Strong verbs look the same in every sḏm=f. Weak and irregular verbs do not (Verb Classes, The Irregular Verbs). Here are the forms you will meet most.
Key idea
In the sḏm=f, third-weak verbs usually drop the j: jr=f "he does", mr=f "he loves"; some forms double the second consonant instead, jrr=f. rdj usually appears as dj=f "he gives". Doubled verbs show mꜣꜣ=f "he sees" or, in some forms, mꜣ=f.
Why it works
These changes come from speech. The weak j and the r of rdj faded when vowels moved around them, and scribes wrote what they heard. The doubled forms (jrr=f, mꜣꜣ=f) belong to a group of sḏm=f forms that Gardiner called imperfective; the shorter ones (jr=f, mꜣ=f) to the perfective. You do not need the theory to read: you need to know that jr, jrr, dj and mꜣ are forms of jrj, rdj and mꜣꜣ.
| Verb | sḏm=f | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| jrj "do" | jr=f, jrr=f | he does |
| mrj "love" | mr=f, mrr=f | he loves |
| gmj "find" | gm=f | he finds |
| rdj "give" | dj=f, rdj=f | he gives |
| mꜣꜣ "see" | mꜣꜣ=f, mꜣ=f | he sees |
| jnj "bring" | jn=f | he brings |
Worked example: Find the verb
gm=f z: what is the verb, and what does the phrase mean?
- gm plus a lost weak j: gmj "find".
- =f is the subject, z "the man" the object.
Answer: "He finds the man."
Worked example: One sign, two consonants
Read jr=f mꜣꜥt from the signs: eye, horned viper, then the word mꜣꜥt.
- The eye (D4) writes jr.
- The horned viper is =f.
- mꜣꜥt "what is right, Maat" is the object.
Answer: "He does what is right."
When you look up one of these forms, undo the change: put back the weak j (mr → mrj), the r of rdj (dj → rdj), or the second consonant of a doubled verb (mꜣ → mꜣꜣ). A doubled second consonant in a third-weak verb (jrr, mrr) is part of the form, not of the root, so take it off as well. The dictionary form is always the full root.
Common mistake
Missing jr=f because the j and r are written with one sign. Students look for a reed leaf j and a mouth r and find only an eye. The eye is a two-consonant sign (More Biliterals) that writes jr by itself. Check: an eye at the head of a clause, followed by a suffix, is almost always a form of jrj "do".