Conjugation of the Arabic Verb عَرَفَ (ʿarafa)

عَرَفَ

ʿarafa

Meaning

to know / to recognize

Root (الجذر)

ع ر ف

Form (الوزن)

Form I (sound)

Verbal Noun (مصدر)

مَعْرِفَة (maʿrifa)

Active Participle (اسم الفاعل)

عَارِف (ʿārif)

Past Tense (الماضي)

The past tense is formed by adding suffixes to the verb stem. It expresses completed actions.

Pronoun	Transliteration	Arabic	Pronunciation
أَنَا	anā	عَرَفْتُ	ʿaraftu
أَنْتَ	anta	عَرَفْتَ	ʿarafta
هُوَ	huwa	عَرَفَ	ʿarafa
هِيَ	hiya	عَرَفَتْ	ʿarafat
نَحْنُ	naḥnu	عَرَفْنَا	ʿarafnā
هُمْ	hum	عَرَفُوا	ʿarafū

The present tense is formed with prefixes (and sometimes suffixes). It expresses ongoing, habitual, or future actions.

Pronoun	Transliteration	Arabic	Pronunciation
أَنَا	anā	أَعْرِفُ	aʿrifu
أَنْتَ	anta	تَعْرِفُ	taʿrifu
هُوَ	huwa	يَعْرِفُ	yaʿrifu
هِيَ	hiya	تَعْرِفُ	taʿrifu
نَحْنُ	naḥnu	نَعْرِفُ	naʿrifu
هُمْ	hum	يَعْرِفُونَ	yaʿrifūna

Command forms used to tell someone to do something.

Pronoun	Transliteration	Arabic	Pronunciation
أَنْتَ	anta	اِعْرِفْ	iʿrif

Present

أَعْرِفُ هٰذَا الرَّجُلَ.

Aʿrifu hādhā ar-rajula.

I know this man.

Negative

لاَ أَعْرِفُ.

Lā aʿrifu.

I don't know.

Past

عَرَفْتُ الحَقِيقَةَ.

ʿAraftu al-ḥaqīqata.

I knew the truth.