Moods of Al-Mudari'
Raf' · Nasb · Jazm · Impacting vs Non-Impacting Particles
- Identify the three moods (i'rab states) of the mudari' verb — marfu', mansub, majzoom
- Distinguish between impacting particles (aamil) and non-impacting particles (ghayru aamil)
- Group the 14 mudari' forms into three categories based on how they change
- Explain how Group 1 (mustatir) changes its ending — dhamma / fatha / sukoon
- Explain how Group 2 (noon of i'rab) changes its ending — noon present / noon dropped
- Recognise that Group 3 (mabni — fixed noon) never changes
Video Lesson
Click to play
Introduction
In Book One we studied the i'rab of the ism (noun) — how its ending changes between rafa', nasb, and jar to show its grammatical role. The mudari' (imperfect/present-future) verb is the only verb in Arabic that also changes its ending. This lesson explains the three moods (i'rab states) of the mudari' and how to recognise them.
Lesson Notes
Which Words Have I'rab?
| Word type | Changes ending? | Possible states |
|---|---|---|
| All isms (nouns) | Yes — mu'rab | Rafa' / Nasb / Jar |
| Mudari' verbs | Yes — mu'rab | Rafa' / Nasb / Jazm |
| Madi verbs | No — mabni | Fixed |
| Amr verbs | No — mabni | Fixed |
| All huruf (particles) | No — mabni | Fixed |
Critical rule: Mudari' verbs are never majroor (no jar for verbs). Isms are never majzoom.
Impacting vs Non-Impacting Particles
Particles (حُرُوف) come in two types:
- Ghayru aamil (non-impacting): change the meaning of the mudari' but not its ending. Examples: قَدْ, سَوْفَ, سَـ, وَ, فَ
- Aamil (impacting): change both the meaning and the ending of the mudari'. These are what create the nasb and jazm moods.
The Three Groups of Mudari' Forms
The 14 mudari' forms divide into three groups that behave differently when their i'rab changes:
| Group | Forms | Default sign of rafa' | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Mustatir (hidden doer) | 1, 4, 7, 13, 14 | dhamma at end (يَنْصُرُ) | dhamma → fatha (nasb) or sukoon (jazm) |
| 2 — Noon of i'rab | 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 | noon at end (يَنْصُرَانِ, يَنْصُرُونَ…) | noon dropped for both nasb and jazm |
| 3 — Mabni noon (fixed) | 6, 12 (هُنَّ/أَنْتُنَّ) | noon always present | never changes — noun of pronoun, not noon of i'rab |
Group 1: The Mustatir Group
These five forms end with dhamma (no letter for the doer — it is hidden/mustatir):
| Mood | Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Marfu' (default) | dhamma — ُ | يَنْصُرُ |
| Mansub (nasb) | fatha — َ | يَنْصُرَ |
| Majzoom (jazm) | sukoon — ْ | يَنْصُرْ |
The hammer particle لَنْ forces nasb (fatha). The chopper particle لَمْ forces jazm (sukoon).
Group 2: The Noon of I'rab Group
These seven forms show their i'rab through the noon:
- Rafa': noon is present (يَنْصُرَانِ, يَنْصُرُونَ, تَنْصُرِينَ…)
- Nasb or Jazm: noon is dropped (يَنْصُرَا, يَنْصُرُوا, تَنْصُرِي…)
To distinguish nasb from jazm when the noon is gone: look at the particle before the verb — a hammer particle = nasb; a chopper particle = jazm.
Group 3: The Fixed Group (Mabni)
Forms 6 and 12 (يَفْعَلْنَ / تَفْعَلْنَ — the هُنَّ and أَنْتُنَّ forms) never change. Their noon is the noon of the pronoun (not the noon of i'rab) and cannot be removed by any particle. Even لَنْ and لَمْ produce no visible change.
Summary Table of All Three Groups
| Group | Marfu' | Mansub (with لَنْ) | Majzoom (with لَمْ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mustatir | يَنْصُرُ | لَنْ يَنْصُرَ | لَمْ يَنْصُرْ |
| Noon of i'rab | يَنْصُرَانِ | لَنْ يَنْصُرَا | لَمْ يَنْصُرَا |
| Mabni (fixed) | يَنْصُرْنَ | لَنْ يَنْصُرْنَ | لَمْ يَنْصُرْنَ |
Nasb Particles (Hammers) — Preview
Particles that force nasb (fatha / remove noon): لَنْ، أَنْ، كَيْ، إِذَنْ Full treatment in Part 2 of this lesson.
Jazm Particles (Choppers) — Preview
Particles that force jazm (sukoon / remove noon): لَمْ، لَمَّا Also: conditional structures. Full treatment in Part 2.
Summary
- Only isms and mudari' verbs have i'rab; madi, amr, and huruf are mabni (fixed)
- Mudari' i'rab states: marfu' (default), mansub, majzoom — never majroor
- Particles divide into impacting (aamil) and non-impacting (ghayru aamil)
- Group 1 (mustatir): dhamma = rafa', fatha = nasb, sukoon = jazm
- Group 2 (noon of i'rab): noon present = rafa', noon absent = nasb or jazm (particle before tells which)
- Group 3 (mabni noon): never changes regardless of particle before it
Terminology Reference
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| مُعْرَبٌ | mu`rab | declinable — word that changes its ending for grammatical reasons | ISM |
| مَبْنِيٌّ | mabni | indeclinable — word with a fixed ending | ISM |
| عَامِلٌ | `āmil | impacting particle — changes the ending of the word after it | HARF |
| مَرْفُوعٌ | marfu` | in rafa' (nominative) — default/base mood of the mudari' | ISM |
| مَنْصُوبٌ | mansub | in nasb (accusative/subjunctive mood) | ISM |
| مَجْزُومٌ | majzoom | in jazm (jussive mood) — only possible for mudari', never for ism | ISM |
| نُونُ الإِعْرَابِ | nūn al-i`rāb | the noon of i'rab — dropped when the verb becomes mansub or majzoom | ISM |
| لَنْ | lan | never / will not — nasb particle (hammer); forces fatha on mudari' | HARF |
| لَمْ | lam | did not — jazm particle (chopper); forces sukoon on mudari' | HARF |