Verbs of Beginning

Level 5

أفعال الشروع (Verbs of Beginning) are a group of verbs used to indicate that an action has started. They function similarly to كان and its sisters, but with a specific requirement: their predicate must be a present tense verbal sentence.

How It Works

1. Syntactic Structure
When used as verbs of beginning, these verbs enter a nominal sentence. The subject remains in the nominative case (called the ism of the verb), and the predicate must be a verbal sentence starting with a present tense verb in the indicative mood. The entire verbal sentence is considered to be in the place of the accusative case (fī maḥall naṣb).

2. The Prohibition of 'An' (أن)
A critical rule for Af‘āl al-Shurū‘ is that the particle أن (an) must not be used before the present tense verb. This is because an implies a future possibility, whereas these verbs indicate an action that has already commenced in the present.

3. Nuances of Different Verbs

  • بدأ / أخذ / شرع: The most common and neutral ways to say 'began to' in Modern Standard Arabic.
  • هبّ: Suggests a sudden or energetic start, like 'he jumped to' or 'he suddenly began.'
  • طفق: A literary or Quranic verb implying persistence or a continuous start.
  • جعل: Suggests a transition into a state of doing something.

4. Tense Restriction
In this specific grammatical function, these verbs are usually 'frozen' in the past tense. If you use them in the present tense, they typically revert to their standard transitive meanings (e.g., 'he is taking the book' rather than 'he is beginning to write').

Examples (5)

  1. بدأ الطالبُ يكتبُ درسه.

    The student began to write his lesson.

    Word by Word: Began the student he writes his lesson.

    This is the most common usage. Note that 'the student' is nominative and 'writes' is a plain present tense verb without 'an'.

  2. أخذت البنتُ تساعدُ أمها.

    The girl took to helping her mother.

    Word by Word: Took the girl she helps her mother.

    Here, 'أخذت' does not mean 'she took' in a physical sense, but rather 'she began' or 'she took to'.

  3. هبّ الجنودُ يدافعون عن الوطن.

    The soldiers suddenly began defending the homeland.

    Word by Word: Jumped the soldiers they defend about the homeland.

    The verb 'هبّ' adds a nuance of suddenness and energy to the beginning of the action.

  4. شرع المحامي يشرحُ القضية.

    The lawyer commenced explaining the case.

    Word by Word: Commenced the lawyer he explains the case.

    'شرع' is often used in formal or legal contexts to denote the start of a formal process.

  5. طفقا يخصفان عليهما من ورق الجنة.

    They both began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise.

    Word by Word: Began they-two they-two-cover upon them-two from leaves (of) the Paradise.

    A classical/Quranic example using the dual form of 'طفق' to show a persistent start.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the particle 'أن' before the present tense verb.

    بدأ المعلم أن يشرح.
    بدأ المعلم يشرحُ.

    Unlike 'kāda' or '‘asā', verbs of beginning strictly prohibit 'an' because the action is starting now, not in the future.

  • Using a verbal noun (Masdar) instead of a present tense verb.

    أخذ الطفل البكاء.
    أخذ الطفل يبكي.

    While 'bada’a al-bukā’' is a valid sentence meaning 'he started the crying,' it is a regular transitive sentence. The specific 'shurū‘' pattern requires the present tense verb 'yabkī'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Verbs of BeginningLevel 5

Learn This First

To understand 'أفعال الشروع' (Verbs of Beginning), you need to be familiar with how 'Kaana' and its sisters affect sentence structure. You should also understand the basic 'started to' construction using common verbs like 'بدأ', and be aware of how the particle 'أن' typically functions with present tense verbs, as these specific verbs are unique in prohibiting 'أن' before their predicate verb.

Words in This Pattern

شرعبدأأخذطفقجعلأنشأعلقهبهب