The Arabic verb has two main tenses: the Perfect (a finished action, usually past) and the Imperfect (an unfinished action, usually present or future). Learn the full Imperfect of كَتَبَ "to write" (أَكْتُبُ "I write / I shall write") and practise it with other verbs.
Conjugations: "To Have"
| Person | Singular | Plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic | Transliteration | English | Arabic | Transliteration | English | |
| First Person | أَكْتُبُ | 'aktubu | I write / I shall write | نَكْتُبُ | naktubu | we write / we shall write |
| Second Person (Masculine) | تَكْتُبُ | taktubu | thou (m.) writest / wilt write | تَكْتُبُونَ | taktuboona | you (m.) write / will write |
| Second Person (Feminine) | تَكْتُبِينَ | taktubeena | thou (f.) writest / wilt write | تَكْتُبْنَ | taktubna | you (f.) write / will write |
| Third Person (Masculine) | يَكْتُبُ | yaktubu | he writes / will write | يَكْتُبُونَ | yaktuboona | they (m.) write / will write |
| Third Person (Feminine) | تَكْتُبُ | taktubu | she writes / will write | يَكْتُبْنَ | yaktubna | they (f.) write / will write |
Vocabulary
Why do words end with “-un”?
The -un ending is called tanween (nunation). It marks indefinite nouns — similar to “a/an” in English.
كِتَابٌ (kitaabun) = a bookvsكِتَاب (kitaab) = book (base word)
To find the base word, simply remove the final “-un” sound (the double-stacked damma بٌ on the last letter).
أَكْتُبُ
'aktubu
I write / I shall write
أَشْرَبُ
'ashrabu
I drink / I shall drink
أَضْرِبُ
'adribu
I beat / I shall beat
أَرْكَبُ
'arkabu
I ride / I shall ride
أَفْهَمُ
'afhamu
I understand / I shall understand
أَنْزِلُ
'anzilu
I descend / I shall descend
أَخْرُجُ
'akhruju
I go out / I shall go out
Translate from Arabic to English
1.
أَكْتُبُ
2.
يَكْتُبُ
3.
تَكْتُبِينَ
4.
يَكْتُبُونَ
5.
نَكْتُبُ
6.
يَكْتُبْنَ
7.
يَشْرَبُ
8.
نَضْرِبُ
Translate from English to Arabic
1.
He will write
2.
We shall write
3.
They (masc.) will write
4.
She will write
5.
Thou (fem.) wilt write
6.
They (fem.) will write
7.
He will drink
8.
We beat
9.
They (masc.) beat
10.
I drink
11.
She will drink
12.
We shall drink
13.
Thou (masc.) wilt beat
14.
You (fem.) drink
15.
I shall write
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