These 50 verbs cover a huge share of everyday speech. Arabic verbs are listed in dictionaries in the past tense, third-person masculine form (هو), so كتب means “he wrote.” From that root you can build the present, future, and command forms. Tap any verb above to hear it.
Past and present
Every verb has a past stem and a present stem. A few examples:
| Past | Transliteration | Present (he) | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| كتب | kataba | يكتب | yaktub | to write |
| ذهب | dhahaba | يذهب | yadhhab | to go |
| فهم | fahima | يفهم | yafham | to understand |
| أكل | akala | يأكل | ya’kul | to eat |
To say “I” in the present, replace the يـ with أ: أكتب (aktub, I write), أذهب (adhhab, I go), أفهم (afham, I understand).
Verbs in sentences
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ذهبت إلى السوق | dhahabtu ilaa as-sooq | I went to the market |
| أكلنا في المطعم | akalnaa fee al-maṭ3am | we ate at the restaurant |
| هي تكتب رسالة | hiya taktub risaala | she is writing a message |
| هل فهمت؟ | hal fahimt? | did you understand? |
| أريد أن أتعلم العربية | ureed an ata3allam al-3arabiyya | I want to learn Arabic |
| ساعدني من فضلك | saa3idnee min faḍlik | help me, please |
Cultural note
Arabic verbs are built from three-letter roots, so learning one verb unlocks a family of related words. The root k-t-b gives كتب (wrote), كاتب (writer), كتاب (book), and مكتبة (library). Learning verbs by root, rather than one by one, is the fastest route to a large vocabulary.
Practice
What does 'ذهب' mean?
hint: It is one of the most common verbs of motion
How do you say 'I understand' in Arabic?
hint: Replace the يـ of 'يفهم' with أ
How do you say 'I want to learn Arabic'?
hint: Use 'أريد أن' + a verb
Match each pair — start with Arabic (left)
0 / 8Arabic
English
← Select an Arabic word, then tap its meaning →
Want the full conjugation rules? See the past tense guide and present tense guide.
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