Arabic: An Essential Grammar

17.5 Word order in sentences with an imperfect tense verb

The imperfect verb either precedes or follows its subject. The verb

agrees with its subject in the same way as for the perfect tense, e.g.

Sing.ل َي ْو ٍم ِإَ لى َع َمِل ِهََّأْل َعا ِم ُل َي ْذ َه ُب ُك al-

a ̄milu yad ̄

habu kulla yawmin

ila ̄

amali-hi.

The worker goes to his work every day.

Plur. ل َي ْو ٍم ِإَ لى َع َمِل ِه ْمَّ ما ُل َي ْذ َه ُبو َن ُكَّ َأْل ُع al-

umma ̄lu yad ̄

habu ̄na kulla yawmin

ila ̄

amali-him.

The workers go to their work every day.

singular dual plural

َت ْك ُت ُب َت ْك ُت َبا ِن َي ْك ُت ْب َن

f. ta+KTUB+uta+KTUB+a ̄ni ya+KTUB+na

she writes they (2) write they write

she is writing they (2) are writing they are writing

َت ْك ُت ُب َت ْك ُت َبا ِن َت ْك ُت ُبو َن

m. ta+KTUB+uta+KTUB+a ̄ni ta+KTUB+u ̄na

you write you (2)write you write

you are writing you (2) are writing you are writing

َت ْك ُت ِبي َن َت ْك ُت َبا ِن َت ْك ُت ْب َن

f. ta+KTUB+ı

na ta+KTUB+a ̄ni ta+KTUB+na

you write you (2)write you write

you are writing you (2) are writing you are writing

َأ ْك ُت ُب َن ْك ُت ُب

m. f.

a+KTUB+una+KTUB+u

I write we write

I am writing we are writing

Note: If the subject refers to non-human beings in the plural, the verb is in the feminine singular.

108

Imperfect

tense in the

indicative,

word order