Present tense

...
 

The present tense refers to an unfinished action

   

As in

   

أَنا بِــتْعَلَّمْ عَرَبي

   

/ʼanaa bitʻallam ʻarabee/

   

Means

   

I learn Arabic

   
 
   

To form the present tense, suffixes and prefixes should be added to the root of the verb.

   

نِحْنا

   

مِنْــروحْ

   

/niHnaa minrooH/

   

Means

   

We go

 
 
 

Conjugating in first person (Singular):

   

أَنا

   

The prefix 

   

بَـ

   

should be attached to the verb

     

As in

   

أَنا  بَــعْمِلْ

   

/ʼanaa baʻmil/

   

Means

     

I do

   
 
 

Conjugating in first person (Plural):

   

نِحْنا

   

The prefix 

     

منـ

   

should be attached to the verb

     

As in

   

  نِحْنا منِــعْمِلْ 

   

/niHnaa mnaʻmil/

   

Means

   

We do

   
 
 

Examples:

     

أَنا  بِــشْرَبْ

   

/ʼanaa bishrab/

     

I drink

     

  نِحْنا منِــشْرَبْ

     

/niHnaa mnishrab/

     

We drink

     
   
   

Examples:

     

  أَنا بــروحْ

     

/ʼanaa brooH/

     

I go

     

  نِحْنا مِنْــروحْ

     

/niHnaa minrooH/

       

We go

   
 
 

 عَرَبي

   

/ʻarabee/

   

Means

   

Arabic

   
 
   

Examples:

     

  أَنا بِــحْكي

     

/ʼanaa biHkee/

     

I speak

     

  نِحْنا منِــحْكي

     

/iHnaa mniHkee/

     

We speak

   
   
 

مَدْرَسِة

   

/madrasih/

   

Means

   

School

           
   
   

كِلْ يوم

   

/kil youm/

   

Means

   

Everyday 

   

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

   
   
   

دايماً

 

/daayman/

 

Means

 

Always

   
 
 

عادَةً

   

/ʻaadatan/

   

Means

   

Usually

 
 

 

Conjugating in second person (Masculine/Singular):

       

إِنْتِه

   

The prefix

   

بـتـ 

   

should be attached to the verb

   

As in

   

  إِنْتِه بتِــعْمِلْ

   

/ʼintih btaʻmil/

   

Means

   

You do (Masculine)

 

   

Conjugating in second person (Feminine/Singular):

   

إِنْتِ

   

The prefix 

 

بـتِـ

   

and the suffix 

 

ي 

 

should be attached to the verb. 

 

ي 

   

indicates feminine

   

As in

   

إِنْتِ  بتَــعْملــي

   

/ʼinti btaʻmlee/

   

 Means

   

You do

   
 
   

Examples:

   

إِنْتِه

   

بتِــشْرَبْ

   

/ʼintih btishrab/

     

You drink (Masculine)

   

إِنْتِ

   

بتِــشْرَبــي

   

/ʼinti btishrabee/

   

You drink (Feminine)

   
   
   

 Examples:

   

إِنْتِه بتِــحْكي

   

/ʼintih btiHkee/

     

You speak (Masculine)

   

إِنْتِ  بتِــحْكي

   

/ʼinti btiHkee/

   

You speak (Feminine)

   
   

 

 Examples:

     

إِنْتِه بِتْــروحْ

   

/ʼintih bitrooH/

   

You go (Masculine)

   

إنْتِ بِتْــروحــي

   

/ʼinti bitrooHee/

   

You go (Feminine)

   
   
     

Conjugating in third person (Masculine/Singular)

     

هُوِّ

 

 

The prefix 

   

بِـ

   

should be attached to the verb 

   

As in

   

هُوِّ بِـــيَعْمِلْ

   

/huwwih byaʻmil/

     

Means

   

He does

     
 
   

Conjugating in third person (Feminine/Singular):

   

هِيِّ 

   

The prefix 

   

بـتـ

   

should be attached to the verb 

   

As in

 

هِيِّ بتِــعْمِلْ

   

/hiyyih btiʻmil/

   

Means

   

She does

   
 
   

Examples:

   

هُوِّ بِــيِحْكي

   

/huwwih byiHkee/

   

He speaks

   

هِيِّ بتِــحْكي

     

/hiyyih btiHkee/

   

She speaks

     
 
   

Examples:

 

هُوِّ بِــروحْ

   

/huwwih birooH/

   

He goes

   

هِيِّ بِتْــروحْ

     

/hiyyih bitrooH/

     

She goes

   
 

 

Examples:

   

هُوِّ بِـيِشْرَبْ

 

/huwwih byishrab/

   

He drinks

   

هِيِّ بتِــشْرَبْ

   

/hiyyeh btishrab/

   

She drinks

   
 
 
 
For more info regarding the present tense in Arabic and how to learn Arabic online, you can download the Arabic learning app Kaleela to learn Arabic the right way.