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### Derived Verb Form IV (أفعل)

Arabic verbs are grouped into different "forms" based on their patterns. Form IV verbs are highly common and are characterized by an initial hamza (أ). They often carry a causative meaning—taking a simple action and causing it to happen to something else. For instance, "to go out" becomes "to take [something] out."

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### Past Tense Conjugation

In the past tense, Form IV verbs follow the pattern أفعل. The starting hamza (أ) is a permanent part of the past tense stem and is always written and pronounced.

To conjugate for different subjects, simply attach the standard past tense suffixes you already know. For example, you use the standard feminine ending (ـت) when the doer of the action is female.

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### Present Tense Conjugation

Conjugating Form IV into the present tense requires a few specific vowel changes:
- The initial hamza (أ) from the past tense is dropped completely.
- The present tense prefix (such as ي, ت, or ن) takes a damma (ـُ) vowel.
- The middle root letter takes a kasra (ـِ) vowel.

This creates the present tense pattern يُفْعِل. Notice how the distinctive feature of Form IV in the present tense is that initial damma (ـُ) vowel on the prefix.

| Meaning | Present | Past |
|---|---|---|
| To take out | يُخْرِج | أَخْرَج |
| To lower / bring down | يُنْزِل | أَنْزَل |
| To warn | يُنْذِر | أَنْذَر |

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### Form IV Verbs in Context

Because Form IV verbs are generally transitive (meaning they take a direct object), they are perfectly suited for describing actions done to others, such as in search and rescue operations. 

They follow all the standard rules for Arabic verbs when combining with other sentence structures. You will frequently see them paired with continuous past tense structures (using كان) or future markers (like سوف).

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Form IV verbs in an emergency (أنقذ، أسعف)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

interrogative

noun

numeral

particle

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The definite article and locatives (الـ)

Basic noun gender (ة)

Sun and moon letters

Singular subject pronouns (أنا، أنت، هو، هي)

Indefinite nouns and nominal sentences (ـٌ)

Demonstrative pronouns for 'this' (هذا / هذه)

Separate prepositions (في، من، إلى، على)

Attributive adjectives

Predicative adjectives

Yes/No questions (هل، أ)

Basic questions (من، ما، أين)

Singular possessive pronouns (ـي، ـك، ـه، ـها)

Plural subject pronouns (نحن، أنتم، هم)

Plural possessive pronouns (ـنا، ـكم، ـهم)

Noun possession

Attached prepositions (بـ، لـ، كـ)

Pronouns with prepositions

Having and possessing (عند، لـ، مع)

Regular plural nouns (ـون، ـين، ـات)

Broken plurals

Dual nouns (ـان / ـين)

Plural and distant demonstratives (هؤلاء، ذلك، تلك)

Non-human plural agreement

Present tense singular verbs

Verbal sentences (VSO)

Present tense plural verbs

Topicalized sentences (SVO)

The indefinite accusative case (ـاً)

Verb object pronouns (-ني، -ك، -ه)

Present tense negation (لا)

Question words with verbs (متى، كيف...)

Adverbs of time and place

The future tense (سـ / سوف)

Intentions and desires (أن)

Negating states and possession (ليس)

Past tense singular suffixes

Past tense plural suffixes

Negating past events (ما)

Singular commands

Numbers 1 to 10

Number agreement for 1 and 2 (واحد، اثنان)

Asking how many (كم)

Numbers 3 to 10 (ثلاثة إلى عشرة)

Ordinal numbers 1 to 10 (الأول، الثاني)

Basic conjunctions (فـ، أو، لكن)

Ordering at a café (واحد، اثنان)

Food and drink with conjunctions (و، ف، أو، لكن)

There is and there are (هناك / ليس هناك)

Direct address (يا)

Giving reasons (لأنّ)

Relative pronouns (الذي / التي)

Quantifiers (كل / بعض)

The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

Past possession

Numbers 11 to 19 and tens to 80

Telling time (الساعة)

This book vs this is a book (هذا الكتاب، هذا كتاب)

Greetings (مرحبا، السلام عليكم)

How are you? and goodbye (كيف حالك، مع السلامة)

Nationalities (مصري، مصرية)

Roots and patterns (كتب، كتاب، مكتب)

Politeness (من فضلك، آسف)

Complex possession chains

Colors and traits (أفعل / فعلاء)

Plural colors and traits (فُعْل)

Comparative adjectives (أفعل من)

Superlative adjectives (أفعل)

Adverbs of manner (ـاً)

The nominative case (ـُ)

The genitive case (ـِ)

The accusative case (ـَ)

Dual noun cases (ـان / ـين)

Masculine plurals and 'the best of' (أفضل النجارين)

Emphasizing sentences (إنّ)

Connecting clauses (أنّ)

Reporting speech (قال إنّ)

Expressing contrast (لكنّ)

Comparison and probability (كأنّ, لعلّ)

Distant plural pointing (أولئك)

Plural relative pronouns (الذين, اللواتي)

Past habits (كان + present)

Ongoing actions (ما زال)

Masculine plurals online (مبرمجون، مؤثرون)

Perfective past (قد)

Probability (قد)

The subjunctive mood (أن)

Question	Answer
to illuminate	أضاءadâ'a
helicopter	مروحيةmirwahiyyah
missing person / lost, missing	مفقودmafqûd
The helicopter is illuminating the forest and searching for the missing person.	تضيء المروحية الغابة وتبحث عن المفقود.tudî'u al-marwahiyyatu al-ghâbata wa tabhathu 'ani al-mafqûdi
to rescue	أنقذanqadha
The missing person was sleeping under a tree when the team rescued him.	كان المفقود ينام تحت شجرة عندما أنقذه الفريق.kâna al-mafqûdu yanâmu tahta shajaratin 'indamâ anqadhahu al-farîqu
to report	أبلغablagha
to warn	أنذرandhara
The guard reported the accident and warned the people.	أبلغ الحارس عن الحادث وأنذر الناس.ablagha al-hâris 'ani al-hâdith wa-andhara an-nâs
victim	ضحيةdhahiyyah
The police will warn the victim before the storm.	سوف تنذر الشرطة الضحية قبل العاصفة.sawfa tundhiru ash-shurtatu ad-dahiyyata qabla al-'âsifati
to lower / to unload	أنزلanzala
The team brought the victim down from the mountain.	أنزل الفريق الضحية من الجبل.anzala al-fariqu ad-dahiyyata mina al-jabali
to take out	أخرجakhraja
The policeman is extracting the missing person from under the snow.	يخرج الشرطي المفقود من تحت الثلج.yukhriju ash-shurtiyyu al-mafqûda min tahti ath-thalji
to give first aid	أسعفas'afa
The doctor is giving first aid to the victim inside the helicopter.	يسعف الطبيب الضحية داخل المروحية.yus'ifu t-tabîbu d-dahiyyata dâkhila l-mirwaHiyyati
The police lowered a rope and pulled out the missing person.	أنزلت الشرطة حبلا وأخرجت المفقود.anzalat ash-shurtatu hablan wa akhrajat al-mafqûd
The team was rescuing the victim while the helicopter illuminated the place.	كان الفريق ينقذ الضحية والمروحية تضيء المكان.kâna lfarîqu yunqidhu ddaHiyyata walmirwaHiyyatu tuDî'u lmakâna
We are reporting the accident and the doctor is treating the victim.	نحن نبلغ عن الحادث والطبيب يسعف الضحية.nahnu nuballighu 'anil-hâdithi wat-tabîbu yus'ifu ad-dahiyyah
alive, living	حيhayy
The team found the missing man alive under the snow.	وجد الفريق الرجل المفقود حيا تحت الثلج.
Is the victim alive? Yes, and the doctor is giving her first aid now.	هل الضحية حية؟ نعم، والطبيب يسعفها الآن.

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