Verbal noun

The verbal noun, in Arabic, known as المصدر can have an active meaning or passive meaning depending on the context in which it is used.


ضربه

Darbuhu


This can mean his beating someone else or it can mean his being beaten by someone else.


So if it were said

ضربه شديد

Darbuhu shadeed(un)

His beating [is] severe.

It can mean that his beating is severe meaning that when he beats someone he does so very severely.

It can also mean that he was given a beating which was very severe.