عَلَّمَ (ʿallama) means to teach. It is a sound Form II verb from the root ع ل م (ʿ-l-m): عَلَّمَ (ʿallama) in the past, يُعَلِّمُ (yuʿallimu) in the present and عَلِّمْ (ʿallim) as a command. The tables below give its full conjugation in all 13 persons, active and passive, vowelled, with its participles and verbal noun.
Every form of ʿallama on this page comes from the engine behind our Arabic verb conjugator and was checked against Wiktionary's conjugation table for عَلَّمَ, down to the regular Form II verbal noun تَعْلِيم (taʿlīm).
ʿAllama at a glance
| Root | ع ل م (ʿ-l-m), starting with the letter ʿayn; the root ʿ-l-m in the Quran |
| Form | Form II, pattern فَعَّلَ (faʿʿala) |
| Verb type | sound |
| Past, he | عَلَّمَ (ʿallama) |
| Present, he | يُعَلِّمُ (yuʿallimu) |
| Command, you (one man) | عَلِّمْ (ʿallim) |
| Active participle | مُعَلِّم (muʿallim) |
| Passive participle | مُعَلَّم (muʿallam) |
| Verbal noun (maṣdar) | تَعْلِيم (taʿlīm) |
Past tense of ʿallama
In the past tense (al-māḍī) the Form II stem ʿallam- stays the same in all 13 persons and only the suffix changes: عَلَّمْتُ (ʿallamtu), عَلَّمَتْ (ʿallamat), عَلَّمُوا (ʿallamū).
| Person | Arabic | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| I · أنا anā | عَلَّمْتُ | ʿallamtu |
| we · نحن naḥnu | عَلَّمْنَا | ʿallamnā |
| you m.sg. · أنت anta | عَلَّمْتَ | ʿallamta |
| you f.sg. · أنت anti | عَلَّمْتِ | ʿallamti |
| you dual · أنتما antumā | عَلَّمْتُمَا | ʿallamtumā |
| you m.pl. · أنتم antum | عَلَّمْتُمْ | ʿallamtum |
| you f.pl. · أنتن antunna | عَلَّمْتُنَّ | ʿallamtunna |
| he · هو huwa | عَلَّمَ | ʿallama |
| she · هي hiya | عَلَّمَتْ | ʿallamat |
| they two m. · هما humā | عَلَّمَا | ʿallamā |
| they two f. · هما humā | عَلَّمَتَا | ʿallamatā |
| they m.pl. · هم hum | عَلَّمُوا | ʿallamū |
| they f.pl. · هن hunna | عَلَّمْنَ | ʿallamna |
Present tense of ʿallama
The present tense (al-muḍāriʿ) of Form II takes the prefix vowel u (yu-, tu-, nu-, u-), as in أُعَلِّمُ (uʿallimu) and يُعَلِّمُ (yuʿallimu); the masculine plural adds -ūna: يُعَلِّمُونَ (yuʿallimūna).
| Person | Arabic | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| I · أنا anā | أُعَلِّمُ | uʿallimu |
| we · نحن naḥnu | نُعَلِّمُ | nuʿallimu |
| you m.sg. · أنت anta | تُعَلِّمُ | tuʿallimu |
| you f.sg. · أنت anti | تُعَلِّمِينَ | tuʿallimīna |
| you dual · أنتما antumā | تُعَلِّمَانِ | tuʿallimāni |
| you m.pl. · أنتم antum | تُعَلِّمُونَ | tuʿallimūna |
| you f.pl. · أنتن antunna | تُعَلِّمْنَ | tuʿallimna |
| he · هو huwa | يُعَلِّمُ | yuʿallimu |
| she · هي hiya | تُعَلِّمُ | tuʿallimu |
| they two m. · هما humā | يُعَلِّمَانِ | yuʿallimāni |
| they two f. · هما humā | تُعَلِّمَانِ | tuʿallimāni |
| they m.pl. · هم hum | يُعَلِّمُونَ | yuʿallimūna |
| they f.pl. · هن hunna | يُعَلِّمْنَ | yuʿallimna |
Subjunctive and jussive of ʿallama
After أن (an, that) the he-form of ʿallama takes the subjunctive, يُعَلِّمَ (yuʿallima); the negative command puts لا (lā) before the jussive: لا تُعَلِّمْ (tuʿallim).
| Person | Subjunctive | Jussive |
|---|---|---|
| I · أنا anā | أُعَلِّمَ (uʿallima) | أُعَلِّمْ (uʿallim) |
| we · نحن naḥnu | نُعَلِّمَ (nuʿallima) | نُعَلِّمْ (nuʿallim) |
| you m.sg. · أنت anta | تُعَلِّمَ (tuʿallima) | تُعَلِّمْ (tuʿallim) |
| you f.sg. · أنت anti | تُعَلِّمِي (tuʿallimī) | تُعَلِّمِي (tuʿallimī) |
| you dual · أنتما antumā | تُعَلِّمَا (tuʿallimā) | تُعَلِّمَا (tuʿallimā) |
| you m.pl. · أنتم antum | تُعَلِّمُوا (tuʿallimū) | تُعَلِّمُوا (tuʿallimū) |
| you f.pl. · أنتن antunna | تُعَلِّمْنَ (tuʿallimna) | تُعَلِّمْنَ (tuʿallimna) |
| he · هو huwa | يُعَلِّمَ (yuʿallima) | يُعَلِّمْ (yuʿallim) |
| she · هي hiya | تُعَلِّمَ (tuʿallima) | تُعَلِّمْ (tuʿallim) |
| they two m. · هما humā | يُعَلِّمَا (yuʿallimā) | يُعَلِّمَا (yuʿallimā) |
| they two f. · هما humā | تُعَلِّمَا (tuʿallimā) | تُعَلِّمَا (tuʿallimā) |
| they m.pl. · هم hum | يُعَلِّمُوا (yuʿallimū) | يُعَلِّمُوا (yuʿallimū) |
| they f.pl. · هن hunna | يُعَلِّمْنَ (yuʿallimna) | يُعَلِّمْنَ (yuʿallimna) |
Imperative of ʿallama
A Form II command is the jussive تُعَلِّمْ (tuʿallim) without its prefix. The stem already starts with a vowelled letter, so no alif is added: عَلِّمْ (ʿallim), عَلِّمِي (ʿallimī), عَلِّمُوا (ʿallimū).
| Person | Arabic | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| you m.sg. · أنت anta | عَلِّمْ | ʿallim |
| you f.sg. · أنت anti | عَلِّمِي | ʿallimī |
| you dual · أنتما antumā | عَلِّمَا | ʿallimā |
| you m.pl. · أنتم antum | عَلِّمُوا | ʿallimū |
| you f.pl. · أنتن antunna | عَلِّمْنَ | ʿallimna |
Passive of ʿallama
A Form II passive has u in the opening syllables and i before the last root letter in the past (عُلِّمَ (ʿullima)), and the prefix yu- with a before the last root letter in the present (يُعَلَّمُ (yuʿallamu)).
| Person | Past passive | Present passive |
|---|---|---|
| I · أنا anā | عُلِّمْتُ (ʿullimtu) | أُعَلَّمُ (uʿallamu) |
| we · نحن naḥnu | عُلِّمْنَا (ʿullimnā) | نُعَلَّمُ (nuʿallamu) |
| you m.sg. · أنت anta | عُلِّمْتَ (ʿullimta) | تُعَلَّمُ (tuʿallamu) |
| you f.sg. · أنت anti | عُلِّمْتِ (ʿullimti) | تُعَلَّمِينَ (tuʿallamīna) |
| you dual · أنتما antumā | عُلِّمْتُمَا (ʿullimtumā) | تُعَلَّمَانِ (tuʿallamāni) |
| you m.pl. · أنتم antum | عُلِّمْتُمْ (ʿullimtum) | تُعَلَّمُونَ (tuʿallamūna) |
| you f.pl. · أنتن antunna | عُلِّمْتُنَّ (ʿullimtunna) | تُعَلَّمْنَ (tuʿallamna) |
| he · هو huwa | عُلِّمَ (ʿullima) | يُعَلَّمُ (yuʿallamu) |
| she · هي hiya | عُلِّمَتْ (ʿullimat) | تُعَلَّمُ (tuʿallamu) |
| they two m. · هما humā | عُلِّمَا (ʿullimā) | يُعَلَّمَانِ (yuʿallamāni) |
| they two f. · هما humā | عُلِّمَتَا (ʿullimatā) | تُعَلَّمَانِ (tuʿallamāni) |
| they m.pl. · هم hum | عُلِّمُوا (ʿullimū) | يُعَلَّمُونَ (yuʿallamūna) |
| they f.pl. · هن hunna | عُلِّمْنَ (ʿullimna) | يُعَلَّمْنَ (yuʿallamna) |
Participles and verbal noun of ʿallama
A Form II active participle is the present stem with mu- in place of the prefix: يُعَلِّمُ (yuʿallimu) gives مُعَلِّم (muʿallim). The passive participle has a where the active participle has i: مُعَلَّم (muʿallam). The verbal noun (maṣdar) follows the Form II pattern tafʿīl: تَعْلِيم (taʿlīm). The Arabic grammar books we recommend cover all ten patterns at more length.
Why ʿallama conjugates this way
Form II doubles the middle root letter (faʿʿala) and is often causative or intensive. Its present starts with yu- and has i before the last root letter: يُعَلِّمُ (yuʿallimu). Fakkara (to think) and ṣallā (to pray) are built on the same Form II pattern.
Other verbs from the same root on this site: ʿalima (to know, to be aware), taʿallama (to learn).
ʿAllama in sentences
هو يعلمني.
He is teaching me.
The verb: يُعَلِّمُ (yuʿallimu), present, he. Source: Tatoeba sentence 11779213 by dididodo (CC BY 2.0 FR), unvowelled as published.
علمني اللغة العربية.
Teach me Arabic.
The verb: عَلِّمْ (ʿallim), imperative, you (m.sg.). Source: Tatoeba sentence 13169780 by atitarev (CC BY 2.0 FR), unvowelled as published.
Frequently asked questions
What is the present tense of ʿallama?
The present tense of عَلَّمَ (ʿallama) is يُعَلِّمُ (yuʿallimu) for he, أُعَلِّمُ (uʿallimu) for I and تُعَلِّمُ (tuʿallimu) for you (one man). Form II takes the prefix vowel u (yu-, tu-, nu-, u-) in every person.
What is the maṣdar (verbal noun) of ʿallama?
تَعْلِيم (taʿlīm), on the Form II pattern tafʿīl. The active participle is مُعَلِّم (muʿallim), and the passive participle مُعَلَّم (muʿallam).
Is ʿallama a regular verb?
Yes. Its root letters are all strong, so it follows the Form II pattern faʿʿala with no changes.