Language/Standard-arabic/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be

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In this lesson, you will learn how to use the verb TO BE in Arabic. The Arabic verb “to be” is كانَ (kāna).


After mastering this lesson, you may find these related subjects intriguing: Future Tense, The definite and indefinite articles, Give your Opinion & Third conditional and mixed conditionals.

Present tense[edit | edit source]

English Arabic Pronunciation Example English Example Arabic Example pronunciation Audio

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I am أكونُ  akūnu I am beautiful  أنا اكون جميل
you (male, single.) are تَكونُ  takūnu you are beautiful أنتَ تكون جميل
you (female, single.) are تَكونينَ  takūnīna you are beautiful أنتِ تكونين جميلة
he is يَكونُ  yakūnu he is beautiful هو يكون جميل 
she is تَكونُ  takūnu she is beautiful هي تكون جميلة
you (dual) are تكونانِ takūnani you are beautiful أنتما تكونان جميلان
they (m, dual) are يَكونانِ  yakūnāni you are beautiful هما يكونا جميلان
they (f, dual) are تَكونانِ  takūnāni they are beautiful أنتما تكونا جميلان
we are نَكونُ  nakūnu we are beautiful نحن نكون جميلون 
you (m, pl.) are تَكونونَ  takūnūna you are beautiful أنتم تكونون جميلون   
you (f, pl.) are تَكُنَّ  takunna you are beautiful أنتنّ تكن جميلات
they (m) are يَكونونَ  yakūnūna they  are beautiful هم يكونون جميلون
they (f) are يَكُنَّ  yakunna they are beautiful هن تكن جميلات

Past tense[edit | edit source]

English Arabic Pronunciation Example English Example Arabic Example pronunciation Audio

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I was كُنتُ  kuntu I was beautiful  انا كنت جميل
you (m, sing.) were كُنتَ  kunta you were beautiful انت كنت جميل
you (f, sing.) were كُنتِ  kunti you were beautiful انت كنت جميلة
he was كانَ  kāna he was beautiful هو كان جميل 
she was كانًت  kānat she was beautiful هي كانت جميلة
you (dual) were كُنتُما  kuntumā you were beautiful انتما كنتما جميلتان
they (m, dual) were كنتا  they were beautiful هما كنا جميلون
they (f, dual) were كنتا  kanta they were beautiful هما كنتا جميلتان    
we were كُنّا  kunnā we were beautiful نحن كنا جميلون
you (m, pl.) were كُنتُم  kuntum you were beautiful  انتم كنتم جميلون
you (f, pl.) were كُنتُنَّ  kuntunna you were beautiful   انتن كنتن جميلات
they (m) were كانوا  kānū they were beautiful هم كانو جميلون
they (f) were كُنَّ  kunna they were beautiful هن كن جميلات  

As you can see, whenever كان is used in a sentence you must be extra careful in determining the subject and object of the verb, just as with ليس. If you have the ليس business down, you should have no problem with كان.

كان is used to form a number of compound tenses such as the pluperfect, the future perfect, past future, past habitual and past progressive.

Examples[edit | edit source]

Below are some examples.

1. I had studied Arabic.
١. كنتُ درستُ اللغة العربية. 
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2. Samir had studied Arabic.
٢. كان سمير (قد) درس اللغة العربية. 
3. We were going to go to the Middle East.
٣. كنّا سنذهب الى الشرق الاوسط. 
4. The professors will have killed their lazy students.
٤. يكون الاستاذة (قد) قتلوا طلابهم الكسالى. 
5. Samir used to visit his relatives in Jordan every year.
٥. كان سمير يزور اقاربه في الاردن كل سنة 
6. Samir was sitting on the chair drinking tea when the policeman entered and arrested him and he was taken to jail where he died under mysterious circumstances.
٦. كان سمير يجلس على الكرسي يشرب الشاي عندما دخل الشرطي واعتقله وأُخذ الى السجن حيث مات تحت ظروف غامضة 

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