Verbs of Beginning (أفعال الشروع)
In Arabic, certain verbs shift their meaning when paired with a present-tense verb. Two common examples are أخذ (literally "to take") and جعل (literally "to make"). When they function as "Verbs of Beginning," both of these verbs mean "to begin" or "to start" an action.
The Structure and the "No أن" Rule
To express that an action has just started, use the following sentence structure:
- The verb of beginning (such as أخذ or جعل).
- The subject (the doer of the action).
- The predicate, which must be a present-tense verb.
Crucial Rule: Unlike other verbs that take a verbal predicate (such as wanting or trying to do something), verbs of beginning never take the particle أن before the present-tense verb. The structure links directly to the bare present-tense verb.
Here is how أخذ behaves as a verb of beginning when describing sudden weather shifts:
| The hurricane began to uproot the trees in my grandfather's garden. | أخذ الإعصار يقتلع الأشجار في حديقة جدي.akhadha al-i'sâru yaqtali'u al-ashjâra fî hadîqati jaddî |
| The heavy snow began to fall, and the frost appeared. | أخذ الثلج الغزير يتساقط، وبدا الصقيع.akhadha ath-thalju al-ghazîru yatasâqatu, wa badâ as-saqî'u |
Using جعل to Mean "To Begin"
Just like أخذ, the verb جعل is frequently used as a verb of beginning. It follows the exact same grammatical rules, including the strict prohibition of أن before the present-tense verb.
Remember that the verb of beginning must agree with the subject in gender, taking the feminine form (such as جعلت or أخذت) for feminine nouns:
| The stormy wind began to uproot my grandmother's plants. | جعلت الرياح العاصفة تقتلع نباتات جدتي.ja'alati ar-riyâhu al-'âsifatu taqtali'u nabâtâti jaddatî. |
| The great flood began to submerge the farm. | جعل الفيضان العظيم يغمر المزرعة.ja'ala al-fayadânu al-'azîmu yaghmuru al-mazra'ata. |