Presented by Zia H Shah MD

Courtesy of: Corpus.Quran.com

Catalog of the 100 most frequent verbs

Table conventions.

• Arabic form: the concordance’s representative Quranic surface form for that root+stem (not always a dictionary lemma). 
• Root: shown in Arabic spaced radicals (e.g., ق و ل). 
• Form: derived stem per the corpus (I, II, III, IV, V, VIII, X). 
• Frequency: token counts reported by the concordance. 
• References: fully verified examples are provided only for a small subset in this session (see notes). For the rest, references must be retrieved from the linked occurrence lists in the same primary source. 

Primary Verbs: The First 100 High-Frequency Stems

The first 100 verbs represent the core lexical requirements for Quranic literacy, covering approximately 80% of the total verbal token instances in the text. These verbs are categorized by their primary semantic fields: speech/reporting, existential/copular structure, epistemic/directive (belief and knowledge), and event/creation semantics.

Arabic Verb (Root; Form)	Concise English Sense	Frequency	Representative Quran References
قَالَ (ق و ل; I)	to say	1618	2:8, 2:30, 3:26, 3:31
كَانَ (ك و ن; I)	to be	1358	2:23, 2:34, 2:65, 2:41
ءَامَنَ (ا م ن; IV)	to believe	537	2:3, 2:8, 2:13, 2:25
عَلِمَ (ع ل م; I)	to know	382	2:13, 2:30, 2:60, 2:77
جَعَلَ (ج ع ل; I)	to make; to put/appoint	340	2:22, 2:124, 2:143
كَفَرَ (ك ف ر; I)	to disbelieve	289	2:6, 2:28, 3:4, 3:72
جَآءَ (ج ي ا; I)	to come	278	2:101, 3:19, 3:61, 4:43
عَمِلَ (ع م ل; I)	to do; to work	276	2:25, 2:62, 3:30, 4:17
ءَاتَىٰ (ا ت ي; IV)	to give	271	2:43, 2:83, 2:110, 3:48
رَءَا (ر ا ي; I)	to see	271	2:128, 6:76, 12:4, 27:40
أَتَىٰ (ا ت ي; I)	to come; to bring	264	2:106, 2:109, 2:148, 3:23
شَآءَ (ش ي ا; I)	to will; to wish	236	2:20, 2:105, 2:142, 3:26
خَلَقَ (خ ل ق; I)	to create	184	2:21, 2:29, 3:47, 4:1
أَنزَلَ (ن ز ل; IV)	to send down; to reveal	183	2:4, 2:22, 2:23, 3:3
كَذَّبَ (ك ذ ب; II)	to deny; to reject	176	2:39, 3:11, 3:184, 5:10
دَعَا (د ع و; I)	to call; to invite; to pray	170	2:61, 2:186, 3:38, 7:134
ٱتَّقَىٰ (و ق ي; VIII)	to be righteous; to fear Allah	166	2:2, 2:21, 2:41, 3:102
هَدَىٰ (ه د ي; I)	to guide	144	2:142, 2:213, 2:272, 3:73
أَرَادَ (ر و د; IV)	to intend; to desire; to want	139	2:185, 2:228, 2:233, 4:26
ٱتَّبَعَ (ت ب ع; VIII)	to follow	136	2:38, 2:124, 3:31, 4:125
أَرْسَلَ (ر س ل; IV)	to send	130	2:119, 2:151, 3:164, 7:59
أَخَذَ (ا خ ذ; I)	to take; to seize	127	2:40, 2:50, 2:63, 3:11
ٱتَّخَذَ (ا خ ذ; VIII)	to take	124	2:51, 2:116, 2:125, 3:28
عَبَدَ (ع ب د; I)	to worship	122	1:5, 2:21, 2:133, 3:51
ظَلَمَ (ظ ل م; I)	to oppress; to wrong	110	2:54, 2:57, 3:117, 4:10
سَأَلَ (س ا ل; I)	to ask	106	2:108, 2:186, 2:211, 2:215
وَجَدَ (و ج د; I)	to find	106	2:148, 3:37, 4:64, 4:100
أَخْرَجَ (خ ر ج; IV)	to bring forth; to drive out	99	2:22, 2:191, 2:257, 3:27
أَكَلَ (ا ك ل; I)	to eat; to consume	93	2:57, 2:60, 2:168, 2:187
لَّيْسَ (ل ي س; I)	to not be	89	2:113, 2:177, 2:189, 3:128
فَعَلَ (ف ع ل; I)	to do	88	2:187, 2:231, 2:240, 3:135
نَّظَرَ (ن ظ ر; I)	to look; to see	87	2:259, 3:77, 6:11, 7:185
ذَكَرَ (ذ ك ر; I)	to remember; to mention	84	2:40, 2:47, 2:63, 2:114
خَافَ (خ و ف; I)	to fear; to be afraid	83	2:182, 2:229, 2:239, 4:3
قَتَلَ (ق ت ل; I)	to kill	83	2:54, 2:61, 3:21, 3:112
رَجَعَ (ر ج ع; I)	to return	79	2:18, 2:28, 2:245, 3:109
سَمِعَ (س م ع; I)	to hear; to listen	78	2:181, 3:35, 3:181, 4:46
تَوَلَّىٰ (و ل ي; V)	to turn	78	2:30, 2:137, 3:20, 3:23
أَمَرَ (ا م ر; I)	to order; to command	77	2:27, 2:67, 2:93, 3:110
دَخَلَ (د خ ل; I)	to enter	76	2:58, 2:114, 2:214, 3:37
جَزَىٰ (ج ز ي; I)	to reward; to recompense	73	2:48, 2:123, 2:191, 3:174
أَطَاعَ (ط و ع; IV)	to obey	72	3:32, 3:132, 4:59, 4:69
أَوْحَىٰٓ (و ح ي; IV)	to reveal; to inspire	72	4:163, 6:50, 7:117, 10:2
أَشْرَكَ (ش ر ك; IV)	to associate partners	71	2:221, 6:107, 16:3, 22:17
أَلْقَىٰٓ (ل ق ي; IV)	to cast; to throw	71	2:195, 7:117, 12:10, 16:15
وَعَدَ (و ع د; I)	to promise	70	2:268, 4:95, 9:72, 13:35
أَنفَقَ (ن ف ق; IV)	to spend	68	2:3, 2:215, 2:219, 3:92
غَفَرَ (غ ف ر; I)	to forgive	65	2:58, 2:199, 3:135, 4:48
أَحْبَبَ (ح ب ب; IV)	to love; to like	64	2:165, 2:190, 2:195, 3:31
أَصَابَ (ص و ب; IV)	to strike; to befall	64	2:156, 3:146, 3:153, 4:62
أَضَلَّ (ض ل ل; IV)	to let go astray; to mislead	64	2:26, 4:113, 14:36, 28:15
تَّابَ (ت و ب; I)	to repent; to turn	63	2:37, 2:160, 4:17, 5:39
كَسَبَ (ك س ب; I)	to earn	62	2:79, 2:134, 3:161, 4:111
نَزَّلَ (ن ز ل; II)	to send down; to reveal	62	2:91, 2:97, 3:3, 4:140
تَلَىٰ (ت ل و; I)	to recite	61	2:113, 2:121, 3:58, 5:27
رَزَقَ (ر ز ق; I)	to provide	61	2:22, 2:25, 2:57, 2:172
قَضَىٰٓ (ق ض ي; I)	to decree; to decide	59	2:117, 3:47, 19:35, 28:15
نَصَرَ (ن ص ر; I)	to help	59	2:123, 3:13, 3:111, 3:160
صَبَرَ (ص ب ر; I)	to be patient	58	2:153, 3:17, 3:200, 7:126
جَرَيْ (ج ر ي; I)	to flow; to run	57	2:25, 3:15, 3:136, 10:22
مَسَّ (م س س; I)	to touch	56	2:214, 3:120, 3:140, 6:17
ضَرَبَ (ض ر ب; I)	to strike; to set forth	55	2:26, 2:60, 2:61, 3:112
قَٰتَلَ (ق ت ل; III)	to fight	54	2:190, 2:244, 3:146, 4:74
أَقَامَ (ق و م; IV)	to establish	54	2:3, 2:43, 2:110, 4:103
خَرَجَ (خ ر ج; I)	to go out; to depart	53	2:149, 3:13, 4:100, 7:13
ضَلَّ (ض ل ل; I)	to go astray; to err	53	2:108, 4:116, 5:12, 6:140
بَعَثَ (ب ع ث; I)	to raise; to resurrect	52	2:56, 2:129, 2:213, 16:36
أَحْيَا (ح ي ي; IV)	to give life	51	2:28, 2:243, 2:258, 22:66
تَذَكَّرَ (ذ ك ر; V)	to receive admonition	51	2:269, 3:7, 7:3, 40:13
أَهْلَكَ (ه ل ك; IV)	to destroy	51	6:6, 7:4, 11:117, 21:9
ٱفْتَرَىٰ (ف ر ي; VIII)	to invent	50	3:24, 3:94, 4:48, 6:21
زَادَ (ز ي د; I)	to increase	49	2:10, 2:58, 3:173, 17:41
عَقَلَ (ع ق ل; I)	to understand; to reason	49	2:44, 2:73, 2:170, 3:65
كَتَبَ (ك ت ب; I)	to write; to prescribe	49	2:183, 2:187, 2:216, 4:77
ظَنَّ (ظ ن ن; I)	to think; to assume	47	2:46, 2:230, 2:249, 10:22
شَكَرَ (ش ك ر; I)	to be grateful	46	2:152, 2:172, 3:123, 14:7
نَّبَّأَ (ن ب ا; II)	to inform	46	2:31, 3:49, 5:105, 6:159
حَكَمَ (ح ك م; I)	to judge	45	2:113, 3:55, 5:1, 5:48
يَذَرَ (و ذ ر; I)	to leave; to forsake	45	6:112, 7:180, 25:17, 29:2
حَسِبَ (ح س ب; I)	to think	44	2:214, 3:142, 3:169, 3:188
شَهِدَ (ش ه د; I)	to testify; to witness	44	2:185, 3:18, 4:135, 6:150
مَلَكَ (م ل ك; I)	to possess; power	44	5:17, 5:25, 13:16, 20:89
نَادَىٰ (ن د و; III)	to call	44	7:44, 19:3, 19:52, 21:76
أَنذَرَ (نذ ر; IV)	to warn	44	2:6, 6:19, 14:44, 19:39
أُدْخِلَ (د خ ل; IV)	to admit	42	3:195, 4:13, 4:175, 48:25
سَبَّحَ (س ب ح; II)	to glorify; to praise	42	2:30, 17:44, 57:1, 62:1
ٱسْتَطَاعَ (ط و ع; X)	to be able to	42	2:217, 3:97, 18:67, 18:82
حَمَلَ (ح م ل; I)	to carry; to bear	41	2:286, 7:189, 17:3, 20:100
عَذَّبَ (ع ذ ب; II)	to punish	41	2:284, 3:56, 5:18, 9:26
عَلَّمَ (ع ل م; II)	to teach	41	2:31, 2:239, 96:4, 55:2
بِئْسَ (ب ا س; I)	to be wretched/evil	40	2:90, 2:126, 3:12, 3:151
بَلَغَ (ب ل غ; I)	to reach	40	2:196, 2:231, 6:19, 18:60
تَرَكَ (ت ر ك; I)	to leave	40	2:17, 2:180, 4:7, 4:11
خَشِىَ (خ ش ي; I)	to fear	40	2:150, 4:9, 5:3, 9:13
أَرَىٰ (ر ا ي; IV)	to show	40	2:128, 2:260, 4:105, 7:143
ٱسْتَغْفَرَ (غ ف ر; X)	to ask forgiveness	40	3:159, 4:64, 4:110, 11:3
ٱسْتَكْبَرَ (ك ب ر; X)	to be arrogant	40	2:34, 7:13, 10:75, 38:74
ٱهْتَدَىٰ (ه د ي; VIII)	to be guided	40	2:137, 3:20, 10:108, 17:15
تَوَكَّلَ (و ك ل; V)	to put trust	40	3:122, 3:159, 11:123, 25:58
حَرَّمَ (ح ر م; II)	to forbid	39	2:173, 2:275, 3:93, 4:160

For the references go the Microsoft Word list: