🔡 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.

15 verbs in this chapter

Lesson Word

ضَحِكَ

To laugh

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

Root (جذر)

ض ح ك

Word Family

ض ح ك

ضَحِكَDictionary Form

يَضْحَكُPresent Form

اِضْحَكْCommand Form

ضَحِكAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

ضَحِكْتُ

You (M)

ضَحِكْتَ

You (F)

ضَحِكْتِ

ضَحِكَ

She

ضَحِكَتْ

ضَحِكْنَا

You (Plural)

ضَحِكْتُمْ

They

ضَحِكُوا

Command Form:اِضْحَكْ

Action Noun:ضَحِك

Lesson Word

أَدْرَكَ

To comprehend

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

Root (جذر)

د ر ك

Word Family

د ر ك

أَدْرَكَDictionary Form

يُدْرِكُPresent Form

أَدْرِكْCommand Form

إِدْرَاكAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

أَدْرَكْتُ

You (M)

أَدْرَكْتَ

You (F)

أَدْرَكْتِ

أَدْرَكَ

She

أَدْرَكَتْ

أَدْرَكْنَا

You (Plural)

أَدْرَكْتُمْ

They

أَدْرَكُوا

Command Form:أَدْرِكْ

Action Noun:إِدْرَاك

Lesson Word

أَعْجَبَ

To delight / excite / appeal

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

Root (جذر)

ع ج ب

Word Family

ع ج ب

أَعْجَبَDictionary Form

يُعْجِبُPresent Form

أَعْجِبْCommand Form

إِعْجَابAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

أَعْجَبْتُ

You (M)

أَعْجَبْتَ

You (F)

أَعْجَبْتِ

أَعْجَبَ

She

أَعْجَبَتْ

أَعْجَبْنَا

You (Plural)

أَعْجَبْتُمْ

They

أَعْجَبُوا

Command Form:أَعْجِبْ

Action Noun:إِعْجَاب

Lesson Word

اِكْتَسَبَ

To acquire / gain

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

Root (جذر)

ك س ب

Word Family

ك س ب

اِكْتَسَبَDictionary Form

يَكْتَسِبُPresent Form

اِكْتَسِبْCommand Form

اِكْتِسَابAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

اِكْتَسَبْتُ

You (M)

اِكْتَسَبْتَ

You (F)

اِكْتَسَبْتِ

اِكْتَسَبَ

She

اِكْتَسَبَتْ

اِكْتَسَبْنَا

You (Plural)

اِكْتَسَبْتُمْ

They

اِكْتَسَبُوا

Command Form:اِكْتَسِبْ

Action Noun:اِكْتِسَاب

Lesson Word

اِنْتَبَهَ

To pay attention

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

Root (جذر)

ت ب ه

Word Family

ت ب ه

اِنْتَبَهَDictionary Form

يَنْتَبِهُPresent Form

اِنْتَبِهْCommand Form

اِنْتِبَاهAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

اِنْتَبَهْتُ

You (M)

اِنْتَبَهْتَ

You (F)

اِنْتَبَهْتِ

اِنْتَبَهَ

She

اِنْتَبَهَتْ

اِنْتَبَهْنَا

You (Plural)

اِنْتَبَهْتُمْ

They

اِنْتَبَهُوا

Command Form:اِنْتَبِهْ

Action Noun:اِنْتِبَاه

Lesson Word

اِنْتَزَعَ

To pull out / remove

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

Root (جذر)

ت ز ع

Word Family

ت ز ع

اِنْتَزَعَDictionary Form

يَنْتَزِعُPresent Form

اِنْتَزِعْCommand Form

اِنْتِزَاعAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

اِنْتَزَعْتُ

You (M)

اِنْتَزَعْتَ

You (F)

اِنْتَزَعْتِ

اِنْتَزَعَ

She

اِنْتَزَعَتْ

اِنْتَزَعْنَا

You (Plural)

اِنْتَزَعْتُمْ

They

اِنْتَزَعُوا

Command Form:اِنْتَزِعْ

Action Noun:اِنْتِزَاع

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Special Root Family

Hollow Root

ح 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

تَحَوَّلَ

To change / transition

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

Root (جذر)

ح و ل

Word Family

ح و ل

تَحَوَّلَDictionary Form

يَتَحَوَّلُPresent Form

تَحَوَّلْCommand Form

تَحَوُّلAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

تَحَوَّلَ

She

تَحَوَّلَتْ

Command Form:تَحَوَّلْ

Action Noun:تَحَوُّل

Lesson Word

عَلَّقَ

To comment on

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

Root (جذر)

ع ل ق

Word Family

ع ل ق

عَلَّقَDictionary Form

يُعَلِّقُPresent Form

عَلِّقْCommand Form

تَعْلِيقAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

عَلَّقْتُ

You (M)

عَلَّقْتَ

You (F)

عَلَّقْتِ

عَلَّقَ

She

عَلَّقَتْ

عَلَّقْنَا

You (Plural)

عَلَّقْتُمْ

They

عَلَّقُوا

Command Form:عَلِّقْ

Action Noun:تَعْلِيق

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Special Root Family

Defective Root

س م 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

سَمَّى

To name

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

Root (جذر)

س م ي

Word Family

س م ي

سَمَّىDictionary Form

يُسَمِّيPresent Form

سَمِّCommand Form

تَسْمِيَةAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

سَمَّى

She

سَمَّىتْ

Command Form:سَمِّ

Action Noun:تَسْمِيَة

Lesson Word

قَلَّبَ

To turn over

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

Root (جذر)

ق ل ب

Word Family

ق ل ب

قَلَّبَDictionary Form

يُقَلِّبُPresent Form

قَلِّبْCommand Form

تَقْلِيبAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

قَلَّبْتُ

You (M)

قَلَّبْتَ

You (F)

قَلَّبْتِ

قَلَّبَ

She

قَلَّبَتْ

قَلَّبْنَا

You (Plural)

قَلَّبْتُمْ

They

قَلَّبُوا

Command Form:قَلِّبْ

Action Noun:تَقْلِيب

Lesson Word

قَبَّلَ

To kiss

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

Root (جذر)

ق ب ل

Root Insight

Core Idea — Facing toward — what is in front, what comes before.

·before (temporal)
·facing toward, in front of
·accepting, receiving
·kissing (qabala — to bring faces close)
·the qibla direction

Related concepts: before, facing, accepting, kiss, qibla

Word Family

ق ب ل

قَبَّلَDictionary Form

يُقَبِّلُPresent Form

قَبِّلْCommand Form

تَقْبِيلAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

قَبَّلْتُ

You (M)

قَبَّلْتَ

You (F)

قَبَّلْتِ

قَبَّلَ

She

قَبَّلَتْ

قَبَّلْنَا

You (Plural)

قَبَّلْتُمْ

They

قَبَّلُوا

Command Form:قَبِّلْ

Action Noun:تَقْبِيل

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Special Root Family

Hamzated Root

ل ئ م — This root contains a hamza (ء). Hamza spelling follows standard Arabic orthography rules and does not change the meaning or pronunciation significantly.

Lesson Word

لَاءَمَ

To be suitable / appropriate for

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

Root (جذر)

ل ئ م

Word Family

ل ئ م

لَاءَمَDictionary Form

يُلَائِمُPresent Form

لَائِمْCommand Form

مُلَائَمَةAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

لَاءَمْتُ

You (M)

لَاءَمْتَ

You (F)

لَاءَمْتِ

لَاءَمَ

She

لَاءَمَتْ

لَاءَمْنَا

You (Plural)

لَاءَمْتُمْ

They

لَاءَمُوا

Command Form:لَائِمْ

Action Noun:مُلَائَمَة

Lesson Word

تَنَافَى

To conflict

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

Root (جذر)

ن ف ى

Word Family

ن ف ى

تَنَافَىDictionary Form

يَتَنَافَىPresent Form

تَنَافَCommand Form

تَنَافٍAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

تَنَافَْتُ

You (M)

تَنَافَْتَ

You (F)

تَنَافَْتِ

تَنَافَى

She

تَنَافَىتْ

تَنَافَْنَا

You (Plural)

تَنَافَْتُمْ

They

تَنَافَُوا

Command Form:تَنَافَ

Action Noun:تَنَافٍ

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Special Root Family

Doubled Root

م د د — 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

مَدَّ

To extend

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

Root (جذر)

م د د

Word Family

م د د

مَدَّDictionary Form

يَمُدُّPresent Form

مُدَّCommand Form

مَدٌّAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

مَدَّ

She

مَدَّتْ

Command Form:مُدَّ

Action Noun:مَدٌّ

Lesson Word

قَدَرَ

To be able to

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

Root (جذر)

ق د ر

Word Family

ق د ر

قَدَرَDictionary Form

يَقْدِرُPresent Form

اِقْدِرْCommand Form

قُدْرَةAction Noun

Grammar Details — All Conjugated Forms

قَدَرْتُ

You (M)

قَدَرْتَ

You (F)

قَدَرْتِ

قَدَرَ

She

قَدَرَتْ

قَدَرْنَا

You (Plural)

قَدَرْتُمْ

They

قَدَرُوا

Command Form:اِقْدِرْ

Action Noun:قُدْرَة

🔄 Practice Conjugation

Test yourself on all conjugated forms