The Imperfect Tense in Arabic - الْفِعْلُ الْمُضَارِعُ
The imperfect tense in Arabic serves a dual purpose, encompassing both the present and future tenses to describe actions in an ongoing, unfinished state. The conjugation of verbs in the imperfect tense is accomplished by appending prefixes and suffixes to the base form, which is derived from the past tense.
For instance:
يَفْعَلُ
He does or he will do
1. Consonant Verbs in the Imperfect Tense: A Comprehensive Guide
A. Conjugating فَعَلَ in the Imperfect Tense: The Pattern يَفْعَلُ
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَفْعَلُ
He does/ will do
Dual
يَفْعَلانِ
They both do/will do
Plural
يَفْعَلُوْنَ
They all do/will do
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَفْعَلُ
She does/ will do
Dual
تَفْعَلانِ
They both do/will do
Plural
يَفْعَلْنَ
They all do/will do
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَفْعَلُ
You do/ will do
Dual
تَفْعَلانِ
You both do/will do
Plural
تَفْعَلُوْنَ
You all do/will do
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَفْعَلِيْنَ
You do/ will do
Dual
تَفْعَلانِ
You both do/will do
Plural
تَفْعَلْنَ
You all do/will do
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَفْعَلُ
I do/ will do
Dual
–
Plural
نَفْعَلُ
We do/will do
In Arabic, the imperfect tense employs specific prefixes, namely ن – أ – ت – ى, which are collectively referred to as the “signs of the present tense” or اَلْمُضارِعُ. These prefixes play a crucial role in indicating actions that are ongoing or anticipated.
Furthermore, the imperfect tense utilizes distinctive suffixes depending on the subject of the verb:
- Dual subjects are marked by انِ -َ.
- Masculine plurals utilize وْنَ -ُ.
- Feminine plurals are represented by نَ.
- The second-person feminine singular takes يْنِ -َ.
- Interestingly, there are no suffixes for the first person, adding a unique dimension to Arabic verb conjugation.
Additionally, in verbs following the pattern of فَعَلَ, where the second radical is ع, the second radical in the imperfect tense may bear fatha -َ, kasrah -ِ, or dammah -ُ, introducing subtle variations in pronunciation and meaning. This exemplifies the intricacies of Arabic grammar, particularly in verb formation and conjugation.
Fatha -َ
فَتَحَ
He opened
يَفْتَحُ
He opens / will open
جَعَلَ
He made
يَجْعَلُ
He makes / will make
مَسَحَ
He wiped
يَمْسَحُ
He wipes / will wipe
Kasrah -ِ
ضَرَبَ
He hit
يَضْرِبُ
He hits / will hit
كَسَبَ
He earned
يَكْسِبُ
He earns / will earn
عَرَفَ
He recognized
يَعْرِفُ
He recognizes / will recognize
Dammah -ُ
نَصَرَ
He helped
يَنْصُرُ
He helps / will help
تَرَكَ
He left
يَتْرُكُ
He leaves / will leave
عَرَجَ
He ascended
يَعْرُجُ
He ascends / will ascend
B. Conjugating فَعِلَ in the Imperfect Tense
Fatha -َ
سَمِعَ
He listened
يَسمَعُ
He listens / will listen
شَرِبَ
He drank
يَشْرَبُ
He drinks/ will drink
عَلِمَ
He knew
يَعْلَمُ
He knows / will know
Kasrah -ِ
حَسِبَ
He thought
يَحْسِبُ
He thinks / will think
Verbs following the pattern of فَعِلَ do not exhibit dammah (-ُ) on the second radical ع in the imperfect tense. However, in the case of verbs conforming to the فَعَلَ pattern, where the second radical carries a dammah, it consistently retains dammah in the imperfect tense conjugation.
For illustration:
بَعُدَ
He kept away
يَبْعُدُ
He keeps away/ will keep away
حَسُنَ
He became good
يَحْسُنُ
He becomes good / will become good
قَرُبَ
He approached
يَقْرُبُ
He approaches/ will approach
C. Instances of Consonant Verbs in the Imperfect Tense Found in the Noble Quran
وَيَفْعَلُ اللَّـهُ مَا يَشَاءُ
And Allah does what He wills. (14:27)
الَّذِينَ يُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّـهِ وَلَا يَنقُضُونَ الْمِيثَاقَ
Those who fulfill the covenant of Allah and do not break the contract, (13:20)
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّـهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الْأَنبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ
That is because they disbelieved in the verses of Allah and killed the prophets without right. (3:112)
D. The future tense
When the imperfect tense is coupled with س or سَوْفَ, expressions signifying “very soon” or “shortly,” they imbue the imperfect tense with a distinct future tense connotation. These linguistic elements, س and سَوْفَ, are aptly termed “particles of the future.”
For instance:
سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ
The foolish among the people will say (2:142)
كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
No! You are going to know. (102:3)
2. Hamzated Verbs in the Imperfect Tense: A Comprehensive Guide
A Hamzated verb is characterized by the utilization of the letter hamza (أ) as the first radical, as exemplified in أَكَلَ: يأْكُلُ. Interestingly, when hamza serves as the initial radical, it does not induce any alteration in the verb’s conjugation. Instead, it adheres to the familiar pattern of فَعَلَ: يَفْعَلُ, showcasing the stability and predictability of this particular verb structure.
A. Conjugating Hamzated Verbs: The Imperfect Tense of أَكَلَ - يَأْكُلُ
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَأْكُلُ
He eats/ will eat
Dual
يأْكُلانِ
They both eat/will eat
Plural
يَأْكُلُوْنَ
They all eat/will eat
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَأْكُلُ
She eats/ will eat
Dual
تَأْكُلانِ
They both eat/will eat
Plural
يَأْكُلْنَ
They all eat/will eat
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَأْكُلُ
You eat/ will eat
Dual
تَأْكُلانِ
You both eat/will eat
Plural
تَأْكُلُوْنَ
You all eat/will eat
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَأْكُلِيْنَ
You eat/ will eat
Dual
تَأْكُلانِ
You both eat/will eat
Plural
تَأْكُلْنَ
You all eat/will eat
1st Person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَئْكُلُ
I eat/ will eat
Dual
–
Plural
نَأْكُلُ
We eat/will eat
Instances of Hamzated Verbs in the Imperfect Tense Found in the Noble Quran
وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ
and kill the prophets without right and kill those who order justice from among the people (3:21)
وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ
And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. (3:49)
B. Conjugating Hamzated Verbs: The Imperfect Tense of سَئِلَ - يَسْأَلُ
When the letter hamza (أ) is employed as the second radical, as exemplified in سَئِلَ: يَسْأَلُ, it does not introduce any alterations in the conjugation structure. Instead, it adheres steadfastly to the pattern of فَعَلَ: يَفْعَلُ, underscoring the consistent and predictable nature of this verb construction.
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَسْأَلُ
He asks/ will ask
Dual
يَسْأَلانِ
They both ask/will ask
Plural
يَسْأَلُوْنَ
They all ask/will ask
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَسْأَلُ
She asks/ will ask
Dual
تَسْأَلانِ
They both ask/will ask
Plural
يَسْأَلْنَ
They all ask/will ask
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَسْأَلُ
You ask / will ask
Dual
تَسْأَلانِ
You both ask/will ask
Plural
تَسْأَلُوْنَ
You all ask/will ask
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَسْأَلِيْنَ
You ask / will ask
Dual
تَسْأَلانِ
You both ask/will ask
Plural
تَسْأَلْنَ
You all ask/will ask
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَسْأَلُ
I ask / will ask
Dual
–
Plural
نَسْأَلُ
We ask/will ask
Instances of Hamzated Verbs in the Imperfect Tense Found in the Noble Quran
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ
And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul.(17:85)
وَهُمْ لَا يَسْأَمُونَ
And they ask you about the Spirit (Ruh) (41:38)
B. Conjugating Hamzated Verbs: The Imperfect Tense of قَرَأَ - يَقْرَأُ
In cases where the letter hamza (أ) is employed as the third radical, as exemplified in قَرَأَ: يَقْرَأُ, it’s important to note that it maintains the same conjugation structure, closely adhering to the pattern of فَعَلَ: يَفْعَلُ. This consistent conjugational behavior showcases the stability of this verb structure.
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَقْرَأُ
He reads/ will read
Dual
يَقْرَئَانِ
They both read/will read
Plural
يَقْرَءُوْنَ
They all read/will read
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَقْرَأُ
She reads/ will read
Dual
تَقْرَئانِ
They both read/will read
Plural
يَقْرَئْنَ
They all read/will read
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَقْرَأُ
You read/ will read
Dual
تَقْرَئانِ
You both read/will read
Plural
تَقْرَءُوْنَ
You all read/will read
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَقْرَئِيْنَ
You read/will read
Dual
تَقْرَئانِ
You both read/will read
Plural
تَقْرَئْنَ
You all read/will read
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَقْرَأُ
I read/will read
Dual
–
Plural
نَقْرَأُ
We read/will read
Instances of Hamzated Verbs in the Imperfect Tense Found in the Noble Quran
فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكَ
Then ask those who read the book (which was revealed) before you (10:94)
اللَّـهُ يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ
Allah begins the creation (30:11)
3. Assimilated Verbs in the Imperfect Tense: A Comprehensive Guide
Assimilated verbs, known as الْمِثالُ, constitute one of the three categories of weak verbs, classified based on the positions assumed by the weak letters ا – و – ى within the root word فَعَل.
In the case of assimilated verbs, the initial radical is inherently weak, typically represented by و or ى, and these letters effectively substitute the role of ف in the root word. Despite this substitution, the conjugational patterns they follow remain consistent with the standard فَعَلَ pattern, thereby introducing no significant alterations in the conjugation process. This stability in conjugation is a distinguishing characteristic of assimilated verbs.
A. الْمِثالُ الْواوى: Assimilated Verbs with و Substituting the First Radical ف
وَعَدَ – يَعِدُ
to promise
وَقَفَ – يَقِفُ
to stand
وَصَلَ – يَصِلُ
to reach/arrive
وَصَفَ – يَصِفُ
to describe/assert
In the process of constructing the imperfect tense (الْمُضارِعُ), the weak letter و undergoes omission, forming an integral aspect of the conjugation.
Now, let’s delve into the conjugation of an assimilated verb in the imperfect tense, exemplified by وَعَدَ – يَعِدُ:
Conjugation of the assimilated verb وَعَدَ
3rd person Masculine
Singular
يَعِدُ
He promises/will promise
Dual
يَعِدَانِ
They both promise/will promise
Plural
يَعِدُوْنَ
They all promise/will promise
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَعِدُ
She promises/will promise
Dual
تَعِدَانِ
They both promise/will promise
Plural
يَعِدْنَ
They all promise/will promise
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَعِدُ
You promise/will promise
Dual
تَعِدَانِ
You both promise/will promise
Plural
تَعِدُوْنَ
You all promise/will promise
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَعِدِيْنَ
You promise/will promise
Dual
تَعِدَانِ
You both promise/will promise
Plural
تَعِدْنَ
You all promise/will promise
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَعِدُ
I promise/will promise
Dual
–
Plural
نَعِدُ
We promise/will promise
Note 1: It is common to find that the second radical in the imperfect tense typically carries a Kasrah. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that in certain words, the second radical may bear a Fatha instead.
وَهَبَ – يَهَبُ
To grant/confer
وَضَعَ – يَضَعُ
To place/deliver
B. Conjugating the Assimilated Verb وَهَبَ in the Imperfect Tense: يَهَبُ
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَهَبُ
He gives/will give
Dual
يَهَبَانِ
They both give/will give
Plural
يَهَبُوْنَ
They all give/will give
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَهَبُ
She gives/will give
Dual
تَهَبَانِ
They both give/will give
Plural
يَهَبْنَ
They all give/will give
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَهَبُ
you give/will give
Dual
تَهَبَانِ
You both give/will give
Plural
تَهَبُوْنَ
You all give/will give
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَهَبِيْنَ
you give/will give
Dual
تَهَبَانِ
You both give/will give
Plural
تَهَبْنَ
You all give/will give
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَهَبُ
I give/will give
Dual
–
Plural
نَهَبُ
We give/will give
C. Exception to the Rule: Verb وَجِلَ in Imperfect Tense - يَوْجَلُ
Note 2: An exception to the typical pattern of وَعَدَ is the verb وَجِلَ. In this case, the و is retained in the formation of the imperfect tense, and the conjugation adheres to the consonant pattern يَفْعَلُ, resulting in يَوْجَلُ:
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَوْجَلُ
He fears/will fear
Dual
يَوْجَلانِ
They both fear/will fear
Plural
يَوْجَلُوْنَ
They all fear/will fear
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَوْجَلُ
She fears/will fear
Dual
تَوْجَلانِ
They both fear/will fear
Plural
يَوْجَلْنَ
They all fear/will fear
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَوْجَلُ
You fear/will fear
Dual
تَوْجَلُ
You both fear/will fear
Plural
تَوْجَلُوْنَ
You all fear/will fear
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَوْجَلِيْنَ
You fear/will fear
Dual
تَوْجَلُ
You both fear/will fear
Plural
تَوجَلْنَ
You all fear/will fear
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَوْجَلُ
I fear/will fear
Dual
–
Plural
نَوْجَلُ
You all fear/will fear
C. الْمِثالُ الْيائِى: Assimilated Verbs with ى Substituting the First Radical ف
يَسِرَ – يَيْسَرُ
To become easy
يَئِسَ – يَيْئَسُ
To despair/lose hope
يَبِسَ – يَيْبَسُ
To dry up
Conjugating the Assimilated Verb يَسِرَ in the Imperfect Tense: يَيْسَرُ
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَيْئَسُ
He loses hope/will lose hope
Dual
يَيْئَسَانِ
They both lose hope/will lose hope
Plural
يَيْئَسُوْنَ
They all lose hope/will lose hope
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَيْئَسُ
She loses hope/will lose hope
Dual
تَيْئَسَانِ
They both lose hope/will lose hope
Plural
يَيْئَسْنَ
They all lose hope/will lose hope
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَيْئَسُ
You lose hope/will lose hope
Dual
تَيْئَسَانِ
You both lose hope/will lose hope
Plural
تَيْئَسُوْنَ
You all lose hope/will lose hope
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَيْئَسِيْنَ
You lose hope/will lose hope
Dual
تَيْئَسَانِ
You both lose hope/will lose hope
Plural
تَيْئَسْنَ
You all lose hope/will lose hope
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَيْئَسُ
I lose hope/will lose hope
Dual
–
Plural
نَيْئَسُ
We lose hope/will lose hope
4. Hollow Verbs in the Imperfect Tense: A Comprehensive Guide
Hollow verbs are characterized by the presence of a vulnerable middle radical, typically represented by و or ى, which effectively replaces the middle radical ع. To facilitate smooth pronunciation, the middle letters و or ى are substituted with alif ا in these verbs.
Hollow verbs can be classified into two distinct types:
- Hollow Verbs with the Letter Wa ” و “
-
Hollow verbs with the letter ya الْأَجْوَفُ الْيائِى
In this category, the letter “و” takes the place of the middle radical “ع,” as seen in verbs like قَوَلَ, which transforms into قَالَ through the substitution of “و” for “ع.” Interestingly, the “و” reappears in the formation of the imperfect tense. Here is the conjugation of قَالَ in the imperfect tense: يَقُولُ.
A. Hollow Verbs with the Letter Wa " و "
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَقُولُ
He says/ will say
Dual
يَقُولانِ
They both say / will say
Plural
يَقُولُونَ
They all say / will say
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَقُولُ
She says/ will say
Dual
تَقُولانِ
They both say / will say
Plural
يَقُلْنَ
They all say / will say
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَقُولُ
You say/ will say
Dual
تَقُولانِ
You both say / will say
Plural
تَقُلُونَ
You all say / will say
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَقُولِيْنَ
You say/ will say
Dual
تَقُولانِ
You both say / will say
Plural
تَقُلْنَ
You all say / will say
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَقُولُ
I say/ will say
Dual
–
Plural
نَقُولُ
We say / will say
In the third person and second person feminine plural forms, the letter “و” is omitted, leading to the conjugations يَقُلْنَ and تَقُلْنَ respectively.
Exception to the Rule: Conjugating خَافَ in the Imperfect Tense
As previously noted, خَافَ (khaafa) serves as an exception to the established rule. Consequently, it does not adhere to the pattern of قَالَ: يَقُولُ.
Here is the imperfect tense conjugation of خَافَ: يَخَافُ as follows:
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَخَافُ
He fears/ will fear
Dual
يَخَافَانِ
They both fear/ will fear.
Plural
يَخَافُونَ
They all fear/ will fear.
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَخَافُ
She fears/ will fear
Dual
تَخَافَانِ
They both fear/ will fear.
Plural
يَخَفْنَ
They all fear/ will fear.
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَخَافُ
You fear/ will fear
Dual
تَخَافَانِ
You both fear/ will fear.
Plural
تَخَافُونَ
You all fear/ will fear.
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَخَافِيْنَ
You fear/ will fear
Dual
تَخَافَانِ
You both fear/ will fear.
Plural
تَخَفْنَ
You all fear/ will fear.
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَخَافُ
I fear/ will fear
Dual
–
Plural
نَخَافُ
We fear/ will fear.
In the second person and third person feminine plural forms, you’ll notice that the alif (ا) is omitted, and خ (khaa) takes a fatha (َ) on it, resulting in conjugations like يَخَفْنَ and تَخَفْنَ.
B. Hollow verbs with the letter ya الْأَجْوَفُ الْيائِى
In this scenario, the letter ى (ya) assumes the role of the middle radical, substituting the ع (ayn) in verbs such as بَيَعَ, which transforms into بَاعَ with the elongated alif ا. However, in the past perfect tense, the ى is omitted.
In the imperfect tense, the ى reappears, except in the case of the third person and second person feminine plurals. Here is the conjugation of باعَ (baa’a) in the imperfect tense: يَبِيعُ.
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَبِيْعُ
He sells/ will sell
Dual
يَبِيْعَانِ
They both sell/ will sell
Plural
يَبِيْعُونَ
They all sell/ will sell
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَبِيْعُ
She sells/ will sell
Dual
تَبِيعَانِ
They both sell/ will sell
Plural
يَبِعْنَ
They all sell/ will sell
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَبِيْعُ
You sell/ will sell
Dual
تَبِيعَانِ
You both sell/ will sell
Plural
تَبِيْعُوْنَ
You all sell/ will sell
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَبِيْعِيْنَ
You sell/ will sell
Dual
تَبِيعَانِ
You both sell/ will sell
Plural
تَبِعْنَ
You all sell/ will sell
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَبِيْعُ
I sell/ will sell
Dual
–
Plural
نَبِيْعُ
We sell/ will sell
Note: When dealing with the verb شاءَ (shaa’a), its imperfect tenses will take the form يَشاءُ.
5. Defective Verbs in the Imperfect Tense: A Comprehensive Guide
Defective verbs are characterized by the presence of و (waw) in lieu of the final radical ل (lam) within the root فَعَلَ.
A. الناقِصُ الواوِي: Defective Verbs with و Substituting the Final Radical ل
In the verb دَعَا (da’aa), the letter و (waw) that appears in its spelling is reintroduced during the formation of the imperfect tense. Here is the conjugation of دَعَا (da’aa) in the imperfect tense: يَدْعُو.
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَدْعُوْ
He calls/ will call
Dual
يَدْعُوانِ
They both call/ will call
Plural
يَدْعُوْنَ
They all call/ will call
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَدْعُوْ
She calls/ will call
Dual
تَدْعُوانِ
They both call/ will call
Plural
يَدْعُوْنَ
They all call/ will call
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَدْعُوْ
You call/ will call
Dual
تَدْعُوانِ
You both call/ will call
Plural
تَدْعُوْنَ
You all call/ will call
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَدْعِْيْنَ
You call/ will call
Dual
تَدْعُوانِ
You both call/ will call
Plural
تَدْعُوْنَ
You all call/ will call
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَدْعُوْ
I call/ will call
Dual
–
Plural
نَدْعُوْ
We call/ will call
Note: It’s noteworthy that the letter و (waw) remains intact in the conjugation, particularly in the second and third-person feminine plurals. In the third person, both masculine and feminine plurals are identical, resulting in يَدْعُوْنَ. Similarly, in the second person, both masculine and feminine plurals are the same, giving us تَدْعُوْنَ.
B. الناقِصُ اليَائِي: Defective Verbs with ى Substituting the Final Radical ل
The conjugation of رَمَى (rama) in the imperfect tense is exemplified as follows: يَرْمَي (yarma).
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَرْمِي
He throws/ will throw
Dual
يَرْمِيَانِ
They both throw/ will throw
Plural
يَرْمُوْنَ
They all throw/ will throw
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَرْمِي
She throws/ will throw
Dual
تَرْمِيَانِ
They both throw/ will throw
Plural
يَرْمِيْنَ
They all throw/ will throw
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَرْمِي
You throw/ will throw
Dual
تَرْمِيَانِ
You both throw/ will throw
Plural
تَرْمُوْنَ
You all throw/ will throw
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَرْمِيْنَ
You throw/ will throw
Dual
تَرْمِيَانِ
You both throw/ will throw
Plural
تَرْمِيْنَ
You all throw/ will throw
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَرْمِي
I throw/ will throw
Dual
–
Plural
نَرْمِي
We throw/ will throw
C. Conjugating Imperfect Tense: لَقِىَ - يَلْقِي and Note on تَرْمِيْنَ
Note: It’s worth noting that in the imperfect tense, both the second-person feminine singular and plural forms are identical, resulting in تَرْمِيْنَ.
Additionally, here is the conjugation of لَقِىَ (laqiya) in the imperfect tense: يَلْقِي (yalqi).
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَلْقَى
He meets/ will meet
Dual
يَلْقِيانِ
They both meet/ will meet
Plural
يَلْقَوْنَ
They all meet/ will meet
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَلْقَى
She meets/ will meet
Dual
تَلْقِيانِ
They both meet/ will meet
Plural
تَلْقَيْنَ
They all meet/ will meet
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَلْقَى
You meet/ will meet
Dual
تَلْقِيانِ
You both meet/ will meet
Plural
تَلْقَوْنَ
You all meet/ will meet
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَلْقَيْنَ
You meet/ will meet
Dual
تَلْقِيانِ
You both meet/ will meet
Plural
تَلْقَيْنَ
You all meet/ will meet
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَلْقَى
I meet/ will meet
Dual
–
Plural
نَلْقَى
We meet/ will meet
In this context, it’s important to observe that the second radical carries a kasrah (ِ), resulting in a distinct pattern when compared to the base pattern رَمَى (rama), where the second radical typically bears a fatha (َ).
Additionally, it’s noteworthy that both the second-person feminine singular and plural forms are identical, i.e., تَلْقَيْنَ.
D. Irregular Past Tense Conjugations: سَعَى, أَبَى, and نَهَى in the Imperfect Tense
While سَعَى (sa’a), أَبَى (aba), and نَهَى (naha) share the same conjugation pattern as رَمَى (rama) in the past tense, it’s interesting to note that their imperfect tense conjugation follows the pattern of لَقِيَ (laqiya) – يَلْقَى (yalqa).
Here are some examples:
سَعَى – يَسْعَى
To run/service
أَبَى – يَأْبَى
To refuse
نَهَى – يَنْهَى
To forbid
Conjugating the Imperfect Tense: سَعَى - يَسْعَى
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَسْعَى
He strives/ will strive
Dual
يَسْعَيَانِ
They both strive/ will strive
Plural
يَسْعَوْنَ
They all strive/ will strive
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَسْعَى
She strives/ will strive
Dual
تَسْعَيَانِ
They both strive/ will strive
Plural
يَسْعِينَ
They all strive/ will strive
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَسْعَى
You strive/ will strive
Dual
تَسْعَيَانِ
You both strive/ will strive
Plural
تَسْعَوْنَ
You all strive/ will strive
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَسْعَيْنَ
You strive/ will strive
Dual
تَسْعَيَانِ
You both strive/ will strive
Plural
تَسْعَيْنَ
You all strive/ will strive
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَسْعَى
I strive/ will strive
Dual
–
Plural
نَسْعَى
You all strive/ will strive
Conjugating the Imperfect Tense: رَأَى - يَرَى
3rd person masculine
Singular
يَرَى
He sees/ will see
Dual
يَرَيَانِ
They both see/ will see
Plural
يَرَوْنَ
They all see/ will see
3rd person feminine
Singular
تَرَى
She sees/ will see
Dual
تَرَيَانِ
They both see/ will see
Plural
يَرَيْنَ
They all see/ will see
2nd person masculine
Singular
تَرَى
You see/ will see
Dual
تَرَيَانِ
You both see/ will see
Plural
تَرَوْنَ
You all see/ will see
2nd person feminine
Singular
تَرَيْنَ
You see/ will see
Dual
تَرَيَانِ
You both see/ will see
Plural
تَرَيْنَ
You all see/ will see
First-person (masculine/feminine)
Singular
أَرَى
I see/ will see
Dual
–
Plural
تَرَيْنَ
We see/ will see
An irregularity is evident in the conjugational pattern of رَأَى (ra’a) – يَرَى (yara).
Conclusion
This lesson on Arabic nuances concludes here. Insha’Allah, our subsequent session will delve into the past continous in Arabic.
Al-dirassa Institute invites you on a linguistic journey with our expert teachers to master the Arabic language. Should you wish to further your studies, we welcome your inquiries.
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