Language/Egyptian-arabic/Grammar/Command-Form
In this lesson, you will learn about the command form in Egyptian Arabic and how to use it.
What is the Command Form?
The command form in Egyptian Arabic is used to give orders or commands to one or more people. It is also used to make suggestions or give advice. The command form is an important aspect of communication in the Arabic language, and it can be used in a variety of contexts.
The command form consists of the second person singular and plural forms of the verb. This means that the command form is only used when addressing someone directly, either in the singular or plural form.
For example:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| اِقْعَدْ | iqʿad | Sit (singular) |
| اِقْعُدُوا | iqʿudu | Sit (plural) |
The singular form is used to address one person, while the plural form is used to address more than one person. The command form is always in the present tense.
How to Use the Command Form
To form the command form in Egyptian Arabic, you need to follow these steps:
1. Take the present tense form of the verb in the second person singular or plural 2. Remove the -taa' suffix from the end of the verb.
For example, the present tense form of the verb "to write" in the second person is تَكْتُب (taktub). To form the command form, we simply remove the -taa' suffix and say:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| اِكْتُبْ | iktub | Write (singular) |
| اِكْتُبُوا | iktubu | Write (plural) |
Notice that the -tu in taktub became -ub in the command form.
Here are some more examples:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| اِقْرَأْ | iqraʾ | Read (singular) |
| اِقْرَأُوا | iqraʾu | Read (plural) |
| اِمْشِ | imshi | Walk (singular) |
| اِمْشُوا | imshu | Walk (plural) |
Note that some verbs have irregular command forms, and must be memorized. Here are some examples:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| هِيَا | hiya | Come on! (singular) |
| هَيَّا | hayya | Come on! (plural) |
| قُومْ | qum | Get up! (singular) |
| قُومُوا | qumu | Get up! (plural) |
Using the Command Form with Nouns
The command form can also be used with nouns to form imperative sentences. In this case, we use the present tense of the verb "to be" (كون, kun) to connect the noun and the command verb.
For example, to say "Be quiet!" in Egyptian Arabic, we say:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| كُنْ هادِئًا | kun haadʾan | Be quiet! (singular, masculine) |
| كُني هادِئَةً | kuni haadʾatan | Be quiet! (singular, feminine) |
| كُونوا هادِئين | kuunu haadʾiin | Be quiet! (plural) |
Notice that we use the feminine form of the present tense of كون (kun) when addressing a woman.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you learned about the command form in Egyptian Arabic and how to use it. Remember that the command form is used to give orders or commands to one or more people, and that it is formed from the second person singular and plural forms of the verb. Use this form carefully, as it can be considered rude in some situations.
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