Verbs are the engines of Arabic sentences. Unlike English, which depends on word order, Arabic carries most grammatical information inside the verb itself: subject, tense, aspect, mood, and sometimes object are all marked on the verb through prefixes and suffixes. Command of the top 100 most common verbs opens the door to reading newspapers, having everyday conversations, and understanding the bulk of written Arabic. This reference organizes these verbs by their triliteral roots, groups them by frequency and meaning, and provides past and present conjugations for the most essential examples.
Arabic verbs are built on the root-and-pattern system described in the Arabic root system reference. Every verb belongs to one of 10 "Forms" (أَوْزَان awzān), expansions of a three-consonant root. Form I is the bare root verb (كَتَبَ, kataba); Forms II through X add consonants or doubling to shift meaning in predictable ways (see Arabic verb forms 1-10 complete conjugation reference). Most of the top 100 verbs are Form I. For how these verbs conjugate across all persons and tenses, see the Arabic verb conjugation guide.
How Arabic Verbs Are Cited
Arabic verbs appear in dictionaries in the 3rd-person masculine singular past tense (also called the perfect tense). This is the cleanest form showing the root consonants:
- كَتَبَ (kataba) "he wrote" = root K-T-B + fatḥa pattern = to write.
- ذَهَبَ (dhahaba) "he went" = root DH-H-B = to go.
The present tense (imperfect) is listed alongside with the 3rd-person masculine singular: يَكْتُبُ (yaktubu, he writes), يَذْهَبُ (yadhhabu, he goes). Together the pair gives you the verb's behavior.
In this reference, each entry provides:
- Root (three consonants separated by hyphens).
- Past tense: 3ms form.
- Present tense: 3ms form.
- English meaning.
Verbs of Being, Becoming, and Having
These verbs underpin every sentence structure.
Table 1. Copulas and state verbs.
| Root | Past | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ك-و-ن | كَانَ kāna | يَكُونُ yakūnu | To be (past / future) |
| ل-ي-س | لَيْسَ laysa | — | Is not (present negator) |
| ص-ي-ر | صَارَ ṣāra | يَصِيرُ yaṣīru | To become |
| أ-ص-ب-ح | أَصْبَحَ aṣbaḥa | يُصْبِحُ yuṣbiḥu | To become (lit. to wake up as) |
| ب-ق-ي | بَقِيَ baqiya | يَبْقَى yabqā | To remain |
| و-ج-د | وَجَدَ wajada | يَجِدُ yajidu | To find |
| م-ل-ك | مَلَكَ malaka | يَمْلِكُ yamliku | To possess |
Note: Arabic has no present-tense "to be" in affirmative sentences. "The book is big" is الكِتَابُ كَبِيرٌ (al-kitābu kabīrun) with no linking verb. كَانَ is used for past ("the book was big" كَانَ الكِتَابُ كَبِيرًا) and with future auxiliary.
Verbs of Motion and Going
Table 2. Movement verbs.
| Root | Past | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ذ-ه-ب | ذَهَبَ dhahaba | يَذْهَبُ yadhhabu | To go |
| ج-ي-ء | جَاءَ jā'a | يَجِيءُ yajī'u | To come |
| أ-ت-ي | أَتَى atā | يَأْتِي ya'tī | To come |
| و-ص-ل | وَصَلَ waṣala | يَصِلُ yaṣilu | To arrive |
| س-ا-ف-ر | سَافَرَ sāfara | يُسَافِرُ yusāfiru | To travel (Form III) |
| د-خ-ل | دَخَلَ dakhala | يَدْخُلُ yadkhulu | To enter |
| خ-ر-ج | خَرَجَ kharaja | يَخْرُجُ yakhruju | To exit |
| ر-ج-ع | رَجَعَ rajaʿa | يَرْجِعُ yarjiʿu | To return |
| م-ش-ي | مَشَى mashā | يَمْشِي yamshī | To walk |
| ج-ر-ي | جَرَى jarā | يَجْرِي yajrī | To run |
| ط-ا-ر | طَارَ ṭāra | يَطِيرُ yaṭīru | To fly |
| ر-ك-ب | رَكِبَ rakiba | يَرْكَبُ yarkabu | To ride, board |
| ن-ز-ل | نَزَلَ nazala | يَنْزِلُ yanzilu | To descend, get off |
| ص-ع-د | صَعِدَ ṣaʿida | يَصْعَدُ yaṣʿadu | To climb, ascend |
Verbs of Saying and Communication
Table 3. Speech verbs.
| Root | Past | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ق-و-ل | قَالَ qāla | يَقُولُ yaqūlu | To say |
| ك-ل-م | تَكَلَّمَ takallama | يَتَكَلَّمُ yatakallamu | To speak (Form V) |
| ح-د-ث | تَحَدَّثَ taḥaddatha | يَتَحَدَّثُ yataḥaddathu | To talk (Form V) |
| س-أ-ل | سَأَلَ sa'ala | يَسْأَلُ yas'alu | To ask |
| ج-و-ب | أَجَابَ ajāba | يُجِيبُ yujību | To answer (Form IV) |
| ذ-ك-ر | ذَكَرَ dhakara | يَذْكُرُ yadhkuru | To mention, remember |
| ش-ر-ح | شَرَحَ sharaḥa | يَشْرَحُ yashraḥu | To explain |
| خ-ب-ر | أَخْبَرَ akhbara | يُخْبِرُ yukhbiru | To inform (Form IV) |
| ن-ا-د-ي | نَادَى nādā | يُنَادِي yunādī | To call out |
| د-ع-و | دَعَا daʿā | يَدْعُو yadʿū | To invite, pray, call |
| س-م-ع | سَمِعَ samiʿa | يَسْمَعُ yasmaʿu | To hear |
The verb قَالَ (qāla) is one of the most frequent verbs in Arabic, appearing constantly in storytelling, the Quran, and news reports. Its conjugation is "hollow" (the middle root letter is a long ā), giving forms like قُلْتُ (qultu, I said), يَقُولُ (yaqūlu, he says).
The 8th-century grammarian al-Khalīl ibn Aḥmad observed that "the verbs of seeing, hearing, and saying are the three pillars on which all narrative rests." Command of رَأَى, سَمِعَ, and قَالَ with their conjugations unlocks most of Arabic storytelling and journalism.
Verbs of Perception
Table 4. Seeing, hearing, knowing.
| Root | Past | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ر-ء-ي | رَأَى ra'ā | يَرَى yarā | To see |
| ن-ظ-ر | نَظَرَ naẓara | يَنْظُرُ yanẓuru | To look at |
| ش-ا-ه-د | شَاهَدَ shāhada | يُشَاهِدُ yushāhidu | To watch (Form III) |
| س-م-ع | سَمِعَ samiʿa | يَسْمَعُ yasmaʿu | To hear |
| ع-ر-ف | عَرَفَ ʿarafa | يَعْرِفُ yaʿrifu | To know (acquainted) |
| ع-ل-م | عَلِمَ ʿalima | يَعْلَمُ yaʿlamu | To know (facts) |
| ف-ه-م | فَهِمَ fahima | يَفْهَمُ yafhamu | To understand |
| ش-ع-ر | شَعَرَ shaʿara | يَشْعُرُ yashʿuru | To feel |
| ح-س-س | أَحَسَّ aḥassa | يُحِسُّ yuḥissu | To sense (Form IV) |
Note the distinction between عَرَفَ and عَلِمَ. ʿArafa means "to know someone or something through acquaintance" (e.g., I know Ahmed). ʿAlima means "to know that..." (facts, truths). Both mean "to know" but they are not interchangeable.
Verbs of Eating, Drinking, and Daily Activity
Table 5. Daily action verbs.
| Root | Past | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| أ-ك-ل | أَكَلَ akala | يَأْكُلُ ya'kulu | To eat |
| ش-ر-ب | شَرِبَ shariba | يَشْرَبُ yashrabu | To drink |
| ن-ا-م | نَامَ nāma | يَنَامُ yanāmu | To sleep |
| ق-و-م | قَامَ qāma | يَقُومُ yaqūmu | To stand, get up |
| ج-ل-س | جَلَسَ jalasa | يَجْلِسُ yajlisu | To sit |
| ف-ت-ح | فَتَحَ fataḥa | يَفْتَحُ yaftaḥu | To open |
| غ-ل-ق | أَغْلَقَ aghlaqa | يُغْلِقُ yughliqu | To close (Form IV) |
| ل-ب-س | لَبِسَ labisa | يَلْبَسُ yalbasu | To wear |
| غ-س-ل | غَسَلَ ghasala | يَغْسِلُ yaghsilu | To wash |
Verbs of Reading, Writing, Learning
Table 6. Intellectual verbs.
| Root | Past | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ك-ت-ب | كَتَبَ kataba | يَكْتُبُ yaktubu | To write |
| ق-ر-ء | قَرَأَ qara'a | يَقْرَأُ yaqra'u | To read |
| د-ر-س | دَرَسَ darasa | يَدْرُسُ yadrusu | To study |
| ع-ل-م | تَعَلَّمَ taʿallama | يَتَعَلَّمُ yataʿallamu | To learn (Form V) |
| ف-ك-ر | فَكَّرَ fakkara | يُفَكِّرُ yufakkiru | To think (Form II) |
| ح-ف-ظ | حَفِظَ ḥafiẓa | يَحْفَظُ yaḥfaẓu | To memorize, preserve |
| ن-س-ي | نَسِيَ nasiya | يَنْسَى yansā | To forget |
| ذ-ك-ر | تَذَكَّرَ tadhakkara | يَتَذَكَّرُ yatadhakkaru | To remember (Form V) |
| ع-د-د | عَدَّ ʿadda | يَعُدُّ yaʿuddu | To count |
Verbs of Doing, Making, Working
Table 7. Action verbs.
| Root | Past | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ف-ع-ل | فَعَلَ faʿala | يَفْعَلُ yafʿalu | To do (generic) |
| ع-م-ل | عَمِلَ ʿamila | يَعْمَلُ yaʿmalu | To work, to do |
| ص-ن-ع | صَنَعَ ṣanaʿa | يَصْنَعُ yaṣnaʿu | To make, manufacture |
| خ-ل-ق | خَلَقَ khalaqa | يَخْلُقُ yakhluqu | To create |
| ب-ن-ي | بَنَى banā | يَبْنِي yabnī | To build |
| ح-م-ل | حَمَلَ ḥamala | يَحْمِلُ yaḥmilu | To carry |
| أ-خ-ذ | أَخَذَ akhadha | يَأْخُذُ ya'khudhu | To take |
| ع-ط-و | أَعْطَى aʿṭā | يُعْطِي yuʿṭī | To give (Form IV) |
| و-ض-ع | وَضَعَ waḍaʿa | يَضَعُ yaḍaʿu | To put |
| ر-ف-ع | رَفَعَ rafaʿa | يَرْفَعُ yarfaʿu | To raise, lift |
| ش-ر-ي | اِشْتَرَى ishtarā | يَشْتَرِي yashtarī | To buy (Form VIII) |
| ب-ي-ع | بَاعَ bāʿa | يَبِيعُ yabīʿu | To sell |
| ق-ت-ل | قَتَلَ qatala | يَقْتُلُ yaqtulu | To kill |
Verbs of Feeling and Wanting
Table 8. Emotion and desire verbs.
| Root | Past | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ح-ب-ب | أَحَبَّ aḥabba | يُحِبُّ yuḥibbu | To love (Form IV) |
| ك-ر-ه | كَرِهَ kariha | يَكْرَهُ yakrahu | To hate |
| ر-و-د | أَرَادَ arāda | يُرِيدُ yurīdu | To want (Form IV) |
| ح-ت-ج | اِحْتَاجَ iḥtāja | يَحْتَاجُ yaḥtāju | To need (Form VIII) |
| ف-ر-ح | فَرِحَ fariḥa | يَفْرَحُ yafraḥu | To be happy |
| ح-ز-ن | حَزِنَ ḥazina | يَحْزَنُ yaḥzanu | To be sad |
| خ-و-ف | خَافَ khāfa | يَخَافُ yakhāfu | To fear |
| ت-م-ن-ي | تَمَنَّى tamannā | يَتَمَنَّى yatamannā | To wish (Form V) |
| أ-م-ل | أَمَلَ amala | يَأْمُلُ ya'mulu | To hope |
| ض-ح-ك | ضَحِكَ ḍaḥika | يَضْحَكُ yaḍḥaku | To laugh |
| ب-ك-ي | بَكَى bakā | يَبْكِي yabkī | To cry |
The verb أَحَبَّ (aḥabba, to love) is Form IV of the root ح-ب-ب. It doubles the last two root consonants into a geminated ب. Its conjugation accommodates the doubled consonant: أُحِبُّ (uḥibbu, I love), تُحِبُّ (tuḥibbu, you love/he loves).
Verbs of Beginning and Ending
| Root | Past | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ب-د-أ | بَدَأَ bada'a | يَبْدَأُ yabda'u | To begin |
| اِنْ-ت-ه-ي | اِنْتَهَى intahā | يَنْتَهِي yantahī | To end (Form VIII) |
| ن-ج-ح | نَجَحَ najaḥa | يَنْجَحُ yanjaḥu | To succeed |
| ف-ش-ل | فَشَلَ fashala | يَفْشَلُ yafshalu | To fail |
| ح-و-ل | حَاوَلَ ḥāwala | يُحَاوِلُ yuḥāwilu | To try (Form III) |
| اِسْ-ت-ط-ي-ع | اِسْتَطَاعَ istaṭāʿa | يَسْتَطِيعُ yastaṭīʿu | To be able (Form X) |
Verbs of Buying, Paying, Helping
| Root | Past | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| د-ف-ع | دَفَعَ dafaʿa | يَدْفَعُ yadfaʿu | To pay, push |
| أ-ج-ر | اِسْتَأْجَرَ ista'jara | يَسْتَأْجِرُ yasta'jiru | To rent (Form X) |
| س-ا-ع-د | سَاعَدَ sāʿada | يُسَاعِدُ yusāʿidu | To help (Form III) |
| خ-د-م | خَدَمَ khadama | يَخْدُمُ yakhdumu | To serve |
Sample Full Conjugation
Here is كَتَبَ (to write) fully conjugated in past and present, as a template for Form I sound verbs.
Past tense (الماضي):
| Person | Arabic | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| I wrote | كَتَبْتُ | katabtu |
| You (m) wrote | كَتَبْتَ | katabta |
| You (f) wrote | كَتَبْتِ | katabti |
| He wrote | كَتَبَ | kataba |
| She wrote | كَتَبَتْ | katabat |
| We wrote | كَتَبْنَا | katabnā |
| You (m pl) wrote | كَتَبْتُمْ | katabtum |
| You (f pl) wrote | كَتَبْتُنَّ | katabtunna |
| They (m) wrote | كَتَبُوا | katabū |
| They (f) wrote | كَتَبْنَ | katabna |
Present tense (المضارع):
| Person | Arabic | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| I write | أَكْتُبُ | aktubu |
| You (m) write | تَكْتُبُ | taktubu |
| You (f) write | تَكْتُبِينَ | taktubīna |
| He writes | يَكْتُبُ | yaktubu |
| She writes | تَكْتُبُ | taktubu |
| We write | نَكْتُبُ | naktubu |
| You (m pl) write | تَكْتُبُونَ | taktubūna |
| You (f pl) write | تَكْتُبْنَ | taktubna |
| They (m) write | يَكْتُبُونَ | yaktubūna |
| They (f) write | يَكْتُبْنَ | yaktubna |
The Imperative
The imperative (الأَمْر al-amr) commands someone to do something. It is formed from the present tense by:
- Dropping the present-tense prefix (تَ-, يَ-, etc.).
- Often adding an initial alif with a vowel (u, i, or a) to break an unpronounceable cluster.
- يَكْتُبُ (yaktubu, he writes) → اُكْتُبْ (uktub, write! m.)
- يَجْلِسُ (yajlisu, he sits) → اِجْلِسْ (ijlis, sit!)
- يَسْمَعُ (yasmaʿu, he hears) → اِسْمَعْ (ismaʿ, listen!)
Feminine and plural imperatives add suffixes: اُكْتُبِي (uktubī, write f sg), اُكْتُبُوا (uktubū, write m pl), اُكْتُبْنَ (uktubna, write f pl).
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make
Looking for the infinitive. Arabic does not have an infinitive like English "to write." The dictionary form is the 3ms past: كَتَبَ. The maṣdar (verbal noun) كِتَابَة (kitāba, "writing") covers some infinitive-like uses.
Assuming present-tense vowels are predictable. The middle vowel of the present (a, i, or u) is unpredictable and must be memorized. Dictionaries mark it: كَتَبَ (yaktubu, -u); جَلَسَ (yajlisu, -i); فَتَحَ (yaftaḥu, -a).
Translating "to be" with كَانَ in the present. Arabic has no copula in affirmative present. كَانَ is strictly past (or future with سَـ or سَوْفَ). Saying هُوَ يَكُونُ طَالِبًا (he is a student) is ungrammatical; it is simply هُوَ طَالِبٌ.
Mixing up أَحَبَّ and حَبَّ. The common verb for love is Form IV أَحَبَّ / يُحِبُّ. Form I حَبَّ exists but is archaic.
Using قَالَ with a prepositional object. Qāla takes a direct object (quoted speech) or إِنَّ clause. To say "he said to me," use قَالَ لِي. Do not use تَكَلَّمَ for direct quotation.
Forgetting that ذَهَبَ needs إِلَى. Dhahaba (to go) takes إِلَى (to): ذَهَبَ إِلَى المَدْرَسَةِ (he went to school). Dropping ilā is a common error.
Confusing عَرَفَ and عَلِمَ. ʿArafa is experiential acquaintance. ʿAlima is factual knowledge. "I know Fatima" uses ʿarafa; "I know that Arabic is hard" uses ʿalima.
Quick Reference
Top verbs every learner should recognize on sight:
كَانَ (was), قَالَ (said), ذَهَبَ (went), جَاءَ (came), رَأَى (saw), أَكَلَ (ate), شَرِبَ (drank), كَتَبَ (wrote), قَرَأَ (read), دَرَسَ (studied), عَمِلَ (worked), فَعَلَ (did), أَرَادَ (wanted), أَحَبَّ (loved), عَرَفَ (knew), فَهِمَ (understood), سَمِعَ (heard), أَخَذَ (took), أَعْطَى (gave), جَلَسَ (sat), نَامَ (slept).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are verbs cited in 3ms past? It shows the bare root most cleanly. Arabic has no infinitive.
What is Form I? Bare root verb, pattern فَعَلَ. About 60 percent of vocabulary.
How to know the middle vowel? Memorize per verb. Transitive often -a-; state -i-; some -u-.
Which verbs are truly irregular? كان, ليس, جاء, رأى have special conjugations. Root-class patterns handle most "irregularity."
Do I need all 10 forms? No. Learn Form I carefully; Forms II, III, IV, VII, VIII, X are the most productive.
Difference between قال and تكلم? Qāla reports specific speech; takallama describes speaking generally.
How to form the imperative? Drop the present prefix, add initial alif with vowel: اُكْتُبْ from يَكْتُبُ.
See Also
- Arabic verb conjugation present past tense guide
- Arabic verb forms 1-10 complete conjugation reference
- Arabic root system trilateral roots word formation reference
- Arabic grammar rules complete beginners guide
- Arabic pronouns attached detached complete reference
- Arabic broken plurals irregular plural patterns reference
- Arabic alphabet complete guide for beginners
- Arabic common phrases daily conversation reference
Author: Kalenux Team
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Arabic verbs listed in third-person past masculine singular?
The base dictionary form of an Arabic verb is the 3rd-person masculine singular past tense, such as كَتَبَ (kataba, he wrote). This form reveals the bare root consonants with minimal prefixes and suffixes, making it the cleanest citation form. English dictionaries list the infinitive (to write); Arabic dictionaries list this perfect-tense form because Arabic has no infinitive as such.
What is Form I and why are most common verbs in it?
Form I (الفِعْل المُجَرَّد al-fiʿl al-mujarrad) is the bare root verb with no added consonants. It takes the pattern فَعَلَ (faʿala) with a variable middle vowel. About 60 percent of Arabic vocabulary derives from Form I verbs, making it the foundation of the verb system. Forms II through X add consonants or doubling to shift meaning.
How do I know the middle vowel (a, i, or u)?
The middle vowel of the past tense must be memorized for each verb. Most transitive verbs use -a- (كَتَبَ kataba, he wrote). State verbs often use -i- (شَرِبَ shariba, he drank). Some verbs use -u- (كَبُرَ kabura, he grew big). The present-tense middle vowel is also unpredictable but is often listed in dictionaries.
Which verbs are truly irregular?
كَانَ (kāna, to be) and لَيْسَ (laysa, is not) behave uniquely: kāna is the copula for past tense and future, while laysa negates present-tense verbless sentences. جَاءَ (jā'a, to come) and رَأَى (ra'ā, to see) are weak verbs with special conjugations. Otherwise, Arabic's apparent irregularity is actually rule-governed within root classes (hollow, doubled, defective, assimilated).
Do I need to learn all 10 forms of every verb?
No. Most verbs exist in only 3 to 5 of the 10 forms. Learn Form I carefully for common verbs; learn Forms II, III, IV and VII, VIII, X because they are productive and common. Forms V, VI, and IX are less frequent.
What is the difference between قَالَ and تَكَلَّمَ?
قَالَ (qāla) means to say, report, state specific words. تَكَلَّمَ (takallama) means to speak, to converse, to engage in speech more generally. قَالَ takes a direct quoted object; تَكَلَّمَ takes prepositions like مَعَ (with) or عَنْ (about).
How do I form the imperative?
Drop the present-tense prefix تَ- and often add an initial alif with a vowel. For كَتَبَ/يَكْتُبُ (kataba/yaktubu), the imperative is اُكْتُبْ (uktub, write!). Feminine and plural imperatives add suffixes: اُكْتُبِي (uktubī, write f sg), اُكْتُبُوا (uktubū, write m pl).
