🔡 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.
28 verbs in this chapter
Special Root Family
Hamzated Rootف ء ل — This root contains a hamza (ء). Hamza spelling follows standard Arabic orthography rules and does not change the meaning or pronunciation significantly.
Lesson Word
To be optimistic
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To graduate
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
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
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Special Root Family
Doubled Rootع م م — 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
To be prevalent / widespread
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Special Root Family
Assimilated Rootو ج ب — This root begins with a weak letter (و or ي). The first letter sometimes blends with the prefix in present-tense forms — this is a recognised Arabic pattern.
Lesson Word
To be obligatory
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Special Root Family
Doubled Rootص ح ح — 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
To be correct
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Root Insight
Core Idea — Soundness — health in body, correctness in thought.
- ·correctness, accuracy
- ·health, being sound
- ·authenticity of a hadith
- ·a sound (ṣaḥīḥ) Arabic root — fully consonantal
Related concepts: correctness, health, sound, authentic, accuracy
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Special Root Family
Defective Rootر ب 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
To nurture / raise
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Special Root Family
Hollow Rootد ي 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
To manage
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To corrupt / spoil
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To rectify
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Special Root Family
Defective Rootؤ د 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
To lead to
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Special Root Family
Doubled Rootف ك ك — 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
To break up
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Special Root Family
Hollow Rootض ي ع — 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
To be wasted / lost
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To preserve / save
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To keep distance from
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Root Insight
Core Idea — Separation across space or time.
- ·distance, being far away
- ·after (temporal separation)
- ·sending someone away
- ·remote, unlikely
Related concepts: distance, separation, remoteness, after
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To mix with
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To migrate / live abroad
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Root Insight
Core Idea — The west — where the sun sets and things become strange.
- ·the west, western direction
- ·sunset, the setting of the sun
- ·strangeness, foreignness (gharīb)
- ·being far from home
Related concepts: west, sunset, strange, foreign, distant
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To take along
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To preserve
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To clean
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To rely / depend on
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Special Root Family
Hollow Rootس و ل — 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
To beg
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To gather firewood
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To give charity
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To purify (oneself)
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To give / hand over
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Root Insight
Core Idea — Wholeness — the soundness that produces peace and safety.
- ·peace, safety, security
- ·submission to God (Islām)
- ·greeting (salām)
- ·being free from defect or harm
- ·handing over (taslīm)
Related concepts: peace, safety, Islam, greeting, wholeness, submission
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To hold / keep
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To pay / push
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Lesson Word
To prevent / refuse
Dictionary Form — the base form used in Arabic dictionaries. All other forms of this verb are built from this base.
Root (جذر)
Word Family
Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms
Test yourself on all conjugated forms