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

The Arabic verb “to be” is كانَ (kāna)

Present tense

English	Arabic	Pronunciation	Example English	Example Arabic	Example pronunciation
I am	أكونُ	akūnu	I am beautiful	انا جميل
you (male, single.) are	تَكونُ	takūnu	you are beautiful	انت جميل
you (female, single.) are	تَكونينَ	takūnīna	you are beautiful	انت جميلة
he is	يَكونُ	yakūnu	he is beautiful	هو جميل
she is	تَكونُ	takūnu	she is beautiful	هي جميلة
you (dual) are	تَكوننون	takūnani	you are beautiful	انتما جميلان
they (m, dual) are	يَكونانِ	yakūnāni	you are beautiful	هما جميلان
they (f, dual) are	تَكونانِ	takūnāni	they are beautiful	انتما جميلان
we are	نَكونُ	nakūnu	we are beautiful	نحن جميلون
you (m, pl.) are	تَكونونَ	takūnūna	you are beautiful	انتم جميلون
you (f, pl.) are	تَكُنَّ	takunna	you are beautiful	هن جميلات
they (m) are	يَكونونَ	yakūnūna	they  are beautiful	هم جميلون
they (f) are	يَكُنَّ	yakunna	they are beautiful	هن جميلات

Past tense

English	Arabic	Pronunciation	Example English	Example Arabic	Example pronunciation
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		theywere 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

Below are some examples.

1. I had studied Arabic.	١. كنتُ درستُ اللغة العربية.
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