Lesson 2: Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Present
No more false verbs! Now it is time for the actual verbs. check out how to conjugate verbs in present and say what you do regularly.
Examples of Common Verbs:
| Infinitive | Meaning | Stem |
|---|---|---|
| شرب (shirib) | to drink | shrib |
| أكل (akal) | to eat | akol |
| مشي (mishi) | to walk | mshi |
| عرف (3eref) | to know | 3ref |
| Infinitive | Meaning | Stem |
|---|---|---|
| شتغل (shtaghal) | to work | shtghil |
| سكن (sakan) | to live | skon |
| تعلم (t3allam) | to learn | t3allam |
| عمل (3amel) | to do | 3amel |
Let’s use shrab (to drink) as an example:
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | beshrab | beshrab mai (I drink water) |
| You (m) | bteshrab | bteshrab 3asir? (Do you drink juice?) |
| You (f) | bteshrabi | bteshrabi qahwe? (Do you drink coffee?) |
| He | bishrab | bieshrab shay (He drinks tea) |
| She | bteshrab | bteshrab shi (She drinks something) |
| We | mneshrab | mneshrab soda (We drink soda) |
| You (pl) | bteshrabo | bteshrabo 2ahwe? (Do you all drink coffee?) |
| They | bishrabo | bieshrabo mai (They drink water) |
To understand how to use verbs in Arabic, here are some key things you need to know:
Root System
Most verbs in Arabic are based on a root of at least 3 letters. These root letters give the core meaning, and we add prefixes and suffixes to conjugate.
Present Tense Conjugation Basics
To form the present tense, we follow this structure for regular verbs:
Step 1: Add the letter "b-" at the beginning (This is used for all pronouns — except "ne7na" (we))
Step 2: Add a prefix or suffix based on the pronoun:
| Pronoun | Structure | Example: shtaghal (to work) |
|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | b- | bshtaghel |
| enta (you, m) | bt- | btishtaghel |
| ente (you, f) | bt- + -i | btishtaghli |
| hue (he) | bi- | bishtaghel |
| hie (she) | bt- (like enta) | btishtaghl |
| ne7na (we) | mn- (no "b") | mnshtaghel |
| ento (you pl.) | bt- + -o | btishtaghlo |
| hinne (they) | bi- + -o | bishtaghlo |
Wait, What’s Up With “ne7na” and “hie”?
-
ne7na (we): Rebels a little. Instead of the regular "b-", it uses "mn-" (mnshtaghel).
-
hie (she): Is conjugated the same as enta (you, male). Don’t ask why—Arabic’s full of surprises!
Nice work! Learning something new isn't easy, but you're doing great. If you want to keep the momentum going, try translating the next sentences: