Passive Patterns of Derived Arabic

Arabic is a language of patterns and roots. Most verbs have three main letters. Derived verbs add extra letters to change the meaning. To make these passive, we do not add new words like "was" or "been." Instead, we just change the vowels. It is a total vowel makeover! The first vowel almost always becomes a u sound (Damma). This is your first clue that something is passive. If you hear a u at the start of a verb, pay attention. The second-to-last letter also changes its vowel. This depends on whether you are talking about the past or the present. It is like a grammar traffic light. The vowels tell you exactly which way the action is flowing.

1. 1Let us break this down into simple steps.
2. 2For the Past Tense, follow the u-i rule.
3. 3Change the first vowel to a Damma (u).
4. 4Change the second-to-last vowel to a Kasra (i).
5. 5Example: Form II darrasa (he taught) becomes durrisa (it was taught).
6. 6Example: Form IV arsala (he sent) becomes ursila (it was sent).
7. 7For the Present Tense, follow the u-a rule.
8. 8The prefix (the ya or ta at the start) gets a Damma (u).
9. 9The second-to-last vowel becomes a Fatha (a).
10. 10Example: Form II yudarrisu (he teaches) becomes yudarrasu (it is being taught).
11. 11Example: Form IV yursilu (he sends) becomes yursalu (it is being sent).
12. 12For Form III, the long alif changes to a waw in the past.
13. 13sa'ada (he helped) becomes su'ida (he was helped). This keeps the u sound smooth.
14. 14For Form VIII and X, the same logic applies.
15. 15istakhdama (he used) becomes ustukh dima (it was used).
16. 16Yes, even the long words follow the rules! It is very consistent once you see it.

You will see the passive everywhere in formal Arabic. Think of a news broadcast. "The decision was made" sounds more official than "The guy in the office made a decision." Use it in job interviews when discussing results: "The project was completed on time." It is great for recipes too: "The spices are added." Use it when you want to be polite. If someone broke a vase, saying "The vase was broken" is much nicer than pointing fingers. It is also perfect for scientific facts or historical events. "The city was built in 1950" is a classic example. Basically, use it whenever the "who" is less interesting than the "what."

Do not use the passive in casual, everyday chats with friends. If you say "The coffee was drunk by me," your friends might think you are a robot. In Arabic, we prefer the active voice for personal stories. Avoid it if you want to show accountability. If you are apologizing, use the active voice. "I forgot the keys" is better than "The keys were forgotten." Also, some verbs just do not work in the passive. Verbs that do not take an object (intransitive verbs) usually stay active. You cannot really say "It was slept" in a way that makes sense. Keep it for actions that happen *to* something or someone.

The biggest mistake is forgetting the first Damma. If you miss that u sound, people will think you are still using the active voice. Another classic is mixing up the past and present vowels. Remember: i for the past, a for the present. Think "Past is finished (i), Present is active (a)." Some people also forget to change the gender of the verb. If the new subject is feminine, the verb must be feminine too. ursila al-kitab (the book was sent) but ursilat al-risala (the letter was sent). Even native speakers mess this up when they are in a hurry, so do not sweat it too much! Just keep an eye on those tiny vowel marks.

You might confuse the passive with Form VII verbs. Form VII verbs like inkasara (it broke) look like passives. However, Form VII is "reflexive." It means something happened by itself. The passive voice implies someone did it, even if we do not say who. Another contrast is with the active voice of Form II and IV. In the present tense, both active and passive start with a u sound. The only difference is that one tiny vowel on the second-to-last letter. yudarrisu (teaches) vs yudarrasu (is taught). It is a small change that makes a huge difference in meaning. It is like the difference between "I am cooking" and "I am being cooked." You definitely want to get that right!