If you're trying to learn Arabic Verbs you will find some useful resources including a course about Verbs in the present past and future tense... to help you with your Arabic grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Arabic. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Arabic Verbs is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. The more you master it the more you get closer to mastering the Arabic language. But first we need to know what the role of Verbs is in the structure of the grammar in Arabic.
Arabic verbs are words that convey action (bring, read, walk, run), or a state of being (exist, stand). In most languages a verb may agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments, such as its subject, or object.
Arabic to has only 2 times, the perfect and the imperfect, but there is a difference, in the west we look at the points in time in where a action takes place, the Arabs however look at the aspect of a verb meaning they ask is the action finished or not (They don’t ask themselves when did it finish or not). Of course a finished action corresponds with the past as does a unfinished action with the present, but not necessarily so. Here are some examples:
| English Verbs | Arabic Verbs |
|---|---|
| Verbs | الْأَفْعَال - alaaf'aal |
| Past | الْمَاضِي - almaatheee |
| I spoke | تَحَدَّثْت - tahadatht |
| I wrote | كُتِبَت - kotebat |
| I drove | قُدَّت - qodat |
| I loved | كُنْت أُحِب - kont aoheb |
| I gave | أَعْطَيْت - aa'taeet |
| I smiled | ابْتَسَمَت - abtasamat |
| I took | أَخَذَت - aakhathat |
| he spoke | تُحَدِّث - tohadeth |
| he wrote | كُتِب - koteb |
| he drove | قَاد - qaad |
| he loved | احِب - aheb |
| he gave | قَدِم - qadem |
| he smiled | ابْتَسِم - abtasem |
| he took | اخَذ - akhath |
| we spoke | تَكَلَّمْنَا - takalamnaa |
| we wrote | كَتَبْنَا - katabnaa |
| we drove | قُدْنَا - qodnaa |
| we loved | أَحْبَبْنَا - aahbabnaa |
| we gave | أُعْطِيَنَا - ao'teeeanaa |
| we smiled | ابْتَسَمْنَا - abtasamnaa |
| we took | اخَذْنَا - akhathnaa |
| Future | مُسْتَقْبِل - mostaqbel |
| I will speak | سَوْف أَتَكَلَّم - sawf aatakalam |
| I will write | سَوْف أَكْتُب - sawf aaktob |
| I will drive | سَوْف أَقُوْد - sawf aaqowd |
| I will love | سَوْف أُحِب - sawf aoheb |
| I will give | سَوْف أُعْطِي - sawf ao'teee |
| I will smile | سَوْف أَبَتَسِم - sawf aabatasem |
| I will take | سَوْف آَخِذ - sawf aakheth |
| he will speak | سَوْف يَتَحْدُث - sawf eeatahdoth |
| he will write | سَوْف يَكْتُب - sawf eeaktob |
| he will drive | سَوْف يَقُوْد - sawf eeaqowd |
| he will love | سَوْف يُحِب - sawf eeoheb |
| he will give | سَوْف يُعْطِي - sawf eeo'teee |
| he will smile | سَوْف يَبْتَسِم - sawf eeabtasem |
| he will take | سَوْف يَأْخُذ - sawf eeaakhoth |
| we will speak | سَوْف نَتَكَلَّم - sawf natakalam |
| we will write | سَوْف نَكْتُب - sawf naktob |
| we will drive | سَوْف نُقُوْد - sawf noqowd |
| we will love | سَوْف نُحِب - sawf noheb |
| we will give | سَوْف نُعْطَى - sawf no'taa |
| we will smile | سَوْف نَبَتَسِم - sawf nabatasem |
| we will take | سَوْف نَأْخُذ - sawf naakhoth |
| Present | الْحَالِي - alhaaleee |
| I speak | أَنَا أَتَكَلَّم - aanaa aatakalam |
| I write | أَنَا أَكْتُب - aanaa aaktob |
| I drive | أَنَا أَقُوْد - aanaa aaqowd |
| I love | انَا أَحَب - anaa aahab |
| I give | اانا اعْطَى - aana a'taa |
| I smile | انَا أَبْتِسِم - anaa aabtesem |
| I take | انَا آَخِذ - anaa aakheth |
| he speaks | يَتَكَلَّم - eeatakalam |
| he writes | يُكْتَب - eeoktab |
| he drives | يَقُوْد - eeaqowd |
| he loves | يُحِب - eeoheb |
| he gives | يُعْطِي - eeo'teee |
| he smiles | يَبْتَسِم - eeabtasem |
| he takes | يَأْخُذ - eeaakhoth |
| we speak | نَحْن نَتَكَلَّم - nahn natakalam |
| we write | ذَحْن نَكْتُب - thahn naktob |
| we drive | نَحْن نُقُوْد - nahn noqowd |
| we love | نَحْن نُحِب - nahn noheb |
| we give | نَحْن نُعْطِي - nahn no'teee |
| we smile | نَحْن نَبْتَسِم - nahn nabtasem |
| we take | نَحْن نَأْخُذ - nahn naakhoth |
Arabic verb conjugation is a bit complex, although very regular the so called semivowels alif, waw and ya and the glottal stop hamza cause irregularity in Arabic verb conjugation. The simplest Arabic verb excist out of three consonants like كتب KaTaBa meaning he wrote or he has written. The past tense is conjugated by suffixes, the present tense by prefixes. The Arabs use the verb fa3ala (to do) to represent all possible forms a verb may have. The problem lies in the fact that any of those root consonants might be an hamza, the glottal stop or an alif, a waw or a ya, the so called semi-consonants. They might be retained or disappear according to certain rules.
Arabic verbs have ten (even more) forms. To give you an example,third rule علَم allama means to know, The second form علّم allama with the second consonant doubled means to let know meaning to teach, the fifth form تعلّم ta3allama means to let your self know meaning to study! The tenth form istaf3ala means in general to think to act out an action described by the verb, so istahhasana to think to be beatifull from hhasana to be beautiful. I once made a joke during my Arabic studies. In Holland we call a street car (an electric street car) a tram. This exactly fits the Arabic verb paradigm. Back in those days I sometimes sat in the tram without a ticket which we Dutch call zwart rijden (driving black). So I said if tram would be an Arabic verb ترم TRM the zwart rijde would be translated as IstTarama استرّم thinking to ride on a tram (with a ticket).
Notice the structure of the Verbs in Arabic.
Below is a list of the conjugated Verbs in the present past and future in Arabic placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Arabic vocabulary.
| English Verbs | Arabic Verbs |
|---|---|
| I can accept that | يُمْكِن أَن أَقْبَلَه /iomkin an aqbalah |
| she added it | وَأَضَافَت أَنَّه /waadaafat anah |
| we admit it | نَحْن نَعْتَرِف بِذَلِك /nahn na'tarif bithalik |
| they advised him | وَأَشَارُوا عَلَيْه /waashaarowa 'alaih |
| I can agree with that | وَيُمْكِنُنِي أَن أَتَّفِق مَعَه /waiomkinonii an atafiq ma'ah |
| she allows it | انَهَا تَسْمَح لَهَا /anahaa tasmah lahaa |
| we announce it | نُعْلِن ذَلِك /no'lin thalik |
| I can apologize | وَيُمْكِنُنِي أَن أَعْتَذِر /waiomkinonii an a'tathir |
| she appears today | يَبْدُو انَّهَا الْيَوْم /iabdow anahaa aliawm |
| they arranged that | لَكِنَّهَا وَرُتِّبَت /lakinahaa warotibat |
| I can arrive tomorrow | وَيُمْكِنُنِي أَن يَصِل غَدا /waiomkinonii an iasil ghada |
| she can ask him | تَسْتَطِيْع أَن أَسْأَلَه /tastatii' an asalah |
| she attaches that | انَهَا تُعَلِّق عَلَيْه /anahaa to'aliq 'alaih |
| we attack them | نَحْن نْهَاجَمِهُم /nahn nhaajamihom |
| they avoid her | يَتَجَنَّبُون لَهَا /iatajanabown lahaa |
| I can bake it | وَيُمْكِنُنِي أَن خَبَز /waiomkinonii an khabaz |
| she is like him | فَهِي مِثْلِه /fahii mithlih |
| we beat it | فَاز نَحْن عَلَيْه /faaz nahn 'alaih |
| they became happy | أَصْبَحُوْا سَعِيْد /asbahowa sa'iid |
| I can begin that | يُمْكِنُنِي تَشْغِيْلَه /iomkinonii tashghiilah |
| we borrowed money | نَحْن اقْتَرَضَت الْمَال /nahn aqtaradat almaal |
| they breathe air | تَتَنَفَّس الْهَوَاء /tatanafas alhawaau |
| I can bring it | لَا أَسْتَطِيْع جَعَلَه /laa astatii' ja'alah |
| I can build that | وَيُمْكِنُنِي أَن نَبْنِي عَلَيْه /waiomkinonii an nabnii 'alaih |
| she buys food | انَهَا تَشْتَرِي الْمَوَاد الْغِذَائِيَّة /anahaa tashtarii almawaad alghithaaiiiah |
| we calculate it | نَحْسُب أَنَّه /nahsob anah |
| they carry it | انَهَا تَحْمِلُه /anahaa tahmiloh |
| they don't cheat | انَّهُم لَا خِدَاع /anahom laa khidaa' |
| she chooses him | اخْتَارَت لَه /akhtaarat lah |
| we close it | نَحْن إِغْلَاقَه /nahn iighlaaqah |
| he comes here | يَأْتِي هُنَا /iaatii honaa |
| I can compare that | يُمْكِنُنِي مُقَارَنَتُهَا /iomkinonii moqaaranatohaa |
| she competes with me | انَهَا تَتَنَافَس مَع لِّي /anahaa tatanaafas ma' lii |
| we complain about it | نَحْن نَشْكُو مِنْهَا /nahn nashkow minhaa |
| they continued reading | أَنَّهَا وَاصَلَت الْقِرَاءَة /anahaa waasalat alqiraauah |
| he cried about that | صَرَخ عَن ذَلِك /sarakh 'an thalik |
| I can decide now | وَيُمْكِنُنِي أَن تُقَرِّر الْآَن /waiomkinonii an toqarir alaan |
| she described it to me | وَوُصِفَت لِي /wawosifat lii |
| we disagree about it | نَخْتَلِف حَوْل هَذَا الْمَوْضُوْع /nakhtalif hawl hathaa almawdow' |
| they disappeared quickly | اخْتِفَائِهَا بِسُرْعَة /akhtifaaiihaa bisor'ah |
| I discovered that | اكْتُشِفَت أَنَّهَا /aktoshifat anahaa |
| she dislikes that | انَّهَا لَا تُحِب أَن /anahaa laa tohib an |
| we do it | نَحْن نَفْعَل ذَلِك /nahn naf'al thalik |
| they dream about it | يَحْلُمُون عَن ذَلِك /iahlomown 'an thalik |
| I earned | حَصَل لِي ذَلِك /hasal lii thalik |
| he eats a lot | انَّه يَأْكُل الْكَثِير /anah iaakol alkathiir |
| we enjoyed that | اسْتَمْتَعْنَا ذَلِك /astamta'naa thalik |
| they entered here | دَخَلُوْا هُنَا /dakhalowa honaa |
| he escaped that | هَرَب هُو /harab how |
| I can explain that | لَا أَسْتَطِيْع شَرْح ذَلِك /laa astatii' sharh thalik |
| she feels that too | تَشْعُر أَنَّهَا أَيْضا /tash'or anahaa aida |
| we fled from there | هَرَبْنَا مِن هُنَاك /harabnaa min honaak |
| they will fly tomorrow | سَوْف يَطِيْر غَدا /sawf iatiir ghada |
| I can follow you | وَيُمْكِنُنِي أَن تُتْبِع لَكُم /waiomkinonii an totbi' lakom |
| she forgot me | نَسِيْت مِنِّي /nasiit minii |
| we forgive him | نَحْن يَغْفِر لَه /nahn iaghfir lah |
| I can give her that | يُمْكِن أَن أُعْطِيَهَا لَهَا /iomkin an ao'tiiahaa lahaa |
| she goes there | تَذْهَب هُنَاك /tathhab honaak |
| we greeted them | اسْتَقْبَل وَنَحْن مِنْهُم /astaqbal wanahn minhom |
| I hate that | أَكْرَهُه /akrahoh |
| I can hear it | وَيُمْكِنُنِي أَن تَسْمَعَه /waiomkinonii an tasma'ah |
| she imagine that | يُتَصَوَّر أَنَّهَا كَانَت /iotasawar anahaa kaanat |
| we invited them | دَعَوْنَا لَهُم /da'awnaa lahom |
| I know him | أَنَا أَعْرِفُه /anaa a'rifoh |
| she learned it | تَعَلَّمْت أَنَّه /ta'alamt anah |
| we leave now | نَّتْرُك الْآَن /natrok alaan |
| they lied about him | كَذَّب عَنْه /kathab 'anh |
| I can listen to that | لَا أَسْتَطِيْع الِاسْتِمَاع إِلَيْهَا /laa astatii' aliastimaa' iilaihaa |
| she lost that | انَهَا خَسِرَت /anahaa khasirat |
| we made it yesterday | الَّتِي قَطَّعْنَاهَا عَلَى أَنْفُسِنَا أَمْس /alatii qata'naahaa 'alaa anfosinaa ams |
| they met him | اجْتَمَعُوْا لَه /ajtama'owa lah |
| I misspell that | أَنَا كِتَابَتِهَا أَنَّهَا /anaa kitaabatihaa anahaa |
| I always pray | أُصَلِّي دَائِمَا /aosalii daaiimaa |
| she prefers that | انَهَا تُفَضِّل ذَلِك /anahaa tofadil thalik |
| we protected them | مَحْمِيَّة نَحْن مِنْهُم /mahmiiah nahn minhom |
| they will punish her | سَوْف مُعَاقَبَتَهَا /sawf mo'aaqabatahaa |
| I can put it there | لَا أَسْتَطِيْع وَضَعَه هُنَاك /laa astatii' wada'ah honaak |
| she will read it | انَهَا سَوْف يَقْرَأُهَا /anahaa sawf iaqraaohaa |
| we received that | تَلْقِيْنَا ذَلِك /talqiinaa thalik |
| they refuse to talk | رَفَضُوْا الْتَّحَدُّث /rafadowa altahadoth |
| I remember that | أَتَذَكَّرُهَا /atathakarohaa |
| she repeats that | انَهَا تُكَرِّر ذَلِك /anahaa tokarir thalik |
| we see it | نَرَاه /naraah |
| they sell it | تَبِيْعُهَا /tabii'ohaa |
| I sent that yesterday | أُرْسِلْت بِالْأَمْس /aorsilt bialams |
| he shaved his beard | انَّه حِلَق لِحْيَتِه /anah hilaq lihiatih |
| it shrunk quickly | انَهَا تَقَلَّصَت بِسُرْعَة /anahaa taqalasat bisor'ah |
| we will sing it | سَنَقُوْم غِنَائِهَا /sanaqowm ghinaaiihaa |
| they sat there | جَلَسُوْا هُنَاك /jalasowa honaak |
| I can speak it | لَا أَسْتَطِيْع الْتَّحَدُّث بِهَا /laa astatii' altahadoth bihaa |
| she spends money | إِنَّهَا تُنْفِق الْمَال /iinahaa tonfiq almaal |
| we suffered from that | عَانَيْنَا مِنْه /'aanainaa minh |
| they suggest that | فَهِي تُوْحِي أَنَّهَا /fahii towhii anahaa |
| I surprised him | فُوُجِئْت بِه /fowojiit bih |
| she took that | وَقَالَت إِنَّهَا /waqaalat iinahaa |
| we teach it | نَحْن نَعْلَم أَنَّه /nahn na'lam anah |
| they told us | قَالُوْا لَنَا /qaalowa lanaa |
| she thanked him | شَكَرْت لَه /shakart lah |
| I can think about it | لَا أَسْتَطِيْع الْتَّفْكِيْر فِي الْامْر /laa astatii' altafkiir fii alamr |
| she threw it | أَلْقَى قَالَت إِنَّهَا /alqaa qaalat iinahaa |
| we understand that | نَفْهَم /nafham |
| they want that | كَانُوْا يُرِيْدُوْن ذَلِك /kaanowa ioriidown thalik |
| I can wear it | لَا أَسْتَطِيْع ارْتِدَاء الْحِجَاب /laa astatii' artidaau alhijaab |
| she writes that | وَقَالَت انَهَا تَكْتُب عَلَيْه /waqaalat anahaa taktob 'alaih |
| we talk about it | نَتَحَّدَث عَن ذَلِك /natahadath 'an thalik |
| they have it | لَدَيْهِم عَلَيْه /ladaihim 'alaih |
| I watched it | شَاهَدْت ذَلِك /shaahadt thalik |
| I will talk about it | وَأَنَا أَرْقُص مَعَك /waanaa arqos ma'ak |
| he bought that yesterday | اشْتَرَى امْس انَهَا /ashtaraa ams anahaa |
| we finished it | انْتَهَيْنَا ذَلِك /antahainaa thalik |
Verbs in the present past and future tense have a very important role in Arabic. Once you're done with Arabic Verbs, you might want to check the rest of our Arabic lessons here: Learn Arabic. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
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