An active imperative asks a person to perform an action. A passive imperative calls for an action to be done to someone or something, without explicitly identifying the doer. Internal imperfect vowels help distinguish these voices.
Word / formMeaning / explanation
لِيَفْعَلْlet him do.
لِيُفْعَلْlet it be done to him.
اِفْعَلْdo! (one male).
لِتُفْعَلْlet it be done to you (male).
The imperative lām alone does not tell us the voice; it is the verbal structure that does.
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The Imperative: Active and Passive Paradigms and Formation Rules
An active imperative asks a person to perform an action. A passive imperative calls for an action to be done to someone or something, without explicitly identifying the doer. Internal imperfect vowels help distinguish these voices.
Word / formMeaning / explanation
لِيَفْعَلْlet him do.
لِيُفْعَلْlet it be done to him.
اِفْعَلْdo! (one male).
لِتُفْعَلْlet it be done to you (male).
The imperative lām alone does not tell us the voice; it is the verbal structure that does.