The Explicit and Interpreted Verbal Noun (Al-Masdar al-Sarih wa-l-Muʾawwal)
The masdar (verbal noun) in Arabic is divided into two main types: al-masdar al-sarih (the explicit verbal noun) and al-masdar al-muʾawwal (the interpreted verbal noun). Each has its own characteristics and uses in speech, and it is permissible for one to take the place of the other in many positions.
First: Al-Masdar al-Sarih (the Explicit Verbal Noun)
kataba, kitabatan
(he wrote, writing)
qaraʾa, qiraʾatan
(he read, reading)
jalasa, julusan
(he sat, sitting)
dhahaba, dhahaban
(he went, going)
nasara, nasran
(he aided, aiding)
yasurr-u-ni ijtihad-u-ka
— Your diligence pleases me.
hubb-u al-watan-i min al-iman
— Love of country is part of faith.
fi al-sidq-i najat
— In honesty there is salvation.
Types of Al-Masdar al-Sarih
Al-masdar al-sarih is divided, by the number of letters in its verb, into the masdar of: the triliteral verb, the four-letter verb, the five-letter verb, and the six-letter verb.
1 — Masdar of the Triliteral Verb
| Verb's Meaning | Masdar Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Indicating a craft or office | fiʿala | zaraʿa, ziraʿa / kataba, kitaba(planting / writing) |
| Indicating disturbance or fluctuation | faʿalan | ghala, ghalayan / jala, jawalan(boiling / circling about) |
| Indicating an illness | fuʿal | saʿala, suʿal / sadaʿa, sudaʿ(coughing / headache) |
| Indicating travel | faʿil | rahala, rahil / dhahaba, dhahib(departing / going) |
| Indicating a sound | faʿil or fuʿal | sahala, sahil / sarakha, surakh(neighing / shouting) |
| Indicating a color | fuʿla | hamura, humra / khadura, khudra(redness / greenness) |
| Intransitive on pattern faʿala | fuʿul | jalasa, julus / kharaja, khuruj(sitting / going out) |
| Intransitive on pattern faʿila | faʿal | fariha, farah / taʿiba, taʿab(joy / fatigue) |
| Intransitive on pattern faʿula | faʿala or fuʿula | fasuha, fasaha / sahula, suhula(eloquence / ease) |
| Transitive on pattern faʿala | faʿl | nasara, nasr / fahima, fahm(victory / understanding) |
2 — Masdar of the Four-Letter Verb
| Verb Pattern | Masdar Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| afʿalaأَفْعَلَ | ifʿalإفْعال | akrama, ikram(he honored, honoring) |
| faʿʿala (sound)فَعَّلَ (صحيح) | tafʿilتَفْعيل | karrama, takrim(he honored, honoring) |
| faʿʿala (weak)فَعَّلَ (معتل) | tafʿilaتَفْعِلة | rabba, tarbiya(he raised, upbringing) |
| faʿalaفاعَلَ | mufaʿala or fiʿalمُفاعَلة أو فِعال | qatala, muqatala / qital(he fought, fighting) |
| faʿlalaفَعْلَلَ | faʿlala or fiʿlalفَعْلَلة أو فِعْلال | dahraja, dahraja / dihraj(he rolled, rolling) |
3 — Masdar of the Five-Letter Verb
| Verb Pattern | Masdar Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| tafaʿʿalaتَفَعَّلَ | tafaʿʿulتَفَعُّل | taʿallama, taʿallum(he learned, learning) |
| tafaʿalaتَفاعَلَ | tafaʿulتَفاعُل | taqabala, taqabul(he met, meeting) |
| infaʿalaانْفَعَلَ | infiʿalانْفِعال | inkasara, inkisar(it broke, breaking) |
| iftaʿalaافْتَعَلَ | iftiʿalافْتِعال | ijtamaʿa, ijtimaʿ(he gathered, gathering) |
| ifʿallaافْعَلَّ | ifʿilalافْعِلال | ihmarra, ihmirar(it became red, reddening) |
4 — Masdar of the Six-Letter Verb
| Verb Pattern | Masdar Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| istafʿalaاسْتَفْعَلَ | istifʿalاسْتِفْعال | istakhraja, istikhraj(he extracted, extracting) |
| ifʿawʿalaافْعَوْعَلَ | ifʿiʿalافْعِيعال | ikhshawshana, ikhshishan(he became coarse, becoming coarse) |
| ifʿawwalaافْعَوَّلَ | ifʿiwwalافْعِوَّال | ijlawwadha, ijliwwadh(he hastened, hastening) |
| ifʿallaافْعالَّ | ifʿilalافْعيلال | ihmarra, ihmirar(it became deep red, becoming deep red) |
Second: Al-Masdar al-Muʾawwal (the Interpreted Verbal Noun)
The Infinitival Particles
1 — Infinitival 'an' with the Verb
yasurr-u-ni an tanjaha
— Your succeeding pleases me. (interpretation: 'your success' — najahuka)
yuʿjib-u-ni an tajtahid
— Your striving pleases me. (interpretation: 'your diligence' — ijtihaduka)
saʿid-tu bi-an zur-ta-ni
— I was pleased that you visited me. (interpretation: 'by your visit' — bi-ziyaratika)
2 — Infinitival 'anna' with Its Noun and Predicate
sarra-ni anna-ka najih
— It pleased me that you are successful. (interpretation: 'your success' — najahuka)
balagha-ni anna al-muʿallim-a musafir
— It reached me that the teacher is traveling. (interpretation: 'the teacher's traveling' — safaru al-muʿallim)
yuʿjib-u-ni anna al-talib-a mujtahid
— It pleases me that the student is diligent. (interpretation: 'the student's diligence' — ijtihadu al-talib)
3 — Infinitival 'kay' with the Verb
jiʾtu kay ataʿallam
— I came in order to learn. (interpretation: 'for learning' — li-l-taʿallum)
ijtahid kay tanjaha
— Strive in order to succeed. (interpretation: 'for the sake of success' — li-l-najah)
4 — Infinitival 'ma' with the Verb
yuʿjib-u-ni ma tafʿal
— What you do pleases me. (interpretation: 'your action' — fiʿluka)
sa-azall-u sadiq-a-ka ma hayit
— I will remain your friend as long as I live. (interpretation: 'the duration of my life' — muddata hayati)
5 — Infinitival 'law' with the Verb
yawadd-u al-kasul-u law yanjaha
— The lazy one wishes that he would succeed. (interpretation: 'his success' — najahahu)
wadid-tu law zur-tu-ka
— I wished that I had visited you. (interpretation: 'my visit to you' — ziyarataka)
6 — Hamzat al-Taswiya (the Hamza of Equality)
sawaʾ-un ʿalayya a-hadar-ta am ghibta
— It is the same to me whether you came or were absent. (interpretation: 'your coming and your absence')
sawaʾ-un ʿalayhim a-andhar-ta-hum am lam tundhir-hum
— It is the same to them whether you warned them or did not warn them. (interpretation: 'your warning and the absence thereof')
How to Convert an Interpreted Masdar to an Explicit One
| Interpreted Masdar | Equivalent Explicit Masdar |
|---|---|
| an tanjahaأنْ تَنْجَحَ | najahuka(your success) |
| an yafuza al-talibأنْ يَفُوزَ الطالبُ | fawzu al-talib(the student's victory) |
| annaka mujtahidأنَّكَ مجتهدٌ | ijtihaduka(your diligence) |
| anna al-muʿallima hadirأنَّ المعلمَ حاضرٌ | huduru al-muʿallim(the teacher's attendance) |
| kay ataʿallamكي أتعلَّمَ | li-l-taʿallum(for learning) |
| ma tafʿalما تَفْعَلُ | fiʿluka(your action) |
| law yanjahaلو يَنْجَحُ | najahahu(his success) |
Iʿrab of Al-Masdar al-Muʾawwal
1 — Al-Masdar al-Muʾawwal in the Position of Nominative
- In the position of nominative as the subject (faʿil): yasurruni an tanjaha (implied: 'your success pleases me').
- In the position of nominative as the deputy subject (naʾib al-faʿil): ʿulima annaka mujtahid (implied: 'your diligence is known').
- In the position of nominative as a mubtadaʾ: an tasumu khayrun lakum (implied: 'your fasting is better for you').
- In the position of nominative as a khabar: zanni annaka najih (implied: 'my opinion is your success').
2 — Al-Masdar al-Muʾawwal in the Position of Accusative
- In the position of accusative as a direct object: uhibbu an aqraʾa (implied: 'I love reading').
- In the position of accusative as the noun of inna or its sisters: ʿalimtu anna al-jidda miftahu al-najah.
- In the position of accusative as the predicate of kana or its sisters: kana zanni annaka mujtahid (implied: 'your diligence').
- In the position of accusative as a hal: dhahabtu kay ataʿallam.
3 — Al-Masdar al-Muʾawwal in the Position of Genitive
- In the position of genitive after a preposition: saʿidtu bi-an zurtani (implied: 'by your visit').
- In the position of genitive as a mudaf ilayh: waqta an tahdura (implied: 'at the time of your attendance').
yasurr-u-ni an tajtahid-a fi ʿamal-i-ka
— It pleases me that you strive in your work.
ʿalim-tu anna-ka sadiq
— I knew that you are truthful.
saʿid-tu bi-an najah-ta
— I was pleased that you succeeded.
Difference Between the Explicit and Interpreted Masdar
| Aspect | Al-Masdar al-Sarih (Explicit) | Al-Masdar al-Muʾawwal (Interpreted) |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | A single word | Infinitival particle + what follows |
| Form | Manifest in expression | Requires interpretation |
| Iʿrab | Inflected by its position | In the iʿrab-position determined by its place |
| Example | ijtihaduka yuʿjibuni(your diligence pleases me) | an tajtahida yuʿjibuni(that you strive pleases me) |
What is the benefit of using al-masdar al-muʾawwal instead of al-masdar al-sarih?
Its benefit is that it can stand in for the explicit masdar when the explicit form is not used or sounds heavy in speech. It also serves to express the meaning in a verbal form that conveys time — al-masdar al-muʾawwal carries the temporal sense of the verb from which it is composed (past, present, or future) — unlike al-masdar al-sarih, which indicates the event abstracted from time.
Cases Where Conversion Between the Two Types Is Not Permissible
ʿasa Allah-u an yaʾtiy-a bi-l-fath
— Perhaps Allah will bring victory.
yuʿjib-u-ni al-talib-u ijtihad-u-hu
— I am pleased by the student's diligence.
Example of Iʿrab
yasurr-u-ni an tanjaha
— It pleases me that you should succeed.
yasurru: a present-tense verb in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma. The yaʾ (in '-ni'): a connected pronoun fixed on sukun, in the position of accusative as the direct object. an: an infinitival, accusative-governing particle. tanjaha: a present-tense verb in the accusative by 'an', marked by the manifest fatha; the subject is an obligatorily concealed pronoun, implied as 'anta'. The interpreted masdar (an + verb) is in the position of nominative as the subject of 'yasurru' — implied: 'yasurruni najahuka' ('your success pleases me').
Allah Most High said: "And to fast is best for you, if you only knew." — Quran 2:184 (Sahih International)
In this noble verse, 'an tasumu' is an interpreted masdar in the position of nominative as a mubtadaʾ — implied: 'your fasting is better for you' (siyamukum khayrun lakum). 'Khayrun' is the khabar of the mubtadaʾ in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma.