Levantine Arabic/Verbs/Subjunctive
Formation
[edit | edit source]The stem of the subjunctive is usally formed by changing the vowels of the past tense 3rd person singular. It can be predicted for form II-X verbs, however it must be learned for form I verbs.
The given form is the 3rd person singular with the prefix “y-”, other persons are derived from it.
Note that any stressed “i” in an emphatic environment can become “u” in North Levantine.
| Form | Type | Stem vowel(s) | Past | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | regular | a → a | فتح fataḥ | يفتح yiftaḥ |
| a → i | مسك masak | يمسك yimsik | ||
| a → u | درس daras | يدرس yidrus (N) / yudrus (S) | ||
| i → a | فهم fihim | يفهم yifham | ||
| i → i (rare) | عرف ʕirif | يعرف yaʕrif, yiʕrif | ||
| defective | i (N) / a (S) → i | حكي ḥiki (N) / حكى ḥaka (S) | يحكي yiḥki | |
| i → a | نسي nisi | ينسى yinsa | ||
| a → a (rare) | قرا 'ara | يقرا yi'ra | ||
| hollow | a → i | جاب jāb | يجيب yjīb | |
| a → u | شاف šāf | يشوف yšūf | ||
| a → a (rare) | نام nām | ينام ynām | ||
| geminate | a → i | حسّ ḥass | يحسّ yḥiss | |
| a → u | حطّ ḥaṭṭ | يحطّ yḥuṭṭ | ||
| a → a (rare) | ضلّ ḍall | يضلّ yḍall | ||
| II / Iq | regular | a → a-i | علّم ʕallam | يعلّم yʕallim |
| defective | a → a-i | خلّى ḵalla | يخلّي yḵalli | |
| III | ||||
| IV (rare) | ||||
| V / IIq | ||||
| VI | ||||
| VII | ||||
| VIII | ||||
| IX (rare) | ||||
| X |