Arabic Grammar Basics: Verbs and Sentences

If you’re starting your journey with Arabic, understanding the Arabic grammar basics is essential. Unlike English, Arabic has a unique sentence structure, verb system, and grammatical rules. But don’t worry—this guide will simplify everything for you!

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1. Sentence Structure in Arabic

Arabic sentences come in two main types:

• Nominal sentence (جملة اسمية): starts with a noun.
  Example:
  الولدُ ذكيٌ. (The boy is smart.)
  Literally: “The boy smart.”

• Verbal sentence (جملة فعلية): starts with a verb.
  Example:
  ذهب الولد إلى المدرسة. (The boy went to school.)
  Literally: “Went the boy to school.”

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2. Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) vs. VSO

In English, we often use Subject-Verb-Object:
She eats apples.

In Arabic, the default is Verb-Subject-Object (VSO):
تأكل هي التفاح. (Eats she the apples.)

But both orders are possible depending on context and emphasis!

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3. Verb Conjugation Basics

Arabic verbs change form based on:

• Person (I, you, he…)

• Gender (male/female)

• Number (singular/dual/plural)

Let’s look at the verb كتب (kataba) = “to write” in the past tense:

• أنا كتبتُ – I wrote

• أنتَ كتبتَ – You (m.) wrote

• أنتِ كتبتِ – You (f.) wrote

• هو كتبَ – He wrote

• هي كتبتْ – She wrote

It may seem like a lot, but with practice, it becomes second nature.

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4. Common Verb Patterns

Arabic verbs are built from three-letter roots. These roots form patterns to express different meanings.

For example, from the root د-ر-س (d-r-s) = to study:

• درس – He studied

• يدرس – He studies

• تدريس – Teaching

• مدرسة – School

• مدرّس – Teacher

This helps you understand and guess new words easily!

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5. Gender in Grammar

Arabic nouns, verbs, and adjectives are gendered.

Examples:

• طالب = male student

• طالبة = female student

• ذكي = smart (m.)

• ذكية = smart (f.)

Verbs also reflect gender, especially in past tense.

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6. Definite and Indefinite Nouns

In English, we use “a” or “the.”
In Arabic:

• كتاب = a book (indefinite)

• الكتاب = the book (definite)
  The prefix “الـ” (al-) makes the noun definite.

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7. Simple Sentence Practice

Start with basic sentences to get comfortable:

• أنا أكتب. = I write.

• هو يقرأ كتاباً. = He reads a book.

• هي تدرس اللغة العربية. = She studies Arabic.

Practice these out loud and try making your own!

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Learning Arabic grammar basics may seem hard at first, but once you get familiar with the sentence structure and verb system, it becomes easier and more fun. Step by step, you’ll start understanding real Arabic!