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Frozen Verbs

Every verb in Arabic can have three different structures, the perfective, the imperfective, and the imperative.

Perfective	(He) did	fa"al(a)	فَعَلَ
Imperfective	(He) does	yaf"al(u)	يَفْعَلُ
Imperative	(You) do!	'if"al	اِفْعَلْ

This characteristic of verbs having three different structures is called in Arabic "manageability" ≈ التَّصَرُّفُ. A verb that can assume all of the three structures is said to be "fully manageable" ≈ تَاْمُّ التَّصَرُّفِ . Most verbs are fully manageable.

A verb that can assume only two of the three structures (the perfective and the imperfective) is said to be "partially manageable" ≈ نَاْقِصُ التَّصَرُّفِ .

A verb that can assume only one of the three structures is said to be "unmanageable" or a "frozen verb" فِعْلٌ جَاْمِدٌ .

Different Manageabilities
	Perfective	Imperfective	Imperative
Fully Manageable	Yes	Yes	Yes
Partially Manageable	Yes	Yes	No
Frozen	Yes	No	No
Frozen	No	Yes	No
Frozen	No	No	Yes

We will go in this section through the important frozen and partially manageable verbs.

Verbs Frozen in the Perfective

Those verbs only exist in the perfective structure.

1. two of the incomplete verbs called "sisters of kaan(a)" أَخَوَاْتُ كَاْنَ are frozen in the perfective.

Frozen Incomplete Verbs
Is not	lays(a)	لَيْسَ
	was not
As long as As long as there be	maa daam(a)	مَاْ دَاْمَ
	ever lasted

These two verbs are very widely used in the Arabic language. The second one is only used with the negative particle maa; and it is only frozen when it is used in the incomplete sense (see incomplete verbs).

2. all of the verbs of approach, hope, and proceeding are frozen in the perfective except for two. Those verbs are also called the "sisters of kaad(a)" أَخَوَاْتُ كَاْدَ .

The verbs in black are obsolete.

Frozen Incomplete Verbs (Approach)
karab(a)	كَرَبَ

Frozen Incomplete Verbs (Hope)
"asaa	عَسَىْ
haraa	حَرَىْ
'ikhlawlaq(a)	اِخْلَوْلَقَ

Frozen Incomplete Verbs (Proceeding)
ja"al(a)	جَعَلَ
'akhath(a)	أَخَذَ
'ansha'(a)	أَنْشَأَ
shara"(a)	شَرَعَ
tafiq(a)	طَفِقَ
'inbaraa	اِنْبَرَىْ
bada'(a)	بَدَأَ
'ibtada'(a)	اِبْتَدَأَ
qaam(a)	قَاْمَ
"aliq(a)	عَلِقَ
habb(a)	هَبَّ

These verbs are only frozen when used in the incomplete sense.

3. verbs of praise and disparagement.

Frozen Verbs (Praise)
ni"m(a)	نِعْمَ
hasun(a)	حَسُنَ
habbathaa	حَبَّذَاْ

Frozen Verbs (Disparagement)
bi's(a)	بِئْسَ
saa'(a)	سَاْءَ
laa habbathaa	لا حَبَّذَاْ

4. some prepositions used for exclusion are frozen perfective verbs.

Frozen Verbs (Exclusive Prepositions)
Except	"adaa	عَدَاْ
	khalaa	خَلا
	haashaa	حَاْشَاْ

5. some verbs that are added to infinitival maa مَاْto become adverbs will also become frozen verbs.

Frozen Verbs (Adverbial Phrases)
Meaning	Adverb and Literal Sense
Infrequently / rarely	qalla-maa	قَلَّمَاْ
	(he/it) was infrequent that
Frequently / often	kathura-maa	كَثُرَمَاْ
	(he/it) was frequent that
For a long time / repeatedly	taala-maa	طَاْلَمَاْ
	(he/it) was long that
For a short time / seldom	qasura-maa	قَصُرَمَاْ
	(he/it) was short that
Much	jalla-maa	جَلَّمَاْ
	(he/it) was solemn that
Much	shadda-maa	شَدَّمَاْ
	(he/it) was hard that
Much	"azza-maa	عَزَّمَاْ
	(he/it) was dear that

Examples:

قَلَّمَاْ يَأْتِيْ

qalla-maa ya'tee

= rarely comes (he)

Translation: he rarely comes

طَاْلَمَاْ عَرْفْتُهَاْ

taala-maa "araftu-haa

= for a long time (I) knew her

Translation: I've known her for a long time

عَزَّمَاْ يُعْجِبُنِيْ الشِّعْرُ الْعَرَبِيُّ

"azza-maa yu"jibu-nee ('a)sh-shi"r(u) ('a)l-"arabiyy(u)

= much (he) impresses me the poetry the Arabic

Translation: I like Arabic poetry a lot

These words can often take an emphatic la- :

لَطَاْلَمَاْ عَرْفْتُهَاْ

la-taala-maa "araftu-haa

= certainly for a long time (I) knew her

Translation: I've known her for a long time

6. the passive verb suqit(a) is a frozen verb.

This verb is identical in meaning to the fully manageable verb 'usqit(a).

(he/it) was dropped (Frozen Verb)	suqit(a)	سُقِطَ
(he/it) was dropped (Fully Manageable Verb)	'usqit(a)	أُسْقِطَ

These two verbs are used in the following idiom:

أُسْقِطَ فِيْ يَدِهِ

'usqit(a) fee yadi-h(i)

= (he/it) was dropped in (the) hand (of) him

= (he/it) was dropped in his hand

Translation: he felt regret

Or: he became confused

7. the verb "imt(a).

(You sing. masc.) were pleased

(Frozen Verb)

"imt(a)

عِمْتَ

This verb is an alteration of the following fully manageable verb:

(You sing. masc.) were pleased

(Fully Manageable Verb)

na"imt(a)

نَعِمْتَ

The verb "imt(a) was commonly used in classical Arabic to say "good morning" and "good evening."

عِمْتَ صَبَاْحًا

"imt(a) sabaaha(n)

= (you sing. masc.) were pleased in the morning

= have a pleasant morning

Translation: good morning

عِمْتِ مَسَاْءً

"imt(i) masaa'a(n)

= (you sing. fem.) were pleased in the evening

= have a pleasant evening

Translation: good evening (to a female)