Original chapter, full translation, valency, aʿṭā vs. ʿalima, seven three-object verbs, parsing and practice Read the bilingual lesson for Intransitive and Transitive Verbs: One, Two, Three Objects and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. New Chapter: Verb Transitivity
فَصْلٌ: الْفِعْلُ اللَّازِمُ وَالْمُتَعَدِّي
Translation: Chapter: intransitive and transitive verbs.
This chapter contrasts intransitive and transitive verbs, then one-, two-, and three-object patterns, with parsing and when an object can be left unspoken.
2. Author’s Definition: Transitive
الْفِعْلُ إِمَّا مُتَعَدٍّ، وَهُوَ مَا يَتَوَقَّفُ فَهْمُ مَعْنَاهُ عَلَى مُتَعَلَّقٍ غَيْرِ الْفَاعِلِ، كَضَرَبَ زَيْدٌ عَمْرًا
Translation: A verb may be transitive: understanding its meaning depends on something related to it beyond the subject, such as Zayd struck ʿAmr.
The meaning calls for a participant beyond the doer. In ḍaraba Zaydun ʿAmran, ʿAmr is the accusative direct object.
3. Author’s Definition: Intransitive
وَإِمَّا لَازِمٌ، وَهُوَ مَا بِخِلَافِهِ، كَقَعَدَ زَيْدٌ
Translation: The other type is intransitive, the opposite of transitive, as in Zayd sat.
An intransitive verb can form a complete predicate with its subject; it does not take a direct object in this use.
4. Contrast with Parallel Sentences
Qāma Zaydun has no direct object; fataḥa Zaydun al-bāba has one. Count objects governed by the verb, not simply the nouns in the sentence.
5. Parsing an Intransitive Sentence
جَلَسَ الطَّالِبُ
Translation: The student sat.
Jalasa is a past verb; al-ṭālibu is the nominative subject. There is no accusative direct object.
6. Parsing a Transitive Sentence
قَرَأَ الطَّالِبُ الْكِتَابَ
Translation: The student read the book.
Qaraʾa is a past verb; al-ṭālibu is nominative subject; al-kitāba is the accusative direct object.
7. Not Every Dependent Is an Object
The phrase ilā al-masjidi is prepositional (genitive after ilā), not a direct accusative object. A verb can take other complements and still be intransitive directly.
8. Transitivity through a Preposition
Dhahabtu bi-Zaydin uses a preposition to extend the meaning; Zayd is genitive, not an accusative object. This is preposition-mediated transitivity.
9. Commentary: Mediated Transitivity
The commentary lists raghiba ilayhi and aʿraḍa ʿanhu as taking complements through prepositions. Do not count a genitive prepositional phrase as a direct accusative object.
10. Causative Hamza
Dhahaba is intransitive; adhhabtu Zaydan is causative, now taking an accusative object.
11. Causative Doubling
Fariḥa means “was happy”; farraḥtu means “I made someone happy”. Stem doubling can create a transitive causative.
12. Further Ways to Change Valency
The commentary illustrates māshaytuhu and istakhrajtuhu. Verb pattern alone does not guarantee that every member of that pattern behaves identically.
13. A Transitive Verb Can Become Intransitive
Qaṭaʿa is transitive with al-ḥabla as object; inqaṭaʿa is intransitive with al-ḥablu as subject. This demonstrates a change of verb pattern and valency.
14. Another Intransitive Pattern
Daḥraja can take an object, whereas tadaḥraja here is intransitive. The same general meaning appears with different syntax.
15. How Many Direct Objects?
The chapter divides direct transitivity into one-, two- and three-object types; count governed accusative objects, not any attached phrases.
16. One Object: Original Wording
وَالْمُتَعَدِّي يَكُونُ إِلَى مَفْعُولٍ وَاحِدٍ، كَضَرَبَ زَيْدٌ عَمْرًا
Translation: A transitive verb may take one direct object, as in Zayd struck ʿAmr.
Zayd is the nominative subject, and ʿAmran the sole accusative direct object.
17. One-Object Worked Example
حَفِظَ الطَّالِبُ الدَّرْسَ
Translation: The student memorized the lesson.
Ḥafiẓa is the past verb; al-ṭālibu is nominative subject; al-darsa is the single accusative object.
18. Two Objects: Author’s Example
وَإِلَى مَفْعُولَيْنِ، كَأَعْطَى زَيْدٌ عَمْرًا دِرْهَمًا
Translation: Or it takes two objects, as in Zayd gave ʿAmr a dirham.
Zayd is subject, ʿAmran the recipient (first object), dirhaman the thing given (second object). Both are accusative.
19. Parsing Aʿṭā with Two Objects
أَعْطَى زَيْدٌ عَمْرًا دِرْهَمًا
Translation: Zayd gave ʿAmr a dirham.
Aʿṭā is a past verb built on estimated fatḥa on final alif; Zayd is nominative subject, ʿAmr and dirham are its two accusative objects.
20. Aʿṭā Allows One Object to Be Expressed
وَيَجُوزُ فِيهِ الِاقْتِصَارُ عَلَى أَحَدِ مَفْعُولَيْهِ، كَأَعْطَيْتُ زَيْدًا وَأَعْطَيْتُ دِرْهَمًا
Translation: It is permissible to mention only one of its two objects, as in “I gave Zayd [something]” or “I gave a dirham [to someone]”.
The gift verb can mention only the recipient or only the gift when the discourse supplies the rest.
21. Expressing Only the Recipient
Aʿṭaytu Zaydan mentions the recipient alone; the object given is left unexpressed.
22. Expressing Only the Gift
Aʿṭaytu dirhaman mentions only the thing given. The recipient is not explicitly identified.
23. Why Aʿṭā Permits This
The recipient and the transferred object are separate entities, not a subject–predicate proposition. This permits selective mention of either object.
24. The Distinction: Verbs of Knowing
بِخِلَافِ بَابِ عَلِمْتُ
Translation: Unlike the ʿalimtu type.
The two objects of ʿalimtu in its proposition-knowing sense form a predicate relationship; they are not two independent entities like recipient and gift.
25. The Underlying Nominal Sentence
ʿAmrun fāḍilun is a complete nominal proposition: ʿAmr is subject (mubtadaʾ), fāḍilun predicate (khabar).
26. What Changes after ʿAlimtu?
The nominal proposition becomes the two accusative objects of ʿalimtu; ʿAmr and “learned” remain linked as subject and predicate in meaning.
27. Why the Two Objects Form a Unit
A proposition-knowing use needs both informational parts. In another lexical meaning, ʿalimtu may take one object, meaning “I knew/recognized him”; do not confuse the senses.
28. Same Accusative, Different Relationship
Both constructions have two accusative objects, but the first is recipient-plus-gift; the second represents a subject-plus-predicate proposition.
29. Three Objects: Original Text
وَإِلَى ثَلَاثَةِ مَفَاعِيلَ، نَحْوَ أَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ زَيْدًا عَمْرًا فَاضِلًا
Translation: Or it can take three objects, as in the author’s illustrative sentence: God informed Zayd that ʿAmr was learned.
The author illustrates a three-object structure. The sentence is a hypothetical syntactic example, not a report of a historical or religious occurrence.
30. Three Objects in a Classroom Example
Aʿlama al-muʿallimu Zaydan ʿAmran fāḍilan: recipient = Zayd, subject of reported proposition = ʿAmr, predicate = learned.
31. Complete Three-Object Parsing
أَعْلَمَ الْمُعَلِّمُ زَيْدًا عَمْرًا فَاضِلًا
Translation: The teacher informed Zayd that ʿAmr is learned.
Aʿlama governs three objects: Zayd, ʿAmr and fāḍilan, all accusative; al-muʿallimu is nominative subject.
32. Objects Two and Three as a Proposition
The second and third objects preserve the original proposition ʿAmrun fāḍilun. Aʿlama adds a separate first object naming the informee.
33. All Seven Three-Object Verbs
The textbook gives seven verbs that can take three objects in the reporting/informing construction: aʿlama, arā, anbaʾa, nabbaʾa, akhbara, khabbara, ḥaddatha. Valency depends on use and meaning.
34. Six Listed in Addition to Aʿlama
وَمِنْهُ أَرَى وَأَنْبَأَ وَنَبَّأَ وَأَخْبَرَ وَخَبَّرَ وَحَدَّثَ
Translation: Also of this type are arā, anbaʾa, nabbaʾa, akhbara, khabbara and ḥaddatha.
The six names in this clause are added to aʿlama just introduced, giving a total of seven.
35. A Recipient and an Information Unit
There are two semantic groups: object one (recipient) and objects two + three as one proposition. This grouping explains omission rules.
36. Author’s Rule: First versus Last Pair
وَهَذِهِ الْأَفْعَالُ السَّبْعَةُ مَفْعُولُهَا الْأَوَّلُ مَعَ الْأَخِيرَيْنِ كَمَفْعُولَي أَعْطَيْتُ فِي جَوَازِ الِاقْتِصَارِ عَلَى أَحَدِهِمَا
Translation: For these seven verbs, the first object versus the last two taken together behave like the two objects of aʿṭaytu, in that either side may be left unexpressed.
Like recipient and gift in aʿṭaytu, the recipient and the complete information unit can occur independently. But the two parts of the proposition remain linked.
37. Mentioning Only the Informee
Aʿlamtu Zaydan states the recipient but not the content. The information may be understood from context.
38. Mentioning Only the Information
Aʿlamtu ʿAmran fāḍilan expresses the content proposition and leaves the informee unmentioned. This is a three-object informing sense with omitted first object.
39. Why the Last Two Stay Paired
وَالثَّانِي مَعَ الثَّالِثِ كَمَفْعُولَي عَلِمْتُ فِي عَدَمِ جَوَازِ الِاقْتِصَارِ عَلَى أَحَدِهِمَا
Translation: The second and third objects resemble the pair in ʿalimtu: in this construction one cannot leave just one of them standing as the intended proposition.
Objects two and three correspond to the subject and predicate objects of ʿalimtu: the information is a complete proposition.
40. The Author’s Contrast: Incomplete versus Complete
فَلَا يُقَالُ أَعْلَمْتُ زَيْدًا خَيْرَ النَّاسِ، بَلْ يُقَالُ أَعْلَمْتُ زَيْدًا عَمْرًا خَيْرَ النَّاسِ
Translation: In this pattern one does not omit the subject of the reported predicate; instead one says: I informed Zayd that ʿAmr was the best of people.
In the rejected construction, “best of people” lacks its linked subject as part of the reported proposition. The corrected construction states both ʿAmr and the predicate.
41. Identify the First Object by Meaning
In this three-object informing construction, Khālid receives the news; Bakr is its subject and nājiḥan its predicate.
42. Objects Can Be Pronouns
In aʿlamtuhu Zaydan ḥāḍiran, the attached object pronoun -hu is object one; Zaydan and ḥāḍiran are the proposition (objects two and three).
43. Two Objects Need Different Tests
Aʿṭaytu relates a recipient to an object; ʿalimtu relates a person to a predicate. Different semantic pairing means different omission behavior.
44. A Three-Step Parsing Method
Identify verb and subject, then true accusative objects, then the semantic relationships among them. Not every accusative expression is a direct object.
45. Direct Object versus Circumstantial Ḥāl
Musriʿan is accusative ḥāl, not direct object; the verb jāʾa remains intransitive in this example.
46. Do Not Count the Maṣdar as Direct Object
Julūsan is a cognate/absolute object (mafʿūl muṭlaq), not a regular direct object that would make jalasa transitive.
47. Omitted versus Absent Object
Kataba can remain lexically transitive even without an overt object; qāma is normally intransitive. An unspoken object and a verb that takes no object are different.
48. Connection to the Previous Passive Chapter
In a standard passive of a ditransitive, one object becomes nominative nāʾib al-fāʿil; the other may remain accusative. Not every object is raised.
49. Quick Parsing Drill
Four progressively complex model sentences: nāma (zero objects); shariba (one); aʿṭā (two); aʿlama (three). The final two objects of the last sentence form a proposition.
50. Self-Test: The Central Distinction
If object two can predicate something about object one, the pair is proposition-like. ʿAmrun fāḍilun is meaningful; ʿAmrun dirhamun is not.
51. Integrated Summary
Intransitive needs no direct object; transitive constructions can have one, two or three. Distinguish the gift pattern, the proposition pair in ʿalima and the recipient-plus-proposition in aʿlama.
52. Next: The Verbs of the Heart
فَصْلٌ: أَفْعَالُ الْقُلُوبِ
Translation: Chapter: the verbs of the heart.
Next chapter treats the verbs of the heart, including ʿalima, ẓanna, ḥasiba, and the topics of iʾghāʾ and taʿlīq. The foundation is the difference between giving and proposition-knowing.
Practice questions
Question 1
What is the verb type in jalasa Zaydun?
- One-object transitive
- Two-object transitive
- Intransitive
- Passive
Question 2
In the author’s definition, what does a transitive verb depend on?
- Only nominative subject
- Always on a preposition
- Only past tense
- A complement beyond the subject
Question 3
Direct object in ḍaraba Zaydun ʿAmran?
Question 4
Role of Zaydun in qāma Zaydun?
- Direct object
- Nominative subject
- Predicate of kāna
- Circumstantial
Question 5
The one object of qaraʾa al-ṭālibu al-kitāba?
- Al-ṭālibu
- Qaraʾa
- Al-kitāba
- Whole sentence
Question 6
Case of al-masjidi after ilā?
- Accusative object
- Nominative subject
- Accusative predicate
- Genitive
Question 7
Case of Zayd in dhahabtu bi-Zaydin?
- Genitive after bāʾ
- Accusative object
- Nominative subject
- Accusative ḥāl
Question 8
The causative of dhahaba in the commentary?
Question 9
What change yields farraḥa from fariḥa?
- Emphatic nūn
- Adding a preposition
- Doubling the middle radical
- Adding nunation
Question 10
Role of al-ḥablu in inqaṭaʿa al-ḥablu?
- Accusative object
- Absolute object
- Genitive after bāʾ
- Nominative subject
Question 11
Object-count groups in this chapter?
- One, two, three
- Only one
- Only two
- Four and five
Question 12
Subject of aʿṭā Zaydun ʿAmran dirhaman?
Question 13
First object in the aʿṭā example?
Question 14
Second object in aʿṭā Zaydun ʿAmran dirhaman?
Question 15
Which object is expressed in aʿṭaytu Zaydan?
- Only first object
- Only second object
- Both objects
- No object
Question 16
Which object is expressed in aʿṭaytu dirhaman?
- Only recipient/first object
- Only the gift/second object
- Both objects
- Overt subject
Question 17
Why may aʿṭā mention just one object?
- Second predicates the first
- First is a preposition
- The objects are separate entities
- Verb is intransitive
Question 18
What structure is ʿAmrun fāḍilun?
- Verb and subject
- Iḍāfa
- Preposition and genitive
- Subject and predicate
Question 19
Role of fāḍilan after ʿalimtu?
- Second object
- Subject
- Preposition
- Absolute object
Question 20
Role of ʿAmran in ʿalimtu ʿAmran fāḍilan?
- Subject
- First object
- Third object
- Genitive
Question 21
Relation between the two objects of propositional ʿalimtu?
- Recipient and gift
- Verb and preposition
- Underlying subject and predicate
- Adjective and substitute
Question 22
Why is ʿalimtu Zaydan incomplete as proposition-knowing?
- Zayd is genitive
- There is no verb
- It is passive
- Predicate information is missing
Question 23
Object count in aʿlama al-muʿallimu Zaydan ʿAmran fāḍilan?
Question 24
Subject of the three-object classroom example?
- Zaydan
- Al-muʿallimu
- ʿAmran
- Fāḍilan
Question 25
Role of Zaydan in the classroom example?
- Second object: topic
- Third object: predicate
- First object: informee
- Subject
Question 26
Role of ʿAmran in that example?
- Informant
- First object: informee
- Absolute object
- Second object: proposition subject
Question 27
Role of fāḍilan in that example?
- Third object: predicate
- Subject
- First object
- Subject substitute
Question 28
How many three-object informing verbs does the author list?
Question 29
Which verb belongs to the seven?
Question 30
In which sense is arā listed here?
- Only seeing with one object
- Sitting
- Negation
- Causative showing/informing with three objects
Question 31
What is object one of three-object aʿlama analogous to?
- Recipient in aʿṭā
- Predicate of ʿalima
- Preposition
- Subject
Question 32
What do the last two objects of aʿlama form?
- Two independent gifts
- A complete proposition
- Preposition + genitive
- Subject + apposition
Question 33
What is expressed in aʿlamtu Zaydan?
- Only the proposition
- All three objects
- Only the informee
- Only third object
Question 34
What is unexpressed in aʿlamtu ʿAmran fāḍilan in this sense?
- The predicate
- Proposition subject
- The verb
- The informee
Question 35
Why is the author’s incomplete aʿlamtu sentence rejected in this intended construction?
- Missing subject of the proposition
- First object is nominative
- Khayr is genitive
- Verb is passive
Question 36
The author’s complete alternative?
- Aʿlamtu Zaydan khayra al-nāsi
- Aʿlamtu Zaydan ʿAmran khayra al-nāsi
- ʿAlimtu Zaydun khayran
- Aʿṭaytu Zaydan khayru al-nāsi
Question 37
Who receives the news in akhbara al-mudarrisu Khālidan Bakran nājiḥan?
- Bakran
- Nājiḥan
- Khālidan
- Al-mudarrisu
Question 38
Who is the subject of the reported proposition?
- Khālidan
- Al-mudarrisu
- Nājiḥan
- Bakran
Question 39
Role of -hu in aʿlamtuhu Zaydan ḥāḍiran?
- First object
- Third object
- Subject
- Preposition
Question 40
Role of musriʿan in jāʾa al-ṭālibu musriʿan?
- Direct object
- Circumstantial ḥāl
- Second object
- Ism inna
Question 41
Role of julūsan in jalasa Zaydun julūsan?
- Direct object
- Subject
- Absolute object
- Predicate
Question 42
No overt object after kataba Zaydun: what follows?
- It must become intransitive
- The sentence must be passive
- Zayd becomes object
- The verb can still be transitive
Question 43
Role of ʿAmrun in passive uʿṭiya ʿAmrun dirhaman?
- Proxy subject
- Second accusative object
- Genitive
- Circumstantial
Question 44
Role of dirhaman in uʿṭiya ʿAmrun dirhaman?
- Nominative proxy subject
- Remaining accusative object
- Active subject
- Genitive
Question 45
Which pair has a predicative relationship?
- ʿAmrun dirhamun
- Zaydun kitābun
- ʿAmrun fāḍilun
- Khālidun bābun
Question 46
How many direct objects in aʿṭā al-abu al-ṭifla māʾan?
Question 47
Third object of aʿlama al-abu al-ṭifla Khālidan marīḍan?
- Marīḍan
- Al-ṭifla
- Khālidan
- Al-abu
Question 48
Best test for direct transitivity in parsing?
- Length of sentence
- Syntactic relation to a direct object
- Number of nouns
- Any occurrence of fatḥa
Question 49
In qāma Zaydun, Zayd is a subject, not an object.
Question 50
Al-sūqi after ilā is accusative direct object.
Question 51
The commentary illustrates making an intransitive verb transitive with causative hamza.
Question 52
Every augmented verb necessarily takes three objects.
Question 53
Aʿṭaytu Zaydan expresses only the first object.
Question 54
Two objects of aʿṭā and propositional ʿalima behave identically.
Question 55
Two objects of propositional ʿalimtu correspond to mubtadaʾ and khabar.
Question 56
The seven reporting verbs include aʿlama.
Question 57
Either of the last two objects of three-object aʿlama alone conveys the full proposition.
Question 58
Aʿlamtu Zaydan may be used without expressing the content when context supplies it.
Question 59
Musriʿan is accusative because it is a direct object.
Question 60
A cognate accusative julūsan does not make jalasa transitive.
Question 61
In passive uʿṭiya ʿAmrun dirhaman, the dirham may remain accusative.
Question 62
Kataba must be intransitive just because its object is unspoken.
Open the interactive quiz