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.
كَتَبَ
to write
ك-ت-بכ-ת-ב
Form Isound
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 | كَتَبْتُ | כתבתkatabtu | כָּתַבְתִּיكَاتَاڤْتِيkatavti |
| أَنْتَאתה | كَتَبْتَ | כתבתkatabta | כָּתַבְתָּكَاتَاڤْتَاkatavta |
| أَنْتِאת | كَتَبْتِ | כתבתkatabti | כָּתַבְתְּكَاتَاڤْتkatavt |
| هُوَהוא | كَتَبَ | כתבkataba | כָּתַבكَاتَاڤkatav |
| هِيَהיא | كَتَبَتْ | כתבתkatabat | כָּתְבָהكَاتْڤَاkatva |
| نَحْنُאנחנו | كَتَبْنَا | כתבנאkatabnā | כָּתַבְנוּكَاتَاڤْنُوkatavnu |
| أَنْتُمאתם | كَتَبْتُمْ | כתבתםkatabtum | כְּתַבְתֶּםكْتَاڤْتِمktavtem |
| هُمהם | كَتَبُوا | כתבוkatabū | כָּתְבוּكَاتْڤُوkatvu |
Present
| Pronoun | Form | Pronunciation | Hebrew parallel |
|---|---|---|---|
| أَنَاאני | أَكْتُب | אכתבaktub | אֶכְתֹּבإِخْتُوڤekhtov |
| أَنْتَאתה | تَكْتُب | תכתבtaktub | תִּכְתֹּבتِخْتُوڤtikhtov |
| أَنْتِאת | تَكْتُبِينَ | תכתביןtaktubīna | תִּכְתְּבִיتِخْتِڤِيtikhtevi |
| هُوَהוא | يَكْتُب | יכתבyaktub | יִכְתֹּבيِخْتُوڤyikhtov |
| هِيَהיא | تَكْتُب | תכתבtaktub | תִּכְתֹּבتِخْتُوڤtikhtov |
| نَحْنُאנחנו | نَكْتُب | נכתבnaktub | נִכְתֹּבنِخْتُوڤnikhtov |
| أَنْتُمאתם | تَكْتُبُونَ | תכתבוןtaktubūna | תִּכְתְּבוּتِخْتِڤُوtikhtevu |
| هُمהם | يَكْتُبُونَ | יכתבוןyaktubūna | יִכְתְּבוּيِخْتِڤُوyikhtevu |
Imperative
اُكْتُبאכתבuktub· like כְּתֹב كْتُوڤktov(to a man)اُكْتُبِيאכתביuktubī· like כִּתְבִי كِتْڤِيkitvi(to a woman)On the street: 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'.