Examples of the different forms of a sound verb (i.e. with no root weaknesses), from the root k-t-b ‘write’ (using ḥ-m-r ‘red’ for Form IX, which is limited to colors and physical defects):
| Form | Past | Meaning | Non-past | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | kataba
كتب |
‘he wrote’ | yaktubu
يكتب |
‘he writes’ |
| II | kattaba
كتب |
‘he made (someone) write’ | yukattibu
يكتب |
‘he makes (someone) write’ |
| III | kātaba
كاتب |
‘he corresponded with, wrote to (someone)’ | yukātibu
يكاتب |
‘”he corresponds with, writes to (someone)’ |
| IV | ʾaktaba
أكتب |
‘he dictated’ | yuktibu
يكتب |
‘he dictates’ |
| V | takattaba
تكتب |
nonexistent | yatakattabu
يتكتب |
nonexistent |
| VI | takātaba
تكاتب |
‘he corresponded (with someone, esp. mutually)’ | yatakātabu
يتكاتب |
‘he corresponds (with someone, esp. mutually)’ |
| VII | inkataba
انكتب |
‘he subscribed’ | yankatibu
ينكتب |
‘he subscribes’ |
| VIII | iktataba
اكتتب |
‘he copied’ | yaktatibu
يكتتب |
‘he copies’ |
| IX | (iḥmarra
احمر |
‘he turned red’ | yaḥmarru
يحمر |
‘he turns red’) |
| X | istaktaba
استكتب |
‘he asked (someone) to write’ | yastaktibu
يستكتب |
‘he asks (someone) to write’ |