6.2: Past Tense

Learning Objectives

In this section, you will be able to:

• Identify and conjugate past tense verbs in Arabic, recognizing the appropriate suffixes for different subject pronouns.
• Understanding of past-tense verb patterns (الأوزان) by categorizing verbs into their respective forms and analyzing their meanings.

Introduction to the Simple Past Tense in Arabic

The simple past tense (الماضي) is one of the fundamental verb tenses in Arabic, used to describe actions that were completed in the past. Unlike in English, where auxiliary verbs like "did" or "was" may be needed to form past tense expressions, Arabic conveys past actions through a single verb form with specific suffixes that indicate the subject.

Mastering the past tense is essential for effective communication, as it allows learners to talk about past experiences, describe historical events, narrate stories, and express completed actions. Arabic verbs in the past tense are typically built from a three-letter root (الجذر الثلاثي) and follow different patterns (الأوزان) based on their structure and meaning.

In this section, we will explore:

• How past-tense verbs are formed and conjugated.
• The different verb patterns and their role in the past tense.

By understanding these key concepts, learners can construct sentences accurately and expand their ability to express past events fluently in Arabic.

Formation of the Simple Past Tense

• The Base Form

Most Arabic verbs originate from a three-letter root (الجذر الثلاثي), which serves as the foundation for different verb forms and conjugations. These roots generally convey a core meaning that can be modified by adding prefixes, suffixes, or internal vowel changes to form different tenses and structures.

For example, consider the following root verbs:

• كتب (ك ت ب) → "to write"
• درس (د ر س) → "to study"
• أكل (أ ك ل) → "to eat"

The past tense (الماضي) of a verb is typically formed by adding specific suffixes to the root based on the subject.

• Root-Based Verb Patterns

Arabic verbs in the past tense follow specific patterns depending on their structure. The three most common base forms (root patterns) in the past tense are:

1. فَعَلَ – The most common pattern, where the verb has a short vowel sound in the middle.
   • Example: كتبَ → "He wrote"
2. فَعِلَ – A pattern where the middle root letter takes a short i vowel.
   • Example: فهمَ → "He understood"
3. فَعُلَ – A pattern where the middle root letter takes a short u vowel, often used for stative verbs (verbs describing a state or quality).
   • Example: كرُمَ → "He was generous"

These patterns form the basis for most Form I verbs in the past tense. However, more complex verbs (in Forms II–X) follow additional structures, often modifying the root through doubling, prefixing, or inserting extra letters.

• Past Tense Verb Agreement With Subjects

Past-tense verbs take specific suffixes rather than prefixes to indicate who performed the action. These suffixes change based on the subject pronoun. Each suffix marks the number (singular, dual, plural) and gender (masculine, feminine) of the subject. Check the table to learn more about the suffixes:

Past tense verbs attached suffixes

English Meaning	Example (كتب - to write)	Past-Tense Verb Suffix	Subject Pronoun
I wrote	كتبتُ	تُ	أنا (I)
We wrote	كتبنا	نا	نحن (We)
You wrote (m.)	كتبتَ	تَ	أنتَ (You, m.)
You wrote (f.)	كتبتِ	تِ	أنتِ (You, f)
You both wrote	كتبتما	تُما	أنتما (You, dual)
You all wrote (m.)	كتبتم	تُم	أنتم (You all, m)
You all wrote (f.)	كتبتنَّ	تُـنَّ	أنتنَّ (You all, f)
He wrote	كتبَ	No suffix	هو (He)
She wrote	كتبتْ	تْ	هي (She)
They (two, m.) wrote	كتبا	ا	هما (They dual, m)
They (two, f.) wrote	كتبتا	تا	هما (They dual, f)
They wrote (m.)	كتبوا	وا	هم (They, m)
They wrote (f.)	كتبنَ	نَ	هنَّ (They, f)

• Past Tense Verb Forms and Their Patterns

Arabic verbs follow a structured system of root-based patterns (الأوزان) that determine how verbs are conjugated and how their meanings evolve across different forms. Understanding these verb patterns is essential for mastering Arabic, as each pattern conveys a difference in meaning, such as causation, reflexivity, or reciprocity.

The table below presents the ten primary Arabic verb forms, showing how each form conjugates in the past tense (الماضي) and present tense (المضارع) while also providing its meaning and the associated verbal noun (المصدر). These patterns help learners recognize how verbs transform and acquire different shades of meaning while maintaining their root structure.

By studying these forms, learners can:

• Identify and conjugate verbs in different tenses.
• Understand the grammatical function and meaning of each form.
• Expand their vocabulary by recognizing related words derived from the same root.

This structured approach provides a solid foundation for navigating Arabic verbs and enhancing comprehension and language expression.

Verb Patterns in Past, Present, and المصدر

Verbal Noun (المصدر)	Present Tense (المضارع)	Past Tense (الماضي)	Pattern (وزن)
فُعُول / مَفْعَلَة / فَعال / فِعَالَة / فَعْل / فِعْل / فُعْل	يَفْعَلُ / يَفْعِلُ / يَفْعُلُ	فَعَلَ / فَعِلَ / فَعُلَ	Form I (فعل)
تَفْعِيل	يُفَعِّلُ	فَعَّلَ	Form II (فعّل)
مُفَاعَلَة / فِعَال	يُفَاعِلُ	فَاعَلَ	Form III (فاعل)
إِفْعَال	يُفْعِلُ	أَفْعَلَ	Form IV (أفعل)
تَفَعُّل	يَتَفَعَّلُ	تَفَعَّلَ	Form V (تفعّل)
تَفَاعُل	يَتَفَاعَلُ	تَفَاعَلَ	Form VI (تفاعل)
اِنْفِعَال	يَنْفَعِلُ	اِنْفَعَلَ	Form VII (انفعل)
اِفْتِعَال	يَفْتَعِلُ	اِفْتَعَلَ	Form VIII (افتعل)
اِفْعِلَال	يَفْعَلُّ	اِفْعَلَّ	Form IX (افعلّ)
اِسْتِفْعَال	يَسْتَفْعِلُ	اِسْتَفْعَلَ	Form X (استفعل)

• Uses of Past Tense in Arabic

• Describing completed actions in the past:

• ذهبتُ إلى المدرسَةِ عندما كُنتُ أَعيشُ في أمريكا

• Narrating past events.

• كان الجو جميلاً هذه السّنة

• Talking about past habits similar to "used to" phrase in English:
• عندما كُنتُ صغيراً، كُنتُ أدرسُ في هذه المدرسة

Activities

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Check Your Understanding

• Write your own past tense sentences using the previous verbs that you learned.
• Tell your partner about what you did yesterday.
• Write a short paragraph about what you did last weekend.
• Create your own incorrect sentences for your peers to correct.
• Write 6-8 sentences describing your childhood habits and experiences. Then, read your story to your peers.