Language/Standard-arabic/Grammar/Past-tense-conjugation

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Standard Arabic Grammar → Verbs and conjugation in Arabic → Past tense conjugation

As a Standard Arabic teacher with over 20 years of experience, one of the most challenging aspects of learning the language for beginners is understanding the different verb conjugations. In this lesson, we will focus on the past tense conjugation of Arabic verbs for all subject pronouns. This will allow you to begin forming sentences in the past tense and expand your basic vocabulary further.

Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Negation & Nouns.

The Past Tense in Arabic

In Arabic, the past tense refers to an action that was done in the past, whether it was completed or not. The past tense verb form consists of a prefix followed by a verb root and a suffix. Unlike the present tense, which has only one possible prefix, the past tense has different prefixes and suffixes, depending on the subject (the person or thing doing the action). For example:

Subject	Arabic	Pronunciation	English
I	كَتَبْتُ	katabtu	I wrote
You (masculine singular)	كَتَبْتَ	katabta	You wrote
You (feminine singular)	كَتَبْتِ	katabti	You wrote
He	كَتَبَ	kataba	He wrote
She	كَتَبَتْ	katabat	She wrote
We	كَتَبْنَا	katabna	We wrote
You (masculine plural)	كَتَبْتُمْ	katabtum	You wrote
You (feminine plural)	كَتَبْتُنَّ	katabtunna	You wrote
They (masculine)	كَتَبُوا	katabuu	They wrote
They (feminine)	كَتَبْنَ	katabna	They wrote

Note that for the prefixes and suffixes, there is a consistent pattern, except in the case of the third-person masculine singular (he) and the third-person feminine singular (she), which have only a fatha ( َ) as a vowel.

For example, the root letters of the verb "kataba" (كتب) mean "to write". The prefix "ka-" (كَــ) specifies the subject as third-person male singular, and the suffix "-a" (ــَ) shows that the action was completed in the past.

Forming Regular Verbs in the Past Tense

Regular verbs in the past tense follow a consistent pattern in terms of conjugation. To form the past tense of a regular verb, you first identify the three root letters of the verb, which typically consist of a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern. Then, you add the appropriate prefix and suffix based on the subject. For example, let's take the verb "darasa" (دَرَسَ), which means "to study" in English.

Subject	Arabic	Pronunciation	English
I	دَرَسْتُ	darastu	I studied
You (masculine singular)	دَرَسْتَ	darasta	You studied
You (feminine singular)	دَرَسْتِ	darasti	You studied
He	دَرَسَ	darasa	He studied
She	دَرَسَتْ	darasat	She studied
We	دَرَسْنَا	darasna	We studied
You (masculine plural)	دَرَسْتُمْ	darastum	You studied
You (feminine plural)	دَرَسْتُنَّ	darastunna	You studied
They (masculine)	دَرَسُوا	darasuu	They studied
They (feminine)	دَرَسْنَ	darasna	They studied

Notice that the root letters of the verb "darasa" (درس) are followed by the prefix "da-" (دَــ), which is added to indicate the past tense. The suffix "-a" (ــَ) is added for the third-person male singular (he) and "-at" (ــَـتْ) for the third-person female singular (she). In other cases, the suffix "-tu" (ــُــتُ) is added for the first person (I), "-ta" (ــتَ) for the masculine singular (you) and "-ti" (ــتِ) for the feminine singular (you). For the plural (we, you, they), "-na" (ــنَا) is added.

Note again that the prefixes and suffixes follow a consistent pattern, as consistent as the stress pattern in English. It is only the root letters of the verb that change. With practice, you will become accustomed to the pattern and be able to form the past tense of any regular verb.

Irregular Verbs in the Past Tense

While regular verbs follow a consistent pattern of conjugation in the past tense, irregular verbs do not. Many of the most common verbs, such as "to be" (kaana كان) and "to have" (kana لديه) are irregular. With these verbs, you will need to memorize the conjugation pattern for each subject. For example:

Subject	Arabic	Pronunciation	English
I	كُنْتُ	kuntu	I was
You (masculine singular)	كُنْتَ	kunta	You were
You (feminine singular)	كُنْتِ	kinti	You were
He	كَانَ	kaana	He was
She	كَانَتْ	kaanat	She was
We	كُنَّا	konna	We were
You (masculine plural)	كُنْتُمْ	kuntum	You were
You (feminine plural)	كُنْتُنَّ	kuntunna	You were
They (masculine)	كَانُوا	kaanuu	They were
They (feminine)	كُنَّ	kunna	They were

Notice that unlike the regular verb "darasa", the conjugations for "kaana" (كَانَ) are not predictable or consistent for different subjects. This is why memorization is necessary for irregular verbs.

Tips for Learning the Past Tense Conjugation

1. First, learn the patterns of the past tense conjugations for regular verbs. Once you know the pattern, you can easily apply it to any regular verb root.

2. Focus on memorizing the past tense conjugations of the most commonly used irregular verbs, such as "to be" (kaana كان) and "to have" (kana لديه). Then, practice using them in simple sentences.

3. Use flashcards or other memory techniques to memorize the conjugation patterns of irregular verbs. Repetition and consistent practice are key to mastering the past tense

Table of Contents - Standard Arabic Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Introduction to Arabic script

Nouns and gender in Arabic

Verbs and conjugation in Arabic

Numbers and counting in Arabic

Everyday Arabic vocabulary

Food and drink vocabulary

Arabic customs and traditions

Arabic music and entertainment

Adjectives in Arabic

Pronouns in Arabic

Prepositions in Arabic

Interrogatives in Arabic

Adverbs in Arabic

Transportation vocabulary

Shopping and money vocabulary

Arabic literature and poetry

Arabic calligraphy and art

Weather vocabulary

Conditional sentences in Arabic

Passive voice in Arabic

Relative clauses in Arabic

Arabic adjectives and nouns

Arabic cinema and TV

Arabic fashion and beauty

Sports and leisure vocabulary

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