Conjugation
Arabic verbs bend exactly where Hebrew verbs do — same persons, same suffix logic, often the very same sounds. Browse the reference tables first, then switch to the drill and make the endings automatic.
to write
ك-ت-بכ-ת-ב
Root ك-ت-ب is Hebrew כ-ת-ב letter for letter, and the machinery matches too: katabtu is כָּתַבְתִּי suffix by suffix. In the present, note the u of the stem (u-class): yaktub, the exact skeleton of יִכְתֹּב.
Past
| Pronoun | Form | Pronunciation | Hebrew parallel |
|---|---|---|---|
| أَنَاאני | كَتَبْتُכתבתkatabtu | כתבתkatabtu | כָּתַבְתִּיكَاتَاڤْتِيkatavti |
| أَنْتَאתה | كَتَبْتَכתבתkatabta | כתבתkatabta | כָּתַבְתָּكَاتَاڤْتَاkatavta |
| أَنْتِאת | كَتَبْتِכתבתkatabti | כתבתkatabti | כָּתַבְתְּكَاتَاڤْتkatavt |
| هُوَהוא | كَتَبَכתבkataba | כתבkataba | כָּתַבكَاتَاڤkatav |
| هِيَהיא | كَتَبَتْכתבתkatabat | כתבתkatabat | כָּתְבָהكَاتْڤَاkatva |
| نَحْنُאנחנו | كَتَبْنَاכתבנאkatabnā | כתבנאkatabnā | כָּתַבְנוּكَاتَاڤْنُوkatavnu |
| أَنْتُمאתם | كَتَبْتُمْכתבתםkatabtum | כתבתםkatabtum | כְּתַבְתֶּםكْتَاڤْتِمktavtem |
| هُمהם | كَتَبُواכתבוkatabū | כתבוkatabū | כָּתְבוּكَاتْڤُوkatvu |
Present
| Pronoun | Form | Pronunciation | Hebrew parallel |
|---|---|---|---|
| أَنَاאני | أَكْتُبאכתבaktub | אכתבaktub | אֶכְתֹּבإِخْتُوڤekhtov |
| أَنْتَאתה | تَكْتُبתכתבtaktub | תכתבtaktub | תִּכְתֹּבتِخْتُوڤtikhtov |
| أَنْتِאת | تَكْتُبِينَתכתביןtaktubīna | תכתביןtaktubīna | תִּכְתְּבִיتِخْتِڤِيtikhtevi |
| هُوَהוא | يَكْتُبיכתבyaktub | יכתבyaktub | יִכְתֹּבيِخْتُوڤyikhtov |
| هِيَהיא | تَكْتُبתכתבtaktub | תכתבtaktub | תִּכְתֹּבتِخْتُوڤtikhtov |
| نَحْنُאנחנו | نَكْتُبנכתבnaktub | נכתבnaktub | נִכְתֹּבنِخْتُوڤnikhtov |
| أَنْتُمאתם | تَكْتُبُونَתכתבוןtaktubūna | תכתבוןtaktubūna | תִּכְתְּבוּتِخْتِڤُوtikhtevu |
| هُمהם | يَكْتُبُونَיכתבוןyaktubūna | יכתבוןyaktubūna | יִכְתְּבוּيِخْتِڤُوyikhtevu |
Imperative
اُكْتُبאכתבuktub· like כְּתֹב كْتُوڤktov(to a man)اُكْتُبِيאכתביuktubī· like כִּתְבִי كِتْڤِيkitvi(to a woman)On the street · Levantine: The street adds b- to the present: baktub 'I write', btiktub, biktub, mniktub, btiktbu, biktbu. Negation wraps the verb in mā...sh: mā baktubsh 'I don't write'.
Egyptian: Cairo's present takes bi-: baktib 'I write', bitiktib, biyiktib, biniktib, bitiktibu, biyiktibu; the future takes ḥa-: ḥaktib 'I'll write'. Negation mā …-sh: mā baktibsh.
Moroccan: Darija squeezes the vowels — kteb 'he wrote', ktebt 'I wrote', ketbat 'she wrote' — and prefixes ka- in the present: kanekteb 'I write', katekteb, kayekteb, kanketbu, katketbu, kayketbu. Future with ghadi: ghadi nekteb. Negation mā …-sh: mā kanektebsh.