Lesson 39 · كُتِبَ
It was written: the passive
When you don’t say who did something, use the passive. In the past the vowels become u–i: كَتَبَ (he wrote) → كُتِبَ (it was written). In the present they become u–a: يَكْتُبُ → يُكْتَبُ (it is written).
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
كُتِبَ الدَّرْسُ عَلَى السَّبُّورَةِkutiba d-darsu ʿala s-sabbuuratiThe lesson was written on the board.
فُتِحَ الْبَابُfutiḥa l-baabuThe door was opened.
يُمْنَعُ التَّدْخِينُyumnaʿu t-tadkhiinuSmoking is forbidden.
تُفْتَحُ الْمَكْتَبَةُ فِي السَّاعَةِ الثَّامِنَةِtuftaḥu l-maktabatu fis-saaʿati th-thaaminatiThe library is opened at eight o’clock.
وُلِدْتُ فِي لَاهُورَwulidtu fii laahuuraI was born in Lahore.
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُkutiba ʿalaykumu ṣ-ṣiyaamuFasting has been prescribed for you. (2:183)
Key points
- فُتِحَ الْبَابُ the door was opened · يُفْتَحُ الْبَابُ the door is opened. The thing acted on becomes the subject and ends in -u.
- You will see the passive on signs and notices: يُمْنَعُ التَّدْخِينُ (smoking is forbidden), أُغْلِقَ الْمَحَلُّ (the shop was closed).
- In the Quran: كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ (fasting has been prescribed for you, 2:183).
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Say “The window was opened.”
فُتِحَتِ النَّافِذَةُ futiḥati n-naafidhatu
Make the passive of شَرِبَ.
شُرِبَ shuriba
it was drunk
Say “The book was read.”
قُرِئَ الْكِتَابُ quri’a l-kitaabu