Language/Egyptian-arabic/Grammar/Past-Tense
As a beginner in Egyptian Arabic, one of the most important aspects of the language to learn about is the past tense. This tense is used to describe actions or events that have already taken place. In this lesson, we will explore the past tense in Egyptian Arabic and how to use it in different contexts.
Forming the Past Tense
In Egyptian Arabic, the past tense is formed using the prefix كان (kan) followed by the verb in the present tense. For example:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| كنت بشتري | kunt bshtry | I was buying |
| كان الطقس حلو | kan et-taqs helw | The weather was nice |
| كانت السيارة سريعة | kunt es-syarh sary'ah | The car was fast |
In some cases, the prefix كان (kan) is shortened to ك (k) before the verb. For example:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| كنت براوح | kunt brahh | I used to wander around |
| كان خالد ياكل | khaled yakol | Khaled was eating |
Note that the past tense is not gender-specific or number-specific, which means that it can be used to describe actions performed by both men and women, and actions that involve one person or many people at the same time.
Using the Past Tense
The past tense is used in different contexts in Egyptian Arabic. Here are some of the most common:
Describing Past Events
The past tense is used to describe actions or events that happened in the past. For example:
- لقد كنت في المتحف أمس (la'ad kunt fe el-mathef ams) - I was at the museum yesterday
- اشتريت هذا الكتاب قبل أسبوع (eshtaret haga haga el-ketab abl esbou') - I bought this book a week ago
- لعبنا كرة القدم على الشاطئ أمس (la'bna kora el-ouda 'ala esh-shate'a ams) - We played football on the beach yesterday
Expressing Habits in the Past
The past tense can be used to describe actions that used to happen repeatedly in the past. For example:
- كنت أعمل في نفس الشركة لمدة 10 سنوات (kunt a'mal fi nefso el-sharkah lemda 10 snin) - I worked in the same company for 10 years
- كنت دائماً أحضر الفطور في الصباح (kunt da'eman ahdar el-fotor fi es-sabah) - I always had breakfast in the morning
- كنت أزور أقاربي في كل عطلة (kunt azour agarby fi kol e'tella) - I used to visit my relatives every holiday
Telling Stories or Narrating
The past tense is widely used when telling stories or narrating events that have taken place in the past. For example:
- كانت هناك مرة واحدة خنزير كان يعيش في غابة (kanet hnak marrah wahda khinzir kan ye'esh fi ghabah) - There once was a pig that lived in a forest
- حدث وقتها شيء مذهل (hadth weto shay' moudhhel) - Something amazing happened at that time
- عندما دخلت الغرفة وجدت أن الكلب قد أكل الطعام (endaama dakhalt el-ghorfa we'adet en el-kaleb adkal et-ta'am) - When I entered the room, I found out that the dog had eaten the food
Note that the past tense can also be used in combination with adverbs of time to be more specific about when an action took place. For example:
- كانت هناك حرب كبيرة قبل 50 سنة (kanet hnak harb kebire qabl 50 snah) - There was a big war 50 years ago
- أمس كان يوماً مشمساً جميلاً (ams kan yawma mshmesan jameelan) - Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day
Conclusion
Mastering the past tense in Egyptian Arabic is crucial to communicate about past events or describe habits in the past. Remember that it can be formed using the prefix كان (kan) followed by the verb in the present tense, and it is mainly used to describe past events, express habits in the past, and tell stories or narrate events. Practice using the past tense with different types of words, and you will soon start feeling comfortable using it in daily conversations.
Sources
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