Talking about your daily routine is one of the best ways to practise the present tense, because the same verbs come up every single day. In Arabic, the present tense starts with a prefix that changes with the subject — أ for “I” (أستيقظ, I wake up), ي for “he” (يستيقظ), and ت for “you” and “she.”
Morning routine
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أستيقظ مبكرا | astayqiẓ mubakkiran | I wake up early |
| أغسل وجهي | aghsil wajhee | I wash my face |
| أتناول الفطور | atanaawal al-fuṭoor | I have breakfast |
| أشرب القهوة | ashrab al-qahwa | I drink coffee |
| أرتدي ملابسي | artadee malaabisee | I get dressed |
| أخرج من البيت | akhruj min al-bayt | I leave the house |
During the day
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أذهب إلى العمل | adhhab ilaa al-3amal | I go to work |
| أبدأ العمل في الثامنة | abda’ al-3amal fee ath-thaamina | I start work at eight |
| أتناول الغداء | atanaawal al-ghadaa’ | I have lunch |
| أدرس العربية | adrus al-3arabiyya | I study Arabic |
| أعود إلى البيت | a3ood ilaa al-bayt | I return home |
Evening routine
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أتناول العشاء | atanaawal al-3ashaa’ | I have dinner |
| أشاهد التلفاز | ushaahid at-tilfaaz | I watch TV |
| أقرأ كتابا | aqra’ kitaaban | I read a book |
| أتكلم مع عائلتي | atakallam ma3a 3aa’ilatee | I talk with my family |
| أنام في الحادية عشرة | anaam fee al-ḥaadiya 3ashra | I sleep at eleven |
Time expressions
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| في الصباح | fee aṣ-ṣabaah | in the morning |
| عند الظهر | 3inda aẓ-ẓuhr | at noon |
| بعد الظهر | ba3da aẓ-ẓuhr | in the afternoon |
| في المساء | fee al-masaa’ | in the evening |
| في الليل | fee al-layl | at night |
| كل يوم | kull yawm | every day |
| عادة | 3aadatan | usually |
Dialogue: A typical day
What do you do every day?
- Amaadhaa taf3al kull yawm?What do you do every day?
- Bastayqiẓ mubakkiran wa atanaawal al-fuṭoorI wake up early and have breakfast
- Athumma adhhab ilaa al-3amalThen I go to work
- Bmataa tabda' al-3amal?When do you start work?
- Aabda' fee ath-thaamina ṣabaahanI start at eight in the morning
- Bwa mataa tantahfee?And when do you finish?
- Aantahfee fee al-khaamisaI finish at five
- Bmaadhaa taf3al fee al-masaa'?What do you do in the evening?
- Aaqra' wa ushaahid at-tilfaazI read and watch TV
- Bmataa tanaam?When do you sleep?
- Aanaam fee al-ḥaadiya 3ashraI sleep at eleven
Practice
How do you say 'I wake up early' in Arabic?
hint: Use 'أستيقظ' for 'I wake up'
What does 'أعمل' mean?
hint: It comes from the verb 'عمل' (to work)
How do you say 'I sleep at eleven' in Arabic?
hint: Use 'أنام' for 'I sleep'
Match each pair — start with Arabic (left)
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Want to master the present tense? See the present tense guide.
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