A Hundred and One Rules in Arabic Grammar!
- The Active Participle إسمُ الفاعِل ========================================
In general, the meaning of the active participle is "performing/having performed" the action indicated by the verb. The English equivalent is commonly (a) an adjective ending in -ing, as in:
** ** (a) النـِّساءُ السَّاکناتُ في هذِهِ الشـَّقـَّةِ طالِباتٌ
The women living in this apartment are students.
In addition, a great many Active Participles have taken on specific concrete meanings and are used as (b) ordinary nouns such as:
(b) کاتِبٌ ، عامِلٌ ، طالِبٌ ، حاکِمٌ ، باحِثٌ ، ساکِنٌ
The third possible use of the active participle is what the Arab Grammarians callthe circumstantial or Haal Construction.
**حَضَرَتِ الطالبَة ُ إلی الصَّفِّ** حامِلـَة ً کَتـُبَها **.**
The student (f) came to class carrying her book.