Language/Egyptian-arabic/Grammar/Irregular-Verbs
As a teacher of Egyptian Arabic for over 20 years, I have noticed that one of the most challenging aspects for learners is mastering the conjugation of irregular verbs in the present tense. This can be especially tricky for non-native speakers, as irregular verbs often do not follow a particular pattern or rule. However, with practice and dedication, you can quickly get the hang of it. In this lesson, I will guide you through everything you need to know to confidently use irregular verbs in the present tense in Egyptian Arabic.
What are irregular verbs?
Before we dive into the conjugation of irregular verbs, let's go over what they actually are. In the simplest terms, irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow a predictable pattern when conjugated in different tenses or with different subjects. These verbs are often unique and must be learned separately.
In the present tense, there are several irregular verbs in Egyptian Arabic that commonly appear in conversation. These verbs include:
- كان (kan) - to be
- عمل (ʿamel) - to do
- قال (ʾʾaAl) - to say/tell
- شاف (shaaf) - to see
- جاب (gaab) - to bring
- حب (hab) - to like/love
- بكّر (bakkar) - to hurry up
- طلب (ṭalab) - to request/ask for
Now that we have an understanding of what irregular verbs are, let's go over how to properly conjugate them in the present tense.
Conjugating irregular verbs in the present tense
When conjugating irregular verbs in the present tense, the easiest way to do so is to memorize the present-tense stem for each verb. Then, you can add the appropriate subject pronoun ending to match the grammatical person, gender and number of the subject of the sentence.
For example, let's take the verb كان (kan), which means "to be". The present tense stem of this verb is يكون (yikoon), which must be memorized for correct conjugation. Then, you simply add the appropriate subject ending based on the subject. Here is an example of the present tense conjugation for "to be" using the present-tense stem:
| Subject | Present Tense Conjugation |
|---|---|
| I | أنا بكون (ʾana bikoon) |
| You (singular, male) | أنت بتكون (ʾante betkon) |
| You (singular, female) | أنتي بتكوني (ʾenti betkooni) |
| He | هو بيكون (huwa bykoon) |
| She | هي بتكون (heya betkon) |
| We | إحنا بنكون (eHna benkon) |
| You (plural) | إنتوا بتكونوا (entoo betkonooa) |
| They (male or mixed) | إنهم بيكونوا (enhome bykonooa) |
| They (female) | إنهن يكونوا (enhen ykonooa) |
One important thing to remember with irregular verbs is that their present-tense stems must be memorized. Other verbs, such as regular verbs, follow a more predictable pattern that can be learned and followed more easily. Therefore, in order to use irregular verbs correctly, you must be familiar with their present-tense stems.
Common Irregular Verbs in Present Tense
Let's go over some of the most commonly used irregular verbs in the present tense in Egyptian Arabic and their respective present-tense stems.
Verb: عمل (ʿamel) - to do
Present-tense stem: يعمل (yaʿmel)
| Subject | Present Tense Conjugation |
|---|---|
| I | أنا بعمل (ʾana beʿmel) |
| You (singular, male) | أنت بتعمل (ʾante betʿmel) |
| You (singular, female) | أنتي بتعملي (ʾenti betʿmeli) |
| He | هو بيعمل (huwa byʿmel) |
| She | هي بتعمل (heya betʿmel) |
| We | إحنا بنعمل (eHna benʿmel) |
| You (plural) | إنتوا بتعملوا (entoo betʿmeloa) |
| They (male or mixed) | إنهم بيعملوا (enhome byʿmelooa) |
| They (female) | إنهن يعملوا (enhen yʿmelooa) |
Verb: قال (ʾʾaAl) - to say/tell
Present-tense stem: يقول (yoʾol)
| Subject | Present Tense Conjugation |
|---|---|
| I | أنا بقول (ʾana baʾol) |
| You (singular, male) | أنت بتقول (ʾante betʾol) |
| You (singular, female) | أنتي بتقولي (ʾenti betʾoli) |
| He | هو بيقول (huwa byʾol) |
| She | هي بتقول (heya betʾol) |
| We | إحنا بنقول (eHna benʾol) |
| You (plural) | إنتوا بتقولوا (entoo betʾolooa) |
| They (male or mixed) | إنهم بيقولوا (enhome byʾolooa) |
| They (female) | إنهن يقولوا (enhen yoʾolooa) |
Verb: شاف (shaaf) - to see
Present-tense stem: يشوف (yshoof)
| Subject | Present Tense Conjugation |
|---|---|
| I | أنا بشوف (ʾana beshoof) |
| You (singular, male) | أنت بتشوف (ʾante betshoof) |
| You (singular, female) | أنتي بتشوفي (ʾenti betshoofi) |
| He | هو بيشوف (huwa byshoof) |
| She | هي بتشوف (heya betshoof) |
| We | إحنا بنشوف (eHna benshoof) |
| You (plural) | إنتوا بتشوفوا (entoo betshoofoua) |
| They (male or mixed) | إنهم بيشوفوا (enhome byshofooa) |
| They (female) | إنهن يشوفوا (enhen yshofooa) |
Verb: جاب (gaab) - to bring
Present-tense stem: يجيب (yjib)
| Subject | Present Tense Conjugation |
|---|---|
| I | أنا بجيب (ʾana bjib) |
| You (singular, male) | أنت بتجيب (ʾante btjib) |
| You (singular, female) | أنتي بتجيبي (ʾenti btjibi) |
| He | هو بيجيب (huwa byjib) |
| She | هي بتجيب (heya btjib) |
| We | إحنا بنجيب (eHna bnjib) |
| You (plural) | إنتوا بتجيبوا (entoo btjibo) |
| They (male or mixed) | إنهم بيجيبوا (enhome byjibo) |
| They (female) | إنهن يجيبوا (enhen yjibo) |
Verb: حب (hab) - to like/love
Present-tense stem: يحب (yhib)
| Subject | Present Tense Conjugation |
|---|---|
| I | أنا بحب (ʾana b7ab) |
| You (singular, male) | أنت بتحب (ʾante bethab) |
| You (singular, female) | أنتي بتحبي (ʾenti bethabi) |
| He | هو بيحب (huwa byhib) |
| She | هي بتحب (heya bethab) |
| We | إحنا بنحب (eHna bne7ab) |
| You (plural) | إنتوا بتحبوا (entoo bethabo) |
| They (male or mixed) | إنهم بيحبوا (enhome byhabo) |
| They (female) | إنهن يحبوا (enhen y7abo) |
Verb: بكّر (bakkar) - to hurry up
Present-tense stem: يبكّر (yibakkar)
| Subject | Present Tense Conjugation |
|---|---|
| I | أنا ببكّر (ʾana bibakkar) |
| You (singular, male) | أنت بتبكّر (ʾante btibakkar) |
| You (singular, female) | أنتي بتبكّري (ʾenti btibakkari) |
| He | هو بيبكّر (huwa byibakkar) |
| She | هي بتبكّر (heya btibakkar) |
| We | إحن
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