Doubled verbs are those verbs whose second and third root letter are the same, like 7-b-b (حبّ).
In Classical Arabic, these verbs decline basically like sound verbs, with one exception. This exception is that when the third root consonant is followed by a vowel – i.e. when a suffix beginning with a vowel is attached – the second and third root consonants cluster together. The vowel which should have been between the second and third root consonants is dropped. This is slightly complicated to explain in words, but easy to understand with examples: when the suffix -tu is attached to the verbs katab- and marr-, you get basically identical conjugations: katabtu and marartu. But when the suffix -a for ‘he’ is added, you get kataba and marra. MSA mostly follows Classical Arabic, although you sometimes see unexpected forms like محاصصة mu7aaSaSa, conjugated like a sound verb, instead of the more correct محاصّة mu7aaSSa.
Anyway, you don’t really need to worry about any this because in Levantine Arabic doubled verbs are much simpler! Form II and V conjugate exactly like sound verbs: فكّك fakkak, تفكك tfakkak. Forms III and VI generally also act like sound verbs. The rest of the forms have a distinctive conjugation, but it is quite unlike the conjugation patterns found in MSA. All derived doubled verbs which don’t act like sound verbs conjugate identically to form I verbs.
There is only one possible internal vowelling for form I verbs in the past, fa33:
حبّ 7abb |
|||
ana | 7abbeet |
حبّيت |
انا |
inte | 7abbeet |
حبّيت |
انت |
inti | 7abbeeti |
حبّيتي |
انتي |
huwwe | 7abb |
حبّ |
هو |
hiyye | 7abbet |
حبّت |
هي |
ni7na | 7abbeena |
حبّينا |
نحنه |
intu | 7abbeetu |
حبّيتو |
انتو |
hinen | 7abbu |
حبّو |
هنن |
Form I doubled verbs are pretty straightforward. When suffixes beginning with a vowel are added (-et, -u), they attach without any complications to the end of the root (7abb-et). When suffixes beginning with a consonant (-t -t -ti -na -tu) are added, a long vowel -ee- appears between the doubled consonant at the end of the root and the suffix (7abb-ee-t).
For speakers that have contracting -et, these verbs display it: حبته 7abb-t-o ‘she liked it’.
There is only one possible internal vowelling for form VII doubled verbs, nfa33:
انكب nkabb |
|||
ana | nkabbeet |
انكبيت |
انا |
inte | nkabbeet |
انكبيت |
انت |
inti | nkabbeeti |
انكبيتي |
انتي |
huwwe | nkabb |
انكب |
هو |
hiyye | nkabbet |
انكبت |
هي |
ni7na | nkabbeena |
انكبينا |
نحنه |
intu | nkabbeetu |
انكبيتو |
انتو |
hinen | nkabbu |
انكبو |
هنن |
When suffixes beginning with a vowel are added (-et, -u), they attach without any complications to the end of the root (nkabb-et). When suffixes beginning with a consonant (-t -t -ti -na -tu) are added, a long vowel -ee- appears between the doubled consonant at the end of the root and the suffix (nkabb-ee-t).
There is only only one possible internal vowelling for form VIII doubled verbs, fta33:
افتكّ ftakk |
|||
ana | ftakkeet |
افتكّيت |
انا |
inte | ftakkeet |
افتكّيت |
انت |
inti | ftakkeeti |
افتكّيتي |
انتي |
huwwe | ftakk |
افتكّ |
هو |
hiyye | ftakket |
افتكّت |
هي |
ni7na | ftakkeena |
افتكّينا |
نحنه |
intu | ftakkeetu |
افتكّيتو |
انتو |
hinen | ftakku | افتكّو |
هنن |
Form I doubled verbs are pretty straightforward. When suffixes beginning with a vowel are added (-et, -u), they attach without any complications to the end of the root (ftakk-et). When suffixes beginning with a consonant (-t -t -ti -na -tu) are added, a long vowel -ee- appears between the doubled consonant at the end of the root and the suffix (ftakk-ee-t).
For speakers that have contracting -et, these verbs display it: امتصته mtaSSt-o ‘it [fem.] absorbed it’.
There is only one possible internal vowelling for form X doubled verbs, stafa33:
استقر staqarr |
|||
ana | staqarreet |
استقريت |
انا |
inte | staqarreet |
استقريت |
انت |
inti | staqarreeti |
استقريتي |
انتي |
huwwe | staqarr |
استقر |
هو |
hiyye | staqarret |
استقرت |
هي |
ni7na | staqarreena |
استقرينا |
نحنه |
intu | staqarreetu |
استقريتو |
انتو |
hinen | staqarru | استقرو |
هنن |
Form I doubled verbs are pretty straightforward. When suffixes beginning with a vowel are added (-et, -u), they attach without any complications to the end of the root (ftakk-et). When suffixes beginning with a consonant (-t -t -ti -na -tu) are added, a long vowel -ee- appears between the doubled consonant at the end of the root and the suffix (ftakk-ee-t).
For speakers that have contracting -et, these verbs display it: استحبته sta7abbt-o ‘he liked it’.