Past Tense Verbs in Arabic

The Arabic past tense (الماضي, al-māḍī) describes completed actions. It is simpler than the present tense because the patterns are more regular and predictable.

Basic Pattern: فَعَلَ (fa3ala)

The standard past tense verb follows the pattern فَعَلَ (fa3ala). For example, with the root ك ت ب (writing):

Key Patterns

1. The base form is he/him: The simplest form كتب (kataba) means “he wrote.” All other forms are built by adding endings.

2. Feminine adds “ت”: She wrote is كتبت (katabat) — just add “ت” to the base.

3. The “tu” ending for I: I wrote is كتبتُ (katabtu) — the “ُ” (damma) on the “ت” marks the first person.

4. Dual forms: Arabic has dual forms (two people), though they are rarely used in modern speech:

• He (both) wrote: كتبا (katabaa)
• They (both) wrote: كتبا (katabaa)

Negation

To negate the past tense, add لم (lam) before the verb and remove the tanween:

• لم أكتب (lam aktub) — I did not write
• لم يكتب (lam yaktub) — he did not write

Important: After لم, the verb reverts to the present tense form but without nunation. This is one of the few places where the past meaning is expressed with a present tense verb form.

Common Irregular Verbs

Some very common verbs are irregular in the past tense:

Verb Forms with Prepositions

Many verbs combine with prepositions:

Tip: The past tense is the first tense you should master. It is more regular than the present tense, and many conversation patterns rely on it.