Grammar

Verbs which have two weak (vowel) letters in its root form.

Lafeef verbs consist of two types according to the position of the two weak letters in the root:

• Lafeef Mafrooq اللفيف المفروق: Here the root verb has the first and last (final) letters as weak (vowels); e.g. وعى = to understand and وقى to protect. They follow the rules of Mithal (initial weak radical) and those of Naqis (final weak radical).

• Lafeef Maqroon اللفيف المقرون: Here the root verb has the second (middle) and third (final) letters as weak (vowels); e.g. روى to narrate / to irrigate and طوى = to fold. They follow the same rules as Naaqis (Defective).

A Naqis (Defective) verb is that whose third (last) letter is weak ( ا – و – ي ) in its root form.

i.e Naqis verbs have an Alif (ا ), a Yaa (ي ) or a Waw (و )  as its last letter.

• The final Alif is often turned into a Waw (و ) or a Yaa (ي ) when conjugating .
• To know the origin of the Alif, get the noun form of the root verb.

Examples: – غَزا = to invade (v.) ► غَزْو = invasion (n.)

رَمَى = to throw (v.) ► رَمي= throwing (n.)

• If the last letter is Alif, then for the past tense, it is returned to its original واو  or ياء except when associatied with واو الجماعة . In this case the week letter is dropped and replaced with a Fatha. For eg.: سعى ◀ سعيٌ ◀ سَعَيْتُ / سَعيتَ / سَعينا / سَعَوْا .
• If the last letter is Waw or Yaa, then for the past tense, the weak letter is dropped if the verb assigned to (واو الجماعة) and we put Dhamma on the letter before it. Eg.: نَسِيَ نَسُوا / خَشيَ خَشُوا
• If the verb ends with Alif and is assigned to (تاء التأنيث), then for the past tense we drop the Alif, then add the ت as in دعت / سعت.
• If the last letter is Alif then, for the present tense, it is returned to ي when the verb is assigned to (نون النسوة or الف الاثنين) as in سعى ◀ يسعين يسعيان, while with ياء المخاطبة and واو الجماعة, the weak letter is dropped and there will be a Fatha on the letter before it as in سعى ◀ يسعَون تسعَين.
• In the present tense If the last letter was واو or ياء then we drop it when the verb assigned to واو الجماعة)  ) and add thamahُ to the letter before   as in يدعو يدعُون/يمشي يمشُون.
• In the present tense If the last letter was واو او ياء then we drop it when the verb assigned to ياء المخاطبة    and add kasrahِ to the letter before   يدعو تدعِين/يمشي تمشِين.
• In the imperative tense If the last letter was واو او ياء  we return the weak letter into its origin  واو  or  ياء  if and only if the verb assigned toنون النسوة او الف الاثنين   as in ادعون ادعوَا/اهدين اهديا  while if it is assigned to واو الجماعة then we should add ُ thama to the letter before ادعُوا /اهدُوا , and if it is assigned to ياء المخاطبة then we put ِ kasrah to the letter before ادعِي اهدِي.
• In the imperative tense If the last letter was alif we return the weak letter into its origin واو او ياء  if and only if the verb assigned to  نون النسوة او الف الاثنين   as in اسعين اسعيا while  if it is assigned to   ياء المخاطبة or  واو الجماعة   then we should add َ fatha to the letter before as in اسعَوا اسعَي

Ajwaf  verbs are those whose second (middle) letter is sick (أ-ي-و) in its root form.

• Most Ajwaf verbs have an Alif (ا ) as its second or middle letter.

• The origin of the middle Alif is mostly a Waw (و ) or a Yaa (ي ), that is turned into an Alif.

• There are a few verbs in which the Waw or Yaa are not turned into an Alif.

• To know the origin of the Alif, get the noun from the verb.

Examples: باعَ = to sell (v.) ► بَيْعْ = selling (n.)

صامَ= to fast (v.) ► صَوْمْ = fasting (n.)

• If the middle radical is (و), then the first and second persons take Dhamma ( ُ ) on the first radical of the past tense. قال ◀ قول ◀ قُلتُ / قُلتَ
• If the middle radical is (ي), then the first and second persons take Kasrah ( ِ ) on the first radical of the past tense. سار ◀ سير ◀ سِرتُ / سِرتَ
• The Ajwaf verbs in past tense drop the weak letter if the verb is assigned to (نا الفاعلين, تاء الفاعل, نون النسوة) as in (قـلت- قـلنا- قـلن).
• Ajwaf verbs in present tense drop the weak letter only if the verb is assigned to (نون النسوة) as in يقول يقُلنَ.
• In the imperative tense the weak letter returns to its original (ا-و-ي) if the verb is assigned to (الف الاثنين – واو الجماعة – ياء المخاطبة)   as in قال ◀ قُولا قُولُوا قُولِي  and باعَ ◀ بيعا بيعوا بيعي

A Mithal مِثال Verb is that whose first letter is sick in its root (base) form.

The Mithal verb always starts with either a Waw or a Yaa; e.g. وَعَدَ = to promise, يَئِس= to give up (There are very few verbs starting with Yaa in Arabic and they are seldom used.)

The root of these verbs includes a weak letter (i.e. و ، ا ، ي); therefore, they are irregular (i.e. they have irregular conjugation).

The sick/weak verbs are divided into three types according to the position of the sick letter in the root verb.