Egyptian Arabic Verb Conjugations

Verb forms

Form I فَعَل fa3al

The basic form: just the three root letters with short vowels. It carries the root's plain meaning, and most everyday verbs are Form I.

كَتَب katab: to write · فَتَح fata7: to open · شِرِب shirib: to drink

Form II فَعَّل fa33al

The middle root letter is doubled. This usually makes a verb causative ("make someone do it") or intensive.

دَرَس daras: to study → دَرَّس darras: to teach · غَيَّر ghayyar: to change (something) · جَهِّز gahhiz: to prepare

Form III فاعِل faa3il

A long "aa" after the first root letter. It often means doing the action with or towards someone else.

ساعِد saa3id: to help · قابِل 2aabil: to meet (someone) · وافِق waafi2: to agree, accept

Form IV أَفْعَل af3al

An "a-" prefix that makes a verb causative. It is common in Modern Standard Arabic; the dialects mostly use Form II or another verb instead.

خَرَج kharaja: to go out → أَخْرَج akhraja: to take out · أَعْطى a3ta: to give

Form V تْفَعَّل (i)tfa33al

Form II with a t- prefix (it- in Egyptian). It turns the Form II action back on the subject: reflexive or "get done".

عَلِّم 3allim: to teach → اتْعَلِّم it3allim: to learn · اتْحَرَّك it7arrak: to move (yourself)

Form VI تْفاعِل (i)tfaa3il

Form III with a t- prefix. It is usually reciprocal: people doing the action to each other.

اتْقابِل it2aabil: to meet each other · تَعاوَن ta3aawan: to cooperate

Form VII اِنْفَعَل infa3al

An in- prefix that gives a passive or "got done" meaning. Egyptian often uses an it- prefix for the same job.

اِنْكَسَر inkasar: to get broken · اِنْبَسَط inbasat: to be pleased

Form VIII اِفْتَعَل ifta3al

A t is slipped in after the first root letter. The meaning is often reflexive or self-directed, and many common verbs simply live in this form.

اِشْتَغَل ishtaghal: to work · اِحْتَرَم i7taram: to respect · اِخْتار ikhtaar: to choose

Form IX اِفْعَلّ if3all

Rare: used almost only for colours and physical traits, meaning "to become".

اِحْمَرّ i7marr: to turn red · اِسْوَدّ iswadd: to turn black

Form X اِسْتَفْعَل istaf3al

An ista- prefix. It often means seeking, asking for or considering something to have the root's quality.

اِسْتَعْمِل ista3mil: to use · اِسْتَغْرَب istaghrab: to find strange · اِسْتَنّى istanna: to wait (Egyptian)

Quadriliteral فَعْلَل fa3lal

Built from four root letters instead of three. It conjugates like Form II.

تَرْجِم targim: to translate · فَرْجى farja: to show (Levantine)

Verb classes

The class says which root letters are "weak" (w, y or a hamza), because those are the letters that change shape when the verb conjugates.

Sound

All three root letters are ordinary consonants: no w, y or hamza (ء). Sound verbs follow the pattern with no surprises, so learn these first.

كَتَب katab → كَتَبْت katabt: I wrote · فَتَح fata7 → بِيِفْتَح biyifta7: he opens

Hollow

The middle root letter is w or y, which surfaces as a long vowel. The vowel shortens when an ending starting with a consonant is added.

شاف shaaf: he saw → شُفْت shuft: I saw · نام naam: he slept → نِمْت nimt: I slept

Defective

The last root letter is w or y, so the verb ends in a vowel. That vowel merges with the person endings instead of taking them cleanly.

مِشي mishi: he walked → مِشيت mishiit: I walked · نِسي nisi: he forgot → نِسيت nisiit: I forgot

Doubled

The second and third root letters are the same, so they are written once with a shadda. In the dialects a long -ee- or -ay- appears before the person endings.

حَبّ 7abb: he loved → حَبّيت 7abbeet: I loved · حَطّ 7att: he put → حَطّيت 7atteet: I put

Hamzated

One root letter is a hamza (ء). In the dialects the hamza often drops out or turns into a long vowel, so these behave like hollow or defective verbs.

سَأَل sa2al: to ask · أَخَد akhad: to take → باخُد baakhud: I take

Irregular

A handful of very common verbs break the patterns, often because of a hamza or two weak letters. These are worth memorising as whole tables.

جِه gih: to come (Egyptian) · كان kaan: to be · أَكَل akal → بياكُل biyaakul: he eats