In Arabic, verbs of giving and granting are known as أفعال العطاء.
Two Direct Objects
Unlike English, which often uses prepositions like "to" or "for", Arabic verbs of giving take two direct objects with no prepositions connecting them. Both the recipient and the thing given take the accusative case (منصوب).
The standard sentence structure is: Verb + Subject + First Object (The Recipient) + Second Object (The Thing Given)
| The manager gave the employees a generous raise. | أعطت المديرة الموظفين علاوة سخية.a'tati al-mudîratu al-muwazzafîna 'alâwatan sakhiyyatan |
| The bank lent the company money because of the financial deficit. | أقرض البنك الشركة مالا بسبب العجز المالي.aqrada al-banku ash-sharikata mâlan bisababi al-ajzi al-mâliyyi |
| This generous proposal granted the workers a new hope. | منح هذا المقترح السخي العمال أملا جديدا.manaha hâdhâ al-muqtarahu as-sakhiyyu al-ummâla amalan jadîdan |
Abstract Giving
This rule also applies to abstract concepts, such as "giving attention" (أولى). The "recipient" can easily be an inanimate noun, like a project or a proposal.
| The president gave the proposal great attention while she was reading the report. | أولت الرئيسة المقترح اهتماما كبيرا وهي تقرأ التقرير.awlati r-ra'îsatu l-muqtaraha ihtimâman kabîran wa hiya taqra'u t-taqrîra |
Verbs of Depriving and Denying
Verbs that mean the exact opposite—denying or depriving (سلب or منع)—follow the same double-object rule. The person deprived is the first direct object, and the thing taken away is the second.
| The new decision merely stripped the workers of their rights. | إنما سلب القرار الجديد العمال حقوقهم.innamâ salaba al-qarâru al-jadîdu al-ummâla huqûqahum |
| The manager denied the employee a raise, because he did not give the project attention. | منع المدير الموظف علاوة، لأنه لم يعط المشروع اهتماما.mana'a al-mudiru al-muwazzafa 'alawatan, li'annahu lam yu'ti al-mashru'a ihtimaman. |
Using Attached Pronouns
If the recipient is a pronoun, it attaches directly to the verb as a suffix. The thing given or taken remains a separate word.
| The loyal employee does not deprive the company of her effort, but rather gives it attention. | الموظفة المخلصة لا تسلب الشركة جهدها، بل توليها اهتماما.al-muwazzafatu al-mukhlisatu lâ taslubu ash-sharikata juhdahâ, bal tûlîhâ ihtimâman. |