira l-jīrānu bi-mawʿidi l-ʿursi
The neighbours were informed of the date of the wedding.
تُرْسَلُ الرَّسَائِلُ مِنْ هٰذَا الْمَكْتَبِ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ.
tursalu r-rasāʾilu min hādha l-maktabi kulla ṣabāḥin
Letters are sent from this office every morning.
اَلْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلّٰهِ.
al-muslimu man aslama wajhahu li-llāhi
The Muslim is the one who has submitted his face to God.
مُسْلِمٌ is the active participle of أَسْلَمَ; إِسْلَامٌ its verbal noun.
إِكْرَامُ الضَّيْفِ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ.
ikrāmu ḍ-ḍayfi mina l-īmāni
Honouring the guest is part of faith.
إِيمَانٌ is the إِفْعَالٌ of آمَنَ, whose root begins with hamza.
بَدَأَ إِصْلَاحُ السَّطْحِ قَبْلَ الشِّتَاءِ.
badaʾa iṣlāḥu s-saṭḥi qabla sh-shitāʾi
The repair of the roof began before winter.

Form IV

Step 1 of 5: Learn

Rule 1: 1. Formation of Form IV

Rule 2: 2. The causative meaning

Form II or Form IV?

Rule 3: 3. Denominative Form IV

Conjugation of Form IV: أَرْسَلَ to send

Participles and verbal noun of Form IV

Rule 4: 4. Passive, participles and verbal noun

Conjugations: "To Have"

Vocabulary

Step 2 of 5: Read

Guests in the evening

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

Person	Singular			Plural
	Arabic	Transliteration	English	Arabic	Transliteration	English
he (perfect)	أَرْسَلَ	arsala	he sent	أَرْسَلُوا	arsalū	they (m.) sent
she (perfect)	أَرْسَلَتْ	arsalat	she sent	أَرْسَلْنَ	arsalna	they (f.) sent
you (m., perfect)	أَرْسَلْتَ	arsalta	you (m.) sent	أَرْسَلْتُمْ	arsaltum	you (m. pl.) sent
you (f., perfect)	أَرْسَلْتِ	arsalti	you (f.) sent	أَرْسَلْتُنَّ	arsaltunna	you (f. pl.) sent
I (perfect)	أَرْسَلْتُ	arsaltu	I sent	أَرْسَلْنَا	arsalnā	we sent
dual (perfect)	أَرْسَلَا	arsalā	they two (m.) sent	أَرْسَلَتَا / أَرْسَلْتُمَا	arsalatā / arsaltumā	they two (f.) / you two sent
he (imperfect)	يُرْسِلُ	yursilu	he sends	يُرْسِلُونَ	yursilūna	they (m.) send
she (imperfect)	تُرْسِلُ	tursilu	she sends	يُرْسِلْنَ	yursilna	they (f.) send
you (m., imperfect)	تُرْسِلُ	tursilu	you (m.) send	تُرْسِلُونَ	tursilūna	you (m. pl.) send
you (f., imperfect)	تُرْسِلِينَ	tursilīna	you (f.) send	تُرْسِلْنَ	tursilna	you (f. pl.) send
I (imperfect)	أُرْسِلُ	ursilu	I send	نُرْسِلُ	nursilu	we send
dual (imperfect)	يُرْسِلَانِ	yursilāni	they two (m.) send	تُرْسِلَانِ	tursilāni	they two (f.) / you two send
you (m., imperative)	أَرْسِلْ	arsil	send! (m.)	أَرْسِلُوا	arsilū	send! (m. pl.)
you (f., imperative)	أَرْسِلِي	arsilī	send! (f.)	أَرْسِلْنَ	arsilna	send! (f. pl.)
you two (imperative)	أَرْسِلَا	arsilā	send! (you two)	-	-	-
he (passive perfect)	أُرْسِلَ	ursila	he was sent	أُرْسِلُوا	ursilū	they (m.) were sent
she (passive perfect)	أُرْسِلَتْ	ursilat	she was sent	أُرْسِلْنَ	ursilna	they (f.) were sent
you (m., passive perfect)	أُرْسِلْتَ	ursilta	you (m.) were sent	أُرْسِلْتُمْ	ursiltum	you (m. pl.) were sent
you (f., passive perfect)	أُرْسِلْتِ	ursilti	you (f.) were sent	أُرْسِلْتُنَّ	ursiltunna	you (f. pl.) were sent
I (passive perfect)	أُرْسِلْتُ	ursiltu	I was sent	أُرْسِلْنَا	ursilnā	we were sent
dual (passive perfect)	أُرْسِلَا	ursilā	they two (m.) were sent	أُرْسِلَتَا / أُرْسِلْتُمَا	ursilatā / ursiltumā	they two (f.) / you two were sent
he (passive imperfect)	يُرْسَلُ	yursalu	he is sent	يُرْسَلُونَ	yursalūna	they (m.) are sent
she (passive imperfect)	تُرْسَلُ	tursalu	she is sent	يُرْسَلْنَ	yursalna	they (f.) are sent
you (m., passive imperfect)	تُرْسَلُ	tursalu	you (m.) are sent	تُرْسَلُونَ	tursalūna	you (m. pl.) are sent
you (f., passive imperfect)	تُرْسَلِينَ	tursalīna	you (f.) are sent	تُرْسَلْنَ	tursalna	you (f. pl.) are sent
I (passive imperfect)	أُرْسَلُ	ursalu	I am sent	نُرْسَلُ	nursalu	we are sent
dual (passive imperfect)	يُرْسَلَانِ	yursalāni	they two (m.) are sent	تُرْسَلَانِ	tursalāni	they two (f.) / you two are sent
participles	مُرْسِلٌ	mursilun	sending; sender (active)	مُرْسَلٌ	mursalun	sent; messenger (passive)
verbal noun	إِرْسَالٌ	irsālun	sending (إِفْعَالٌ)	إِكْرَامٌ	ikrāmun	honouring (from أَكْرَمَ)