The Arabic Passive Participle
The Arabic root system provides a pattern for the receiver of an action: the passive participle, known as the Maf'ul pattern.
By adding a ma- prefix to a three-letter root and inserting a -u- (و) before the final consonant (ma-C1-C2-u-C3), you create an adjective or noun describing a state resulting from an action.
For example, taking the root for publicity (ش - ه - ر), the pattern creates مشهور (famous).
| He was famous like a king. | او مانند یک پادشاه مشهور بود.u mânand yek pâdeshâh mashhur bud. |
Reputation and Public Opinion
Because it describes how someone or something is acted upon, this pattern often expresses reputation and social standing.
The root for hatred (ن - ف - ر) becomes منفور (notorious or hated), and the root for anger (غ - ض - ب) becomes مغضوب (out of favor).
| Nobody wants to be notorious and out of favor. | هیچکس نمیخواهد منفور و مغضوب باشد.hich-kas nemikhâhad manfur o maghzub bâshad |
Similarly, the root for acceptance (ق - ب - ل) yields مقبول (accepted or well-received).
| A notorious politician is never accepted by the people. | یک سیاستمدار منفور هرگز مقبول مردم نیست.yek siâsatmadâr-e manfur hargez maghbul-e mardom nist. |
Outcasts and the Unknown
This pattern is also useful for describing what is pushed away or hidden from society. The root for rejecting (ط - ر - د) gives us مطرود (outcast), while the root for ignorance (ج - ه - ل) creates مجهول (unknown or anonymous).
| The outcast artist left the city. | هنرمند مطرود شهر را ترک کرد.honarmand matrud shahr râ tark kard |
| We received an anonymous and suspicious letter. | ما یک نامهی مجهول و مشکوک دریافت کردیم.mâ yek nâme-ye majhul o mashkuk daryâft kardim. |
Captivated States and Nouns
It also describes intense emotional states where one is overcome or "acted upon" by a feeling, such as being infatuated (مفتون) or spellbound (مسحور).
| The audience became fascinated by the singer's voice. | تماشاگران مفتون صدای خواننده شدند.tamâshâgarân maftun-e sedâ-ye khânande shodand. |
| I became spellbound by that stunning landscape. | من مسحور آن منظرهی خیرهکننده شدم.man mas-hur-e ân manzare-ye khire-konande shodam. |
Like active participles, passive participles can act directly as nouns. A classic example is the root for passionate love (ع - ش - ق), which becomes معشوق (a beloved).
| He never forgot his beloved. | او هرگز معشوق خود را فراموش نکرد.oo hargez ma'shuq khod râ farâmush nakard. |
Physical objects and people can also be described by their resulting state, such as missing or lost (مفقود).
| Nothing is worse than a missing document. | هیچچیز بدتر از یک سند مفقود نیست.hich chiz badtar az yek sanad mafqud nist. |