adapted from http://arabic.desert-sky.net/g_conj.html
PATTERNS (CC= verb root consonants)
PRESENT
| aCC
nCC |
tCC/i
tCCu |
i/tCC
iCCu |
PAST
| CCt
CCna |
CCt/ti
CCtu |
CC/it
CCu |
Sound verbs
don’t have a U or I – و or ي as one of the three root letters
Regular sound verbs
NOTE UNWRITTEN VOWELS ONLY SHOWN FOR I (first person) FORM
I at the start (or 2nd pos. after b, h, n, s in a verb) always takes the sound YI
a before d at the start of a verb is pronounced I
fus’ha dictionary: kataba,u (CC=ktb)
| write | aktib
I |
tktb/i
you |
i/tktb
he/she |
| nktb
we |
tktbu
you pl |
iktbu
they |
| wrote | katabt
I |
ktbt/ti
you m/f |
ktb/it
he/she |
| ktbna
we |
ktbtu
you pl |
ktbu
they |
irregular sound verbs:
germinate/doubled (2nd & 3rd consonants the same)
- دقّ daq(q)a – يدقّ yadiq(q)u (to knock)
- ردّ rad(d)a – يردّ yarud(d)u (to reply)
fus’ha dictionary: rada,u
| reply | arud
I |
trd/i
you |
i/trd
he/she |
| nrd
we |
trdu
you pl |
irdu
they |
| replied | radit
I |
rdt/i
you m/f |
rd/it
he/she |
| rdna
we |
rdtu
you pl |
rdu
they |
hamzated (contain hamza ء)
بدأ badáa – يبدأ iabdáu (to begin)
fus’ha dictionary: akala,u
| eat | ákul
I |
tákul/tkli
you |
i/tákl
he/she |
| nákl
we |
tklu
you pl |
iklu
they |
| ate | akalt
I |
klt/i
you m/f |
akal/it
he/she |
| (kal also used for akal) | klna
we |
kltu
you pl |
klu
they |
fus’ha dictionary: saála,u
| ask | asál
I |
tsál/i
you |
i/tsál
he/she |
| nsál
we |
tsálu
you pl |
isálu
they |
| asked | saált
I |
sált/i
you m/f |
sál/it
he/she |
| sálna
we |
sáltu
you pl |
sálu
they |
fus’ha dictionary: qaráa,u
| read | aqrá
I |
tqrá/i
you |
i/tqrá
he/she |
| nqrá
we |
tqru
you pl |
iqru
they |
| read (past) | qarit
I |
qarit/i
you m/f |
qará/it
he/she |
| qarina
we |
qaritu
you pl |
qaru
they |
Weak Verbs
A verb is “weak” if one of the letters from the verb’s three root letters is u a i – ا, و, or ي
Assimilated Weak verbs – first vowel is long (usually u)
وضع uađo – يضع iađo (to put)
fus’ha dictionary: ucila,icilu
| arrive | aucil
I |
tucil/i
you |
i/tucil
he/she |
| nucil
we |
tucilu
you pl |
iucilu
they |
| arrived | ucil-t
I |
ucil-t/i
you m/f |
ucil-/t
he/she |
| ucil-na
we |
ucil-tu
you pl |
ucil-u
they |
Hollow weak verbs – thesecond radical is either a و (as with قال – يقول) or ي (as with باع – يبيع); in the perfect, the و or ي is replaced by an alif.
- باع bao – يبيع ibio (to sell)
- عاد oada – يعود ioudu (to return)
fus’ha dictionary: ƶara,u (iƶuru)
| visit | aƶur
I |
tƶur/i
you |
i/tƶur
he/she |
| nƶur
we |
tƶuru
you pl |
iƶuru
they |
| visited | ƶurt
I |
ƶurt/i
you m/f |
ƶar/it
he/she |
| ƶurna
we |
ƶurtu
you pl |
ƶaru
they |
Defective weak verbs – the final vowel is either a و or ي. There are three types of defective verbs:
- Verbs with a و as the last root letter (ex. بدا – يبدو bada – iabdu, “to seem, appear”)
- Verbs with a ي as the last root letter and a kasra (short “i”) as the middle vowel in the past/perfect tense, of the form “faoia – iafoa” (ex. نسى – ينسى nasia – iansa, “to forget”)
- Verbs with a ي as the last root letter and a fatha (short “a”) as the middle vowel in the past/perfect tense, of the form “faoa – iafoi” (ex. جرى – يجري gara – igri, “to run”)
- Note that in Cairene Arabic, verbs of the type “faoal” are often pronounced differently from standard Arabic in the past tense. While standard pronunciation would be “faoal,” Cairene pronunciation would be “fioil.” So “gara” becomes “giri.”
بدا bada – يبدو iabdu (to appear, seem)
complain jaka – ijki (fus’ha iajku)
invade Gaƶa – iGƶi (iaGƶu)
invite/pray – daoa – idoi (iadou)
survive nigi -ingi (naga – iangu)
fus’ha dictionary: raga,u
| beg | argu
I |
trgu/i
you |
i/trgu
he/she |
| nrgu
we |
trgu
you pl |
irgu
they |
| begged | ragit
I |
rgit/i
you m/f |
rga/it
he/she |
| rgina
we |
rgitu
you pl |
rgiu
they |
fus’ha dictionary: nasia,iansa – type faoia – iafoa
| forget | ansa
I |
tnsa/i
you |
i/tnsa
he/she |
| nnsa
we |
tnsu
you pl |
insu
they |
| forgot | nsit
I (neg) mans-itj |
nsit/i
you m/f mans-itj/ij |
nsi/it
he/she manas-aj/atj or manisi-itj |
| nsina
we mans-inaj |
nsitu
you pl mans-ituj |
nisyu
they manisi-uj |
miji/imji
| went | mjit
I (neg) mamj-itj |
mjit/i
you m/f mamj-itj/ij |
mji/it
he/she mamjij/ mamiji-itj |
| mjina
we mamj-inaj |
mjitu
you pl mamj-ituj |
mjiu
they mamiji-uj |
omal /ioml
| do will do |
a-oml
I ha-omel |
toml/i
you m/f ha— |
i/toml
he/she ha— |
| noml
we ha— |
toml-u
you pl ha— |
ioml-u
they ha— |
| am doing am not doing |
ba-omel
I ma—j |
bt-oml/i
you m/f ma—j/ij |
bi/t-oml
he/she ma—j |
| bini-omel
we ma—j |
bt-oml-u
you pl ma—tuj |
bi-oml-u
they ma—uj |
| did/made didn’t |
omalt
I ma—tj |
omalt/i
you m/f ma–-tj/ij |
omal/lit
he/she ma—j/-mlitj |
| omalna
we ma—naaj |
omaltu
you pl ma—tuj |
omalu
they ma—uj |
fus’ha dictionary: gara,igri – type faoa – iafoi
| run | agri
I |
tgri
you |
i/tgri
he/she |
| ngri
we |
tgru
you pl |
yigru
they |
| ran | girit
I |
grit/i
you m/f |
gri/it
he/she |
| grina
we |
gritu
you pl |
griu
they |
from original http://arabic.desert-sky.net/g_conj.html