Lesson 61 · سَافَرَ
Doing it with someone, and things that just happen: Forms III and VII
Form III puts a long a after the first root letter: فَاعَلَ. It often means doing something with or towards another person: سَاعَدَ (he helped), شَاهَدَ (he watched), سَافَرَ (he travelled). Form VII adds اِنْـ in front: اِنْفَعَلَ. It says that something happened to itself, without a doer: كَسَرَ (he broke) → اِنْكَسَرَ (it broke).
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
سَافَرْتُ إِلَى الرِّيَاضِsaafartu ila r-riyaaḍiI travelled to Riyadh.
سَاعَدَنِي صَدِيقِيsaaʿadanii ṣadiiqiiMy friend helped me.
نُشَاهِدُ الْمُبَارَاةَnushaahidu l-mubaaraataWe are watching the match.
حَاوِلْ مَرَّةً أُخْرَىḥaawil marratan ukhraaTry again.
اِنْكَسَرَ الْقَلَمُinkasara l-qalamuThe pen broke.
اِنْطَلَقَ الْقِطَارُinṭalaqa l-qiṭaaruThe train set off.
Key points
- Form III: فَاعَلَ – يُفَاعِلُ – مُفَاعَلَةٌ. سَاعَدَ يُسَاعِدُ مُسَاعَدَةٌ help · شَاهَدَ يُشَاهِدُ مُشَاهَدَةٌ watch · حَاوَلَ يُحَاوِلُ مُحَاوَلَةٌ try · نَاقَشَ يُنَاقِشُ مُنَاقَشَةٌ discuss.
- Form VII: اِنْفَعَلَ – يَنْفَعِلُ – اِنْفِعَالٌ. It never takes an object: اِنْفَتَحَ الْبَابُ (the door came open) · اِنْطَلَقَ (set off) · اِنْقَطَعَتِ الْكَهْرَبَاءُ (the power went out).
- Compare: كَسَرَ الْوَلَدُ الْقَلَمَ (the boy broke the pen) → اِنْكَسَرَ الْقَلَمُ (the pen broke). For Forms II, IV, V, VI, VIII and X, see lessons 49 to 52.
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Say “He helped his mother.”
سَاعَدَ أُمَّهُ saaʿada ummahu
Say “The door opened.” (Form VII of فَتَحَ)
اِنْفَتَحَ الْبَابُ infataḥa l-baabu
Say “The power went out.”
اِنْقَطَعَتِ الْكَهْرَبَاءُ inqaṭaʿati l-kahrabaa’u