Verbs: Past Tense

01

The First Person (I, We)

When speaking about yourself or a group you are part of, the gender does not matter. The endings are the same for both males and females.

• I: Add the suffix ⁧⁧ـتُ⁩⁩ (-tụ-tu-tu-t) to the stem.
• We: Add the suffix ⁧⁧ـنَا⁩⁩ (-nā-nā-nā-na) to the stem.

• ⁧دَرَسْتُ فِي الْجَامِعَةِ.⁩

  dạrạstụ fī ᵃljāmịʕạẗị.darastu fī ᵃld͟jāmiʿati.darastu fiy ᵃlǧāmiʿaẗi.drst fy ᵃljamʕẗ.

  I studied at the university.

• ⁧شَرِبْنَا قَهْوَةً فِي الصَّبَاحِ.⁩

  šạrịbnā qạhwạẗạṇ fī ᵃṣṣạbāḥị.s͟haribnā qahwatan fī ᵃṣṣabāḥi.šaribnā qahwaẗá fiy ᵃṣṣabāḥi.šrbna qhwẗ fy ᵃṣbaḥ.

  We drank coffee in the morning.

02

The Second Person (You)

When addressing others, Arabic distinguishes between gender (male vs. female) and number (singular vs. plural).

• You (singular male): Add ⁧⁧ـتَ⁩⁩ (-tạ-ta-ta-t).
• You (singular female): Add ⁧⁧ـتِ⁩⁩ (-tị-ti-ti-t).
• You (plural male/mixed): Add ⁧⁧ـتُمْ⁩⁩ (-tụm-tum-tum-tm).
• You (plural female): Add ⁧⁧ـتُنَّ⁩⁩ (-tụnnạ-tunna-tunna-tn).

• ⁧هَلْ كَتَبْتَ الرِّسَالَةَ؟⁩

  hạl kạtạbtạ ᵃrrịsālạẗạ?hal katabta ᵃrrisālata?hal katabta ᵃrrisālaẗa?hl ktbt ᵃrsalẗ?

  Did you (male) write the letter?

• ⁧مَاذَا فَعَلْتِ أَمْسِ؟⁩

  māḏā fạʕạltị ʼạmsị?mād͟hā faʿalti ʾamsi?māḏā faʿalti ˈamsi?maḏa fʕlt ˈams?

  What did you (female) do yesterday?

• ⁧أَيْنَ ذَهَبْتُمْ؟⁩

  ʼạynạ ḏạhạbtụm?ʾayna d͟hahabtum?ˈayna ḏahabtum?ˈayn ḏhbtm?

  Where did you (plural) go?

03

The Third Person (He, She, They)

This category talks about people who are not part of the conversation.

• He: This is the base form with no extra suffix, usually ending in a short 'a' sound (-a).
• She: Add ⁧⁧ـتْ⁩⁩ (-ạt-at-at-t). Note that the 't' has a sukun (no vowel) on it.
• They (plural male/mixed): Add ⁧⁧ـُوا⁩⁩ (-ū-ū-uw-w). This suffix includes a silent ⁧⁧ا⁩⁩ (ʼạlịfʾalifˈalifˈalf) at the very end which is written but not pronounced.
• They (plural female): Add ⁧⁧ـْنَ⁩⁩ (-nạ-na-na-n).

• ⁧وَصَلَ الْمُدِيرُ.⁩

  wạṣạlạ ᵃlmụdīrụ.waṣala ᵃlmudīru.waṣala ᵃlmudiyru.wṣl ᵃlmdyr.

  The manager arrived.

• ⁧سَكَنَتْ فِي مِصْرَ.⁩

  sạkạnạt fī mịṣrạ.sakanat fī miṣra.sakanat fiy miṣra.sknt fy mṣr.

  She lived in Egypt.

• ⁧خَرَجُوا مِنَ الْبَيْتِ.⁩

  ḵạrạjū mịnạ ᵃlbạytị.k͟harad͟jū mina ᵃlbayti.ẖaraǧuw mina ᵃlbayti.ḵrjw mn ᵃlbyt.

  They left the house.

04

The Dual Form

Arabic has a specific grammatical number for exactly two people or things, called the Dual.

• You two (male or female): Add ⁧⁧ـتُمَا⁩⁩ (-tụmā-tumā-tumā-tma).
• They two (male): Add ⁧⁧ـَا⁩⁩ (-ā-ā-ā-a).
• They two (female): Add ⁧⁧ـَتَا⁩⁩ (-ạtā-atā-atā-ta).

• ⁧أَكَلْتُمَا الطَّعَامَ.⁩

  ʼạkạltụmā ᵃṭṭạʕāmạ.ʾakaltumā ᵃṭṭaʿāma.ˈakaltumā ᵃṭṭaʿāma.ˈakltma ᵃṭʕam.

  You two ate the food.

• ⁧نَجَحَا فِي الْاِمْتِحَانِ.⁩

  nạjạḥā fī ᵃlimtịḥānị.nad͟jaḥā fī ᵃlimtiḥāni.naǧaḥā fiy ᵃlimtiḥāni.njḥa fy ᵃlimtḥan.

  They (two males) passed the exam.

05

Negating the Past Tense

To say that someone "did not" do something in the past, place the particle ⁧⁧مَا⁩⁩ (māmāmāma) before the verb. The verb form itself does not change.

• ⁧مَا فَهِمْتُ الدَّرْسَ.⁩

  mā fạhịmtụ ᵃddạrsạ.mā fahimtu ᵃddarsa.mā fahimtu ᵃddarsa.ma fhmt ᵃdrs.

  I did not understand the lesson.

• ⁧مَا سَافَرَ خَالِدٌ.⁩

  mā sāfạrạ ḵālịdụṇ.mā sāfara k͟hālidun.mā sāfara ẖālidú.ma safr ḵald.

  Khalid did not travel.

06

Non-Human Plurals

A crucial rule in Arabic grammar concerns plural nouns that refer to non-human things (cars, books, ideas, animals). These are treated grammatically as feminine singular. Therefore, when a verb refers to "them" (the non-human things), you use the "She" form ⁧⁧ـَتْ⁩⁩ (-ạt-at-at-t).

• ⁧تَوَقَّفَتِ السَّيَّارَاتُ.⁩

  tạwạqqạfạtị ᵃssạyyārātụ.tawaqqafati ᵃssayyārātu.tawaqqafati ᵃssayyārātu.twqft ᵃsyarat.

  The cars stopped. (Literally: She-stopped the cars)