Rules of the Fāʿil: Explicit Nouns, Pronouns, Number and Gender

1. The Verb and Its Subject — Original Text

وَكُلُّ فِعْلٍ لَا بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْ فَاعِلٍ مَرْفُوعٍ مَظْهَرٍ، كَـ«ذَهَبَ زَيْدٌ»، أَوْ مُضْمَرٍ بَارِزٍ، كَـ«ضَرَبْتُ زَيْدًا»، أَوْ مُسْتَتِرٍ، كَـ«زَيْدٌ ذَهَبَ».
Translation: Every verb must have a nominative subject (fāʿil). The subject may be an explicit noun, as in «ذَهَبَ زَيْدٌ»; an attached, visible pronoun, as in «ضَرَبْتُ زَيْدًا»; or a concealed pronoun, as in «زَيْدٌ ذَهَبَ».

2. Why Every Verb Requires a Subject

A verb expresses an action or state, and the sentence attributes it to a subject. The subject may be a separate noun, an attached pronoun, or a concealed pronoun understood from the verb form. Thus a subject is grammatically present even when it is not written as a separate word.

3. Example 1: ذَهَبَ زَيْدٌ

ذَهَبَ زَيْدٌ — Zayd went.

ذَهَبَ: past-tense verb, third-person masculine singular, built on fatḥ.
زَيْدٌ: explicit subject, nominative, with visible ḍamma. This is a ظاهر فاعل.

4. Example 2: ضَرَبْتُ زَيْدًا

ضَرَبْتُ زَيْدًا — I struck Zayd.

ضَرَبْتُ is a past-tense verb; the attached تُ is a first-person singular pronoun functioning as the subject in the nominative position. زَيْدًا is the direct object, accusative with visible fatḥa. The subject is a visible attached pronoun, not a separate noun.

5. Example 3: زَيْدٌ ذَهَبَ

زَيْدٌ ذَهَبَ — Zayd went away.

زَيْدٌ is the nominative subject of a nominal sentence (mubtadaʾ). ذَهَبَ is a past-tense verb whose concealed subject is «هُوَ», referring back to Zayd. The complete verbal clause, including its subject, functions as the predicate of the mubtadaʾ.

6. The Three Forms of the Subject

Explicit noun: Zayd in «ذَهَبَ زَيْدٌ».
Visible pronoun: the tāʾ in «ضَرَبْتُ زَيْدًا».
Concealed pronoun: the understood «هُوَ» in «زَيْدٌ ذَهَبَ».

All three are subjects and occupy the nominative role.

7. Transitive Verb and Direct Object — Original Text

وَإِنْ كَانَ الْفِعْلُ مُتَعَدِّيًا، كَانَ لَهُ مَفْعُولٌ بِهِ أَيْضًا، نَحْوَ: «ضَرَبَ زَيْدٌ عَمْرًا».
Translation: If the verb is transitive, it also has a direct object, as in «ضَرَبَ زَيْدٌ عَمْرًا».

8. Example 4: ضَرَبَ زَيْدٌ عَمْرًا

ضَرَبَ زَيْدٌ عَمْرًا — Zayd struck ʿAmr.

ضَرَبَ is a third-person masculine singular past verb, built on fatḥ. زَيْدٌ is the nominative subject. عَمْرًا is the accusative direct object. The subject is the one to whom the action is attributed; the object receives the action.

9. Distinguishing Subject from Object

Translation alone is not enough; identify each word’s grammatical role. In «ضَرَبَ زَيْدٌ عَمْرًا», Zayd is the subject because the striking is attributed to him; ʿAmr is the object because the action falls on him. The subject is nominative, while the direct object is accusative.

10. With an Explicit Noun Subject, the Verb Is Singular — Original Text

وَإِنْ كَانَ الْفَاعِلُ مَظْهَرًا، وُحِّدَ الْفِعْلُ أَبَدًا، نَحْوَ: «ضَرَبَ زَيْدٌ»، وَ«ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدَانِ»، وَ«ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدُونَ».
Translation: When the subject is an explicit noun, the verb remains singular, as in «ضَرَبَ زَيْدٌ», «ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدَانِ», and «ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدُونَ».

11. Why This Rule Matters

When an explicit noun follows the verb as its subject, the verb remains singular in this construction even if the subject is dual or plural. Thus «ضَرَبَ» is singular in «ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدَانِ» and «ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدُونَ», while the explicit subjects themselves are dual and plural respectively.

12. Parsing: ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدَانِ

ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدَانِ — The two Zayds struck.

ضَرَبَ is a singular third-person masculine past verb, built on fatḥ. الزَّيْدَانِ is the nominative dual subject, marked by alif. The singular verb does not conflict with the dual subject because the subject is an explicit noun.

13. Parsing: ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدُونَ

ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدُونَ — The Zayds struck.

ضَرَبَ is a singular third-person masculine past verb. الزَّيْدُونَ is the nominative subject, a sound masculine plural marked by wāw. The verb remains singular.

14. When the Subject Is a Pronoun

When the subject is an attached or concealed pronoun, the verb form corresponds to that pronoun’s number and gender. The subject is not a separate explicit noun; it is attached to or understood within the verb, so agreement appears in the verb form.

15. Pronoun Subject: Singular, Dual, Plural — Original Text

وَإِنْ كَانَ مُضْمَرًا، وُحِّدَ لِلْوَاحِدِ، نَحْوَ: «زَيْدٌ ضَرَبَ» وَ«هِنْدٌ ضَرَبَتْ»، وَثُنِّيَ لِلْمُثَنَّى، نَحْوَ: «الزَّيْدَانِ ضَرَبَا»، وَجُمِعَ لِلْجَمْعِ، نَحْوَ: «الزَّيْدُونَ ضَرَبُوا».
Translation: When the subject is a pronoun, the verb is singular for one («زَيْدٌ ضَرَبَ», «هِنْدٌ ضَرَبَتْ»), dual for two («الزَّيْدَانِ ضَرَبَا»), and plural for a group («الزَّيْدُونَ ضَرَبُوا»).

16. Singular: Zayd and Hind

زَيْدٌ ضَرَبَ — Zayd struck. The concealed subject of «ضَرَبَ» is «هُوَ».

هِنْدٌ ضَرَبَتْ — Hind struck. The verb has feminine tāʾ, while its concealed subject is «هِيَ». The verb is feminine to agree with the feminine subject.

17. Dual: The Two Zayds Struck

الزَّيْدَانِ ضَرَبَا — The two Zayds struck. الزَّيْدَانِ is a nominative dual mubtadaʾ marked by alif. ضَرَبَا is a past verb; its dual alif is an attached pronoun functioning as the subject. The verbal clause is the predicate. Dual agreement appears because the subject is a pronoun.

18. Plural: The Zayds Struck

الزَّيْدُونَ ضَرَبُوا — The Zayds struck. الزَّيْدُونَ is a nominative plural mubtadaʾ marked by wāw. ضَرَبُوا is a past verb; wāw al-jamāʿa is the attached subject pronoun. The alif after it is a written distinguishing alif and is not pronounced. The verbal clause is the predicate.

19. Compare Explicit Nouns and Pronouns

In «ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدَانِ», the subject is an explicit noun, so the verb remains singular. In «الزَّيْدَانِ ضَرَبَا», the subject is the dual pronoun attached to the verb, so dual agreement appears. Likewise, compare «ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدُونَ» with «الزَّيْدُونَ ضَرَبُوا».

20. Real Feminine Subject and Feminine Verb — Original Text

وَإِنْ كَانَ الْفَاعِلُ مُؤَنَّثًا حَقِيقِيًّا، وَهُوَ مَا يُزَايِلُهُ ذَكَرٌ مِنَ الْحَيَوَانِ، أُنِّثَ الْفِعْلُ أَبَدًا إِنْ لَمْ تُفْصَلْ بَيْنَ الْفِعْلِ وَالْفَاعِلِ، نَحْوَ: «قَامَتْ هِنْدٌ»؛ فَإِنْ فُصِلَتْ ...
Translation: If the subject is genuinely feminine—that is, its animal kind has a male counterpart—the verb must be feminine when nothing separates the verb from its subject, as in «قَامَتْ هِنْدٌ». If something separates them…

21. What Is a Real Feminine?

In the book’s terminology, a real feminine is of a kind in which an animal male counterpart exists, such as a woman named Hind. A non-real/grammatical feminine does not involve that real male–female contrast, as with «الشمس». This distinction affects whether feminine agreement is obligatory or optional.

22. قَامَتْ هِنْدٌ — Full Parsing

قَامَتْ هِنْدٌ — Hind stood up.

قَامَتْ is a past verb with feminine tāʾ; the tāʾ is an agreement marker, not the subject. هِنْدٌ is the nominative subject, marked by ḍamma. Because the subject is genuinely feminine and immediately follows the verb, feminine agreement is obligatory.

23. Separated Real Feminine Subject — Original Text

فَلَكَ الْخِيَارُ فِي التَّذْكِيرِ وَالتَّأْنِيثِ، نَحْوَ: «ضَرَبَ الْيَوْمَ هِنْدٌ»، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ قُلْتَ: «ضَرَبَتِ الْيَوْمَ هِنْدٌ».
Translation: Then either masculine or feminine agreement is allowed, as in «ضَرَبَ الْيَوْمَ هِنْدٌ» or «ضَرَبَتِ الْيَوْمَ هِنْدٌ».

24. How Separation Changes the Rule

If the subject is genuinely feminine but a word separates it from the verb, the book allows either masculine or feminine agreement. In «ضَرَبَ الْيَوْمَ هِنْدٌ», «الْيَوْمَ» separates the verb and subject; «ضَرَبَتِ الْيَوْمَ هِنْدٌ» is also allowed. Without separation, as in «قَامَتْ هِنْدٌ», feminine agreement is obligatory.

25. Parsing: ضَرَبَ الْيَوْمَ هِنْدٌ

ضَرَبَ الْيَوْمَ هِنْدٌ — Hind struck today.

ضَرَبَ is a singular masculine past verb. الْيَوْمَ is an accusative adverb of time related to the verb. هِنْدٌ is the nominative subject. Masculine agreement is allowed because the adverb separates the verb and the genuinely feminine subject.

26. Non-Real Feminine — Both Forms Allowed

The book allows either masculine or feminine agreement with a non-real/grammatical feminine, whether the subject immediately follows the verb or is separated from it. Examples: «طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ» and «طَلَعَ الشَّمْسُ». Therefore, feminine agreement is not obligatory with every grammatically feminine noun.

27. Both Forms: The Sun Rose

طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ — The sun rose. The form طَلَعَ الشَّمْسُ is also allowed.

طَلَعَتْ / طَلَعَ is a past verb. الشَّمْسُ is the nominative subject, marked by ḍamma. Since «الشمس» is treated as non-real/grammatical feminine here, either agreement form is permitted.

28. Feminine Subject as a Pronoun

When the subject is a concealed pronoun, the verb form agrees with that pronoun. In «الشَّمْسُ طَلَعَتْ», «الشمس» is the mubtadaʾ, while the subject of «طَلَعَتْ» is the concealed pronoun «هِيَ». The verb is feminine; the optional-agreement rule for an explicit subject does not apply in the same way.

29. الشَّمْسُ طَلَعَتْ — Full Parsing

الشَّمْسُ طَلَعَتْ — The sun rose.

الشَّمْسُ is a nominative mubtadaʾ, marked by ḍamma. طَلَعَتْ is a past verb whose concealed subject is «هِيَ». The verbal clause, including its subject, functions as the predicate. The verb is feminine to agree with the feminine pronoun.

30. Broken Plural and Verb Agreement — Original Text

وَجَمْعُ التَّكْسِيرِ كَالْمُؤَنَّثِ الْحَقِيقِيِّ، تَقُولُ: «قَامَ الرِّجَالُ»، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ قُلْتَ: «قَامَتِ الرِّجَالُ»، وَالرِّجَالُ قَامَتْ، وَيَجُوزُ فِيهِ: «الرِّجَالُ قَامُوا».
Translation: A broken plural is treated like a real feminine for this agreement rule. One may say «قَامَ الرِّجَالُ» or «قَامَتِ الرِّجَالُ»; «الرِّجَالُ قَامَتْ» is also found, and «الرِّجَالُ قَامُوا» is permitted.

31. Verb Agreement with a Broken Plural

«الرِّجَالُ» is a broken plural. When it follows the verb as an explicit subject, the book allows both «قَامَ الرِّجَالُ» and «قَامَتِ الرِّجَالُ». When the broken plural comes first, «الرِّجَالُ قَامَتْ» is also given, and «الرِّجَالُ قَامُوا» is allowed. For this agreement discussion, the book compares broken plurals to real feminine subjects.

32. Parsing: Both Forms with الرِّجَالُ

قَامَ الرِّجَالُ and قَامَتِ الرِّجَالُ — The men stood.

In both sentences, الرِّجَالُ is the nominative subject. The first uses a masculine singular verb; the second uses feminine tāʾ. The book allows both forms with this broken plural.

33. Parsing: Two Word Orders with الرِّجَالُ

الرِّجَالُ قَامَتْ — The men stood. الرِّجَالُ is the mubtadaʾ; the subject of قَامَتْ is the concealed pronoun «هِيَ», and the verbal clause is the predicate.

In الرِّجَالُ قَامُوا, «الرجال» is the mubtadaʾ; «قاموا» is the past verb, wāw al-jamāʿa is its subject, and the verbal clause is the predicate. The book permits both structures.

34. Comprehensive Comparison of the Rules

Explicit noun subject after the verb: the verb stays singular; number is shown on the noun.
Pronoun subject: the verb agrees with the pronoun’s number and gender.
Real feminine explicit subject without separation: feminine agreement is obligatory; with separation, either gender is allowed.
Non-real feminine: either masculine or feminine agreement is allowed.
Broken plural: the book gives both agreement forms and also a plural-pronoun construction.

35. Key Grammatical Terms

Fāʿil: the subject to which the action is attributed; fundamentally nominative.
Mafʿūl bih: the direct object receiving the action; generally accusative.
Explicit noun: a written noun, such as Zayd.
Visible pronoun: a pronoun such as «تُ» or «واو الجماعة».
Concealed pronoun: an understood pronoun, such as «هُوَ» in «ذَهَبَ».
Feminine tāʾ: a feminine agreement marker on the verb; it is not itself the subject.

36. Correcting Common Errors

Error: applying the explicit-noun rule to every sentence with a dual subject.
Correct distinction: «ضَرَبَ الزَّيْدَانِ» has an explicit subject, so the verb is singular; «الزَّيْدَانِ ضَرَبَا» has a dual subject pronoun attached to the verb, so the verb is dual.

Error: assuming every grammatically feminine noun requires feminine agreement.
Correct: the rule differs for real versus non-real feminine subjects and according to whether separation occurs.

37. A Practical Parsing Procedure

Use this order for every example: (1) identify the verb; (2) determine whether the subject is an explicit noun or a pronoun; (3) if explicit, check that the verb remains singular; (4) if a pronoun, identify number and gender agreement; (5) for feminine subjects, determine real/non-real status and whether separation occurs; (6) if the verb is transitive, identify the direct object separately.

38. Lesson Summary

The key rules are: every verb has a subject, fundamentally nominative; a transitive verb may also take a direct object; with an explicit noun subject after the verb, the verb remains singular; with a pronoun subject, the verb agrees with that pronoun; feminine agreement is obligatory with an adjacent explicit real-feminine subject, while separation and non-real feminine subjects allow alternatives in the stated cases; the book gives several permitted constructions with broken plurals.