In Arabic, you can turn verbs into nouns or adjectives that describe the "doer" of an action (Active Participle) or the "receiver" of an action (Passive Participle). For all derived verbs (Forms II through X), these participles always begin with the prefix مُـ.
The Active Participle (The Doer)
To describe the person or thing performing the action, use the مُـ prefix and place a kasra ( ِ ) on the second-to-last root letter.
- مُتَسَلِّل (infiltrator)
- مُحْتَرِف (professional)
- مُخْبِر (informant)
The Passive Participle (The Receiver)
To describe the person or thing receiving the action (or describing a resulting state), use the مُـ prefix and place a fatha ( َ ) on the second-to-last root letter.
- مُزَوَّر (forged)
- مُسْتَعار (assumed / borrowed)
- مُشَفَّر (encrypted)
Because these words act as standard nouns and adjectives, they agree in gender and definiteness with the nouns they describe. Notice how both types of participles appear together in the world of espionage:
| The professional infiltrator had a forged passport and a false name. | كان عند المتسلل المحترف جواز مزور واسم مستعار.kâna 'inda al-mutasallili al-muhtarifi jawâzun muzawwarun wasmun musta'ârun |
| The informant sent an encrypted message to the embassy. | أرسل المخبر رسالة مشفرة إلى السفارة.arsala al-mukhbiru risâlatan mushaffaratan ilâ as-sifârati. |
Relying on Context
In most written Arabic, short vowels (like the kasra and fatha) are not written out. You will rely on context to know whether a word is an active doer or a passive receiver. If the word describes an object like a message or a document, it is likely a passive participle. If it is a person, it is often an active participle doing the action.
| The sender does not know the encrypted secret. | لا يعرف المرسل السر المشفر.lâ ya'rifu al-mursilu as-sirra al-mushaffara |
Passive participles are also perfect for describing the ongoing state of someone or something, such as being monitored (مُراقَب) or being armed (مُسَلَّح).
| The informant is always monitored. | المخبر مراقب دائما.al-mukhbiru murâqabun dâ'iman |
| The armed infiltrator might attack suddenly. | قد يهاجم المتسلل المسلح فجأة.qad yuhâjimu al-mutasallilu al-musallahu faj'atan |
Putting It All Together
Derived participles are incredibly common in Arabic. Whether describing a suspicious sender (مُرْسِل) or a dangerous explosive (مُتَفَجِّر), you can easily spot them by looking for the leading مُـ prefix.
| The police searched for a forged document and an explosive device. | بحثت الشرطة عن وثيقة مزورة وجهاز متفجر.bahathati ash-shurtatu 'an wathiqatin muzawwaratin wa jihâzin mutafajjir. |
| Is the professional team monitored? | هل الفريق المحترف مراقب؟hali al-fariiqu al-muhtarifu murâqab? |