🔡 Word Families — Sarf

Arabic words belong to families derived from a common root (جذر). Each root has a core idea that connects all words in its family.

🌳

Learn roots, not rules

When you see a new word, ask: what root does it come from, and what idea does that root carry? Tap + related words to see the full root family.

10 verbs in this chapter

Lesson Word

أَمْطَرَ

To rain

Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.

Root (جذر)

م ط ر

Root Insight

Core Idea — Water descending from the sky — the gift and the flood.

·rain
·a rainstorm
·being rained upon

Related concepts: rain, storm, water, sky, descent

Word Family

م ط ر

أَمْطَرَDictionary Form

يُمْطِرُPresent Form

أَمْطِرْCommand Form

إِمْطَارAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

أَمْطَرْتُ

You (M)

أَمْطَرْتَ

You (F)

أَمْطَرْتِ

أَمْطَرَ

She

أَمْطَرَتْ

أَمْطَرْنَا

You (Plural)

أَمْطَرْتُمْ

They

أَمْطَرُوا

Command Form:أَمْطِرْ

Action Noun:إِمْطَار

Lesson Word

تَرَكَ

To leave / to abandon

Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.

Root (جذر)

ت ر ك

Root Insight

Core Idea — Withdrawing from something — leaving it behind.

·leaving, abandoning
·giving up a habit or action
·an inheritance left behind
·allowing something to remain as it is

Related concepts: leaving, abandonment, inheritance, withdrawal

Word Family

ت ر ك

تَرَكَDictionary Form

يَتْرُكُPresent Form

اُتْرُكْCommand Form

تَرْكAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

تَرَكْتُ

You (M)

تَرَكْتَ

You (F)

تَرَكْتِ

تَرَكَ

She

تَرَكَتْ

تَرَكْنَا

You (Plural)

تَرَكْتُمْ

They

تَرَكُوا

Command Form:اُتْرُكْ

Action Noun:تَرْك

Lesson Word

بَارَكَ

To bless

Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.

Root (جذر)

ب ر ك

Root Insight

Core Idea — Abundance welling up from a fixed, rooted source.

·divine blessing (barakah)
·a pool or pond — water gathering and staying
·kneeling (a camel settling on its chest)
·increase and growth that continues

Related concepts: blessing, abundance, increase, pool, stability

Word Family

ب ر ك

بَارَكَDictionary Form

يُبَارِكُPresent Form

بَارِكْCommand Form

مُبَارَكَةAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

بَارَكْتُ

You (M)

بَارَكْتَ

You (F)

بَارَكْتِ

بَارَكَ

She

بَارَكَتْ

بَارَكْنَا

You (Plural)

بَارَكْتُمْ

They

بَارَكُوا

Command Form:بَارِكْ

Action Noun:مُبَارَكَة

🌿

Special Root Family

Defective Root

ب ق ي — This root ends with a weak letter (و or ي). The final letter may appear differently in some forms — this follows a well-known Arabic pattern.

Lesson Word

بَقِيَ

To remain / to stay

Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.

Root (جذر)

ب ق ي

Root Insight

Core Idea — Remaining after everything else has gone.

·staying, continuing, persisting
·what is left over
·surviving, enduring
·permanence and continuity

Related concepts: remaining, continuity, survival, permanence, leftover

Word Family

ب ق ي

بَقِيَDictionary Form

يَبْقَىPresent Form

اِبْقَCommand Form

بَقَاءAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

بَقِيَ

She

بَقِيَتْ

Command Form:اِبْقَ

Action Noun:بَقَاء

Lesson Word

تَكَلَّمَ

To speak / to talk

Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.

Root (جذر)

ك ل م

Root Insight

Core Idea — Words that strike — speech and the wound it can leave.

·speech, words
·speaking with someone
·a wound (kalm — what cuts)
·language, a sentence

Related concepts: speech, words, wound, language, sentence

Word Family

ك ل م

تَكَلَّمَDictionary Form

يَتَكَلَّمُPresent Form

تَكَلَّمْCommand Form

تَكَلُّمAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

تَكَلَّمْتُ

You (M)

تَكَلَّمْتَ

You (F)

تَكَلَّمْتِ

تَكَلَّمَ

She

تَكَلَّمَتْ

تَكَلَّمْنَا

You (Plural)

تَكَلَّمْتُمْ

They

تَكَلَّمُوا

Command Form:تَكَلَّمْ

Action Noun:تَكَلُّم

🌿

Special Root Family

Defective Root

ق ض ي — This root ends with a weak letter (و or ي). The final letter may appear differently in some forms — this follows a well-known Arabic pattern.

Lesson Word

قَضَى

To spend (time)

Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.

Root (جذر)

ق ض ي

Root Insight

Core Idea — Decisive conclusion — carrying something through to its end.

·judgement, ruling
·completing, finishing
·divine decree (qaḍāʾ)
·a judge (qāḍī)

Related concepts: judgement, decree, completion, judge, ruling

Word Family

ق ض ي

قَضَىDictionary Form

يَقْضِيPresent Form

اِقْضِCommand Form

قَضَاءAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

قَضَى

She

قَضَىتْ

Command Form:اِقْضِ

Action Noun:قَضَاء

Lesson Word

أَحْضَرَ

To bring / to fetch

Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.

Root (جذر)

ح ض ر

Root Insight

Core Idea — Being present — the opposite of absence.

·presence, attendance
·urban civilisation (ḥaḍārah) — where people gather and remain
·preparing, making ready
·the settled, civilised world

Related concepts: presence, civilisation, attendance, urban, preparation

Word Family

ح ض ر

أَحْضَرَDictionary Form

يُحْضِرُPresent Form

أَحْضِرْCommand Form

إِحْضَارAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

أَحْضَرْتُ

You (M)

أَحْضَرْتَ

You (F)

أَحْضَرْتِ

أَحْضَرَ

She

أَحْضَرَتْ

أَحْضَرْنَا

You (Plural)

أَحْضَرْتُمْ

They

أَحْضَرُوا

Command Form:أَحْضِرْ

Action Noun:إِحْضَار

Lesson Word

حَضَرَ

To attend / to be present

Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.

Root (جذر)

ح ض ر

Root Insight

Core Idea — Being present — the opposite of absence.

·presence, attendance
·urban civilisation (ḥaḍārah) — where people gather and remain
·preparing, making ready
·the settled, civilised world

Related concepts: presence, civilisation, attendance, urban, preparation

Word Family

ح ض ر

حَضَرَDictionary Form

يَحْضُرُPresent Form

اُحْضُرْCommand Form

حُضُورAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

حَضَرْتُ

You (M)

حَضَرْتَ

You (F)

حَضَرْتِ

حَضَرَ

She

حَضَرَتْ

حَضَرْنَا

You (Plural)

حَضَرْتُمْ

They

حَضَرُوا

Command Form:اُحْضُرْ

Action Noun:حُضُور

🌿

Special Root Family

Doubled Root

ب ل ل — This root has two identical letters at the end. Arabic sometimes writes them together with a shadda (ّ), and the two letters may separate in certain forms.

Lesson Word

اِبْتَلَّ

To get wet

Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.

Root (جذر)

ب ل ل

Root Insight

Core Idea — Moisture making something damp or wet.

·wetting, dampening
·moisture and humidity
·softening something dry

Related concepts: wet, moisture, dampness

Word Family

ب ل ل

اِبْتَلَّDictionary Form

يَبْتَلُّPresent Form

اِبْتَلَّCommand Form

اِبْتِلَالAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

اِبْتَلَّ

She

اِبْتَلَّتْ

Command Form:اِبْتَلَّ

Action Noun:اِبْتِلَال

Lesson Word

يَخْرُجُ

To go out / to exit

Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.

Root (جذر)

خ ر ج

Root Insight

Core Idea — Emergence — leaving what is enclosed.

·going out, exiting
·graduation, completion
·producing or yielding (land "going out" crops)
·deviation, going beyond a norm

Related concepts: exit, emergence, graduation, production, departure

Word Family

خ ر ج

يَخْرُجُDictionary Form

خَرَجَPresent Form

اُخْرُجْCommand Form

خُرُوجAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

يَخْرُجْتُ

You (M)

يَخْرُجْتَ

You (F)

يَخْرُجْتِ

يَخْرُجُ

She

يَخْرُجُتْ

يَخْرُجْنَا

You (Plural)

يَخْرُجْتُمْ

They

يَخْرُجُوا

Command Form:اُخْرُجْ

Action Noun:خُرُوج

🔄 Practice Conjugation

Test yourself on all conjugated forms