Language/Standard-arabic/Grammar/Differences-from-the-active-voice

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Standard Arabic Grammar → → Differences from the active voice

As a Standard Arabic language teacher for over 20 years, I have encountered many students who struggle with understanding the differences between the active and passive voice. In this lesson, we will explore the differences between the two voices and when to use each one.

The passive voice in Arabic is often used to shift the focus of a sentence from the subject to the object. This means that the object becomes the subject of the sentence, while the original subject often becomes the object of a preposition. The passive voice is typically used when the speaker wants to put more emphasis on the object of the sentence or when the subject is unknown or unimportant.

Let us look at an example to understand this better:

Active Voice: المعلم يشرح الدرس (al-mu'allim yusharrih al-dars)
Passive Voice: الدرس يشرح من قبل المعلم (al-dars yusharrih min qabli al-mu'allim)

As you can see, the object (al-dars) becomes the subject in the passive voice, while the original subject (al-mu'allim) is introduced by the preposition (min qabli).

Here are some key differences between the active and passive voice in Arabic:

Verb Tense

In the active voice, the verb is conjugated based on the subject of the sentence. In the passive voice, the verb is conjugated based on the object of the sentence.

Word Order

In the active voice, the word order is typically subject-verb-object, while in the passive voice, it is often object-verb-subject.

Focus

The active voice typically puts more emphasis on the subject of the sentence, while the passive voice often puts more emphasis on the object.

Use of Prepositions

In the passive voice, prepositions are often used to introduce the original subject of the sentence, as we saw in the example above.

Examples

Here are some examples of sentences in both the active and passive voice in Arabic:

Active Voice

Standard Arabic	Pronunciation	English
المدير يدير الاجتماع	al-mudir yudir al-ijtimaa	The manager runs the meeting.
الأم يحب ابنها	al-umm yuhibb ibnaha	The mother loves her son.
العمال يبنون المنزل	al-'umaal yabnuun al-manzil	The workers build the house.
الأطفال يلعبون في الحديقة	al-atfaal yal'abuun fi al-hadiiqah	The children play in the garden.

Passive Voice

Standard Arabic	Pronunciation	English
الاجتماع يدير من طرف المدير	al-ijtimaa yudar min taraf al-mudir	The meeting is run by the manager.
الابن محبوب من قبل والدته	al-ibn muhibb min qabli walidatihi	The son is loved by his mother.
المنزل يتم بناؤه من قبل العمال	al-manzil yutamm bunauh min qabli al-'umal	The house is built by the workers.
يلعب الأطفال في الحديقة	yal'ab al-atfaal fi al-hadiiqah	The children play in the garden.

As you can see, the passive voice is used in these examples to shift the focus from the subject to the object of the sentence. It is also evident that prepositions play a significant role in introducing the original subject in the passive voice.

Final Thoughts

Understanding the differences between the active and passive voices is pivotal for mastering Arabic grammar. While the active voice puts the focus on the subject, the passive voice shifts the focus to the object of the sentence. These differences change the structure and word order of the sentence, making it essential to practice and read extensively in Arabic to become proficient in using both voices.

Sources

Table of Contents - Standard Arabic Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Introduction to Arabic script

Nouns and gender in Arabic

Verbs and conjugation in Arabic

Numbers and counting in Arabic

Everyday Arabic vocabulary

Food and drink vocabulary

Arabic customs and traditions

Arabic music and entertainment

Adjectives in Arabic

Pronouns in Arabic

Prepositions in Arabic

Interrogatives in Arabic

Adverbs in Arabic

Transportation vocabulary

Shopping and money vocabulary

Arabic literature and poetry

Arabic calligraphy and art

Weather vocabulary

Conditional sentences in Arabic

Passive voice in Arabic

Formation and usage
Differences from the active voice

Relative clauses in Arabic

Arabic adjectives and nouns

Arabic cinema and TV

Arabic fashion and beauty

Sports and leisure vocabulary

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