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Active Participle

اسم الفاعل

Rules for forming active participles based on root letter count

Formation Rules

3-letterLong vowel in root

Change long vowel to ي, add ا as second letter, add كسرة before last letter (masculine)

VerbMasculineFemininePlural
بكون(to be)كاينكاينةكاينين
بجيب(to bring)جايبجايبةجايبين
بروح(to go)رايحرايحةرايحين
بزور(to visit)زايرزايرةزايرين
3-letterConsonant + consonant (no long vowel)

Add ا as second letter, add كسرة before last letter (masculine)

VerbMasculineFemininePlural
بلعب(to play)لاعِبلاعبةلاعبين
4-letter4-letter verb

Add م prefix (im-) and كسرة before last letter (masculine)

VerbMasculineFemininePlural
بسوّي(to do/make)مسوّيمسويةمسوّين
بخلّي(to let/leave)مخلّيمخلّيةمخلّين
بدَرّس(to teach)مدرّسمدرّسةمدرّسين
5-letter5-letter verb

Add مِ prefix (mi-) and كسرة before last letter (masculine)

VerbMasculineFemininePlural
بتَعلّم(to learn)مِتعلِممِتعلمةمِتعلمين

Usage Notes

Immediate present (senses & movement)

For verbs of senses (see, hear, feel) and movement (sitting, standing, going, coming), the active participle indicates what is happening right now

انا شايفمش سامعهو نازلهي رايحة

Completed action (most other verbs)

For the vast majority of Arabic verbs, the present participle indicates an action that has already taken place: having written, having opened

كاتب الرسالةفاتح محللقيتو شارب كل القنية

With صار (always completed)

When the active participle is used with the auxiliary verb صار, it always designates a completed action

صرت كاتب الرسالة من زمان = I wrote the letter ages ago!

Negation with مش (not ما...ش)

The active participle is negated with مش/مش, NOT with ما...ش as the past and present-future tenses are

انا مش شايفمش سامعانا مش شايف هواية اشي = I can't see anything

يلا نحكي سوا

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