Lesson 67 – الدَّرْسُ السَّابِعُ والسِّتُّونَ
The absolute object - الْمَفْعُـولُ الْمُـطْـلَـقُ
The absolute object – المَفْعُول المُطْلَق
- We are still in lesson sixty seven of our free Arabic language course. This Arabic course with images and audios will help you learn Arabic.
- In the previous lesson we learnt the Arabic direct object, which is the accusative noun which undergoes the action of the verb, e.g.:
| دَخَلَ الطُّلابُ المُسَابَقَةَ The students entered (to) the competition |
- The direct object of this sentence is the accusative noun (المُسابقةَ).
- In this lesson we will learn another accusative noun of the verbal sentence, which is the absolute object.
- The absolute object is an accusative original noun derived from the same rout of the verb. It is mentioned after the verb in order to confirm its meaning or to show its nature or number.
- The absolute object is similar to the direct object in the following aspects:
1-Each of them is a noun.
2-Each of them is in the accusative case. - But they are different in the following aspects:
1-The absolute object is always an original noun, while the direct object can be original noun, explicit noun, pronoun or implicit original noun. - Consider the following comparison:
| Absolute object | Direct object | ||
| Meaning | Example | Meaning | Example |
| I have got my right thoroughly | أَخَذْتُ حَقِّي أَخْذًا شَدِيدًا /akhadhtu ħaqqī akhdhan shadīdan/ | The patient took an appointment | /akhadha al marīđu mawξidan/ |
| I hit him thoroughly | /đarabtuhu đarban shadīdan/ | The father hit his son | /đaraba al abu ibnahu/ |
| I talked to the president thoroughly | كَلَّمْتُ الرَّئِيسَ تَكْلِيمًا /kallamtu ar ra’īsa taklīman/
| The manager talked to the employees | كَلَّمَ المُدِيرُ المُوَظَّفِينَ /kallama al mudīru al muwađđhafīna/ |
| I drank as the thirsty | /sharibtu shurba al ξaŧshāni/ | I drank the water | /sharibtu al mā’a/ |
- In the above mentioned examples you may notice that the direct object is the noun which undergoes the action of the verb, and it can be an explicit noun (indicating someone or something). The direct object in the examples mentioned above is respectively as follows:
| Arabic | ||||
| The water | The employees | His son | Appointment | English |
- While the absolute object is in all the above mentioned examples an accusative original noun, which has a different function (to confirm the verb or to show its nature or number).
- The absolute objects in the above mentioned examples are respectively as follows:
| Arabic | ||||
| drinking | Talking | Hitting | Taking | English |
- The types of the absolute object vary according to its function in the sentence as follows:
1- The absolute object which confirms the meaning of the verb.
2- The absolute object which shows the nature of the verb.
3- The absolute object which shows the number of times in which the action happens.
- The following examples may clarify these types:
| Picture | Example | Type of the absolute object | |
| English | Arabic | ||
|
| I ate the fish thoroughly | /akaltu as samaka aklan/ | Confirmative |
|
| I drank the water thoroughly | /sharibtu al mā’a shurban/ | |
|
| I broke the bottle thoroughly | /kasartu az zuĵāĵata kasran/ | |
|
| I executed the plan thoroughly | نَفَّذْتُ الخُطَّةَ تَنْفِيذًا /naffadhtu al khuŧŧata tanfīdhan/ | |
|
| The boy drinks like (the drink of) animals | يَشْرِبُ الوَلَدُ شُرْبَ الحَيَوانَاتِ /yashrabu al waladu shurba al ħayawānāti/ | Showing the nature of the verb |
|
| I became thoroughly sad | /ħazintu huznan shadīdan/ | |
|
| I slept peacefully | نِمْتُ نَومَ الْمُطْمَئِنِّينَ /nimtu nawma al muŧma’innīna/ | |
|
| I love you as the thirsty loves the water | أُحِبُّكَ حُبَّ العَطْشانِ لِلْماءِ /uħibbuka ħubba al ξaŧshāni lil mā’i/ | |
|
| I visited Egypt twice | /zurtu miŝra marratayni/ | Showing the number |
|
| I read the book one time | قَرَأتُ الكِتابَ قِرَاءَةً واحِدَةً /qara’tu al kitāba qirâ’atan wāħidatan/ | |
|
| I played with you two games | /laξibtu maξaka luξbatayni/ | |
- From the above mentioned examples you may notice that the absolute objects are divided into three categories as follows:
1- The confirmative absolute object:
| Absolute object | ||||
| Execution | Breaking | Drinking | Eating | Meaning |
- Each one of these original nouns confirms the meaning of the verb.
2- The absolute objects which show the nature of the verb:
| Absolute object | ||||
| The love of the thirsty to the water | The sleep of the peaceful people | Extreme sadness | The drinking of animals | Meaning |
- This type of absolute object is followed normally by an adjective or an annexed noun.
3- The absolute objects which show the number of times the action happens:
| Absolute object | |||
| Two games | One reading | Two visits | Meaning |
This kind shows how many times the verb happens, once, twice, etc.