100 Common Arabic Verbs [with Tips]

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Common Arabic Verbs
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Introduction

Mastering Arabic verbs is essential for building a strong foundation in the language. Verbs form the backbone of communication, allowing you to express actions, describe events, and convey thoughts. Whether you are a beginner or advancing in your Arabic studies, understanding how to conjugate Arabic verbs and use them in sentences is key to fluency.

This blog explores 100 must-know Arabic verbs, provides examples of their usage, and explains how to conjugate ten of the most common verbs in the present tense. If you’re looking for an easy way to learn common Arabic verbs and their meanings, you’re in the right place!

Arabic verbs are rich in structure and meaning. Unlike English, they are shaped by grammatical aspects that influence their use and conjugation. Here’s a breakdown with examples to illustrate:

1. Verb Cases

Verb cases in Arabic indicate the grammatical role of the verb in a sentence. The three main cases are indicative (المرفوع), subjunctive (المنصوب), and jussive (المجزوم). These cases are essential in understanding how verbs function.

  • Indicative Case (المرفوع):
    • يَذْهَبُ الطَّالِبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ (The student goes to school).
    • The verb يَذْهَبُ (goes) is in the indicative case because it is in a neutral, declarative statement.
  • Subjunctive Case (المنصوب):
    • أُرِيدُ أَنْ يَذْهَبَ الطَّالِبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ (I want the student to go to school).
    • The verb يَذْهَبَ (to go) is in the subjunctive case because it follows the particle أَنْ (that).
  • Jussive Case (المجزوم):
    • لَمْ يَذْهَبْ الطَّالِبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ (The student did not go to school).

The verb يَذْهَبْ (did not go) is in the jussive case because it follows the negative particle لَمْ.

2. Strong vs. Weak Verbs

  • Strong Verbs (الفعل الصحيح):
    Strong verbs have root letters that remain stable during conjugation.
    • Example: كَتَبَ (to write).
      • Present tense: يَكْتُبُ (he writes).
      • Past tense: كَتَبَ (he wrote).
      • Imperative: اكْتُبْ (write!).
  • Weak Verbs (الفعل المعتل):
    Weak verbs contain a weak letter (و, ا, or ي) that may drop or change in some forms.
    • Example: قَالَ (to say).
      • Present tense: يَقُولُ (he says).
      • Past tense: قَالَ (he said).
      • Imperative: قُلْ (say!).

3. Imperative Verbs

Imperative verbs (الأمر) are used for commands or requests.

  • Example:
    • اِفْتَحْ الْبَابَ (Open the door).
    • اكْتُبْ دَرْسَكَ (Write your lesson).
      Imperative verbs are often derived from the second-person conjugation of the verb, with slight modifications depending on the verb type.

4. Verb Forms

Arabic verbs have ten primary forms (الأوزان) that alter the root meaning.

  • Example: The root كَتَبَ (to write) has several derived forms:
    • Form I: كَتَبَ (he wrote).
    • Form II: كَتَّبَ (he made someone write).
    • Form III: كَاتَبَ (he corresponded).
    • Form IV: أَكْتَبَ (he dictated).
    • These forms can express causation, reciprocity, or intensity, depending on the pattern.

100 Basic Arabic Verbs

English

Transcription

Arabic Word

to taste

Dhāqa

ذَاقَ

to see

Raʼá

رَأى

to go

Dhahaba

ذَهَب

to collect

Jamaʻa

جَمَع

to return

ʻĀda

عاد

to run

Rakaḍa

رَكَض

to ignore

Tajāhala

تَجاهَل

to walk

Mashaa

مَشى

to talk

Taḥddatha

تَحدَّث

to eat

Akala

أَكَل

to drink

Shariba

شَرِب

to wear

Labisa

لَبِس

to sleep

Nāmaa

نام

to play

Laʻiba

لَعِب

to study

Darasa

دَرَس

to announce

Aʻlana

أَعلَن

to write

Kataba

كَتَب

to read

Qaraʼa

قَرَأ

to laugh

Ḍaḥika

ضَحِك

to love

ahabba

أَحَبّ

to hate

Kariha

كَرِه

to want

Arāda

أَراد

to say

Qāla

قال

to organize

Naẓẓama

نَظَّم

to plan

Khaṭṭaṭa

خَطَّط

to book

Ḥajaza

حَجَز

to observe

Rāqaba

راقَب

to analyze

Ḥallala

حَلَّل

to publish

Nashara

نَشَر

to verify

Daqqaqa

دَقّق

to edit

Ḥarrara

حَرَّر

to correspond

Rāsala

راسَل

to chat

Dardasha

دَردَش

to ask

Saʼala

سَأَل

to answer

Ajāba

أَجاب

to understand

Fahima

فَهِم

to buy

Ishtaraa

اِشتَرى

to sell

Bāʻa

باع

to hear

Samiʻa

سَمِع

to live

ʻĀsha

عاش

to die

Māta

مات

to cook

Ṭabakha

طَبَخ

to break

Kasara

كَسَر

to fix

Aṣlaḥa

أَصلَح

to travel

Sāfara

سافَر

to forget

Nasīa

نَسِي

to remember

Tadhakkara

تَذَكّر

to search

Baḥatha

بَحَث

to draw

Rasama

رَسَم

to cry

Baká

بَكى

to call

Nādá

نادَى

to smile

Ibtasama

اِبتَسَم

to help

Sāʻada

ساعَد

to cut

Qaṭaʻa

قَطَع

to watch

Shāhada

شاهَد

to pay

Dafaʻa

دَفَع

to carry

Ḥamala

حَمَل

to lose

Faqada

فَقَد

to find

Wajada

وَجَد

to add

Aḍāfa

أَضاف

to put

Waḍaʻa

وَضَع

to lead

Qāda

قاد

to leave

Kharaja

خَرَج

to go down

Nazala

نَزَل

to go up

Ṣaʻada

صَعَد

to presume

Ẓanna

ظَنَّ

to need

Iḥtāja

اِحتاج

to think

Iʻtaqada

اِعتَقَد

to try

Ḥāwala

حاوَل

to start

Badaʼa

بَدَأ

to continue

Akmala

أَكمَل

to stop

Tawaqqafa

تَوَقّف

to sit

Jalasa

جَلَس

to choose

Ikhtāra

اِختَار

to participate

Shāraka

شارَك

to wish

Tamanná

تَمَنّى

to cooperate

Taʻāwana

تَعاوَن

to build

Baná

بَنَى

to feel

Shaʻara

شَعَر

to learn

Taʻallama

تَعَلّم

to support

Sānada

سانَد

to encourage

Shajjaʻa

شَجّع

to motivate

Ḥaffaza

حَفّز

to inspire

Alhama

أَلهَم

to clean

Naẓẓafa

نَظَّف

to discover

Istakshafa

اِستَكشَف

to attend

Ḥaḍara

حَضَر

to volunteer

Taṭawwaʻ

تَطَوَّع

to donate

Tabarraʻa

تَبَرَّع

to invest

Istathmara

اِستَثمَر

to store

Khazzana

خَزَّن

to earn

Kasiba

كَسِب

to spend

Anfaqa

أَنفَق

to borrow

Istaʻāra

اِستَعار

to lend

Aʻāra

أَعار

to give

Aʻṭáa

أَعطَى

to receive

Istalama

اِستَلَم

to rent

Istaʼjara

اِستَأجَر

to negotiate

Tafāwaḍa

تَفاوَض

to call

Ittaṣala

اِتَّصَل

Verb Conjugations in the Present Tense

Here are three common Arabic verbs from the list, conjugated in the present tense. These examples illustrate how to use basic verbs in Arabic for everyday conversation:

to write

Transcription

كتب

I write

Anā aktubu

أَنا أَكتُب

You write

Anta taktubu

أَنتَ تَكتُب

She writes

Hiya taktubu

هِيَ تَكتُب

He writes

Huwa yaktubu

هُوَ يَكتُب

We write

Naḥnu naktubu

نَحنُ نَكتُب

They write

Hum yaktubwn

هُم يَكتُبون

to read

Transcription

قرأ

I read

Anā aqraʼu

أَنا أَقرَأ

You read

Anta taqraʼu

أَنتَ تَقرَأ

She reads

Hiya taqraʼu

هِيَ تَقرَأ

He reads

Huwa yaqraʼu

هُوَ يَقرَأ

We read

Naḥnu naqraʼu

نَحنُ نَقرَأ

They read

Hum yaqraʼwn

هُم يَقرَؤون

to go

Transcription

ذهب

I go

Anā adhhabu

أَنا أَذهَب

You go

Anta tadhhabu

أَنتَ تَذهَب

She goes

Hiya tadhhabu

هِيَ تَذهَب

He goes

Huwa yadhhabu

هُوَ يَذهَب

We go

Naḥnu nadhhabu

نَحنُ نَذهَب

They go

Hum yadhhabwn

هُم يَذهَبون

Tips for Learning Arabic Verbs Quickly

  1. Start with Common Verbs: Focus on frequently used Arabic verbs to build your vocabulary.
  2. Learn Verb Conjugations: Practice conjugating verbs in different tenses to improve fluency.
  3. Use Example Sentences: Write and read sentences to see how verbs function in context.
  4. Understand Verb Forms: Familiarize yourself with the ten verb forms to grasp the root system.
  5. Practice Daily: Dedicate time each day to learning and revising verbs.

Final word

Arabic verbs open doors to meaningful communication. So make sure to understand their forms, meanings, and conjugations, so you can enhance your ability to express yourself. 

Keep this list close and try to use these verbs in your every day conversations. 

 

For more help with learning Arabic vocabulary, read How to Increase Arabic Vocabulary in 7 Steps and Top 100 Common Words in Arabic. And don’t forget to download AlifBee App for unlimited exercises.

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