When removing the imperfect prefix leaves a consonant that already has a vowel, no connecting hamzah is needed. This often arises in derived verb forms where the consonant following the imperfect prefix is not sākin.
تُعَلِّمُ → عَلِّمْ — teach!
تُقَدِّمُ → قَدِّمْ — present!
By contrast, تَضْرِبُ → اِضْرِبْ needs hamzat al-waṣl because the ḍād left at the beginning would be sākin. The distinction is the vowel on the new initial consonant, not the word’s length.
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No new hamzah after a vowelled first consonant
The Imperative: Active and Passive Paradigms and Formation Rules
When removing the imperfect prefix leaves a consonant that already has a vowel, no connecting hamzah is needed. This often arises in derived verb forms where the consonant following the imperfect prefix is not sākin.
تُعَلِّمُ → عَلِّمْ — teach!
تُقَدِّمُ → قَدِّمْ — present!
By contrast, تَضْرِبُ → اِضْرِبْ needs hamzat al-waṣl because the ḍād left at the beginning would be sākin. The distinction is the vowel on the new initial consonant, not the word’s length.