The Present Tense In Arabic Language (فعل المضارع)

 The Present Tense In Arabic Language (فعل المضارع)

By: Yusuf Basirat Bolanle

In our previous lessons, we have discussed The Classifications of Verbs in Arabic Language. We have also talked vividly about The Past Tense and The Command or Imperative Verbs, likewise we have also discussed The particles of the Present Tense as well as Declinable and Non-Declinable Words in Arabic. Today, we shall briefly look into the Present Tense, Its alphabets and the conditions in which it can take different parsing marks.

The Discussion

The present tense in Arabic Language is known as (فعل المضارع). The present tense is always addressing or describing an action in the present time, either in its simple present or in a continuous present form. The present tense in Arabic language always starts with either of the four major alphabets of the present tense which are (أ), (ن), (ي) and (ت), all are joined together to form a word (أنيت). 

The four alphabets of the present tense

The four alphabets of the present tense are: (أ), (ن), (ي) and (ت) - (أنيت) as mentioned above, each of the alphabets will be explained with examples for illustration.

1-  The (أ) Alif (ألف المتكلم) The (First Person Singular Speaker Alif)

The first of these alphabets is (أ), Alif represents (أنا), (I). It can be used by a singular first person speaker, indicating the action is being performed by the speaker at the time of the speech, expressing his or her statement in a simple present or a present continuous action. Examples are:

أَجْلِسُ على الكرسي

I am sitting on the chair

أَقْرَأُ القرءان كل يوم

I read The Quran everyday

أَفْتَحُ باب المدرسة كل الصباح

I open the school door every morning

أَسْمَعُ ما تقول يا مدرس

I am hearing what you are saying you teacher

2-  The (ن) (نون الجمع), The (Plural Speakers Nun)

The second of these alphabets is (ن) (نون الجمع لمتكلمين). The first person plural Nun is used when the speakers are more than one, starting from two or more than that, speaking or expressing themselves in the present time. Examples are:

نَجْلِسُ على الكرس الكبير

We are sitting on the big chair

نَقْرَأُ القرءان كل الصباح

We read The Qur'an every morning

نَسْمَعُ الأخبار الآن

We are listening to the news now

نَفْتَحُ باب المدرسة كل يوم

We open the school door everyday

3-  The (ي) (ياء الغائب) The (Third person Yaa)

The third of the alphabets of the present tense is (ي) (ياء الغائب), the third person Yaa. It is used when we are reporting any action being performed by the third person. The third person we are referring to here can be singular masculine, dual, plural masculine and plural feminine, who are not parts or present at the point of discussion. Examples are:

يَجْلِسُ علي على الكرسي الصغير

Alli is sitting on the small chair

حبيبُ يَلْبَسُ ثوبا جديدا كل يوم

Habeeb wears a new cloth every day

يوسف و عيسى يَقْرَءانِ القرءان بصوت جميل

Yusuf and Issah are reading the Qur'an with a beautiful voice

الأولاد يَشْرَبُونَ الماء بعد كل الطعام

The boys drink water after each food

البنات يَذْهَبْنَ إلى الميدان الٱن

The girls are going to the field now

4-   The (ت) (التاء المخاطب) The (Second Person Taa)

The last of these alphabets is (ت) it is simply known as (التاء المخاطب), The second person Taa. The Taa can be used when the present tense statement is addressing a third person singular feminine, as well as the second person with its different branches. The second person we are addressing here may be singular, dual or plural and may be masculine or feminine as well. Taa and Yaa among the four alphabets of the present tense have  wider range of usage than others which are either useful for only one entity like (أ)  or at most two entities like (ن) Examples are:

Third person singular feminine

تَجْلِسُ راضية على الكرسي

Rodiyah is sitting on the chair

تَكْتُبُ مريم درسها

Maryam is writing her lesson 

For the second person

Second person singular masculine

أنتَ تَسْمَعُ الأخبار من إذاعة لندن يا عيسى

You are listen to the news from London station you Issah

أنتَ تَكْتُبُ على السبورة كل يوم يا حبيب

You write on the board everyday you Habeeb

Second person singular feminine

 هل أنتِ تَكْتُبِينَ الدرس يا خديجة؟ 

Are you are writing the lesson you Khadijah?

أنتِ تَقْرَئِينَ القرءان بصوت جميلة يا ليلى

You are reading the Quran with a beautiful voice you Lailah

Second person masculine plural

أنتم تَكْتُبُونَ الدرس الجديد يا الطلاب

You are writing the new lesson you students

Second person dual

أنتما تَذْهَبَانِ إلى المدرسة يا حسن و حسين

You are both going to the school you Hassan and Husein

أنتما تَذْهَبَانِ إلى المدرسة يا مريم و حفظة

You are both going to the school you Maryam and Hafsoh

Second person plural feminine

أنتن تَفْتَحْنَ باب المنزل يا بنات

You are opening the house door you girls

Next are The conditions in which the present tense can take different parsing marks.

The present tense in Arabic language is declinable (معرب) in nature as we have said in the previous lessons, because the parsing mark on it can change based on the condition it finds itself in a sentence. If a present tense is preceded by any particle of jazm or nazb, it surely will have effect on the parsing mark to be placed on its end. Else, it always ends with Ad-dammah sign. However, a present tense might go through some internal changes which might as a  result lead to changing of the parsing mark at its end. The internal changes like attachment of some alphabets to it at the end.

Perhaps, we shall look into the changes that is likely to occur to a present tense resulting from attachment of some alphabets to its end, thereby lead to the changing of its parsing mark from ad-dammah to other sign.

1-  Firstly, the present tense takes a clear Ad-dammah parsing mark if nothing is attached to it at the end, and Likewise, if it is not preceded by any of the Jazm or Nazb particles and starts with any of the four alphabets of the present tense. This is applicable, either the present tense is of the root alphabets of four, five or more than that. Examples are:

يَذْهَبُ الولد إلى  الحديقة

The boy is going to the garden

تَجْلِسُ البنت على المقعد

The girl sits on the chair

نَسْمَعُ الأخبار كل الصباح

We listen to the news ever morning

أَنْظِفُ غرفة النوم كل يوم

I clean the room every morning

2-  Secondly, As said earlier that the present tense is declinable (معرب) in nature, because the parsing mark on its end can change base on its position in a sentence. 

However, same present tense can be Non-declinable (مبني)  in some few ways:

1-  if some alphabets are attached to it at the end. Hence, the presence of these alphabets attached to its end is what led to the changes in the nature of the present tense and make it non declinable.

A-     Al-Fatha Parsing Mark

The present tense can be built on Al-fatha sign if Annum Attawkeed (النون التوكيد) (The emphasis Nun) is attached to its end, either the emphasis Nun is the heavy or the lighter one. The heavy one is the one with As-shaddah and fatha sign (نَّ) while the lighter one is the one with as-sukun sign on it (نْ).  In either of the cases, the present tense takes Al-fatha sign instead of the initial Ad-dammah sign. Examples are:

لأكُلَنَّ الطعام بسرعة يا أمى

I would eat the food quickly my mother

لَيَذْهَبَنَّ أحمد إلى الميدان

Ahmad would go to the garden

ألا تَرْحَمَنْ هذا الفقير ياعم

Won't you help this poor you uncle

ألا تَحْفَظَنْ هذه الٱية يا محمد

Won't you memorize this verse you Muhammad

B-     As-Sukun Parsing Mark

The second condition in which a present tense can be non declinable (مبني) is when Annum Anniswah (النون النسوة)  The feminine plural subjective Nun is attached to it at the end. In this case, the present tense is built on As-sukun parsing mark. Examples are:

الفتيات يَسْتَمِعْنَ القرآن

The young girls are listening to the Qur'an

الطلبات يَذْهَبْنَ إلى المسجد

The female students are going to the mosque

الا تَسمعْنَ الأخبار يا فتيات

Won't you listen to the news you young girls

الأمهات يَطْعَمْنَ أولادهن

The mothers are feeding their children

Note: Any other conditions or position apart from the two mentioned above, the present tense is declinable (معرب).