Conjugation of the Arabic Verb كَتَبَ (kataba)

كَتَبَ

kataba

Meaning

to write

Root (الجذر)

ك ت ب

Form (الوزن)

Form I (sound)

Verbal Noun (مصدر)

كِتَابَة (kitāba)

Active Participle (اسم الفاعل)

كَاتِب (kātib)

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	كَتَبْتُ	katabtu
أَنْتَ	anta	كَتَبْتَ	katabta
أَنْتِ	anti	كَتَبْتِ	katabti
هُوَ	huwa	كَتَبَ	kataba
هِيَ	hiya	كَتَبَتْ	katabat
نَحْنُ	naḥnu	كَتَبْنَا	katabnā
أَنْتُمْ	antum	كَتَبْتُمْ	katabtum
هُمْ	hum	كَتَبُوا	katabū

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

Pronoun	Transliteration	Arabic	Pronunciation
أَنَا	anā	أَكْتُبُ	aktubu
أَنْتَ	anta	تَكْتُبُ	taktubu
أَنْتِ	anti	تَكْتُبِينَ	taktubīna
هُوَ	huwa	يَكْتُبُ	yaktubu
هِيَ	hiya	تَكْتُبُ	taktubu
نَحْنُ	naḥnu	نَكْتُبُ	naktubu
أَنْتُمْ	antum	تَكْتُبُونَ	taktubūna
هُمْ	hum	يَكْتُبُونَ	yaktubūna

Command forms used to tell someone to do something.

Pronoun	Transliteration	Arabic	Pronunciation
أَنْتَ	anta	اُكْتُبْ	uktub
أَنْتِ	anti	اُكْتُبِي	uktubī
أَنْتُمْ	antum	اُكْتُبُوا	uktubū

Past

كَتَبْتُ رِسَالَةً.

Katabtu risālatan.

I wrote a letter.

Present

أَكْتُبُ مَقَالاً.

Aktubu maqālan.

I am writing an article.

Imperative

اُكْتُبْ اسْمَكَ هُنَا.

Uktub ismaka hunā.

Write your name here.

Participle

هُوَ كَاتِبٌ مَشْهُورٌ.

Huwa kātibun mashhūrun.

He is a famous writer.