A Hundred and One Rules in Arabic Grammar!

  1. 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.