ABSTRACT
When talking about completed actions, Arabic uses the past tense. This is formed by adding endings to a past stem as shown in the table below:
Ending yínzil (to go/get down) (past stem = nizil)
ána (I) -t nizílt
ínta (you, masc.) -t nizílt
ínti (you, fem.) -ti nizílti
húwwa (he) nízil
híyya (she) -it nízlit
íHna (we) -na nizílna
íntu (you, pl.) -tu nizíltu
húmma (they) -u nízlu
The past stem varies somewhat from the present stem. In basic verbs the three root letters are separated by vowels, most commonly i. This means each verb has a past and a present stem:
yínzil (to go down/get off) past stem = nízil
yíshrab (to drink) past stem = shírib
yíwSal (to arrive) past stem = wíSil
In other types of verbs the vowels vary and additional letters may appear around the root. More detail of these changes will be given in Unit 13. For the moment, try to remember each verb individually.
