Word typesThe three typescore term
Also written: Aqsam al-kalimah · Types of words · Parts of speech
In one line
Every Arabic word is one of exactly three types — an
ism, a fi'l or a
harf. There is no fourth.
Classical definition
وأقسامه ثلاثة: اسم، وفعل، وحرف جاء لمعنى.
“Its divisions are three: a noun, a verb, and a particle that came for a meaning.”
Understand it
Arabic sorts a word by how it behaves, not by what it means, and that gives three boxes and no more.
The three definitions run in parallel, and the parallel is the whole lesson. Each one changes a single thing about the one before it.
The three types
Every word is one of three: an ism, which names; a fi'l, which names and carries a time; or a harf, whose meaning appears only in company.
An اِسْم (ism) means something on its own, with no time — قَلَمٌ (qalamun), “a pen”. A فِعْل (fi'l) means something on its own and carries a time — كَتَبَ (kataba), “he wrote”. A حَرْف (harf) means nothing on its own; its meaning appears only beside another word — مِنْ (min).
How to spot it
Recognition test
Three signs belong to the ism alone, and seeing any one of them settles it:
tanwin (ـٌ ـً ـٍ), ta' marbuta (ة) at the end, or الْ at the front. No fi'l and no harf ever carries them. If none appears, test for a verb — قَدْ, سَـ or سَوْفَ will sit in front of a fi'l. If neither set fits, it is a harf, and that is the definition rather than a guess.
In the Qur'an
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ
Ad-Duha 93:3 — “Thy Guardian-Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased.”
All three types in one line. مَا is a harf — it means nothing standing alone. وَدَّعَكَ is a fi'l, and it carries past time. رَبُّكَ is an ism. There is no fourth kind to look for.
Study this ayah word by word →▶ Watch the lessons
From the free course The Language of Quran — Easier than English (Book One) (LoQ1), taught by Ustadh Muhammad Arjan Ali.
Common questions
Are there really only three types of word in Arabic?
Yes, and it is not a simplification. What English splits into nouns, adjectives, pronouns, demonstratives and relatives all sits inside the ism. Adverbs are shared between the ism and the harf. Nothing is left over needing a fourth box.
“And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember.”
Al-Qamar 54:17
Arabic is built upon 3 types of word, 2 types of sentence and 6 essential phrases. Understanding how the 3 words connect to form sentences and phrases is the secret that unlocks Arabic. Learn essential Arabic to understand the Quran with Ustadh Muhammad Arjan Ali.
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