The Present Simple in Gulf Arabic
Usage:
Habitual action.
Ability.
The simple present tense in Arabic is used to express what usually happens, I like to drink coffee every day.
An ability like can and can not
Maa ya3rif ilughah Isbaaniyah
He does not know the Spanish language.
The patterns for applying personal pronouns to verbs are not exactly the same as in the past tense. The following changes are made to the past tense to form the present simple:
- Depending on the doer of the verb, one of these prefixes: أ (a), نِـ (ni), يِـ (yi), or تِـ (ti) is added.
- For first person singular أَنَا (anā), add أ (a).
- For first person plural إِحْنَا (iḥnā), add نِـ (ni).
- For second person (all forms) and third person feminine هِيَّ (hiyya), add تِـ (ti).
- For third-person masculine هُوَّ (huwwa) and plural هُمَّ (humma), add يِـ (yi).
- The first short vowel is removed.
- If different, the second short vowel is changed to أ (a).
You’ll notice that the present tense form for إِنْتَ (inta) “you” (masc.) and هِيَّ (hiyya) “she” are the same. - Verb roots 3 letters
شِرِبْ “To Drink”
shirib
to drink / he drank
اَشْرَبْ
ashrab
I drink
تِشْرَبْ
tishrab
you drink
تِشْرَبِي
tishrabī
you drink
تِشْرَبُوا
tishrabū
you drink
نِشْرَبْ
nishrab
we drink
يِشْرَبُوا
yishrabū
they drink
يِشْرَبْ
yishrab
he drinks
تِشْرَبْ
tishrab
she drinks
she drinks
سِمِعْ “To Hear / To Listen”
سِمِعْ
simi‘
to hear / to listen / he heard / he listened
اَسْمَعْ
asma‘
I hear / I listen
تِسْمَعْ
tisma‘
you hear / you listen
تِسْمَعِي
tisma‘ī
you hear / you listen
تِسْمَعُوا
tisma‘ū
you hear / you listen
نِسْمَعْ
nisma‘
we hear / we listen
يِسْمَعُوا
yisma‘ū
they hear / they listen
يِسْمَعْ
yisma‘
he hears / he listens
تِسْمَعْ
tisma‘
she hears / she listens
Arabic verb conjugation
| ashrab I drink اَشْرَبْ | a أ + | I أ | |
| tishrab you drink تِشْرَبْ | t تـ + | you (m) أنت | |
| een ـين+ | tishrabeen you drinkتِشْرَبْين | t تـ + | you (F)أنتي |
| oon ـون + | tishraboon you drink تِشْرَبْون | t تـ + | you (pl)إنتوا |
| nishrab we drin نِشْرَبْ | n نـ + | we إحنا | |
| yishrab he drink يِشْرَبْ | y يـ + | he هو | |
| tishrab she drinks تِشْرَبْ | t تـ + | she هي | |
| oon ـون + | yishraboon they drink تِشْرَبْون | y يـ + | They هم |
| اَنَا اشْرَب Anaa sharabt I | |
| أنت تِشْرَبْ Inta tishrab You drink (M) | |
| أنتي تِشْرَبِين Intey tahrabeen You drink F | |
| إحنا نِشْرَبْ In7naa nishrab We drink | |
| إنتوا تِشْرَبُون Intow tishraboon You pl | |
| اهو يِشْرَبْ Ohwa y-shrab He drinks | |
| ا هي تِشْرَبْ Ihyaa t-sharab She drinks | |
| هم يِشْرَبُون Hom yashraboon They drink |
| أنا أطبخ Anaa a-Tbakh I cook | |
| إنت تطبخ Inta ta-Tbakh You cook M | |
| إنتي تطبخين Intii t-Tbakheen You cook | |
| إحنا نطبخ I7naa n-Tbakh we cook | |
| إنتو تطبخون Intow t-Tbakhoon you cook PL | |
| اهو يطبخ oHwa y-Tbakh He cooks | |
| اهي تطبخ Hiya t- dhbakh she cooks | |
| هم يطبخون Hom y-Tbakhoon they cook | |
| أنا أنطف Anaa a-nadhif I clean | |
| إنت تنظف Inta t-nadhif You clean M | |
| أنتي تنظفين Intey t-nadhifeen You clean F | |
| إحنا نظف I7naa n-dhif We clean | |
| إنتو تنظفون Intow t-nTafeen You clean | |
| اهو ينظف Ohwa y-nadhif He cleans | |
| اهي تنظف Ihyaa t-nadhif She cleans | |
| هم ينظفون Hom y-nadhifoon They clean |
| أنا أغسل Anaa aghsl I wash | |
| إنت تغسل Inta t-ghsl you wash M | |
| إنتي تغسلين Intey t-ghsleen You wash F | |
| إحنا نغسل I7naa n-ghsl We wash | |
| إنتو تغسلون Intow t-ghsloon You wash pl | |
| اهو يغسل Ohwaa y-ghsl He washes | |
| اهي تغسل Ihyaa t-ghasil She washes | |
| هم يغسلون Hom yaqasiloon They wash |
| Verb اتصل | |
| ا نا اتصل Anaa a-Tsil I call | |
| انت تتصل Inta t-Tsil You call (M) | |
| إنتي تتصلين Intey t-Tsil-een You call (F) | |
| إحنا نتصل I7naa n-Tsil We call | |
| إنتو تتصلون Intow t-Tsil-oon you call (Pl) | |
| اهو يتصل oHow y-Tsil He calls | |
| اهي تتصل Heya t-Tsil She calls | |
| هم يتصلون Hom y-Tsil-oom They call | |