By grammatical person, ghāʾib refers to the one being spoken about (third person), ḥāḍir/mukhāṭab to the one addressed (second person), and mutakallim to the speaker (first person). A third-person referent need not be physically absent; the grammatical distinction concerns address.
Word / formMeaning / explanation
كَتَبَhe wrote; third person.
كَتَبْتَyou (male singular) wrote; second person.
كَتَبْتُI wrote; first person.
All three are past forms, but they identify the doer differently.
Opening interactive controls...
Introduction to ʿIlm al-Ṣarf and Basic Terminology
By grammatical person, ghāʾib refers to the one being spoken about (third person), ḥāḍir/mukhāṭab to the one addressed (second person), and mutakallim to the speaker (first person). A third-person referent need not be physically absent; the grammatical distinction concerns address.
Word / formMeaning / explanation
كَتَبَhe wrote; third person.
كَتَبْتَyou (male singular) wrote; second person.
كَتَبْتُI wrote; first person.
All three are past forms, but they identify the doer differently.