The Five Verb Shapes That End in ن
The 'Five Verbs' (الأفعال الخمسة) are specific present-tense endings for 'you (f. sg.)', 'you/they (dual)', and 'you/they (plural)'. They are unique because they use the presence or absence of the letter ن to show if the verb is indicative, subjunctive, or jussive.
How It Works
The 'Five Verbs' (الأفعال الخمسة), also known in traditional grammar as 'The Five Paradigms' (الأمثلة الخمسة), are five specific patterns of the present-tense verb. These shapes are unique because their grammatical case is shown by the presence or absence of the letter 'ن' (nun), which serves as a secondary grammatical marker (علامة فرعية) instead of the primary vowel marks.
The Five Shapes:
- Dual (ألف الاثنين): يفعلانِ (they two masc.) and تفعلانِ (you two masc./fem. OR they two fem.).
- Plural (واو الجماعة): يفعلونَ (they masc. pl.) and تفعلونَ (you masc. pl.).
- Feminine Singular (ياء المخاطبة): تفعلينَ (you fem. sg.).
The Suffixes as Pronouns:
Crucially, the suffixes attached to these verbs (the Alif, Waw, or Ya) function as the attached pronoun representing the subject. Depending on the verb type, they may serve as the doer, the subject of a passive verb, or the noun of كان and its sisters.
Mood Changes:
1. Indicative (Marfu'): Marked by ثبوت النون (retention of the nun) as a secondary marker. Example: هما يكتبانِ.
2. Subjunctive/Jussive (Mansub/Majzum): Marked by حذف النون (deletion of the nun) as a secondary marker. Example: لن يكتبا / لم يكتبا.
The Alif of Distinction (ألف التفريق):
When the 'ن' is dropped from the plural forms (ending in ـون), a silent Alif of Distinction (ألف التفريق) is added, resulting in ـوا (e.g., لم يفعلوا). This distinguishes the plural verb from:
1. A root waw (like in يدعو).
2. The waw found in regular masculine plural nouns when they are in an إضافة (e.g., مهندسو الشركة), which do not take an Alif.
Note on the Imperative:
The imperative mood for these subjects is technically built upon (مبني على) the deletion of the Nun (e.g., اكتبا، اكتبوا، اكتبي), mirroring the jussive form of the present tense.
Distinction from Feminine Plural:
It is important not to confuse these with the feminine plural 'Nun' (نون النسوة) used in forms like يكتبنَ. That Nun is a fixed subject pronoun and is never dropped, as the verb is built in a fixed state (مبني) when attached to it.
Examples (5)
- هما يسافرانِ غداً.
They (two) are traveling tomorrow.
Word by Word: They-two travel-they-two tomorrow.
The verb is in the indicative mood, so we see the 'retention of the nun' (ثبوت النون) at the end of the dual form.
- يجب أن تكتبي الرسالةَ.
You (f. sg.) must write the letter.
Word by Word: It-is-necessary that you-write the-letter.
Because of the particle 'an' (أن), the verb is in the subjunctive mood. The 'deletion of the nun' (حذف النون) occurs, changing 'taktubina' to 'taktubi'.
- الطلابُ لم يحضروا الاجتماعَ.
The students did not attend the meeting.
Word by Word: The-students did-not they-attend the-meeting.
The particle 'lam' (لم) triggers the jussive mood. The 'deletion of the nun' (حذف النون) occurs, and the Alif of Distinction (ألف التفريق) is added after the plural waw.
- أنتما لن تذهبا إلى الحفلةِ.
You two will not go to the party.
Word by Word: You-two will-not you-two-go to the-party.
The future negative 'lan' (لن) makes the verb subjunctive, resulting in the 'deletion of the nun' (حذف النون) from the dual form.
- اكتبوا الواجبَ يا طلابُ.
Write the homework, students.
Word by Word: Write-you-plural the-homework O students.
The imperative mood also follows the 'deletion of the nun' (حذف النون) rule for these shapes, adding the Alif of Distinction at the end.
Common Mistakes
Keeping the 'noon' after a subjunctive or jussive particle.
يجب أن يكتبون الواجب.يجب أن يكتبوا الواجب.Learners often forget to apply 'deletion of the nun' (حذف النون) after particles like 'an' (أن). In the plural form, you must drop the 'noon' and add the Alif of Distinction (ألف التفريق).
Forgetting the Alif of Distinction after dropping the 'noon' in plural forms.
هم لم يكتبو.هم لم يكتبوا.In Modern Standard Arabic, when the 'noon' is dropped from the masculine plural present tense, a silent Alif of Distinction (ألف التفريق) must be written after the waw to distinguish it from other types of waw.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'The Five Verbs' (الأفعال الخمسة), you first need a solid grasp of the present tense (المضارع) and how verbs change based on the number and gender of the subject. Specifically, you must be familiar with dual endings (-aan) and plural endings (-oon) for verbs, as these are the forms that define this category.
- The Present Tense
The Five Verbs are specific forms of the present tense verb, so understanding basic present tense conjugation is essential.
Level 1 - ـانTwo of Something
Two of the five shapes are dual forms ending in -aan, requiring knowledge of how duals are formed.
Level 1 - نحن / أنتم / همPersonal Pronouns (Plural)
The Five Verbs correspond to specific plural and dual pronouns (you plural, they plural, you dual, they dual, and you feminine singular).
Level 1
Related Patterns
- The Plain Present Ending
This is the default mood where the 'noon' is retained in the Five Verbs.
Level 3 - Dropping the ن in Plural Verbs
This is the specific rule governing when the 'noon' is removed from these five verb shapes.
Level 3 - The Five Special Nouns
Often confused by name, these are five specific nouns that have unique case endings, unlike the Five Verbs which are conjugation patterns.
Level 3 - لم + Jussive VerbDid Not (Formal)
One of the primary particles that causes the 'noon' to be dropped in the Five Verbs.
Level 2 - أن + Subjunctive VerbWanting to Do Something
A common construction that requires the subjunctive mood, triggering the deletion of the 'noon'.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
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