Arabic: An Essential Grammar

(a) Past perfect (pluperfect)

َكا َن ) َق ْد( َك َت َب ka ̄na (qad) kataba, he had written

ّر َساَل َةََك َت َب ل )َق ْد (ما َشا َه ْد ُت ُه َكا َن ََّلـ

lamma ̄ sˇa ̄hadtu-hu ka ̄na (qad) kataba r-risa ̄lata.

When I saw him, he had (already) written the letter.

Remember: َق ْد qad is inserted to emphasize the finality of the

action or for reasons of style.

(b) Past progressive or habitual

َكا َن َي ْك ُت ُب ka ̄na yaktubu, he was writing, he has been writing

he had been writing, he used to write

(everyday)

ما َشا َه ْد ُت ُه َكا َن َي ْش َر ُب َق ْه َو ًةَّ َلـlamma ̄sˇa ̄hadtu-huka ̄na yasˇrabu

qahwatan.

When I saw him, hewas drinking

coffee.

ل َي ْو ٍمََّكا َن َي ْش َر ُب َشا ً يا ُك ka ̄na yasˇrabu sˇa ̄yan kulla yawmin.

He used to drink tea every day.

(c) Future in the past (future of perfect)

َكا َن َسـ َي ْك ُت ُب ka ̄na sa-yaktubu, he was going to write

Note: َس ْو َف sawfa is not used after َكا َن ka ̄na.

(d) Past in the future (perfect of future)

َك َت َب)َق ْد (َي ُكو ُن yaku ̄nu (qad) kataba, he will have written

ر َساَل َةَّ لَك َت َب )َق ْد (ِع ْن َد َما َأ ِص ُل ِإَل ْي ِه َي ُكو ُن



indama ̄

as

̇

ilu

ilayhi yaku ̄nu (qad) kataba r-risa ̄lata.

When I reach him, he will have written the letter.

241

Verbs with

a weak

middle

radical