Lesson 65: The Imperfect Tense

Step 1 of 5: Learn

The perfect looks back on a finished action. The imperfect (اَلْمُضَارِعُ) describes an action that is not finished: something happening now, something that happens habitually, or something still to come. Arabic does not separate present from future inside the verb itself; the time is shown by the context, by an adverb such as اَلْآنَ now, كُلَّ يَوْمٍ every day or غَدًا tomorrow, or by a particle placed before the verb. Where the perfect used suffixes only, the imperfect uses a prefix for the person and, in some forms, a suffix for number and gender.

Rule 1: 1. What the imperfect expresses

يَعْمَلُ may mean he works, he is working or he will work. Only the setting decides. In a story told in the perfect, an imperfect verb describes what was going on at the time; in a description of someone's trade it states a habit; with a time word pointing forward it is a future.

يَعْمَلُ أَبِي فِي الْمَصْنَعِ.
yaʿmalu abī fi-l-maṣnaʿi
My father works in the factory.
A habit.
يَخْبِزُ الْخَبَّازُ الْخُبْزَ الْآنَ.
yakhbizu-l-khabbāzu-l-khubza-l-āna
The baker is baking the bread now.
Present, fixed by اَلْآنَ.
يَحْصُدُ الْفَلَّاحُ الْقَمْحَ غَدًا.
yaḥṣudu-l-fallāḥu-l-qamḥa ghadan
The farmer will harvest the wheat tomorrow.
Future, fixed by غَدًا.
نَصْنَعُ الْأَبْوَابَ مِنَ الْخَشَبِ.
naṣnaʿu-l-abwāba mina-l-khashabi
We make the doors out of wood.

The imperfect of يَكْتُبُ (to write)

Prefix for the person, suffix for number and gender. The stem is ـكْتُبـ throughout.
Number	Person	Arabic	Transliteration	English
singular	3 m.	يَكْتُبُ	yaktubu	he writes / will write
singular	3 f.	تَكْتُبُ	taktubu	she writes
singular	2 m.	تَكْتُبُ	taktubu	you (m.) write
singular	2 f.	تَكْتُبِينَ	taktubīna	you (f.) write
singular	1 m./f.	أَكْتُبُ	aktubu	I write
dual	3 m.	يَكْتُبَانِ	yaktubāni	they two (m.) write
dual	3 f.	تَكْتُبَانِ	taktubāni	they two (f.) write
dual	2 m./f.	تَكْتُبَانِ	taktubāni	you two write
plural	3 m.	يَكْتُبُونَ	yaktubūna	they (m.) write
plural	3 f.	يَكْتُبْنَ	yaktubna	they (f.) write
plural	2 m.	تَكْتُبُونَ	taktubūna	you (m. pl.) write
plural	2 f.	تَكْتُبْنَ	taktubna	you (f. pl.) write
plural	1 m./f.	نَكْتُبُ	naktubu	we write

Rule 2: 2. The future with سَـ and سَوْفَ

To make the future meaning explicit, the prefix سَـ is written joined to the verb, or the separate word سَوْفَ is placed before it. سَوْفَ is a little more emphatic or distant than سَـ; both are simply will in English. They are used only with the imperfect.

سَأَعْمَلُ فِي مَصْنَعِ أَبِي فِي الصَّيْفِ.
sa-aʿmalu fī maṣnaʿi abī fi-ṣ-ṣayfi
I shall work in my father's factory in the summer.
سَيَزْرَعُ الْفَلَّاحُونَ الْحُقُولَ بَعْدَ الْمَطَرِ.
sa-yazraʿu-l-fallāḥūna-l-ḥuqūla baʿda-l-maṭari
The farmers will sow the fields after the rain.
سَوْفَ تَكْسِبُونَ أُجْرَةً كَبِيرَةً.
sawfa taksibūna ujratan kabīratan
You (pl.) will earn a large wage.
سَوْفَ يَصْنَعُ النَّجَّارُ لَنَا مَائِدَةً جَدِيدَةً.
sawfa yaṣnaʿu-n-najjāru lanā māʾidatan jadīdatan
The carpenter will make us a new table.

Rule 3: 3. The vowel of the second radical

In the imperfect the second radical may carry u (يَكْتُبُ), a (يَعْمَلُ) or i (يَجْلِسُ). This vowel is a property of each verb and the dictionary records it, but three rules of thumb help. (1) Verbs whose second or third radical is a guttural (ء ه ع ح غ خ) usually take a: صَنَعَ يَصْنَعُ, فَتَحَ يَفْتَحُ, زَرَعَ يَزْرَعُ; but there are exceptions such as طَبَخَ يَطْبُخُ and بَلَغَ يَبْلُغُ. (2) Verbs of the فَعِلَ type take a: عَمِلَ يَعْمَلُ, سَمِعَ يَسْمَعُ, حَفِظَ يَحْفَظُ. (3) Verbs of the فَعُلَ type take u: كَبُرَ يَكْبُرُ, سَهُلَ يَسْهُلُ. Other فَعَلَ verbs take u or i and must simply be learnt: حَصَدَ يَحْصُدُ, خَبَزَ يَخْبِزُ, كَسَبَ يَكْسِبُ.

يَصْنَعُ الْحَدَّادُ الْمَفَاتِيحَ مِنَ الْحَدِيدِ.
yaṣnaʿu-l-ḥaddādu-l-mafātīḥa mina-l-ḥadīdi
The blacksmith makes the keys out of iron.
Third radical ع: a.
تَعْمَلُ أُخْتِي فِي الْمَدْرَسَةِ.
taʿmalu ukhtī fi-l-madrasati
My sister works at the school.
عَمِلَ is فَعِلَ: a.
يَكْبُرُ الطِّفْلُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.
yakburu-ṭ-ṭiflu kulla yawmin
The child grows bigger every day.
كَبُرَ is فَعُلَ: u.
يَخْبِزُ الْخَبَّازُ وَيَكْسِبُ أُجْرَتَهُ.
yakhbizu-l-khabbāzu wa-yaksibu ujratahu
The baker bakes and earns his wage.
Both i: learnt from the dictionary.
نَجْلِسُ فِي الدُّكَّانِ وَنَطْلُبُ الْخَشَبَ.
najlisu fi-d-dukkāni wa-naṭlubu-l-khashaba
We sit in the shop and order the wood.
جَلَسَ يَجْلِسُ (i), طَلَبَ يَطْلُبُ (u).

The imperfect of يَعْمَلُ (to work), a verb with a

عَمِلَ is of the فَعِلَ type, so its imperfect has fatḥa on the second radical. The prefixes and suffixes are those of يَكْتُبُ.
Number	Person	Arabic	Transliteration	English
singular	3 m.	يَعْمَلُ	yaʿmalu	he works
singular	3 f.	تَعْمَلُ	taʿmalu	she works
singular	2 m.	تَعْمَلُ	taʿmalu	you (m.) work
singular	2 f.	تَعْمَلِينَ	taʿmalīna	you (f.) work
singular	1 m./f.	أَعْمَلُ	aʿmalu	I work
dual	3 m.	يَعْمَلَانِ	yaʿmalāni	they two (m.) work
dual	3 f.	تَعْمَلَانِ	taʿmalāni	they two (f.) work
dual	2 m./f.	تَعْمَلَانِ	taʿmalāni	you two work
plural	3 m.	يَعْمَلُونَ	yaʿmalūna	they (m.) work
plural	3 f.	يَعْمَلْنَ	yaʿmalna	they (f.) work
plural	2 m.	تَعْمَلُونَ	taʿmalūna	you (m. pl.) work
plural	2 f.	تَعْمَلْنَ	taʿmalna	you (f. pl.) work
plural	1 m./f.	نَعْمَلُ	naʿmalu	we work

The three middle vowels side by side

u, a and i: the endings never change.
Person	يَفْعُلُ	يَفْعَلُ	يَفْعِلُ
he	يَحْصُدُ	يَزْرَعُ	يَجْلِسُ
she / you (m.)	تَحْصُدُ	تَزْرَعُ	تَجْلِسُ
you (f.)	تَحْصُدِينَ	تَزْرَعِينَ	تَجْلِسِينَ
I	أَحْصُدُ	أَزْرَعُ	أَجْلِسُ
they two (m.)	يَحْصُدَانِ	يَزْرَعَانِ	يَجْلِسَانِ
they (m.)	يَحْصُدُونَ	يَزْرَعُونَ	يَجْلِسُونَ
they (f.)	يَحْصُدْنَ	يَزْرَعْنَ	يَجْلِسْنَ
we	نَحْصُدُ	نَزْرَعُ	نَجْلِسُ

Rule 4: 4. Negation with لَا

The imperfect is made negative by لَا placed before it: لَا يَعْمَلُ he does not work or he will not work. Compare the perfect, which is negated with مَا. لَا may also stand before سَـ-less future verbs; with سَوْفَ or سَـ it is not used, and a later lesson gives the proper future negative.

لَا يَعْمَلُ الْعُمَّالُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ.
lā yaʿmalu-l-ʿummālu yawma-l-jumuʿati
The workers do not work on Friday.
لَا أَكْسِبُ شَيْئًا فِي الشِّتَاءِ.
lā aksibu shayʾan fi-sh-shitāʾi
I do not earn anything in winter.
لَا تَزْرَعُ أُمِّي الْوَرْدَ فِي الْحَقْلِ.
lā tazraʿu ummi-l-warda fi-l-ḥaqli
My mother does not plant roses in the field.
هُمْ لَا يَخْبِزُونَ فِي الْبَيْتِ.
hum lā yakhbizūna fi-l-bayti
They do not bake at home.

Two negatives, two tenses

مَا عَمِلَ أَخِي أَمْسِ.

mā ʿamila akhī amsi

My brother did not work yesterday. (perfect: مَا)

لَا يَعْمَلُ أَخِي الْيَوْمَ.

lā yaʿmalu akhi-l-yawma

My brother is not working today. (imperfect: لَا)

مَا belongs to the finished action, لَا to the unfinished one. Both stand immediately before the verb and leave its form unchanged.

Conjugations: "To Have"

Person	Singular			Plural
	Arabic	Transliteration	English	Arabic	Transliteration	English
3rd m. (he / they)	يَكْتُبُ	yaktubu	he writes	يَكْتُبُونَ	yaktubūna	they (m.) write
3rd f. (she / they)	تَكْتُبُ	taktubu	she writes	يَكْتُبْنَ	yaktubna	they (f.) write
2nd m. (you)	تَكْتُبُ	taktubu	you (m.) write	تَكْتُبُونَ	taktubūna	you (m. pl.) write
2nd f. (you)	تَكْتُبِينَ	taktubīna	you (f.) write	تَكْتُبْنَ	taktubna	you (f. pl.) write
1st (I / we)	أَكْتُبُ	aktubu	I write	نَكْتُبُ	naktubu	we write
dual 3rd m. (they two)	-	-	-	يَكْتُبَانِ	yaktubāni	they two (m.) write
dual 3rd f. (they two)	-	-	-	تَكْتُبَانِ	taktubāni	they two (f.) write
dual 2nd (you two)	-	-	-	تَكْتُبَانِ	taktubāni	you two write

Vocabulary

Why do words end with “-un”?

The -un ending is called tanween (nunation). It marks indefinite nouns — similar to “a/an” in English.

كِتَابٌ (kitaabun) = a bookvsكِتَاب (kitaab) = book (base word)

To find the base word, simply remove the final “-un” sound (the double-stacked damma بٌ on the last letter).

عَمِلَ

ʿamila

to work; to do

صَنَعَ

ṣanaʿa

to make, to manufacture

زَرَعَ

zaraʿa

to sow, to plant

حَصَدَ

ḥaṣada

to harvest, to reap

خَبَزَ

khabaza

to bake

كَسَبَ

kasaba

to earn, to gain

طَلَبَ

ṭalaba

to ask for, to order, to seek

عَامِلٌ

ʿāmilun

worker, labourer

فَلَّاحٌ

fallāḥun

farmer, peasant

نَجَّارٌ

najjārun

carpenter

حَدَّادٌ

ḥaddādun

blacksmith

خَبَّازٌ

khabbāzun

baker

مَصْنَعٌ

maṣnaʿun

factory, workshop

حَقْلٌ

ḥaqlun

field

مِهْنَةٌ

mihnatun

trade, profession

أُجْرَةٌ

ujratun

wage, fee

خَشَبٌ

khashabun

wood, timber

حَدِيدٌ

ḥadīdun

iron

قَمْحٌ

qamḥun

wheat

غَدًا

ghadan

tomorrow

Step 2 of 5: Read

People of the trades

أَهْلُ الْمِهَنِ

Tap any word to look it up.

Notes

Comprehension

1.When does the farmer harvest the wheat?
2.What does the blacksmith make?
3.Does the narrator's sister work in the factory?
4.What will the narrator and his brother do next summer?

In the Quran

نَعْبُدُ
Surah Al-Fatihah · 1:5
نَعْبُدُ: the first person plural imperfect, prefix نَ and the final ḍamma of the plain imperfect, 'we worship'.
- نَعْبُدُnaʿbuduwe worship
Read in context
لَآ أَعْبُدُ مَا
Surah Al-Kafirun · 109:2
لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ: لَا negating a first person singular imperfect (prefix أَ), followed by the second person masculine plural تَعْبُدُونَ with the suffix ـُونَ.
- لَآlāNot
- أَعْبُدُaʿbuduI worship
- مَاmāwhat
Read in context
كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
Surah At-Takathur · 102:3
كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ: the particle سَوْفَ before the imperfect, 'you shall come to know', with the second person plural ending.
- كَلَّاkallāNay
- سَوْفَsawfaSoon
- تَعْلَمُونَtaʿlamūnayou will know
Read in context
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا۟ شَيْـًۭٔا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تُحِبُّوا۟ شَيْـًۭٔا وَهُوَ شَرٌّۭ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Surah Al-Baqarah · 2:216
وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ, at the end of the verse: a nominal sentence with the imperfect يَعْلَمُ, then لَا negating تَعْلَمُونَ; عَلِمَ is a فَعِلَ verb, so its imperfect has a on the second radical.
Read in context

Step 3 of 5: Practice

Exercises

Strict harakat

Exercise 1 of 80/0 correct

Conjugate

Give the imperfect of حَصَدَ يَحْصُدُ (to harvest) for 'you (f.)':

Step 4 of 5: Quiz

Translate from Arabic to English

Type your translation, then check it. Spelling and vowel marks are graded leniently.

1.

يَعْمَلُ أَبِي فِي الْمَصْنَعِ وَيَكْسِبُ أُجْرَةً حَسَنَةً.

2.

سَيَحْصُدُ الْفَلَّاحُونَ الْقَمْحَ بَعْدَ أُسْبُوعٍ.

3.

مَاذَا تَصْنَعِينَ يَا زَيْنَبُ؟ – أَصْنَعُ ثَوْبًا لِأُخْتِي.

4.

لَا يَخْبِزُ الْخَبَّازُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ.

5.

سَوْفَ نَزْرَعُ هٰذَا الْحَقْلَ فِي الشِّتَاءِ.

6.

اَلنَّجَّارَانِ يَصْنَعَانِ الْأَبْوَابَ مِنَ الْخَشَبِ وَالْحَدَّادُ يَصْنَعُ الْمَفَاتِيحَ مِنَ الْحَدِيدِ.

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