الأفعالA1

فعل الأمر

Imperative (command) form derived from present tense: اُكتُب (write!), اِقرَأ (read!), اِذهَب (go!)

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

اُكتُب اسمكَ هنا.

Write your name here.

اِقرَأ هذا الكتاب.

Read this book.

اِذهَب إلى المدرسة.

Go to the school.

اِفتَح الباب من فضلك.

Open the door, please.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

فعل الأمر — The Imperative

Commands are formed by removing the present-tense prefix and adding a hamzat wasl if needed.

PresentImperativeMeaning
يَكتُبُاُكتُبWrite!
يَقرَأُاِقرَأRead!
يَذهَبُاِذهَبGo!
يَفتَحُاِفتَحOpen!

Steps: 1) Take the أنتَ present form (تَكتُبُ). 2) Remove تـ prefix. 3) If the remaining starts with a consonant cluster, add اِ (kasra) or اُ (damma if middle vowel is damma). Result: اُكتُب.

Learners try to use the present tense for commands instead of deriving the imperative form. Also confusing hamza vowel: اُكتُب (damma because of كتُب) vs اِذهَب (kasra). English speakers: English imperatives are just the base verb ("write!"). Arabic requires removing prefixes and adding specific vowels. Russian speakers: Russian imperatives (пиши!) are also derived forms. Arabic is similar but the derivation rules differ — focus on the middle vowel. Czech speakers: Czech piš!/čti! are also derived. Arabic derivation follows a predictable pattern from the present tense stem.

اُكتُب اسمكَ هنا.

Write your name here.

اُكتُب (uktub) = write! Derived from يَكتُبُ: remove يـ → كتُب → add اُ (damma matches the middle vowel ُ).

اِقرَأ هذا الكتاب.

Read this book.

اِقرَأ (iqra') = read! From يَقرَأُ: remove يـ → قرَأ → add اِ (kasra because middle vowel is fatha).

اِذهَب إلى المدرسة.

Go to the school.

اِذهَب (idhhab) = go! From يَذهَبُ. The kasra (اِ) is used because the middle vowel is fatha.

اِفتَح الباب من فضلك.

Open the door, please.

اِفتَح (iftah) = open! من فضلك (min fadlak) = please (lit. 'from your grace').

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