Past continuous in Arabic - الْفِعْلُ الماضِي الاِسْتِمْرَارِي

In Arabic, the Past Continuous tense is formed by using the helping verb كَانَ (kana), which means “was” or “were,” followed by the imperfect tense of the main verb. This tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing or in progress in the past. Let’s explore how this tense is constructed:

1. Use of كَانَ (kana): The helping verb كَانَ (kana) is the equivalent of “was” or “were” in English. It establishes the past timeframe for the action.

2. Imperfect Tense: Following كَانَ (kana), we use the imperfect tense of the main verb to describe the action that was ongoing. The imperfect tense indicates that the action was not completed but was in progress.

Let’s illustrate this with an example:

• كَانَ يَقْرَأُ (kana yaqra’u): He was reading.
  • Here, كَانَ (kana) signifies “was,” and يَقْرَأُ (yaqra’u) represents the imperfect tense of the verb قَرَأَ (qara’a), which means “to read.” Together, this phrase conveys the idea that someone “was reading” in the past, indicating an ongoing action.

This construction allows you to express past actions that were continuous and unfolding. Whether you want to narrate a story, describe an event, or provide context for a past situation, mastering the past continuous tense in Arabic is essential for effective communication. Join our free Arabic course to delve deeper into this and other Arabic language concepts.

كانَ يَفْعَلُ

He was doing