The study of grammar rules is an essential part of understanding sentence structure and meanings in the Arabic language. Among the most important of these rules are the topics of the subject (فاعل) and the object (مفعول), which are fundamental elements in the formation of a verbal sentence. Let us explore, in Al-Ehsan Academy, the concept of each and their importance in the language.
The Subject (فاعل)
The subject is the element that performs the action or is attributed to the occurrence of the action. In other words, the subject is the person or thing that initiates the action in the sentence. The subject comes directly after the verb and is typically in the nominative case.
Examples:
- The student read the book.
“The student” is the subject because he is the one who performed the act of reading. - The writer wrote the article.
“The writer” is the subject because he performed the act of writing.
Subject Case Endings:
- The subject takes the dammah ( ُ ) when it is singular or a broken plural, such as المعلمُ (the teacher) or الطلابُ (the students).
- It takes the alif ( ا ) when it is dual, such as الطالبان (the two students).
- It takes the waw ( و ) when it is a sound masculine plural, such as المعلمون (the teachers).
The Object (مفعول به)
The object is the element that receives the action in the sentence. It is always in the accusative case and follows the subject and verb in the sentence structure.
Examples:
- The student read the book.
“The book” is the object because it is the thing upon which the act of reading occurred. - The writer wrote the article.
“The article” is the object because it is the thing upon which the act of writing occurred.
Object Case Endings:
- The object takes the fatha ( َ ) when it is singular, such as الكتابَ (the book).
- It takes the ya ( ي ) when it is dual, such as الكتابين (the two books).
- It takes the kasrah ( ِ ) when it is a sound feminine plural, such as الكتبِ (the books).
Subject and Object in Compound Sentences
A sentence may contain more than one subject or object, adding complexity to its structure. In this case, attention must be given to word order and case endings.
Example:
- The teacher gave the student the book.
In this sentence, “the teacher” is the subject, “the student” is the first object (the one receiving the book), and “the book” is the second object (the thing that was given).
The Role of the Subject and Object in Meaning Construction
Without the subject, we cannot determine who is performing the action, and without the object, we may not understand who or what the action affects. Thus, the subject and object complement each other to clarify the full meaning of the sentence.
The subject and object are among the most important elements of a verbal sentence in Arabic. They help in identifying who performs the action and who is affected by it. Understanding the rules of their case endings and placement is crucial for writing grammatically correct sentences and gaining a deeper understanding of the Arabic language.