Some Arabic verbs require two direct objects to complete their meaning. We will practice using them to describe clever solutions, traps, and clues in escape rooms and puzzles.
Verbs of Transformation (أفعال التحويل)
These verbs indicate changing or making one thing into another. Because they link an original object to its new state, they take two direct objects.
Two common verbs in this category are جعل (to make) and اتخذ (to take as). Both direct objects take the accusative case (منصوب), often marked by a fatha or fathatan (-an).
Notice how "the magnet" is the first object, and "a hidden key" is the second object:
| The girl made the magnet a hidden key. | جعلت البنت المغناطيس مفتاحا خفيا.ja'alati l-bintu l-mighnâtîsa miftâhan khafiyyan |
Similarly, when a player adopts a strategy, they "take" one thing "as" another:
| The player took the hidden sequence as a solution. | اتخذ اللاعب التسلسل الخفي حلا.ittakhadha al-lâ'ibu at-tasalsula al-khafiyya hallan |
Verbs of the Heart (أفعال القلوب)
These verbs express mental states, perceptions, assumptions, or certainty. Because you are thinking or finding that something is something else, they also require two direct objects.
Common verbs of the heart include ظنّ (to think), وجد (to find), and حسب (to assume).
| I assumed the trap was a logical clue. | حسبت الفخ تلميحا منطقيا.hasibtu al-fakhkha talmihan mantiqiyyan |
You can use وجد (to find) to express a realization or conclusion about a puzzle:
| We found the maze very complex. | وجدنا المتاهة معقدة جدا.wajadnâ al-matâhata mu'aqqadatan jiddan |
ظنّ (to think/believe) operates the exact same way:
| Did the boy think the sequence was a simple clue? | هل ظن الولد التسلسل تلميحا بسيطا؟hal zanna al-waladu at-tasalsula talmîhan basîtan? |