Some facts about Arabic verbs:
- A verb is called الْفِعِل al fi'l.
- A past tense verb is called فِعِل مَاضِى fi'l maadi.
- A present or future tense verb is called فِعِل مُضَارِع fi'l mudaari.
- Most Arabic verbs are tri-lettered, for example فَعَلَ he did, رَسَمَ he drew, نَصَحَ he advised, هَرَبَ he ran away.
- Arabic verbs have forms, for example فَعَلَ, يَفْعَلُ, فَاعِلٌ, فَعَّلَ, and so on.
- The root form is فَعَلَ. Notice that the example verbs shown in no 4 are based on this root form. This form is also called the infinitive form (similar to the infinitive verb form in English Language). Therefore, the meanings of the verbs in no 4 can also be فَعَلَ to do, رَسَمَ to draw, نَصَحَ to advise, هَرَبَ to run away.
- Based on no 4, obviously the root form فَعَلَ is a past tense (singular, masculine).
- Other verb forms, including those shown in no 5, are derived (or conjugated) from the root form فَعَلَ.
