Semitic root

Semitic Root languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or "radicals".

Triconsonantal roots

A triliteral or triconsonantal root (Hebrew: שרש תלת-עצורי, šoreš təlat-ʻiṣuri; Arabic: جذر ثلاثي, jiḏr ṯulāṯī; Syriac: ܫܪܫܐ, šeršā) is a root containing a sequence of three consonants.

Semitological abbreviation	Hebrew name	Arabic name	Morphological category	Hebrew Form	Arabic form	Approximate translation
G verb stem	פָּעַל (קָל) pa‘al (or qal)	fa‘ala فَعَلَ (Stem I)	3rd. masc. sing perfect	kataḇ כתב	kataba كتب	"he wrote"
			1st. plur. perfect	kataḇnu כתבנו	katabnā كتبنا	"we wrote"
			3rd. masc. sing. imperfect	yiḵtoḇ יכתוב	yaktubu يكتب	"he writes, will write"
			1st. plur. imperfect	niḵtoḇ נכתוב	naktubu نكتب	"we write, will write"
			masc. sing. active participle	koteḇ כותב	kātib كاتب	"writer"
Š verb stem	הִפְעִיל hip̄‘il	af‘ala أَفْعَلَ (Stem IV)	3rd. masc. sing perfect	hiḵtiḇ הכתיב	aktaba أكتب	"he dictated"
			3rd. masc. sing. imperfect	yaḵtiḇ יכתיב	yuktibu يكتب	"he dictates, will dictate"
Št(D) verb stem	הִתְפָּעֵל hitpa‘el	istaf‘ala استَفْعَلَ (Stem X)	3rd. masc. sing perfect	hitkatteḇ התכתב	istaktaba استكتب	"he corresponded" (Hebrew), "he asked (someone) to write (something), had a copy made" (Arabic)
			3rd. masc. sing. imperfect	yitkatteḇ יתכתב	yastaktibu يستكتب	(imperfect of above)
Noun with m- prefix and original short vowels	mip̄‘al מִפְעָל	maf‘al مَفْعَل	singular	miḵtaḇ מכתב	maktab مكتب	"letter" (Hebrew), "office" (Arabic)