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

Dhahab

ذَهَب

to collect

Jamaʻ

جَمَع

to return

ʻĀd

عاد

to run

Rakaḍ

رَكَض

to ignore

Tajāhal

تَجاهَل

to walk

Mashá

مَشى

to talk

Taḥddath

تَحدَّث

to eat

Akal

أَكَل

to drink

Sharib

شَرِب

to wear

Labis

لَبِس

to sleep

Nāma

نام

to play

Laʻib

لَعِب

to study

Daras

دَرَس

to announce

Aʻlan

أَعلَن

to write

Katab

كَتَب

to read

Qaraʼ

قَرَأ

to laugh

Ḍaḥik

ضَحِك

to love

uhibbu

أَحَبّ

to hate

Karih

كَرِه

to want

Arād

أَراد

to say

Qāla

قال

to organize

Naẓẓam

نَظَّم

to plan

Khaṭṭaṭ

خَطَّط

to book

Ḥajaz

حَجَز

to observe

Rāqab

راقَب

to analyze

Ḥallal

حَلَّل

to publish

Nashar

نَشَر

to verify

Daqqaq

دَقّق

to edit

Ḥarrar

حَرَّر

to correspond

Rāsal

راسَل

to chat

Dardash

دَردَش

to ask

Saʼal

سَأَل

to answer

Ajāb

أَجاب

to understand

Fahim

فَهِم

to buy

Ishtará

اِشتَرى

to sell

Bāʻa

باع

to hear

Samiʻ

سَمِع

to live

ʻĀsha

عاش

to die

Māta

مات

to cook

Ṭabakh

طَبَخ

to break

Kasar

كَسَر

to fix

Aṣlaḥ

أَصلَح

to travel

Sāfar

سافَر

to forget

Nasī

نَسِي

to remember

Tadhakkr

تَذَكّر

to search

Baḥath

بَحَث

to draw

Rasam

رَسَم

to cry

Baká

بَكى

to call

Nādá

نادَى

to smile

Ibtasam

اِبتَسَم

to help

Sāʻad

ساعَد

to cut

Qaṭaʻ

قَطَع

to watch

Shāhad

شاهَد

to pay

Dafaʻ

دَفَع

to carry

Ḥamal

حَمَل

to lose

Faqad

فَقَد

to find

Wajad

وَجَد

to add

Aḍāf

أَضاف

to put

Waḍaʻ

وَضَع

to lead

Qād

قاد

to leave

Kharaj

خَرَج

to go down

Nazal

نَزَل

to go up

Ṣaʻad

صَعَد

to presume

Ẓanna

ظَنَّ

to need

Iḥtāj

اِحتاج

to think

Iʻtaqad

اِعتَقَد

to try

Ḥāwal

حاوَل

to start

Badaʼ

بَدَأ

to continue

Akmal

أَكمَل

to stop

Tawaqqf

تَوَقّف

to sit

Jalas

جَلَس

to choose

Ikhtār

اِختَار

to participate

Shārak

شارَك

to wish

Tamanná

تَمَنّى

to cooperate

Taʻāwan

تَعاوَن

to build

Baná

بَنَى

to feel

Shaʻar

شَعَر

to learn

Taʻallm

تَعَلّم

to support

Sānad

سانَد

to encourage

Shajjʻ

شَجّع

to motivate

Ḥaffz

حَفّز

to inspire

Alham

أَلهَم

to clean

Naẓẓaf

نَظَّف

to discover

Istakshaf

اِستَكشَف

to attend

Ḥaḍar

حَضَر

to volunteer

Taṭawwaʻ

تَطَوَّع

to donate

Tabarraʻ

تَبَرَّع

to invest

Istathmar

اِستَثمَر

to store

Khazzan

خَزَّن

to earn

Kasib

كَسِب

to spend

Anfaq

أَنفَق

to borrow

Istaʻār

اِستَعار

to lend

Aʻār

أَعار

to give

Aʻṭá

أَعطَى

to receive

Istalam

اِستَلَم

to rent

Istaʼjar

اِستَأجَر

to negotiate

Tafāwaḍ

تَفاوَض

to call

Ittaṣal

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 aktub

أَنا أَكتُب

You write

Anta taktub

أَنتَ تَكتُب

She writes

Hiya taktub

هِيَ تَكتُب

He writes

Huwa yaktub

هُوَ يَكتُب

We write

Naḥnu naktub

نَحنُ نَكتُب

They write

Hum yaktubwn

هُم يَكتُبون

to read

Transcription

قرأ

I read

Anā aqraʼ

أَنا أَقرَأ

You read

Anta taqraʼ

أَنتَ تَقرَأ

She reads

Hiya taqraʼ

هِيَ تَقرَأ

He reads

Huwa yaqraʼ

هُوَ يَقرَأ

We read

Naḥnu naqraʼ

نَحنُ نَقرَأ

They read

Hum yaqraʼwn

هُم يَقرَؤون

to go

Transcription

ذهب

I go

Anā adhhab

أَنا أَذهَب

You go

Anta tadhhab

أَنتَ تَذهَب

She goes

Hiya tadhhab

هِيَ تَذهَب

He goes

Huwa yadhhab

هُوَ يَذهَب

We go

Naḥnu nadhhab

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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