Present tense

 

 

The present tense refers to an unfinished action

 

As in

 

أَنا بَـتْعَلِّمْ عَرَبي

 

/ʼanaa batʻallim ʻarabee/

 

Means

 

I learn Arabic

 

 

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To form the present tense, we add one of the present tense prefixes and suffixes to the root of the verb.

 

 

اِحْنا مِــنْروحْ

 

/iHnaa minrooH/

 

Means

 

We go

 

 

---

 

 

Conjugating in first person (Singular)

 

أَنا

 

The prefix 

 

بـَ

 

should be attached to the verb

 

 

أَنا بـَـشْتَغَل

 

/ʼanaa bashtaghal/

 

Means

 

I work

 

 

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Conjugating in first person (Plural)

 

اِحْنا 

 

The prefix 

مـ

 

should be attached to the verb 

 

اِحْنا مـنِــشْتَغَل

 

/iHnaa mnishtaghal/

 

Means 

 

We work

 

 

---

 

 

 Examples:

 

 

أَنا بَــشْرَبْ

 

 

I drink

 

 

/ʼanaa bashrab/

 

اِحْنا مــنِشْرَبْ

 

 

We drink

 

/iHnaa mnishrab/

 

 

---

 

 

 Examples:

 

أَنا بَـروحْ

 

/ʼanaa barooH/

 

I go

 

اِحْنا مِــنروحْ

 

We go

 

/iHnaa minrooH/

 

 

---

 

 

Examples:

 

أَنا بَـتْكَلِّمْ

 

/ʼanaa batkallim/

 

I speak

 

اِحْنا مـنِتْكَلِّمْ

 

/iHnaa mnitkallim/

 

We speak

 

 

---

 

عَرَبي

 

/ʻarabee/

 

Means

 

Arabic

 

 

---

 

مَدْرَسَة

 

/madrasah/

 

Means

 

School

 

 

---

كُلِّ يوم

 

/kulli youm/

 

Means

 

Everyday

 

Adverbs can be placed at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the sentence

 

 

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دايماً

 

/daiman/

 

Means

 

Always

 

 

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Conjugating in second person (Masculine/Singular):

 

إِنْتَ

 

The prefix 

 

بـ 

 

should be attached to the verb 

 

إِنْتَ بـتِــشْتَغَلْ

 

/ʼinta btishtaghal/

 

Means

 

You work (Masculine)

 

 

---

 

Conjugating in second person (Feminine/Singular)

 

إِنْتِ

 

The prefix 

 

بتِـ 

 

and the suffix 

 

ي 

 

should be attached to the verb. 

 

ي 

 

indicates feminine

 

إِنْتِ بـتِــشْتَغَلي

 

/ʼinti btishtaghalee/ 

 

Means

 

You work (Feminine)

 

 

---

 

Examples:

 

إِنْتَ بــتِــشْرَبْ

 

/ʼinta btishrab/

 

You drink (Masculine)

 

إِنْتِ بــتِــشْرَبي

 

/ʼinti btishrabee/

 

You drink (Feminine)

 

 

---

 

 

Examples:

 

إِنْتَ بــتِـتْكَلِّمْ

 

/ʼinta btitkallim/

 

You speak (Masculine)

 

إِنْتِ بـتِـتْكَلِّمي

 

/ʼinti btitkallimee/

 

You speak (Feminine)

 

 

---

 

Examples:

 

إِنْتَ بِـتْـروحْ

 

/ʼinta bitrooH/

 

You go (Masculine)

 

إِنْتِ بِـتْـروحي

 

 

/ʼinti bitrooHee/

 

You go (Feminine)

 

 

---

 

 

Conjugating in third person (Masculine/Singular)

 

هُوَّ

 

The prefix 

 

بيِـ 

 

should be attached to the verb 

هُوَّ بـيِــشْتَغَل

 

/huwwah byishtaghal/

 

Means

 

He works

 

 

---

 

Conjugating in third person (Feminine/Singular)

 

هِيَّ

 

The prefix 

 

بتِـ 

 

should be attached to the verb

هِيَّ بـتـِـشْتَغَل

 

/hiyyah btishtaghal/

Means

 

She works

 

 

---

 

 Examples:

 

هُوَّ بـيِــتْكَلِّم

 

/huwwah byitkallim/

 

He speaks

هِيَّ بـتِــتْكَلِّم

 

/hiyyah btitkallim/

 

She speaks

 

 

---

 

 

Examples:

 

هُوَّ بِـيـروحْ

 

/huwwah byrooH/

 

He goes

 

هِيَّ بِـتـروحْ

 

/hiyyah bitrooH/

 

She goes

 

 

---

 

 

Examples:

 

هُوَّ بِـيــشْرَب

 

/huwwah byishrab/

 

He drinks

 

هِيَّ بـتِــشْرَب

 

/hiyyah btishrab/

 

She drinks

 

 

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