This 14th lesson deals with the past tense in Arabic. In addition I included a vocabulary list about colors, as well as some basic phrases. I will try to give examples using both vocabulary and grammar. That way it will be easy for you to see the words when they are separate and when they are in a sentence. Going through the whole page should take about 30 min. Make sure to read the pronunciation and hear the audio as well. If you have any question about this course, please email me directly at Arabic Classes.
Past
The past is one of the 3 tenses (present, past, and future) we will be discussing in the next 3 lessons. So it is recommended not to skip any of them because they are all related.
Below is a list of 15 sentences conjugated into the past tense. I focused on the examples you might come across or use very often. The table contains 4 columns (English, Arabic, Pronunciation and Audio). Make sure you repeat each word after hearing it by either clicking on the audio button or by reading the pronunciation. That should help with memorization as well as improving your pronunciation.
Past Tense in Arabic
Past
Arabic
Pronunciation
Audio
I saw you
أنا رأيتك
ana ra'aytuk
I wrote with a pen
أنا كتبت بالقلم
ana katabtu belkalam
You loved apples
أنت كنت أحب التفاح
ana kuntu uhibu atufaah
You gave money
أنت أعطيت المال
anta a'tayta almaal
You played tennis
أنت لعبت التنس
anta la'ebta atenis
He read (past tense) a book
هو يقرأ كتاب
huwa qara'a ketaab
He understood me
هو فهمني
huwa fahemani
She had a cat
هي كان لديها قط
hiya kana ladayha qet
She knew my friend
هي كانت تعرف صديقي
hiya kanat ta'ref sadiqi
We wanted to learn
نحن كنّا نريد أن نتعلم
nahnu kunna nureed an nata'alam
We thought Spanish is easy
كنا نظن أن الإسبانية سهلة
kunna nazunu anna alispania sahla
You (plural) worked here
أنت كنت تعمل هنا
anta kunta ta'malu huna
You (plural) spoke French
أنت كنت تتكلم الفرنسية
anta kunta tatakallamu alfaransia
They drove a car
هم كانوا يسوقون سيارة
hum kanoo yasuqoon sayara
They smiled
هم كانوا يتبسمون
hum kanoo yatabassamoon
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact me If you simply want to ask a question, please Arabic contact form on the header above.
List of Colors in Arabic
Below is a list of 18 words and expressions related to colors.
Colors in Arabic
Colors
Arabic
Pronunciation
Audio
Black
أسود
aswad
Blue
أزرق
azraq
Brown
بنّي
bunny
Colors
ألوان
alwaan
Dark color
لون غامق
lawn ghameq
Gray
رمادي
ramady
Green
أخضر
akhdar
Light color
لون فاتح
lawn fateh
Orange
برتقالي
burtuqaali
Red
أحمر
ahmar
White
أبيض
abyad
Yellow
أصفر
asfar
Daily Conversation in Arabic
Finally, here are some common sentences to strengthen your conversation skills. For a complete list of commonly used sentences, please visit our Arabic Phrases page. Enjoy!
Common Expressions in Arabic
English
Arabic
Pronunciation
Audio
Black is his favorite color
الأسود هو لونه المفضل
alaswad huwa lawnuhu almufazal
I have black hair
شعري أسود
sha'ri aswad
Red is not his favorite color
الأحمر ليس هو لونه المفضل
alahmar laysa huwa lawnuhu almufazal
She drives a yellow car
هي تقود سيارة صفراء
hiya taqudu sayara safra'
The sky is blue
السماء زرقاء
assama'u zarqa'
Your cat is white
قطك أبيض
qetuka abyad
I enjoyed myself very much
لقد استمتعت بوقتي كثيرا
laqad estamta'tu bewaqti katheran
I agree with you
اتفق معك
atafequ ma'ak
Are you sure?
هل أنت متأكد؟
hal anta muta'aked?
Be careful!
كن حذرا
kun hazeran!
Cheers!
بالصحة
besseha!
Would you like to go for a walk?
هل تود أن تتمشي قليلا؟
hal tawadu an tatamasha
Fun Facts
Language Quote: ❝To have another language is to possess a second soul.❞ ‒Charlemagne
Congratulations! You finished your 14th lesson in Arabic about the past tense, and a vocabulary list about colors. Are you ready for the next lesson? We recommend Arabic Lesson 15. You can also simply click on one of the links below or go back to our Learn Arabic homepage.