The Past Tense In Arabic Language (فعل الماضى)

 Past Tense In Arabic Language (فعل الماضى )

By: Yusuf Basirat Bolanle

 In Arabic Language, the Past Tense is known as (فعل الماضى). The past tense describes the event or action that happened in the past.

 In Arabic Language,  a past tense normally takes Al-fatha parsing mark at its end, if it consists of only the root alphabets. However, this might not be so in some other cases, where there are some internal changes occur to the past tense, then, it takes a different sign or (Parsing mark) aside Al-fatha sign.

 The past tense in Arabic Language is non-declinable in nature, this is because it is usually ends with Al-fatha. But if some alphabets like (و) (واو الجماعة), or (ت) (التاء المتحركة), or (ن) (نون النسوة) or (نا) (نا الفاعل) are attached or joined to its end, then it is declined on either Ad-dammah or As-sunkun.

We shall hence, look at the conditions in which the past tense in arabic language can take different other parsing marks aside the normal root sign which is Al-fatha.

The Conditions in which A Past Tense in Arabic Language takes different Parsing Marks 

1- When the past tense consists of only the root alphabets, either the root alphabets are three, four, five  or six. In this case, the past tense takes Al-fatha parsing mark only.

2- When the singular feminine Taa (تْ) sign, (التاء التأنث الساكنة)  is joined to the end of the past tense, then it takes Al-fatha also.

3- When the Masculine Plural Subejective Waw (و) (الواو الجماعة)  is joined to the past tense at its end, then, it takes Ad-dammah parsing mark.

4- When the Feminine plural Subjective Nun (ن) (النون النسوة)  is joined to the past tense at its end, then, it takes As-sukun parsking mark.

5- When the subject Taa (ت) (التاء المتحركة أو التاء الفاعل)  with its different signs is joined to the end of the past tense, then, it takes As-sukun parsing mark.

6- Lastly, when the subjective plural Naa (نا) (النون الجماعة)  is joined with the past tense at the end, then, it takes As-sukun also.

Now, let us explain each of the conditions mentioned above with examples

 The Conditions in which A Past Tense Takes Al-Fatha Parsing Mark

1-  The first of these conditions is when a past tense takes Al-fatha sign, which is the root sign of any verb in the past, in Arabic language, The past tense usually takes Al-fatha sign in as much as nothing is attached or joined to its end. i.e. If it is only the root alphabets that constitutes the verb, either the verb is of the root, three alphabets, four or more than that. Examples of this are:
 

 جلسَ الولد على الكرسي

The boy sat on the chair

 

 

استأذنَ الرجل قبل الدخول

The man took permission before entered

 

 

أكرمَ الله المسلمين

Allah honored the Muslims

 

قرأَ المعلمُ القرأن

The Teacher read the Quran

 

اشتدَّ البرد فى الصباح

The cold was much in the morning

 

 2-    The second condition is when a past tense ends with (التاء التأنث الساكنة) The singular feminine sign Taa (تْ). In this case, the past tense also ends with al-fatha while the taa takes As-sukun.

 

 كتبَتْ الرسالة جميلة

She wrote the beautiful letter

  

استأذنَتْ البنت قبل الدخول

The girl took permission before entered

 

جلسَتْ على الكرسي

She sat on the chair

سمعَتْ الأذان

She heard the call to prayer

  

احسَنَتْ إلى الناس

She was good to the people

 

 The Condition in which A Past Tense Takes Ad-dammah Parsing Mark at the end

1-   This condition is when (الواو الجماعة), The plural masculine subject waw (و) is attached to the end of a past tense. In this case, the past tense ends with Ad-dammah. Examples are:

 

 الأولاد جلسُوا على الكرسي

The children sat on the chair

 

 

العمال سافرُوا إلى لندن

The workers traveled to London

 

 

التلاميذ لعبُوا فى الحديقة

The students played in the garden

 

المدرسون أكلُوا الطعام 

The teachers ate the food

 

 

المسلمون فَرِحُوا

The Muslims were happy

 

 The Conditions in which A Past Tense Takes As-sukun parsing mark at the end

 1-  Here, the first condition is when the past tense ends with (النون النسوة), The feminine plural subject Nun (ن). In this case, the past tense ends with As-sukun. Examples are:

 

 المسلمات تعلمْنَ القرأن

The Muslim Females learnt the Quran

 

 

الأمهات أَطْعَمْنَ الأولاد

The mothers fed their children

 

 

الفتيات كَتَبْنَ الرسالة

The young girls wrote the letter

 

الطبيبات ذَهَبْنَ إلى المستشفى

The female doctors went to the hospital

 

 

المعلمات دَرَّسْنَ القرأن

The female teachers taught the Quran

 

 

2-  The second condition under this is when the past tense ends with (التاء الفاعل أو التاء المتحركة  ), The subjective Taa (ت) with its different signs. As a result of this, the past tense ends with As-sukun. Examples are:

 

 قرأْتَ القرأن

You read the Quran

تكلَّمْتُ مع المدرس

I talked with the teacher 

 

كَتَبْتِ على السبورة

You wrote on the board

 

أكْرَمْتُمْ المعلم

You honored the teacher

 

أَكلْتُ الطعام

I ate the food

 

 

3-  The last condition under this, is when (نا الفاعل), The first person plural subject Naa (نا) is joined or attached to the end of a past tense, then, the past tense ends with As-sukun. Examples of this are:

 

 خَرَجْنَا من الفصل

We went out of the class

 

 

فَتَحْنا الباب المسجد

We opened the door of the mosque

 

فَهِمْنا الدرس

We understood the lesson

 

أَكْرَمْنا المعلم

We honored the teacher

 

أكَلْنا الطعام

We ate the food