The Proxy Subject (نائب الفاعل)
When a sentence is changed from active to passive, the original "doer" (the agent) of the action is removed. The direct object is promoted to take its place. In Arabic grammar, this promoted object is called the proxy subject (نائب الفاعل).
Because it acts as the new grammatical subject of the sentence, the passive verb must agree with the proxy subject in gender. If the promoted object is feminine, the passive verb must take the feminine form. Notice how the feminine noun لجنة (committee) forces the passive verb to be feminine in the past tense.
| A new committee was formed after the session. | شكلت لجنة جديدة بعد الجلسة.shukkilat lajnatun jadeedatun ba'da al-jalsah |
This gender agreement is strictly followed, whether the sentence describes people or inanimate objects. Compare the masculine and feminine verbs in the following example:
| The male employee was rejected, and the female employee was chosen. | رفض الموظف واختيرت الموظفة.rufida al-muwazzafu wakhtîrati al-muwazzafah |
Administrative and Parliamentary Language
The passive voice and proxy subjects are especially common in news reports, official documents, and administrative procedures. In these contexts, the focus is heavily on the decisions made, rather than the specific individuals making them.
When reading about a law (قانون) or a clause (بند) being passed (أقر), or an amendment (تعديل) being discussed, you will constantly see masculine and feminine proxy subjects driving the sentence structure.
| The law was passed after the voting. | أقر القانون بعد التصويت.uqirra al-qânûnu ba'da at-taswîti |
| The first clause in the report was approved. | أقر البند الأول في التقرير.uqirra al-bandu al-awwalu fi at-taqrîr |
| An important amendment was discussed in the parliament. | نوقش تعديل مهم في البرلمان.nûqisha ta'dîlun muhimmun fî l-barlamâni |
Proxy Subjects in Complex Sentences
The proxy subject rules apply exactly the same way when the passive verb is in the present tense, or when it is part of a larger grammatical structure like a modal phrase (such as كان يجب أن, meaning "it was necessary to").
The passive verb following the modal must still match the gender of the proxy subject that follows it.
| The law should have been canceled. | كان يجب أن يلغى القانون.kâna yajibu an yulghâ al-qânûnu |
You will also see proxy subjects used alongside helper verbs like كان to describe actions that had already been completed before another event took place. Here, both the helper verb and the passive verb agree with the proxy subject.
| The clauses had been implemented before the tax was announced. | كانت البنود قد نفذت قبل أن تعلن الضريبة.kânatil bunûdu qad nuffidhat qabla an tu'lana ad-darîbah |
