When Can an Arabic Verb Be Masculine or Feminine?

Arabic verb agreement is an important rule for understanding Arabic grammar and building correct sentences. In Arabic, the verb can sometimes be masculine or feminine depending on the nature of the subject, its position in the sentence and the type of noun used.

In a previous lesson, we studied the cases where the Arabic verb must be feminine. In this lesson, we will look at the cases where it is allowed to use the verb either in the masculine or in the feminine form.

This grammar point is useful for Arabic for beginners, but also for students who want to improve their Modern Standard Arabic, Quranic Arabic, Arabic reading and general sentence structure.

Understanding Arabic Verb Agreement

In English, the verb does not usually change according to the gender of the subject. In Arabic, however, the verb can carry a masculine or feminine marker. This rule is especially visible when the verb comes before its subject.

Example with a feminine subject:

حَضَرَتْ فَاطِمَةُ
Fatima came.

In this example, the verb حَضَرَتْ is feminine because the subject فَاطِمَةُ is feminine.

However, there are certain cases where the Arabic verb can be used in either the masculine or the feminine form without making the sentence incorrect.

When an Arabic Verb Can Be Masculine or Feminine

The Arabic verb can be masculine or feminine in three main situations:

• when the feminine subject is separated from the verb;
• when the subject is figuratively feminine;
• when the subject is a broken plural.

These rules help students understand Arabic subject-verb agreement and avoid common mistakes when learning the language.

Case 1: The Feminine Subject Is Separated from the Verb

When the subject is feminine but does not come directly after the verb, it is sometimes possible to use either a feminine or a masculine verb.

حَضَرَتِ الدَّرْسَ اليَوْمَ فَاطِمَةُ
Fatima attended the lesson today.

حَضَرَ الدَّرْسَ اليَوْمَ فَاطِمَةُ
Fatima attended the lesson today.

In both examples, the subject فَاطِمَةُ is feminine. However, it is separated from the verb by other elements of the sentence. For this reason, the verb may appear in either the feminine or the masculine form.

Another example:

تَذْهَبُ اليَوْمَ إِلَى الحَدِيقَةِ البَنَاتُ
The girls are going to the garden today.

يَذْهَبُ اليَوْمَ إِلَى الحَدِيقَةِ البَنَاتُ
The girls are going to the garden today.

Case 2: The Subject Is Figuratively Feminine

In Arabic, some nouns are grammatically feminine even though they do not refer to a real female being. This is called figurative femininity.

For example, the words الشَّمْسُ “the sun” and الطَّائِرَةُ “the airplane” are considered feminine in Arabic, even though they are not feminine by nature.

تَخْرُجُ الشَّمْسُ مِنَ الشَّرْقِ
The sun rises in the east.

يَخْرُجُ الشَّمْسُ مِنَ الشَّرْقِ
The sun rises in the east.

In this type of sentence, the verb can sometimes appear in either the feminine or the masculine form because the subject is figuratively feminine.

Another example:

هَبَطَتِ الطَّائِرَةُ فِي المَطَارِ
The airplane landed at the airport.

هَبَطَ الطَّائِرَةُ فِي المَطَارِ
The airplane landed at the airport.

Case 3: The Subject Is a Broken Plural

The third case concerns broken plurals in Arabic, called جَمْعُ تَكْسِيرٍ. These plurals do not always follow the regular masculine or feminine plural pattern.

When the subject is a broken plural, the verb can sometimes be either masculine or feminine.

لَعِبَتِ الأَوْلَادُ بِالكُرَةِ سَاعَةً
The boys played with the ball for one hour.

لَعِبَ الأَوْلَادُ بِالكُرَةِ سَاعَةً
The boys played with the ball for one hour.

Another example:

قَالَتِ النَّاسُ هَذَا شَيْءٌ عَجِيبٌ
The people said: “This is a strange thing.”

قَالَ النَّاسُ هَذَا شَيْءٌ عَجِيبٌ
The people said: “This is a strange thing.”

In these examples, the words الأَوْلَادُ and النَّاسُ are treated as broken plurals. This is why both forms may be accepted in certain contexts.

When the Verb Must Remain Masculine

In other cases, the Arabic verb must follow the normal rules of agreement. If the subject is masculine and does not fall under one of the special cases mentioned above, the verb must remain masculine.

For example, with a regular masculine plural such as مُهَنْدِسُونَ, لَاعِبُونَ or مُسْلِمُونَ, the verb remains masculine.

On the other hand, if the subject is a regular feminine plural such as طَبِيبَاتٌ or مُهَنْدِسَاتٌ and it comes directly after the verb, the verb must be feminine.

Summary Table

How to Improve Your Arabic Grammar

Subject-verb agreement is an important rule for understanding Arabic sentences. But to master this grammar point, it is not enough to read examples. You need regular practice, Arabic reading and correction.

If you want to learn Arabic online with a clear method, online Arabic classes allow you to progress step by step with an Arabic teacher online. This personalized learning helps you better understand Arabic grammar, Arabic reading, Arabic pronunciation and Arabic vocabulary.

Students who want to strengthen their level can follow a course in Modern Standard Arabic. Those who want to better understand the language of the Quran can also study Quranic Arabic.

For families, Al-Dirassa also offers Arabic classes for kids adapted to each student’s age and level.

Conclusion

The Arabic verb can sometimes be masculine or feminine depending on the position of the subject, the nature of the noun or the type of plural. The three main cases are: a feminine subject separated from the verb, figurative femininity and broken plurals.

This lesson helps you understand a specific Arabic grammar rule. However, to learn Arabic fully, you need a structured method, regular practice and correction from a teacher. This is how students make real progress in Arabic reading, understanding and expression.