Lesson 133: Hollow Verbs

A verb whose second radical is و or ي is called hollow, فِعْلٌ أَجْوَفُ, because its middle is, so to speak, empty: in قَالَ he said (root ق-و-ل) and سَارَ he travelled (root س-ي-ر) the weak radical has melted into a long ā. Everything that happens to these verbs follows from one fact you already know from the assimilated verb: a و or ي that stands between vowels, or that follows a vowel it does not match, is unstable. Arabic resolves the instability in three ways, which give the three faces of the hollow verb: a long vowel (قَالَ، يَقُولُ، يَسِيرُ), a short vowel (قُلْتُ، لَمْ يَقُلْ), or a hamza (قَائِلٌ). The sentences of this lesson stay with travel: airports, hotels, visits and journeys home.

Rule 1: 1. The perfect: و or ي between two vowels becomes ā

Rule 1. When the first radical carries a and the second and third radicals both carry vowels, the second radical (و or ي) with its vowel is replaced by a vowelless alif, that is, by ā: قَوَلَ becomes قَالَ, سَيَرَ becomes سَارَ, خَوِفَ becomes خَافَ, نَوِمَ becomes نَامَ, بَيَعَ becomes بَاعَ. The same thing happens in the perfect of Forms VII and VIII, whose first radical also carries a: اِنْقَوَدَ becomes اِنْقَادَ he submitted, اِخْتَيَرَ becomes اِخْتَارَ he chose, اِحْتَوَجَ becomes اِحْتَاجَ he needed; and in their imperfects and participles, يَخْتَارُ، يَحْتَاجُ، مُخْتَارٌ، مُحْتَاجٌ، مُنْقَادٌ.

قَالَ الْمُسَافِرُ: سَارَ الْقِطَارُ فِي الصَّبَاحِ.
qāla l-musāfiru: sāra l-qiṭāru fi ṣ-ṣabāḥi
The traveller said: the train left in the morning.
قَالَ for قَوَلَ, سَارَ for سَيَرَ.
زَارَ عَمِّي مَكَّةَ وَطَافَ حَوْلَ الْكَعْبَةِ.
zāra ʿammī makkata wa-ṭāfa ḥawla l-kaʿbati
My uncle visited Mecca and walked round the Kaʿba.
Both verbs have و as second radical: ز-و-ر، ط-و-ف.
نَامَ الْأَطْفَالُ فِي الطَّائِرَةِ وَخَافَتْ أُخْتِي مِنَ الطَّيَرَانِ.
nāma l-aṭfālu fi ṭ-ṭāʾirati wa-khāfat ukhtī mina ṭ-ṭayarāni
The children slept on the plane and my sister was afraid of flying.
نَامَ and خَافَ are of the pattern فَعِلَ (نَوِمَ، خَوِفَ).
اِخْتَارَ الْحُجَّاجُ فُنْدُقًا قَرِيبًا مِنَ الْحَرَمِ.
ikhtāra l-ḥujjāju funduqan qarīban mina l-ḥarami
The pilgrims chose a hotel near the Sanctuary.
Form VIII of خ-ي-ر: اِخْتَارَ، يَخْتَارُ، اِخْتِيَارٌ.
اِحْتَاجَ السَّائِحُ إِلَى رَجُلٍ يَعْرِفُ الطَّرِيقَ.
iḥtāja s-sāʾiḥu ilā rajulin yaʿrifu ṭ-ṭarīqa
The tourist needed a man who knew the way.
Form VIII of ح-و-ج.
بَاعَ صَاحِبُ الدُّكَّانِ الْحَقَائِبَ كُلَّهَا.
bāʿa ṣāḥibu d-dukkāni l-ḥaqāʾiba kullahā
The shopkeeper sold all the suitcases.
بَاعَ for بَيَعَ: in the perfect, و-verbs and ي-verbs look exactly alike.

Rule 2: 2. The imperfect, Form IV and Form X: the vowel moves forward

Rule 2. When the first radical is vowelless and the second and third radicals both have vowels, the vowel of the second radical passes to the first, and the now vowelless و or ي becomes the long vowel that matches it: ي after i, و after u, and alif after a. So يَقْوُلُ becomes يَقُولُ he says, يَسْيِرُ becomes يَسِيرُ he travels, يَخْوَفُ becomes يَخَافُ he fears. Form IV follows the same path throughout: أَقْوَمَ becomes أَقَامَ he set up, stayed, يُقْوِمُ becomes يُقِيمُ, and the participles مُقْوِمٌ and مُقْوَمٌ become مُقِيمٌ and مُقَامٌ. So does Form X: اِسْتَقْوَمَ becomes اِسْتَقَامَ he was upright, يَسْتَقْوِمُ becomes يَسْتَقِيمُ, with the participles مُسْتَقِيمٌ and مُسْتَقَامٌ. In Form I the imperfect vowel is fixed by the radical: verbs with و take u (يَقُولُ، يَزُورُ، يَعُودُ), verbs with ي take i (يَسِيرُ، يَبِيعُ، يَطِيرُ), and verbs of the pattern فَعِلَ take a whatever the radical (يَخَافُ، يَنَامُ).

يَسِيرُ الْقِطَارُ مِنَ الْمَحَطَّةِ فِي السَّاعَةِ السَّابِعَةِ.
yasīru l-qiṭāru mina l-maḥaṭṭati fi s-sāʿati s-sābiʿati
The train leaves the station at seven o'clock.
ي-verb, imperfect vowel i.
تَطِيرُ الطَّائِرَةُ إِلَى جِدَّةَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.
taṭīru ṭ-ṭāʾiratu ilā jiddata kulla yawmin
The plane flies to Jeddah every day.
أُقِيمُ فِي فُنْدُقٍ قَرِيبٍ مِنَ الْمَطَارِ.
uqīmu fī funduqin qarībin mina l-maṭāri
I am staying in a hotel near the airport.
Form IV: أَقَامَ، يُقِيمُ، إِقَامَةٌ.
يُرِيدُ الْمُسَافِرُونَ أَنْ يَعُودُوا قَبْلَ الْعِيدِ.
yurīdu l-musāfirūna an yaʿūdū qabla l-ʿīdi
The travellers want to return before the feast.
يُرِيدُ is Form IV of ر-و-د; يَعُودُوا is a subjunctive, so the long vowel stays.
لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ السَّائِحُ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ هٰذِهِ الْكَلِمَاتِ.
lā yastaṭīʿu s-sāʾiḥu an yaqraʾa hādhihi l-kalimāti
The tourist cannot read these words.
Form X of ط-و-ع: اِسْتَطَاعَ، يَسْتَطِيعُ، اِسْتِطَاعَةٌ.
يَخَافُ الْأَطْفَالُ مِنَ الظَّلَامِ وَيَنَامُونَ مَعَ أُمِّهِمْ.
yakhāfu l-aṭfālu mina ẓ-ẓalāmi wa-yanāmūna maʿa ummihim
The children are afraid of the dark and sleep with their mother.
Pattern فَعِلَ: imperfect vowel a, so the weak radical becomes alif.

Rule 3: 3. Shortening: a vowelless third radical shortens the long vowel

Rule 3. When the third radical is vowelless, the weak radical drops out altogether and the long vowel is shortened to the matching short vowel: ū to u, ī to i, ā to a. This happens in the jussive and the imperative, لَمْ يَقُلْ he did not say, لَمْ يَسِرْ, لَا تَخَفْ do not fear, قُلْ, سِرْ, خَفْ, نَمْ; in the two feminine plurals of the imperfect, يَقُلْنَ، تَسِرْنَ، يَخَفْنَ; and in every person of the perfect that takes a consonant suffix, قُلْتُ، سِرْتُ، خِفْتُ، نِمْنَا، بِعْتُمْ. The derived forms obey the same rule: أَقَمْتُ, لَمْ يُقِمْ, أَقِمْ set up!; اِحْتَجْتُ, لَمْ يَحْتَجْ; اِخْتَرْتُ, اِخْتَرْ choose!; اِسْتَطَعْتُ, لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ, اِسْتَقِمْ be upright!. Where the ending begins with a vowel (ـِي، ـَا، ـُوا) the third radical keeps its vowel and nothing is shortened: قُولِي, لَا تَخَافِي, لَمْ يَقُولُوا.

لَمْ يَقُلِ الْمُسَافِرُ شَيْئًا عَنِ الرِّحْلَةِ.
lam yaquli l-musāfiru shayʾan ʿani r-riḥlati
The traveller did not say anything about the journey.
لَمْ يَقُلْ; the sukūn becomes kasra before the article.
قُلْ لِي: مَتَى تَعُودُ مِنَ السَّفَرِ؟
qul lī: matā taʿūdu mina s-safari
Tell me: when will you return from the journey?
Imperative قُلْ for قُولْ.
لَا تَخَفْ مِنَ الطَّائِرَةِ، إِنَّهَا آمِنَةٌ.
lā takhaf mina ṭ-ṭāʾirati, innahā āminatun
Do not be afraid of the plane; it is safe.
Negative imperative with the jussive: ā shortened to a.
سِرْنَا فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ يَوْمَيْنِ وَلَمْ نَنَمْ فِي اللَّيْلِ.
sirnā fi ṣ-ṣaḥrāʾi yawmayni wa-lam nanam fi l-layli
We travelled in the desert for two days and did not sleep at night.
اَلْبَنَاتُ يَزُرْنَ جَدَّتَهُنَّ كُلَّ عِيدٍ.
al-banātu yazurna jaddatahunna kulla ʿīdin
The girls visit their grandmother every feast.
Feminine plural ـْنَ: يَزُرْنَ for يَزُورْنَ.
أَقَمْتُ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ أُسْبُوعًا وَلَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ أَبْقَى أَكْثَرَ.
aqamtu fi l-madīnati usbūʿan wa-lam astaṭiʿ an abqā akthara
I stayed in Medina for a week and could not stay longer.
Form IV أَقَمْتُ, Form X لَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ.

Rule 4: 4. The vowel of the shortened perfect: قُلْتُ، سِرْتُ، خِفْتُ

Rule 4. In Form I the long ā of the perfect gives no hint of the hidden radical, so the shortened perfect has its own rule. If the second radical is و, the first radical takes u: قُلْتُ I said, زُرْتُ I visited, عُدْتُ I returned, كُنْتُ I was (كَانَ is a hollow verb). If the second radical is ي, the first radical takes i: سِرْتُ I travelled, بِعْتُ I sold, طِرْتُ I flew. Verbs of the pattern فَعِلَ always take i, whichever the radical: خِفْتُ I feared (خ-و-ف), نِمْتُ I slept (ن-و-م), هِبْتُ I was in awe (ه-ي-ب). In the derived forms no choice is needed: the shortened vowel is simply the vowel of the pattern, أَقَمْتُ, اِخْتَرْتُ, اِسْتَطَعْتُ, اِنْقَدْتُ.

زُرْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ الْمُنَوَّرَةَ وَعُدْتُ مِنْهَا بَعْدَ أُسْبُوعٍ.
zurtu l-madīnata l-munawwarata wa-ʿudtu minhā baʿda usbūʿin
I visited the Radiant City (Medina) and returned from it after a week.
Two و-verbs: u.
بِعْنَا السَّيَّارَةَ الْقَدِيمَةَ قَبْلَ السَّفَرِ.
biʿna s-sayyārata l-qadīmata qabla s-safari
We sold the old car before the journey.
ي-verb: i.
خِفْتُمْ مِنَ الْبَحْرِ، فَلِمَاذَا رَكِبْتُمُ السَّفِينَةَ؟
khiftum mina l-baḥri, fa-limādhā rakibtumu s-safīnata
You were afraid of the sea, so why did you board the ship?
خَافَ is of the pattern فَعِلَ: i, although the radical is و.
هَلْ نِمْتِ فِي الْقِطَارِ يَا فَاطِمَةُ؟
hal nimti fi l-qiṭāri yā fāṭimatu
Did you sleep on the train, Fāṭima?
كُنَّا فِي الْمَطَارِ سَاعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الطَّيَرَانِ.
kunnā fi l-maṭāri sāʿatayni qabla ṭ-ṭayarāni
We were at the airport for two hours before the flight.
كَانَ، كُنْتُ، كُنَّا: the verb you have used since Volume 2 is a hollow verb.
طِرْتُ إِلَى الْقَاهِرَةِ وَقُلْتُ لِأَهْلِي: سَأَعُودُ قَرِيبًا.
ṭirtu ila l-qāhirati wa-qultu li-ahlī: sa-aʿūdu qarīban
I flew to Cairo and said to my family: I will return soon.
طِرْتُ (ي) beside قُلْتُ (و).

Long or short?

قَالَ الْمُسَافِرُ.

qāla l-musāfiru

The traveller said. (third radical vowelled: long ā)

قُلْتُ لِلْمُسَافِرِ.

qultu li-l-musāfiri

I said to the traveller. (third radical vowelless: short u)

As with the doubled verb, one question settles the whole paradigm: does the third radical carry a vowel? If yes, the weak radical is a long vowel. If no, it shrinks to a short vowel, and in Form I that short vowel is u for و, i for ي and i for the pattern فَعِلَ.

Form I of the hollow verb: قَالَ، يَقُولُ (Table 19)

Long vowel before vowelled endings, short vowel before consonant endings and in the jussive and imperative.
Person	Perfect	Imperfect	Jussive	Imperative
he	قَالَqāla	يَقُولُyaqūlu	يَقُلْyaqul	—
she	قَالَتْqālat	تَقُولُtaqūlu	تَقُلْtaqul	—
you (m.)	قُلْتَqulta	تَقُولُtaqūlu	تَقُلْtaqul	قُلْqul
you (f.)	قُلْتِqulti	تَقُولِينَtaqūlīna	تَقُولِيtaqūlī	قُولِيqūlī
I	قُلْتُqultu	أَقُولُaqūlu	أَقُلْaqul	—
they two (m.)	قَالَاqālā	يَقُولَانِyaqūlāni	يَقُولَاyaqūlā	—
they two (f.)	قَالَتَاqālatā	تَقُولَانِtaqūlāni	تَقُولَاtaqūlā	—
you two	قُلْتُمَاqultumā	تَقُولَانِtaqūlāni	تَقُولَاtaqūlā	قُولَاqūlā
they (m.)	قَالُواqālū	يَقُولُونَyaqūlūna	يَقُولُواyaqūlū	—
they (f.)	قُلْنَqulna	يَقُلْنَyaqulna	يَقُلْنَyaqulna	—
you (m. pl.)	قُلْتُمْqultum	تَقُولُونَtaqūlūna	تَقُولُواtaqūlū	قُولُواqūlū
you (f. pl.)	قُلْتُنَّqultunna	تَقُلْنَtaqulna	تَقُلْنَtaqulna	قُلْنَqulna
we	قُلْنَاqulnā	نَقُولُnaqūlu	نَقُلْnaqul	—

The three types of Form I side by side (Tables 19–21)

قَالَ (و, imperfect u), سَارَ (ي, imperfect i), خَافَ and نَامَ (pattern فَعِلَ, imperfect a). The subjunctive keeps the long vowel: أَنْ يَقُولَ، أَنْ يَسِيرَ، أَنْ يَخَافَ.
Form	قَالَ to say	سَارَ to travel	خَافَ to fear	نَامَ to sleep
perfect, he	قَالَqāla	سَارَsāra	خَافَkhāfa	نَامَnāma
perfect, she	قَالَتْqālat	سَارَتْsārat	خَافَتْkhāfat	نَامَتْnāmat
perfect, I	قُلْتُqultu	سِرْتُsirtu	خِفْتُkhiftu	نِمْتُnimtu
perfect, we	قُلْنَاqulnā	سِرْنَاsirnā	خِفْنَاkhifnā	نِمْنَاnimnā
perfect, they (m.)	قَالُواqālū	سَارُواsārū	خَافُواkhāfū	نَامُواnāmū
imperfect, he	يَقُولُyaqūlu	يَسِيرُyasīru	يَخَافُyakhāfu	يَنَامُyanāmu
imperfect, you (f.)	تَقُولِينَtaqūlīna	تَسِيرِينَtasīrīna	تَخَافِينَtakhāfīna	تَنَامِينَtanāmīna
imperfect, they (f.)	يَقُلْنَyaqulna	يَسِرْنَyasirna	يَخَفْنَyakhafna	يَنَمْنَyanamna
jussive, he	لَمْ يَقُلْlam yaqul	لَمْ يَسِرْlam yasir	لَمْ يَخَفْlam yakhaf	لَمْ يَنَمْlam yanam
imperative, you (m.)	قُلْqul	سِرْsir	خَفْkhaf	نَمْnam
imperative, you (f.)	قُولِيqūlī	سِيرِيsīrī	خَافِيkhāfī	نَامِيnāmī
imperative, you (m. pl.)	قُولُواqūlū	سِيرُواsīrū	خَافُواkhāfū	نَامُواnāmū
active participle	قَائِلٌqāʾilun	سَائِرٌsāʾirun	خَائِفٌkhāʾifun	نَائِمٌnāʾimun
verbal noun	قَوْلٌqawlun	سَيْرٌsayrun	خَوْفٌkhawfun	نَوْمٌnawmun

Rule 5: 5. Participles, passive and verbal nouns

Rule 5. A و or ي that follows a long ā becomes hamza, so the active participle of Form I is قَائِلٌ saying (for قَاوِلٌ), سَائِرٌ, زَائِرٌ visitor, بَائِعٌ seller, نَائِمٌ, خَائِفٌ. Rule 6. In the passive perfect the first radical should have u and the weak radical i (قُوِلَ); the u becomes i and the weak radical becomes a vowelless ي: قِيلَ it was said, بِيعَ it was sold, زِيرَ; in Form VIII اُخْتُيِرَ becomes اُخْتِيرَ he was chosen, in Form IV أُقْوِمَ becomes أُقِيمَ it was held, in Form X اُسْتُقِيمَ. With a consonant suffix the ī shortens to i: قِلْتُ, اُخْتِرْتُ I was chosen. The passive imperfect simply applies rule 2: يُقَالُ it is said, يُبَاعُ, يُخْتَارُ, يُقَامُ, يُسْتَطَاعُ. Rule 7. The passive participle of Form I is مَقُولٌ for a و-verb (for مَقْوُولٌ) and مَبِيعٌ, مَسِيرٌ for a ي-verb (for مَبْيُوعٌ). Rule 8. A و after i becomes ي, hence the verbal nouns اِخْتِيَارٌ (VIII, for اِخْتِوَارٌ), اِحْتِيَاجٌ, اِنْقِيَادٌ (VII), زِيَارَةٌ, قِيَامٌ. Rule 9. The verbal noun of Form IV is إِفَالَةٌ: إِقَامَةٌ, إِرَادَةٌ, إِدَارَةٌ management; that of Form X is اِسْتِفَالَةٌ: اِسْتِقَامَةٌ, اِسْتِطَاعَةٌ, اِسْتِقَالَةٌ resignation. The ة makes up for the lost radical.

قِيلَ إِنَّ الطَّائِرَةَ سَتَصِلُ مُتَأَخِّرَةً.
qīla inna ṭ-ṭāʾirata sa-taṣilu mutaʾakhkhiratan
It was said that the plane would arrive late.
قِيلَ إِنَّ: the passive is impersonal and is followed by إِنَّ.
يُقَالُ إِنَّ الْفُنْدُقَ الْجَدِيدَ غَالٍ.
yuqālu inna l-funduqa l-jadīda ghālin
It is said that the new hotel is expensive.
بِيعَتِ الْحَقَائِبُ كُلُّهَا فِي يَوْمٍ وَاحِدٍ.
bīʿati l-ḥaqāʾibu kulluhā fī yawmin wāḥidin
All the suitcases were sold in one day.
اُخْتِيرَ أَحْمَدُ رَئِيسًا لِلرِّحْلَةِ.
ukhtīra aḥmadu raʾīsan li-r-riḥlati
Aḥmad was chosen as leader of the trip.
Passive of Form VIII.
أُقِيمَتْ حَفْلَةٌ لِلْمُسَافِرِينَ الْعَائِدِينَ.
uqīmat ḥaflatun li-l-musāfirīna l-ʿāʾidīna
A party was held for the returning travellers.
أُقِيمَتْ passive of Form IV; الْعَائِدِينَ participle of عَادَ with hamza.
اَلسَّائِحُ الْمُقِيمُ فِي الْفُنْدُقِ زَائِرٌ مِنْ تُرْكِيَا.
as-sāʾiḥu l-muqīmu fi l-funduqi zāʾirun min turkiyā
The tourist staying at the hotel is a visitor from Turkey.
سَائِحٌ، زَائِرٌ: participles of Form I; مُقِيمٌ: participle of Form IV.

Passive of Form I: قِيلَ، يُقَالُ (Table 22)

Perfect with ī (shortened to i before a consonant suffix), imperfect with ā (shortened to a in the jussive and the feminine plurals).
Person	Perfect	Imperfect	Jussive
he / it	قِيلَqīla	يُقَالُyuqālu	لَمْ يُقَلْlam yuqal
she / it	قِيلَتْqīlat	تُقَالُtuqālu	لَمْ تُقَلْlam tuqal
you (m.)	قِلْتَqilta	تُقَالُtuqālu	لَمْ تُقَلْlam tuqal
I	قِلْتُqiltu	أُقَالُuqālu	لَمْ أُقَلْlam uqal
they two (m.)	قِيلَاqīlā	يُقَالَانِyuqālāni	لَمْ يُقَالَاlam yuqālā
they (m.)	قِيلُواqīlū	يُقَالُونَyuqālūna	لَمْ يُقَالُواlam yuqālū
they (f.)	قِلْنَqilna	يُقَلْنَyuqalna	لَمْ يُقَلْنَlam yuqalna
we	قِلْنَاqilnā	نُقَالُnuqālu	لَمْ نُقَلْlam nuqal
participle	مَقُولٌmaqūlunsaid	مَبِيعٌmabīʿunsold (from بَاعَ)	مَسِيرٌmasīruntravelled (from سَارَ)

The hollow verb in Forms IV, VII, VIII and X (Tables 23–27)

Rule 1 shapes the perfect of VII and VIII, rule 2 the imperfect of all four and the perfect of IV and X, rule 3 every shortened form. The participles of VII and VIII have one shape for active and passive.
Form	Perfect / I	Imperfect / jussive	Imperative	Participles (act. / pass.)	Verbal noun	Passive (perf. / imperf.)
IV to set up, stay	أَقَامَ / أَقَمْتُaqāma / aqamtu	يُقِيمُ / لَمْ يُقِمْyuqīmu / lam yuqim	أَقِمْ، أَقِيمِي، أَقِيمُواaqim, aqīmī, aqīmū	مُقِيمٌ / مُقَامٌmuqīmun / muqāmun	إِقَامَةٌiqāmatun	أُقِيمَ / يُقَامُuqīma / yuqāmu
IV to want	أَرَادَ / أَرَدْتُarāda / aradtu	يُرِيدُ / لَمْ يُرِدْyurīdu / lam yurid	أَرِدْarid	مُرِيدٌ / مُرَادٌmurīdun / murādun	إِرَادَةٌirādatun	أُرِيدَ / يُرَادُurīda / yurādu
VII to submit, be led	اِنْقَادَ / اِنْقَدْتُinqāda / inqadtu	يَنْقَادُ / لَمْ يَنْقَدْyanqādu / lam yanqad	اِنْقَدْ، اِنْقَادِي، اِنْقَادُواinqad, inqādī, inqādū	مُنْقَادٌmunqādun	اِنْقِيَادٌinqiyādun	—
VIII to choose	اِخْتَارَ / اِخْتَرْتُikhtāra / ikhtartu	يَخْتَارُ / لَمْ يَخْتَرْyakhtāru / lam yakhtar	اِخْتَرْ، اِخْتَارِي، اِخْتَارُواikhtar, ikhtārī, ikhtārū	مُخْتَارٌmukhtārun	اِخْتِيَارٌikhtiyārun	اُخْتِيرَ / يُخْتَارُukhtīra / yukhtāru
VIII to need	اِحْتَاجَ / اِحْتَجْتُiḥtāja / iḥtajtu	يَحْتَاجُ / لَمْ يَحْتَجْyaḥtāju / lam yaḥtaj	اِحْتَجْiḥtaj	مُحْتَاجٌmuḥtājun	اِحْتِيَاجٌiḥtiyājun	اُحْتِيجَ / يُحْتَاجُuḥtīja / yuḥtāju
X to be upright	اِسْتَقَامَ / اِسْتَقَمْتُistaqāma / istaqamtu	يَسْتَقِيمُ / لَمْ يَسْتَقِمْyastaqīmu / lam yastaqim	اِسْتَقِمْ، اِسْتَقِيمِي، اِسْتَقِيمُواistaqim, istaqīmī, istaqīmū	مُسْتَقِيمٌ / مُسْتَقَامٌmustaqīmun / mustaqāmun	اِسْتِقَامَةٌistiqāmatun	اُسْتُقِيمَ / يُسْتَقَامُustuqīma / yustaqāmu
X to be able	اِسْتَطَاعَ / اِسْتَطَعْتُistaṭāʿa / istaṭaʿtu	يَسْتَطِيعُ / لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْyastaṭīʿu / lam yastaṭiʿ	اِسْتَطِعْistaṭiʿ	مُسْتَطِيعٌ / مُسْتَطَاعٌmustaṭīʿun / mustaṭāʿun	اِسْتِطَاعَةٌistiṭāʿatun	اُسْتُطِيعَ / يُسْتَطَاعُustuṭīʿa / yustaṭāʿu

Person	Singular			Plural
	Arabic	Transliteration	English	Arabic	Transliteration	English
he (perfect)	قَالَ	qāla	he said	قَالُوا	qālū	they (m.) said
she (perfect)	قَالَتْ	qālat	she said	قُلْنَ	qulna	they (f.) said
you (m., perfect)	قُلْتَ	qulta	you (m.) said	قُلْتُمْ	qultum	you (m. pl.) said
you (f., perfect)	قُلْتِ	qulti	you (f.) said	قُلْتُنَّ	qultunna	you (f. pl.) said
I (perfect)	قُلْتُ	qultu	I said	قُلْنَا	qulnā	we said
dual (perfect)	قَالَا	qālā	they two (m.) said	قَالَتَا / قُلْتُمَا	qālatā / qultumā	they two (f.) / you two said
he (imperfect)	يَقُولُ	yaqūlu	he says	يَقُولُونَ	yaqūlūna	they (m.) say
she (imperfect)	تَقُولُ	taqūlu	she says	يَقُلْنَ	yaqulna	they (f.) say
you (m., imperfect)	تَقُولُ	taqūlu	you (m.) say	تَقُولُونَ	taqūlūna	you (m. pl.) say
you (f., imperfect)	تَقُولِينَ	taqūlīna	you (f.) say	تَقُلْنَ	taqulna	you (f. pl.) say
I (imperfect)	أَقُولُ	aqūlu	I say	نَقُولُ	naqūlu	we say
dual (imperfect)	يَقُولَانِ	yaqūlāni	they two (m.) say	تَقُولَانِ	taqūlāni	they two (f.) / you two say
he (jussive)	لَمْ يَقُلْ	lam yaqul	he did not say	لَمْ يَقُولُوا	lam yaqūlū	they (m.) did not say
she (jussive)	لَمْ تَقُلْ	lam taqul	she did not say	لَمْ يَقُلْنَ	lam yaqulna	they (f.) did not say
you (m., jussive)	لَمْ تَقُلْ	lam taqul	you (m.) did not say	لَمْ تَقُولُوا	lam taqūlū	you (m. pl.) did not say
you (f., jussive)	لَمْ تَقُولِي	lam taqūlī	you (f.) did not say	لَمْ تَقُلْنَ	lam taqulna	you (f. pl.) did not say
I (jussive)	لَمْ أَقُلْ	lam aqul	I did not say	لَمْ نَقُلْ	lam naqul	we did not say
you (m., imperative)	قُلْ	qul	say! (m.)	قُولُوا	qūlū	say! (m. pl.)
you (f., imperative)	قُولِي	qūlī	say! (f.)	قُلْنَ	qulna	say! (f. pl.)
dual (imperative)	قُولَا	qūlā	say! (you two)	-	-	-

Hollow Verbs

Step 1 of 5: Learn

Rule 1: 1. The perfect: و or ي between two vowels becomes ā

Rule 2: 2. The imperfect, Form IV and Form X: the vowel moves forward

Rule 3: 3. Shortening: a vowelless third radical shortens the long vowel

Rule 4: 4. The vowel of the shortened perfect: قُلْتُ، سِرْتُ، خِفْتُ

Long or short?

Form I of the hollow verb: قَالَ، يَقُولُ (Table 19)

The three types of Form I side by side (Tables 19–21)

Rule 5: 5. Participles, passive and verbal nouns

Passive of Form I: قِيلَ، يُقَالُ (Table 22)

The hollow verb in Forms IV, VII, VIII and X (Tables 23–27)

Conjugations: "To Have"

Vocabulary

Step 2 of 5: Read

A journey to Medina

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