Understanding Arabic Sentence Structure: The Verb, the Subject, and the Object
Arabic is often seen as a difficult and complicated language, but the truth is completely different. Arabic is not difficult if you understand its foundation, and the most important part of that foundation is sentence structure. Once you understand how a sentence is formed, you are already on the right path to mastering the language.
As for the grammar rules that may have made you feel afraid or overwhelmed, we will simplify them here and show you how the Arabic sentence is, in reality, simple and clear.
Let’s begin with the simplest form of the Arabic verbal sentence, which consists of:
Verb + Subject + Object
فعل + فاعل + مفعول به
Fi3l + Fa3el + Maf3ool Beh
The verb: the action — What happened?
الفعل: Al-fi3l
The subject: the one who did the action
الفاعل: Al-fa3el
The object: the one or thing that received the action
المفعول به: Al-maf3ool beh
Let’s take some examples from our daily life:
طبختْ أمي الباستا
Tabakhat ommi al-pasta
My mother cooked pasta.
طبخت: verb / أمي: subject / الباستا: object
Tabakhat: fi3l / Ommi: fa3el / Al-pasta: maf3ool beh
يشاهد أبي التلفاز
Yoshahed abi al-tilfaz
My father watches television.
يشاهد: verb / أبي: subject / التلفاز: object
Yoshahed: fi3l / Abi: fa3el / Al-tilfaz: maf3ool beh
تكتب أختي رسالة
Taktob okhti risalah
My sister writes a letter.
تكتب: verb / أختي: subject / رسالة: object
Taktob: fi3l / Okhti: fa3el / Risalah: maf3ool beh
Now let’s go together to the university and observe the sentences:
شرح الأستاذ الدرس
Sharah al-ostaz al-dars
The teacher explained the lesson.
شرح: verb / الأستاذ: subject / الدرس: object
Sharah: fi3l / Al-ostaz: fa3el / Al-dars: maf3ool beh
كتب الطلاب الواجب
Katab al-tullab al-wajeb
The students wrote the homework.
كتب: verb / الطلاب: subject / الواجب: object
Katab: fi3l / Al-tullab: fa3el / Al-wajeb: maf3ool beh
ركل آدم الكرة
Rakal Adam al-korah
Adam kicked the ball.
ركل: verb / آدم: subject / الكرة: object
Rakal: fi3l / Adam: fa3el / Al-korah: maf3ool beh
Do you see? All you need to know is that the Arabic sentence often needs a verb, a subject, and an object.
In the street, you can say:
أوقف الشرطي السيارة
Awqaf al-shorti al-sayarah
The policeman stopped the car.
Or you can talk about yourself and say:
طلبتُ قهوة
Talabtu qahwah
I ordered coffee.
Or express your opinion:
أحببتُ الفيلم
A7babtu al-film
I liked the movie.
In every sentence, you can clearly see these basic elements, and this is what makes understanding Arabic easier than you imagine.
After understanding this structure, you will start noticing something very important:
It is not always necessary for all the elements to appear clearly. The subject may be a hidden pronoun, or the sentence may come without an object if the verb does not need one.
With practice and observation, you will find yourself able to form correct sentences easily, without being afraid of grammar.
