Language/Standard-arabic/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be
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In this lesson, you will learn how to use the verb TO BE in Arabic. 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 | they were 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 |