Arabic Past and Present Tense Basics: Suffixes, Prefixes and Simple Patterns

Arabic verbs conjugate for person, number and gender, and the way they do it is neatly split: the past tense adds endings, while the present tense adds prefixes (and sometimes endings).

Past tense: add endings to the stem

Using the root ك ت ب (write), the past stem is كتب (katab). The endings show who did the action:

• كتبتُ (katabtu) — I wrote
• كتبتَ (katabta) — you (m.) wrote
• كتبتِ (katabti) — you (f.) wrote
• كتبَ (kataba) — he wrote
• كتبتْ (katabat) — she wrote
• كتبنا (katabna) — we wrote
• كتبتم (katabtum) — you (pl.) wrote
• كتبوا (katabu) — they wrote

Note the pattern: the endings are attached directly to the verb, so pronouns aren't needed. "I wrote" is one word.

Present tense: add prefixes

The present stem is ـكتب (-ktub-), with prefixes:

• أكتب (aktub) — I write
• تكتب (taktub) — you (m.) write, or she writes
• تكتبين (taktubin) — you (f.) write
• يكتب (yaktub) — he writes
• نكتب (naktub) — we write
• يكتبون (yaktubun) — they (m.) write

The prefixes أ, ت, ي, ن (a-, ta-, ya-, na-) are worth memorising as a set.

Future tense

Arabic forms the future by adding سـ (sa-) or the separate word سوف (sawfa) before the present: سأكتب (sa-aktub), "I will write".

Continuous aspect in dialects

In many spoken dialects, an additional prefix marks the ongoing present: bi- in Levantine and Egyptian Arabic, as in بكتب (baktub), "I write" or "I am writing". Modern Standard Arabic does not use it.

Using "kana" for past continuous

To say "he was writing", Arabic combines كان (kana) with the present verb: كان يكتب (kana yaktub).

Tips for learners

1. Memorise one verb in full, and use it as your template.
2. Practise swapping pronouns rapidly.
3. Check each new verb's past and present stems in a dictionary — they aren't always predictable.
4. Notice weak verbs, which change more.

Dictionary note

Dictionaries often list a verb in its past he-form, followed by the present stem in brackets, so you learn both at once.

Look up verb stems with English Arabic Dictionary →