Lesson 4 · Book page 23
The Present Tense Verb [الفِعْلُ المُضَارِع]
The 14 conjugations of يَفْعَلُ, active and passive, negation with لَا, and the future with سَـ / سَوْفَ.
1.The model pattern
يَفْعَلُ (he does) is the model. One of four letters is always added to the front: yā' (ي), tā' (ت), nūn (ن) or hamzah (أ).
2.Prefixes and suffixes
Like the past tense, the present tense reflects the subject's person, gender and plurality, using letters added to the front and to the end.
3.Passive voice
Change the first letter's vowel to ḍammah and the second-to-last letter's vowel to fatḥah: يَفْعَلُ (he does) becomes يُفْعَلُ (it is being done).
4.Passive reflects the object
The passive uses the same suffixes as the active voice but reflects the object.
5.Negation with لَا
Put لَا before the verb: لَا يَفْعَلُ (he does not do), لَا يُفْعَلُ (it is not being done).
6.The future
The present tense can also mean the future. Adding سَـ or سَوْفَ makes it explicit: سَيَفْعَلُ and سَوْفَ يَفْعَلُ both mean "he will do".
The Present Tense Verb
Table 4.2, page 26
| Subject | Active Voice | Passive Voice | Active Voice Negation | Passive Voice Negation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| He/It (S/M) هُوَ | يَفْعَلُ He/It (S/M) does | يُفْعَلُ He/It (S/M) is being done | لَا يَفْعَلُ He/It (S/M) does not do | لَا يُفْعَلُ He/It (S/M) is not being done |
| They (D/M) هُمَا | يَفْعَلَانِ They (D/M) do | يُفْعَلَانِ They (D/M) are being done | لَا يَفْعَلَانِ They (D/M) do not do | لَا يُفْعَلَانِ They (D/M) are not being done |
| They (P/M) هُمْ | يَفْعَلُونَ They (P/M) do | يُفْعَلُونَ They (P/M) are being done | لَا يَفْعَلُونَ They (P/M) do not do | لَا يُفْعَلُونَ They (P/M) are not being done |
| She/It (S/F) هِيَ | تَفْعَلُ She/It (S/F) does | تُفْعَلُ She/It (S/F) is being done | لَا تَفْعَلُ She/It (S/F) does not do | لَا تُفْعَلُ She/It (S/F) is not being done |
| They (D/F) هُمَا | تَفْعَلَانِ They (D/F) do | تُفْعَلَانِ They (D/F) are being done | لَا تَفْعَلَانِ They (D/F) do not do | لَا تُفْعَلَانِ They (D/F) are not being done |
| They (P/F) هُنَّ | يَفْعَلْنَ They (P/F) do | يُفْعَلْنَ They (P/F) are being done | لَا يَفْعَلْنَ They (P/F) do not do | لَا يُفْعَلْنَ They (P/F) are not being done |
| You (S/M) أَنْتَ | تَفْعَلُ You (S/M) do | تُفْعَلُ You (S/M) are being done | لَا تَفْعَلُ You (S/M) do not do | لَا تُفْعَلُ You (S/M) are not being done |
| You (D/M) أَنْتُمَا | تَفْعَلَانِ You (D/M) do | تُفْعَلَانِ You (D/M) are being done | لَا تَفْعَلَانِ You (D/M) do not do | لَا تُفْعَلَانِ You (D/M) are not being done |
| You (P/M) أَنْتُمْ | تَفْعَلُونَ You (P/M) do | تُفْعَلُونَ You (P/M) are being done | لَا تَفْعَلُونَ You (P/M) do not do | لَا تُفْعَلُونَ You (P/M) are not being done |
| You (S/F) أَنْتِ | تَفْعَلِينَ You (S/F) do | تُفْعَلِينَ You (S/F) are being done | لَا تَفْعَلِينَ You (S/F) do not do | لَا تُفْعَلِينَ You (S/F) are not being done |
| You (D/F) أَنْتُمَا | تَفْعَلَانِ You (D/F) do | تُفْعَلَانِ You (D/F) are being done | لَا تَفْعَلَانِ You (D/F) do not do | لَا تُفْعَلَانِ You (D/F) are not being done |
| You (P/F) أَنْتُنَّ | تَفْعَلْنَ You (P/F) do | تُفْعَلْنَ You (P/F) are being done | لَا تَفْعَلْنَ You (P/F) do not do | لَا تُفْعَلْنَ You (P/F) are not being done |
| I أَنَا | أَفْعَلُ I do | أُفْعَلُ I am being done | لَا أَفْعَلُ I do not do | لَا أُفْعَلُ I am not being done |
| We نَحْنُ | نَفْعَلُ We do | نُفْعَلُ We are being done | لَا نَفْعَلُ We do not do | لَا نُفْعَلُ We are not being done |
The Future Tense
Table 4.3, page 27
| Subject | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| He/It (S/M) هُوَ | سَيَفْعَلُ He/It (S/M) will do | سَيُفْعَلُ He/It (S/M) will be done |
| They (D/M) هُمَا | سَيَفْعَلَانِ They (D/M) will do | سَيُفْعَلَانِ They (D/M) will be done |
| They (P/M) هُمْ | سَيَفْعَلُونَ They (P/M) will do | سَيُفْعَلُونَ They (P/M) will be done |
| She/It (S/F) هِيَ | سَتَفْعَلُ She/It (S/F) will do | سَتُفْعَلُ She/It (S/F) will be done |
| They (D/F) هُمَا | سَتَفْعَلَانِ They (D/F) will do | سَتُفْعَلَانِ They (D/F) will be done |
| They (P/F) هُنَّ | سَيَفْعَلْنَ They (P/F) will do | سَيُفْعَلْنَ They (P/F) will be done |
| You (S/M) أَنْتَ | سَتَفْعَلُ You (S/M) will do | سَتُفْعَلُ You (S/M) will be done |
| You (D/M) أَنْتُمَا | سَتَفْعَلَانِ You (D/M) will do | سَتُفْعَلَانِ You (D/M) will be done |
| You (P/M) أَنْتُمْ | سَتَفْعَلُونَ You (P/M) will do | سَتُفْعَلُونَ You (P/M) will be done |
| You (S/F) أَنْتِ | سَتَفْعَلِينَ You (S/F) will do | سَتُفْعَلِينَ You (S/F) will be done |
| You (D/F) أَنْتُمَا | سَتَفْعَلَانِ You (D/F) will do | سَتُفْعَلَانِ You (D/F) will be done |
| You (P/F) أَنْتُنَّ | سَتَفْعَلْنَ You (P/F) will do | سَتُفْعَلْنَ You (P/F) will be done |
| I أَنَا | سَأَفْعَلُ I will do | سَأُفْعَلُ I will be done |
| We نَحْنُ | سَنَفْعَلُ We will do | سَنُفْعَلُ We will be done |