اِسْتَمَرَّ (istamarra) means to continue. It is a doubled Form X verb from the root م ر ر (m-r-r): اِسْتَمَرَّ (istamarra) in the past, يَسْتَمِرُّ (yastamirru) in the present and اِسْتَمِرَّ (istamirra) 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 istamarra on this page comes from the engine behind our Arabic verb conjugator and was checked against Wiktionary's conjugation table for اِسْتَمَرَّ, down to the regular Form X verbal noun اِسْتِمْرَار (istimrār).
Istamarra at a glance
| Root | م ر ر (m-r-r), starting with the letter mīm |
| Form | Form X, pattern اِسْتَفْعَلَ (istafʿala) |
| Verb type | doubled |
| Past, he | اِسْتَمَرَّ (istamarra) |
| Present, he | يَسْتَمِرُّ (yastamirru) |
| Command, you (one man) | اِسْتَمِرَّ (istamirra) or اِسْتَمِرِّ (istamirri) or اِسْتَمْرِرْ (istamrir) |
| Active participle | مُسْتَمِرّ (mustamirr) |
| Passive participle | مُسْتَمَرّ (mustamarr) |
| Verbal noun (maṣdar) | اِسْتِمْرَار (istimrār) |
Past tense of istamarra
The past tense (al-māḍī) of istamarra keeps the doubled letter together before a vowel ending (اِسْتَمَرَّ (istamarra), اِسْتَمَرُّوا (istamarrū)) and splits it before a consonant ending (اِسْتَمْرَرْتُ (istamrartu), اِسْتَمْرَرْنَ (istamrarna)).
| Person | Arabic | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| I · أنا anā | اِسْتَمْرَرْتُ or اِسْتَمَرَّيْتُ | istamrartu or istamarraytu |
| we · نحن naḥnu | اِسْتَمْرَرْنَا or اِسْتَمَرَّيْنَا | istamrarnā or istamarraynā |
| you m.sg. · أنت anta | اِسْتَمْرَرْتَ or اِسْتَمَرَّيْتَ | istamrarta or istamarrayta |
| you f.sg. · أنت anti | اِسْتَمْرَرْتِ or اِسْتَمَرَّيْتِ | istamrarti or istamarrayti |
| you dual · أنتما antumā | اِسْتَمْرَرْتُمَا or اِسْتَمَرَّيْتُمَا | istamrartumā or istamarraytumā |
| you m.pl. · أنتم antum | اِسْتَمْرَرْتُمْ or اِسْتَمَرَّيْتُمْ | istamrartum or istamarraytum |
| you f.pl. · أنتن antunna | اِسْتَمْرَرْتُنَّ or اِسْتَمَرَّيْتُنَّ | istamrartunna or istamarraytunna |
| he · هو huwa | اِسْتَمَرَّ | istamarra |
| she · هي hiya | اِسْتَمَرَّتْ | istamarrat |
| they two m. · هما humā | اِسْتَمَرَّا | istamarrā |
| they two f. · هما humā | اِسْتَمَرَّتَا | istamarratā |
| they m.pl. · هم hum | اِسْتَمَرُّوا | istamarrū |
| they f.pl. · هن hunna | اِسْتَمْرَرْنَ | istamrarna |
Present tense of istamarra
In the present tense (al-muḍāriʿ) the doubled letter of istamarra stays together everywhere except before the feminine plural -na: يَسْتَمِرُّ (yastamirru) but يَسْتَمْرِرْنَ (yastamrirna).
| Person | Arabic | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| I · أنا anā | أَسْتَمِرُّ | astamirru |
| we · نحن naḥnu | نَسْتَمِرُّ | nastamirru |
| you m.sg. · أنت anta | تَسْتَمِرُّ | tastamirru |
| you f.sg. · أنت anti | تَسْتَمِرِّينَ | tastamirrīna |
| you dual · أنتما antumā | تَسْتَمِرَّانِ | tastamirrāni |
| you m.pl. · أنتم antum | تَسْتَمِرُّونَ | tastamirrūna |
| you f.pl. · أنتن antunna | تَسْتَمْرِرْنَ | tastamrirna |
| he · هو huwa | يَسْتَمِرُّ | yastamirru |
| she · هي hiya | تَسْتَمِرُّ | tastamirru |
| they two m. · هما humā | يَسْتَمِرَّانِ | yastamirrāni |
| they two f. · هما humā | تَسْتَمِرَّانِ | tastamirrāni |
| they m.pl. · هم hum | يَسْتَمِرُّونَ | yastamirrūna |
| they f.pl. · هن hunna | يَسْتَمْرِرْنَ | yastamrirna |
Subjunctive and jussive of istamarra
After لم (lam, did not) the he-form of istamarra has three correct spellings, يَسْتَمِرَّ (yastamirra) or يَسْتَمِرِّ (yastamirri) or يَسْتَمْرِرْ (yastamrir), because the doubled letter may merge or split; after لن (lan, will not) it has one, يَسْتَمِرَّ (yastamirra).
| Person | Subjunctive | Jussive |
|---|---|---|
| I · أنا anā | أَسْتَمِرَّ (astamirra) | أَسْتَمِرَّ (astamirra) or أَسْتَمِرِّ (astamirri) or أَسْتَمْرِرْ (astamrir) |
| we · نحن naḥnu | نَسْتَمِرَّ (nastamirra) | نَسْتَمِرَّ (nastamirra) or نَسْتَمِرِّ (nastamirri) or نَسْتَمْرِرْ (nastamrir) |
| you m.sg. · أنت anta | تَسْتَمِرَّ (tastamirra) | تَسْتَمِرَّ (tastamirra) or تَسْتَمِرِّ (tastamirri) or تَسْتَمْرِرْ (tastamrir) |
| you f.sg. · أنت anti | تَسْتَمِرِّي (tastamirrī) | تَسْتَمِرِّي (tastamirrī) |
| you dual · أنتما antumā | تَسْتَمِرَّا (tastamirrā) | تَسْتَمِرَّا (tastamirrā) |
| you m.pl. · أنتم antum | تَسْتَمِرُّوا (tastamirrū) | تَسْتَمِرُّوا (tastamirrū) |
| you f.pl. · أنتن antunna | تَسْتَمْرِرْنَ (tastamrirna) | تَسْتَمْرِرْنَ (tastamrirna) |
| he · هو huwa | يَسْتَمِرَّ (yastamirra) | يَسْتَمِرَّ (yastamirra) or يَسْتَمِرِّ (yastamirri) or يَسْتَمْرِرْ (yastamrir) |
| she · هي hiya | تَسْتَمِرَّ (tastamirra) | تَسْتَمِرَّ (tastamirra) or تَسْتَمِرِّ (tastamirri) or تَسْتَمْرِرْ (tastamrir) |
| they two m. · هما humā | يَسْتَمِرَّا (yastamirrā) | يَسْتَمِرَّا (yastamirrā) |
| they two f. · هما humā | تَسْتَمِرَّا (tastamirrā) | تَسْتَمِرَّا (tastamirrā) |
| they m.pl. · هم hum | يَسْتَمِرُّوا (yastamirrū) | يَسْتَمِرُّوا (yastamirrū) |
| they f.pl. · هن hunna | يَسْتَمْرِرْنَ (yastamrirna) | يَسْتَمْرِرْنَ (yastamrirna) |
Imperative of istamarra
The command of Form X drops the prefix of the jussive تَسْتَمِرَّ (tastamirra) and puts a connecting alif in front: اِسْتَمِرَّ (istamirra) or اِسْتَمِرِّ (istamirri) or اِسْتَمْرِرْ (istamrir) to one man, اِسْتَمِرِّي (istamirrī) to one woman, اِسْتَمِرُّوا (istamirrū) to a group.
| Person | Arabic | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| you m.sg. · أنت anta | اِسْتَمِرَّ or اِسْتَمِرِّ or اِسْتَمْرِرْ | istamirra or istamirri or istamrir |
| you f.sg. · أنت anti | اِسْتَمِرِّي | istamirrī |
| you dual · أنتما antumā | اِسْتَمِرَّا | istamirrā |
| you m.pl. · أنتم antum | اِسْتَمِرُّوا | istamirrū |
| you f.pl. · أنتن antunna | اِسْتَمْرِرْنَ | istamrirna |
Passive of istamarra
The doubled letter of istamarra stays together in the passive: اُسْتُمِرَّ (ustumirra) in the past, يُسْتَمَرُّ (yustamarru) in the present.
| Person | Past passive | Present passive |
|---|---|---|
| I · أنا anā | اُسْتُمْرِرْتُ (ustumrirtu) | أُسْتَمَرُّ (ustamarru) |
| we · نحن naḥnu | اُسْتُمْرِرْنَا (ustumrirnā) | نُسْتَمَرُّ (nustamarru) |
| you m.sg. · أنت anta | اُسْتُمْرِرْتَ (ustumrirta) | تُسْتَمَرُّ (tustamarru) |
| you f.sg. · أنت anti | اُسْتُمْرِرْتِ (ustumrirti) | تُسْتَمَرِّينَ (tustamarrīna) |
| you dual · أنتما antumā | اُسْتُمْرِرْتُمَا (ustumrirtumā) | تُسْتَمَرَّانِ (tustamarrāni) |
| you m.pl. · أنتم antum | اُسْتُمْرِرْتُمْ (ustumrirtum) | تُسْتَمَرُّونَ (tustamarrūna) |
| you f.pl. · أنتن antunna | اُسْتُمْرِرْتُنَّ (ustumrirtunna) | تُسْتَمْرَرْنَ (tustamrarna) |
| he · هو huwa | اُسْتُمِرَّ (ustumirra) | يُسْتَمَرُّ (yustamarru) |
| she · هي hiya | اُسْتُمِرَّتْ (ustumirrat) | تُسْتَمَرُّ (tustamarru) |
| they two m. · هما humā | اُسْتُمِرَّا (ustumirrā) | يُسْتَمَرَّانِ (yustamarrāni) |
| they two f. · هما humā | اُسْتُمِرَّتَا (ustumirratā) | تُسْتَمَرَّانِ (tustamarrāni) |
| they m.pl. · هم hum | اُسْتُمِرُّوا (ustumirrū) | يُسْتَمَرُّونَ (yustamarrūna) |
| they f.pl. · هن hunna | اُسْتُمْرِرْنَ (ustumrirna) | يُسْتَمْرَرْنَ (yustamrarna) |
Participles and verbal noun of istamarra
A Form X active participle is the present stem with mu- in place of the prefix: يَسْتَمِرُّ (yastamirru) gives مُسْتَمِرّ (mustamirr). The passive participle has a where the active participle has i: مُسْتَمَرّ (mustamarr). The verbal noun (maṣdar) follows the Form X pattern istifʿāl: اِسْتِمْرَار (istimrār). The Arabic grammar books we recommend cover all ten patterns at more length.
Why istamarra conjugates this way
The second and third root letters of اِسْتَمَرَّ (istamarra) are the same, ر (r), so it is a doubled verb. When a vowel follows the third letter the two merge into one letter with a shadda (اِسْتَمَرَّ (istamarra), يَسْتَمِرُّ (yastamirru)); before a consonant ending they come apart again (اِسْتَمْرَرْتُ (istamrartu), يَسْتَمْرِرْنَ (yastamrirna)). That is why the jussive and the command have more than one correct spelling.
Form X puts ista- in front of the root (istafʿala) and often means to seek, ask for or consider something. It starts with a connecting alif, and its present is يَسْتَمِرُّ (yastamirru). Istaṭāʿa (to be able to) and istakhdama (to use) are built on the same Form X pattern.
Another verb from the same root on this site: marra (to pass).
Istamarra in sentences
استمرت في العمل.
She kept on working.
The verb: اِسْتَمَرَّتْ (istamarrat), past, she. Source: Tatoeba sentence 586935 by saeb (CC BY 2.0 FR), unvowelled as published.
استمر توم بالمشي.
Tom continued walking.
The verb: اِسْتَمَرَّ (istamarra), past, he. Source: Tatoeba sentence 4629174 by Shereen (CC BY 2.0 FR), unvowelled as published.
Frequently asked questions
What is the present tense of istamarra?
The present tense of اِسْتَمَرَّ (istamarra) is يَسْتَمِرُّ (yastamirru) for he, أَسْتَمِرُّ (astamirru) for I and تَسْتَمِرُّ (tastamirru) for you (one man). The doubled letter splits only before the feminine plural -na, as in يَسْتَمْرِرْنَ (yastamrirna).
What is the maṣdar (verbal noun) of istamarra?
اِسْتِمْرَار (istimrār), on the Form X pattern istifʿāl. The active participle is مُسْتَمِرّ (mustamirr), and the passive participle مُسْتَمَرّ (mustamarr).
Is istamarra a regular verb?
Mostly. Next to istamrartu, the past also has the forms with -ay- that Wiktionary lists, such as istamarraytu.