🔡 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.

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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.

8 verbs in this chapter

Lesson Word

اِنْتَقَلَ

To move / to transfer

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

Root (جذر)

ن ق ل

Root Insight

Core Idea — Moving something from here to there.

·transporting, transferring
·transmitting news or knowledge
·translation (naql — moving meaning across languages)
·a relocation

Related concepts: transport, transmission, translation, transfer, relocation

Word Family

ن ق ل

اِنْتَقَلَDictionary Form

يَنْتَقِلُPresent Form

اِنْتَقِلْCommand Form

اِنْتِقَالAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

اِنْتَقَلْتُ

You (M)

اِنْتَقَلْتَ

You (F)

اِنْتَقَلْتِ

اِنْتَقَلَ

She

اِنْتَقَلَتْ

اِنْتَقَلْنَا

You (Plural)

اِنْتَقَلْتُمْ

They

اِنْتَقَلُوا

Command Form:اِنْتَقِلْ

Action Noun:اِنْتِقَال

Lesson Word

اِسْتَغْرَقَ

To take (time)

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

Root (جذر)

غ ر ق

Root Insight

Core Idea — Sinking beneath a surface — overwhelmed by depth.

·drowning
·being submerged or flooded
·deeply absorbed in something
·excessive, going too far

Related concepts: drowning, submerging, flood, immersion, overwhelmed

Word Family

غ ر ق

اِسْتَغْرَقَDictionary Form

يَسْتَغْرِقُPresent Form

اِسْتَغْرِقْCommand Form

اِسْتِغْرَاقAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

اِسْتَغْرَقْتُ

You (M)

اِسْتَغْرَقْتَ

You (F)

اِسْتَغْرَقْتِ

اِسْتَغْرَقَ

She

اِسْتَغْرَقَتْ

اِسْتَغْرَقْنَا

You (Plural)

اِسْتَغْرَقْتُمْ

They

اِسْتَغْرَقُوا

Command Form:اِسْتَغْرِقْ

Action Noun:اِسْتِغْرَاق

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Special Root Family

Hollow Root

ز و ج — This root has a weak middle letter (و or ي). Arabic naturally softens or shortens this letter in some forms — this is a regular Arabic pattern.

Lesson Word

تَزَوَّجَ

To marry / to get married

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

Root (جذر)

ز و ج

Root Insight

Core Idea — Pairing — two things that belong together.

·a spouse, husband or wife
·a pair, couple
·even numbers (as opposed to odd)
·a type, category (a pair of kinds)

Related concepts: spouse, pair, couple, even, marriage

Word Family

ز و ج

تَزَوَّجَDictionary Form

يَتَزَوَّجُPresent Form

تَزَوَّجْCommand Form

تَزَوُّج / زَوَاجAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

تَزَوَّجَ

She

تَزَوَّجَتْ

Command Form:تَزَوَّجْ

Action Noun:تَزَوُّج / زَوَاج

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Special Root Family

Hollow Root

ز و ر — This root has a weak middle letter (و or ي). Arabic naturally softens or shortens this letter in some forms — this is a regular Arabic pattern.

Lesson Word

زَارَ

To visit

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

Root (جذر)

ز و ر

Root Insight

Core Idea — Visiting — and the deviation that disguises truth.

·visiting a person or place
·falsehood, forgery (a deviation from truth)
·the chest/breast area (as a source of speech)

Related concepts: visit, falsehood, deviation, forgery

Word Family

ز و ر

زَارَDictionary Form

يَزُورُPresent Form

زُرْCommand Form

زِيَارَةAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

زَارَ

She

زَارَتْ

Command Form:زُرْ

Action Noun:زِيَارَة

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Special Root Family

Hollow Root

ل و ث — This root has a weak middle letter (و or ي). Arabic naturally softens or shortens this letter in some forms — this is a regular Arabic pattern.

Lesson Word

تَلَوَّثَ

To pollute

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

Root (جذر)

ل و ث

Root Insight

Core Idea — Contamination — pollution or entanglement.

·pollution, contamination
·winding around, wrapping
·mixing something pure with impurity

Related concepts: pollution, contamination, wrapping, impurity

Word Family

ل و ث

تَلَوَّثَDictionary Form

يَتَلَوَّثُPresent Form

تَلَوَّثْCommand Form

تَلَوُّثAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

تَلَوَّثَ

She

تَلَوَّثَتْ

Command Form:تَلَوَّثْ

Action Noun:تَلَوُّث

Lesson Word

اِزْدَحَمَ

To be overcrowded

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

Root (جذر)

ز ح م

Root Insight

Core Idea — Pressing together — crowding and congestion.

·crowding, congestion
·a crowd of people pressing together
·friction caused by closeness

Related concepts: crowd, congestion, pressing, rush

Word Family

ز ح م

اِزْدَحَمَDictionary Form

يَزْدَحِمُPresent Form

اِزْدَحِمْCommand Form

اِزْدِحَامAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

اِزْدَحَمْتُ

You (M)

اِزْدَحَمْتَ

You (F)

اِزْدَحَمْتِ

اِزْدَحَمَ

She

اِزْدَحَمَتْ

اِزْدَحَمْنَا

You (Plural)

اِزْدَحَمْتُمْ

They

اِزْدَحَمُوا

Command Form:اِزْدَحِمْ

Action Noun:اِزْدِحَام

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Special Root Family

Defective Root

ر أ 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

رَأَى

To see / to view

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

Root (جذر)

ر أ ي

Root Insight

Core Idea — Directed perception — seeing leads to forming a view.

·seeing, beholding
·an opinion, a viewpoint
·a dream or vision
·showing something to another

Related concepts: sight, opinion, view, perspective, vision

Word Family

ر أ ي

رَأَىDictionary Form

يَرَىPresent Form

رَCommand Form

رُؤْيَةAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

رَأَى

She

رَأَىتْ

Command Form:رَ

Action Noun:رُؤْيَة

Lesson Word

تَرَكَ الْعِرَاقَ

To leave / to abandon a place

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

تَرَكَ الْعِرَاقَDictionary Form

يَتْرُكُPresent Form

اُتْرُكْCommand Form

تَرْكAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

تَرَكَ الْعِرَاقْتُ

You (M)

تَرَكَ الْعِرَاقْتَ

You (F)

تَرَكَ الْعِرَاقْتِ

تَرَكَ الْعِرَاقَ

She

تَرَكَ الْعِرَاقَتْ

تَرَكَ الْعِرَاقْنَا

You (Plural)

تَرَكَ الْعِرَاقْتُمْ

They

تَرَكَ الْعِرَاقُوا

Command Form:اُتْرُكْ

Action Noun:تَرْك

🔄 Practice Conjugation

Test yourself on all conjugated forms