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- Verbs: I, you, he and she, now and in the past
Verbs: I, you, he and she, now and in the past
Arabic verbs show who is doing the action with a prefix (present) or an ending (past). Spotting these is the key to every listening and reading question.
The present tense
The past tense
Spot the time frame
A prefix (أ، تـ، يـ، نـ) means the present: أذهب = I go.
An ending such as ـتُ or ـنا means the past: ذهبتُ = I went, ذهبنا = we went.
سـ or سوف before the present means the future: سأذهب = I will go.
These three time frames are rewarded in every speaking and writing task.
An ending such as ـتُ or ـنا means the past: ذهبتُ = I went, ذهبنا = we went.
سـ or سوف before the present means the future: سأذهب = I will go.
These three time frames are rewarded in every speaking and writing task.
Translate into Arabic: I play football and my sister plays tennis.
- I play: أنا form of يلعب, so ألعب.
- My sister: أختي (she), so تلعب.
- Football: كرة القدم; tennis: التنس.
Answer: ألعب كرة القدم وأختي تلعب التنس.
Present: prefixes أ (I), تـ (you, she), يـ (he), نـ (we); a girl is addressed with تـ...ين. Past: endings ـتُ (I), ـتَ / ـتِ (you), none (he), ـتْ (she), ـنا (we). سـ / سوف + present = future.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
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