Introduction to Arabic Verbs: ذَهَبَ (dhahaba : to go) and كَانَ (kāna : to be)

ArabicVerbsConjugationBeginnerDhahabKana

This lesson introduces key Arabic verbs, focusing on ذَهَبَ (dhahaba : to go) and كَانَ (kāna : to be), their conjugations across مُذَكَّر (mudhakkar : masculine) and مُؤَنَّث (mu'annath : feminine) forms, and their usage in sentences. Students practise past-tense patterns and explore how verb endings change according to person and gender.

Original Recording

Original class recording

Key Points

  • 1Verbs like ذَهَبَ (dhahaba : to go) and كَانَ (kāna : to be) change endings based on whether the subject is مُذَكَّر (mudhakkar : masculine) or مُؤَنَّث (mu'annath : feminine).
  • 2Past-tense forms reviewed: قَرَأْتُمْ (qara'tum : you [masc. pl.] read), قَرَأْتُنَّ (qara'tunna : you [fem. pl.] read), شَرِبْتُمْ (sharibtum : you [masc. pl.] drank), شَرِبْتُنَّ (sharibtunna : you [fem. pl.] drank), ذَهَبْتُمْ (dhahabtum : you [masc. pl.] went), ذَهَبْنَا (dhahabnā : we went).
  • 3The أَمْر (amr : command) form is introduced as a verb mood distinct from past and present tense.

Discussion Questions

  • [00:01:00] Q: Is Bilal in the hospital? — A: Yes, may Allah cure him.
  • [00:21:00] Q: Why do we use amr verbs here? — A: It's a command form used for giving instructions.