أفعِل به
Another Way to Marvel
The أفعِل به pattern is a sophisticated way to say 'How [adjective]...!' in Modern Standard Arabic. It is more formal and emphatic than the common ما أفعله style.
How It Works
The أفعِل به (Af’il bihi) pattern is one of the two standard formulas for exclamation in Arabic. While it is less common in daily speech than ما أفعله, it is a classical form found in high-level literature and poetry.
1. Structure and Grammar:
The pattern consists of:
- The Verb: A verb on the pattern أفعِل. Grammatically, this is a past-tense verb that has taken the form of an imperative to express wonder.
- The Preposition بـ: This is an 'extra' preposition (الباء الزائدة). In this specific pattern, its redundancy is obligatory (وجوباً).
- The Subject: The noun following the بـ is technically the Subject (Fa’il).
2. The Case Ending Paradox:
Because of the 'extra' preposition بـ, the noun following it takes a genitive ending (-i). However, because it is the subject of the sentence, it is considered 'genitive in form but nominative in position' (مجرور لفظاً مرفوع محلاً).
3. Conditions for Use:
To use this pattern directly, the verb must be a three-letter verb (Form I), be positive, and describe a quality that can vary in degree. It must also be Complete (not a deficient verb like كان), Inflected (not a static verb like نعم وبئس), and in the Active Voice. It cannot be used directly for colors or physical defects.
4. The Indirect Method:
If a verb does not meet the criteria (e.g., it has more than three letters, describes a color, is passive, or is negated), you must use an auxiliary exclamatory verb like أشْدِدْ بـ or أكْثِرْ بـ.
- For non-triliteral verbs or colors, you can follow the auxiliary with either the Verbal Noun (Masdar) or the Interpreted Masdar (أن + present tense).
- For passive or negated verbs, you must exclusively use the Interpreted Masdar. For example, أَحْسِنْ بِأَلَّا يَنْسَى الطَّالِبُ وَاجِبَهُ expresses appreciation that the student does not forget his assignment; the negative content remains inside the nominalized clause.
A Fixed Exclamatory Form: This use is جامد: keep أَجْمِلْ whether the following referent is masculine, feminine, dual, or plural. Compare أجملْ بالحديقةِ and أجملْ بالحدائقِ. Do not replace it with feminine command أجملي or plural أجملوا. The noun/pronoun after ب identifies what is admired; the verb is not ordering that person to act. The traditional past-verb-in-command-shape analysis describes its grammatical construction, not an event that happened in the past.
Examples (4)
- أجْمِلْ بالرَّبيعِ!
How beautiful spring is!
Word by Word: Be beautiful with the spring!
Here, the verb 'ajmil' expresses amazement at the beauty of spring. Note the -i ending on 'ar-rabī'i' due to the preposition 'bi'.
- أكْرِمْ بالعلماءِ!
How noble the scholars are!
Word by Word: Be noble with the scholars!
This uses the root K-R-M (nobility/generosity) to marvel at the character of the scholars.
- أعْظِمْ بصَبْرِكَ!
How great is your patience!
Word by Word: Be great with your patience!
This example shows the pattern used with a possessive construction (your patience).
- أَسْمِعْ بِهِمْ وَأَبْصِرْ!
How well they hear and see!
Word by Word: Make hear with them and make see!
A famous Quranic example where the pattern is used with attached pronouns. Note that the prepositional phrase is omitted after the second verb 'abṣir' for brevity, as is common in classical style.
Common Mistakes
Using the command 'Honor the guest!' when you want to marvel.
Different Meaningأكرِمِ الضيفَ!أكرِمْ بالضيفِ!أكرِمِ الضيفَ! is a normal command: 'Honor the guest!' To marvel, 'How generous the guest is!', use the fixed pattern أَفْعِلْ بِـ: أكرِمْ بالضيفِ!
Using the nominative case ending (-u) for the subject.
أجملْ بالربيعُأجملْ بالربيعِEven though the noun is the subject (which usually takes -u), the presence of the 'extra' preposition 'bi' forces the noun to take the genitive -i ending.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand the 'أفعِل به' style of amazement, you need to be familiar with the command form of verbs, as the amazement verb mimics this shape. You also need to understand how the preposition 'بـ' functions, as it is a core component of this specific structure. Finally, familiarity with the standard amazement style (ما أفعله) provides the necessary context for how Arabic uses Form IV verbs to express wonder.
- Giving a Command
The 'أفعِل' part of this amazement style is conjugated in the form of a command (imperative), so understanding how to form commands is essential.
Level 1 - بـWith and by Means of
This pattern relies on the preposition 'بـ' to connect the amazement verb to the subject being marveled at.
Level 2 - ما أفعلهHow Wonderful It Is
This is the primary and more common way to express amazement; understanding the concept of amazement verbs (Form IV) is best learned there first.
Level 4
Related Patterns
- The Doer of the Verb
Understanding the subject is crucial because the noun following 'bi' functions as the subject of the exclamation.
Level 2 - أفعل (التفضيل)Bigger and Better
Both patterns share the 'Af'al' root structure used for comparisons and superlatives.
Level 2 - The Case and Mood Endings
This pattern is a classic example of complex case analysis (genitive in form, nominative in position).
Foundations
Words in This Pattern
Practice أفعِل به in Bubblegum
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