Language/Moroccan-arabic/Grammar/Past-Tense
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The past tense is one of the most common and useful tenses in Moroccan Arabic. In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate regular verbs in the past tense.
Conjugation of Regular Verbs in the Past Tense
To form the past tense of regular verbs in Moroccan Arabic, add the following suffixes to the verb stem:
| Person | Suffix |
|---|---|
| First Singular | -t |
| Second Singular Masculine | -t |
| Second Singular Feminine | -ti |
| Third Singular Masculine | -a |
| Third Singular Feminine | -at |
| First Plural | -na |
| Second Plural Masculine | -tum |
| Second Plural Feminine | -tun |
| Third Plural | -u |
For example, let's conjugate the verb "katab" (to write) in the past tense:
| Person | Moroccan Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Singular | كتبت | katabt | I wrote |
| Second Singular Masculine | كتبت | katabt | You (masculine) wrote |
| Second Singular Feminine | كتبتي | katabti | You (feminine) wrote |
| Third Singular Masculine | كتب | katab | He wrote |
| Third Singular Feminine | كتبات | katabat | She wrote |
| First Plural | كتبنا | katabna | We wrote |
| Second Plural Masculine | كتبتوا | katabtum | You (masculine plural) wrote |
| Second Plural Feminine | كتبتن | katabtun | You (feminine plural) wrote |
| Third Plural | كتبو | katabu | They wrote |
As you can see, the suffixes are added to the verb stem to form the past tense. You should also notice the changes in the vowel signs depending on the person.
Irregular Verbs in the Past Tense
Some verbs do not follow the regular conjugation pattern in the past tense. Here are some common irregular verbs and their past tense conjugations:
- "qdar" (to be able to):
| Person | Moroccan Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Singular | قدرت | qadert | I was able to |
| Second Singular Masculine | قدرت | qadert | You (masculine) were able to |
| Second Singular Feminine | قدرتي | qaderti | You (feminine) were able to |
| Third Singular Masculine | قدر | qader | He was able to |
| Third Singular Feminine | قدرت | qadert | She was able to |
| First Plural | قدرنا | qaderna | We were able to |
| Second Plural Masculine | قدرتوا | qadertu | You (masculine plural) were able to |
| Second Plural Feminine | قدرتن | qadertun | You (feminine plural) were able to |
| Third Plural | قدرو | qaderu | They were able to |
- "shuf" (to see):
| Person | Moroccan Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Singular | شفت | shuft | I saw |
| Second Singular Masculine | شفت | shuft | You (masculine) saw |
| Second Singular Feminine | شفتي | shufti | You (feminine) saw |
| Third Singular Masculine | شاف | shaf | He saw |
| Third Singular Feminine | شافت | shaft | She saw |
| First Plural | شفنا | shufna | We saw |
| Second Plural Masculine | شفتوا | shuftu | You (masculine plural) saw |
| Second Plural Feminine | شفتن | shuftun | You (feminine plural) saw |
| Third Plural | شافو | shafu | They saw |
Going Further
The past tense is just one of many tenses in Moroccan Arabic. As you progress in your studies, you will learn more complex tenses and verb conjugations. Keep practicing and you'll get there!
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