Verbs That Take an Object and Verbs That Do Not
Arabic verbs are either Lāzim (Intransitive), meaning they only need a subject, or Muta‘addī (Transitive), meaning they can govern a direct object; the object may be omitted when its meaning is understood or left general.
How It Works
In Arabic grammar, verbs are classified based on their 'reach' or valency:
1. Al-Fi‘l al-Lāzim (Intransitive): These verbs describe an action that stays with the doer. They do not 'cross over' to an object. Examples include verbs of motion, emotion, or state, such as 'to sit' (جلس) or 'to sleep' (نام).
2. Al-Fi‘l al-Muta‘addī (Transitive): These verbs can take a direct object to complete the thought. The action 'crosses over' from the subject to the object. Some verbs can even take two or three objects (ditransitive/tritransitive).
3. The 'Ha' Test: A simple way to identify a transitive verb is to see if it can naturally accept the attached pronoun 'ـه' (him/it). For example, you can say 'qara'ahu' (he read it), so it is transitive. You cannot say 'nāmahu' (he slept it), so it is intransitive.
4. Changing Valency: You can often turn an intransitive verb into a transitive one using specific verb patterns:
- Form IV (Af‘ala): Adding a hamza prefix (e.g., jalasa 'he sat' → ajlasa 'he seated someone'). This is the standard causative form.
- Form II (Fa‘‘ala): Doubling the middle letter (e.g., fariḥa 'he was happy' → farraḥa 'he made someone happy'). This form often adds a sense of intensity, repetition, or professional training compared to Form IV.
5. Transitive by Preposition: Some verbs are technically intransitive but 'reach' their object through a specific preposition. This is known as al-ta‘addī bi-al-harf. For example, 'to go' (ذهب) becomes 'to take away' when paired with the preposition bi- (ذهب بـ).
Limit the Pronoun Test: The suffix must stand for a direct object, not a duration, place, or cognate verbal noun. In the grammatical example القِيَامُ قُمْتُهُ, ـه refers to the act of standing; that does not make قام transitive. Likewise, an accusative predicate after كان is not a direct object.
Resultative Counterpart: Form VII often expresses what happens to an affected thing: كَسَرَ الطِّفْلُ الكُوبَ (the child broke the cup) → اِنْكَسَرَ الكُوبُ (the cup broke). الكوب changes from direct object to subject. This is called المطاوعة and commonly reduces a one-object verb to an intransitive counterpart. For ordinary “bring/take out,” use أَخْرَجَ; learn خَرَّجَ with its attested specialized meanings rather than assuming the two causatives are interchangeable.
Examples (5)
- نامَ الطِفلُ في السَريرِ.
The child slept in the bed.
Word by Word: Slept the child in the bed.
The verb 'nāma' (slept) is intransitive (Lāzim); it does not take a direct object.
- قَرَأَ الطالِبُ الكِتابَ.
The student read the book.
Word by Word: Read the student the book.
The verb 'qara'a' (read) is transitive (Muta‘addī); 'al-kitāba' is the direct object in the accusative case.
- أَجْلَسَ الأَبُ ابْنَهُ.
The father seated his son.
Word by Word: Seated the father his son.
Here, the intransitive 'jalasa' (to sit) was made transitive using Form IV (ajlasa), allowing it to take 'ibnahu' as an object.
- أَعْطى المُعَلِّمُ التِّلْميذَ قَلَماً.
The teacher gave the student a pen.
Word by Word: Gave the teacher the student a pen.
This is a ditransitive verb that takes two objects: 'al-tilmīdha' (the student) and 'qalaman' (a pen).
- أَعْلَمْتُ زَيْداً الخَبَرَ صَحيحاً.
I informed Zayd that the news was correct.
Word by Word: I-informed Zayd the-news correct.
This is a tritransitive verb (Form IV of 'alima) which takes three objects: Zayd, the news, and correct.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the predicate of كان in the nominative.
كَانَ الجَوُّ بَارِدٌ.كَانَ الجَوُّ بَارِدًا.باردًا is accusative because it is the predicate of كان. It is not a direct object; كان is a linking verb, not a verb that acts on an object.
Omitting the required preposition for verbs that are 'transitive by preposition'.
ذَهَبْتُ السُّوقَ.ذَهَبْتُ إِلى السُّوقِ.In Modern Standard Arabic, "dhahaba" (to go) is intransitive and uses the preposition "ilā" to reach its destination. Dropping the preposition survives only in a few classical phrases.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand transitive and intransitive verbs, you first need to know the basic components of a verbal sentence: the doer (subject) and the direct object. You also need to be familiar with how prepositions are used, as they often bridge the gap for verbs that cannot take a direct object on their own.
- The Direct Object
Understanding the concept of a direct object is essential to distinguishing between verbs that require one (transitive) and those that do not (intransitive).
Level 2 - The Doer of the Verb
Since all verbs require a subject (doer), understanding the subject is necessary to see how the verb's action either stops at the doer or extends to an object.
Level 2 - إلىTo
Intransitive verbs often use prepositions like 'إلى' to connect to a noun, which is a key functional difference from transitive verbs.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- The Object Ending
The direct object of a transitive verb must always be in the accusative case.
Level 2 - أفعَل (الوزن الرابع)Form Four: Making It Happen
This verb pattern is commonly used to turn intransitive verbs into transitive ones.
Level 3 - Verbs Locked to a Preposition
Explains how intransitive verbs can 'reach' an object using specific prepositions.
Level 5 - Giving Verbs With Two Objects
A specific group of transitive verbs that take two direct objects.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Verbs That Take an Object and Verbs That Do Not in Bubblegum
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