Imperative

Imperative Form in Arabic (الأمر) #

Rules for Regular Verbs #

  1. Middle letter with fatḥa (ـَـ) or kasra (ـِـ) → Imperative starts with إِ
  2. Middle letter with ḍamma (ـُـ) → Imperative starts with أُ

Examples:

Verb (Past)Present (You masc.)Imperative (You masc.)Notes
كَتَبَأَنتَ تَكْتُبُأُكْتُبْḍamma → أُ
جَلَسَأَنتَ تَجْلِسُإِجْلِسْkasra → إِ
قَرَأَأَنتَ تَقْرَأُإِقْرَأْfatḥa → إِ
رَكِبَأَنتَ تَرْكَبُإِرْكَبْfatḥa → إِ

Plural Forms of رَكِبَ:

  • إِرْكَبِي (feminine singular)
  • إِرْكَبُوا (masculine plural)
  • إِرْكَبْنَ (feminine plural)

Additional Notes on Verb Forms #

Form I: أفعلَ #

PastImperative
أَسْلَمَأَسْلِمْ
أَخْرَجَأَخْرِجْ

Form V: تَفَعَّلَ #

PastImperative
تَكَلَّمَتَكَلَّمْ
تَحَدَّثَتَحَدَّثْ

Form VI: تَفَاعَلَ #

PastImperative
تَشَاجَرَتَشَاجَرْ

Assimilated Verbs (with weak first radical) #

PastPresent (He)Imperative
وَقَفَيَقِفُقِفْ
وَهَبَيَهَبُهَبْ
وَعَدَيَعِدُعِدْ

Examples:

  • عِدْنِي – Promise me

Hollow Verbs (with weak middle radical) #

PastPresent (He)Imperative (You masc.)
قَالَيَقُولُقُلْ
بَاعَيَبِيعُبِعْ
جَاءَيَجِيءُجِئْ
عَادَيَعُودُعُدْ
زَارَيَزُورُزُرْ

Plural Forms of زَارَ:

  • زُورِي (feminine singular)
  • زُورُوا (masculine plural)
  • زُرْنَ (feminine plural)

Additional Examples #

VerbImperativeNotes
فَتَحَإِفْتَحْOpen
طَبَخَأُطْبُخْCook
فَعَلَإِفْعَلْMiddle letter has fatḥa → إِ
خَرَجَأُخْرُجْMiddle letter has ḍamma → أُ
دَخَلَأُدْخُلْ

Courtesy Phrases #

  • مِنْ فَضْلِك – Please
  • تَفَضَّل – Go ahead
  • أَرْجُوك – I request you

Vocabulary Extensions #

RootDerivations
فَتَحَمَفْتُوح – Open
مِفْتَاح – Key
فَاتِح – The one who opens
الفاتِحَة – Sūrat al-Fātiḥa
عَاذَأَعُوذُ – I seek refuge
عُذْ – Seek refuge (imperative)

⚠️ Remember: To form the imperative, look at the vowel on the middle root letter in the present tense (he form):

  • fatḥa or kasra → start with إِ
  • ḍamma → start with أُ

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