Mastering Arabic Conversations: How to Ask "How Was the...?" with كَيْفَ كَانَ

Kayfa Kāna Explained: Ask "How Was?" & Describe Past Events in Arabic

Starting question directly with كَيْفَ followed by "كَانَ" then a subject is the most common way to ask about an experience or an event ("How was the ...?") in Arabic.

We will learn about this expression through the short conversation between two friends, Ibrahim and Omar.

By the end of  the lesson, you will know these things:

1. The standard way to ask about an experience or an event (in the past) using a sentence pattern: "كَيفَ كَانَ + اسم".

2. The basic rule of اسم كان (ism kaana) and  خبر كان (khabar kaana).

3. Expressing a sense of emphasis that is often used in past tense statement to make the claim more definitive (stronger), using "لَقَدْ".

4. Adjective order: the adjective (نَعْت) is placed after the noun it describes (مَنْعُت). The use of "وَ" connects two adjective words.

5. The basic rule of vocative word (direct address with "يَا").

Read the conversation carefully.

إِبْرَاهِيمُ: كَيْفَ كَانَتِ الْجَوْلَةُ يَا عُمَرُ؟

How was the tour, Omar?

عُمَرُ: لَقَدْ كَانَتْ جَوْلَةً مُمْتِعَةً وَجَمِيلَةً.

The tour was enjoyable and beautiful.

A word by word translation

إِبْرَاهِيمُ: كَيْفَ كَانَتِ الْجَوْلَةُ يَا عُمَرُ؟

• كَيْفَ: How
• كَانَتِ: was (feminine form)
• الْجَوْلَةُ: the tour
• يَا: O / Hey
• عُمَرُ: Omar

عُمَرُ: لَقَدْ كَانَتْ جَوْلَةً مُمْتِعَةً وَجَمِيلَةً.

• لَقَدْ: indeed / certainly (often used for emphasis)
• كَانَتْ: was (feminine form)
• جَوْلَةً: a tour
• مُمْتِعَةً: enjoyable
• وَ: and
• جَمِيلَةً: beautiful

From the conversation, we learn the following:

Now, let's move to the first sentence.

1. كَيْفَ كَانَتِ الْجَوْلَةُ يَا عُمَرُ؟

a. Grammar Key Points (Grammar).

a1. The word "كَانَتِ" ends with a "kasrah 'i'" instead of a sukun when followed by definite noun (noun that starts with "ال") to avoid a silent letter followed by another silent letter for the sake of smooth/easy pronunciation.

a2. The vocative particle "يَا" is used to call someone. The name that is called (following "يَا") is typically in the nominative case without tanwiin.

Examples:

• يَا عُمَرُ: O Omar/Hey Omar!
• يَا مُحَمَّدُ: O Muhammad!

a3. كَانَتْ is in the feminine form, because it refers to the feminine noun "الْجَوْلَةُ". 

In Arabic, verbs, pronoun, adjectives must agree with the noun's gender. 

a4. "الْجَوْلَةُ" is in the nominative case which is indicated by "dammah 'u'". 

الْجَوْلَةُ is the subject (isim kaana), therefore it is in nominative case.

a5. "كَيْفَ" is ism istifhaam. It is used specifically to inquire about the state or condition of something or way to do something. It means "how".

a6. كان basic rules: كان makes the mubtada' in a nominal sentence/jumlah ismiyyah becomes marfu' (in the nominative case), and khabar becomes mansub (in the accusative case).

Example:

• Nominal Sentence: الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدٌ (The student is diligent).

•  الطَّالِبُ is mubtada', it is in nominative case (indicated by "dammah 'u'").
•  مُجْتَهِدٌ is khabar, it is in nominative case (indicated by "dammah 'u').

• Nominal Sentence with "كَانَ" : The sentence becomes => كَانَ الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدًا (The student was diligent).

• Now, الطَّالِبُ is called ism kaana (اسم كَانَ), and it is in nominative case.
• Now, مُجْتَهِدًا is called khabar kaana (خبر كان), and it is in accusative case.

b. Morphology Key Points (Sarf).

b1. The base form of كانت is "كَانَ". It is a fi'l naaqish, and it is in past form/fi'l madi.

b2. جَوْلَةٌ is noun. The basic verb form (fi'l madi) is "جَالَ", whereas fi'l mudari' is "يَجُولُ".

Below are the complete changes:

-- Fi'l madi: جَالَ

-- Fi'l mudari': يَجُولُ

-- Fi'l amr: جُلْ

-- Masdar: جَوْلاً or جَوَلانًا or جَوْلةً 

-- Fa'il: جَائِلٌ 

-- Maf'ul: مَجُولٌ 

The second sentence is:

2. لَقَدْ كَانَتْ جَوْلَةً مُمْتِعَةً وَجَمِيلَةً

a. Grammar Key Points (Grammar).

a1. The actual sentence: 

لَقَدْ كَانَتْ جَوْلَةٌ جَوْلَةً مُمْتِعَةً وَجَمِيلَةً

The word "جَوْلَةٌ" is acted as subject (ism kaana), but in this conversation the word "جَوْلَةٌ" is omitted. 

a2. جَوْلَةً is acted as predicate (khabar kaana), therefore it is in accusative case (mansub) which is indicated by "fathah '-an'" on the last letter.

a3. جَوْلَةً مُمْتِعَةً: an enjoyable tour.

•  جَوْلَةً is man'ut. It is a noun that is described by the adjective "مُمْتِعَةً".

•  مُمْتِعَةً is na't. It is an adjective describing the noun "جَوْلَةً".

•  جَوْلَةً مُمْتِعَةً is called a na't wa man'ut phrase (construction), where adjective "مُمْتِعَةً" is placed after the noun "جَوْلَةً". 
• Noun and adjective agreement: An adjective agrees with a noun in gender, number, definiteness, and case.
  
  
• Observe this construction "جَوْلَةً مُمْتِعَةً":
• جَوْلَةً is feminine (indicated by ta marbutah on the last letter), singular, indefinite (indicated by tanwiin), and in accusative case (indicated by "fathah 'a'" on the last letter).

• مُمْتِعَةً is also feminine (indicated by ta marbutah on the last letter), singular, indefinite (indicated by tanwiin), and in accusative case (indicated by "fathah 'a'" on the last letter).
  
  
• Double adjective emphasis: using two adjectives by connecting them by harf "وَ".
• The second adjective has also the same condition as first adjective.
• The first adjective: مُمْتِعَةً (feminine, singular, indefinite, accusative case).
• The second adjective: جَمِيلَةً (feminine, singular, indefinite, accusative case).

a4. لَقَدْ (Laqad): This particle adds a sense of emphasis, affirmation, or certainty. It's often used in past tense statements to make the claim more definitive. Omar would use this to confirm his positive feelings about the tour, making the statement stronger than just saying 'كَانَتْ جَوْلَةً...'. It implies a strong confirmation: "It was indeed an enjoyable tour."

b. Morphology Key Points (Sarf).

b1. مُمْتِعَةٌ is in feminine form. The masculine form of مُمْتِعَةٌ is "مُمْتِعٌ".

A basic verb form of مُمْتِعٌ is "أَمْتَعَ".

Below are the complete changes:

•  Fi'l madi: أَمْتَعَ
•  Fi'l mudari': يُمْتِعُ
•  Fi'l amr: أَمْتِعْ
•  Masdar: إِمْتَاعًا   
•  Fa'il: مُمْتِعٌ 
•  Maf'ul: مُمْتَعٌ

b2. جَمِيلَةٌ is feminine. The masculine form is جَمِيْلٌ.

The basic verb form is "جَمُلَ".

Below are the complete changes:

•  Fi'l madi: جَمُلَ
•  Fi'l mudari': يَجْمُلُ
•  Fi'l amr: اُجْمُلْ
•  Masdar: جَمَالاً    
•  Fa'il: جَمِيلٌ  

Vocabulary list

• كَيْفَ: How
• كَانَتْ: was (feminine form)
• كَانَ : was (masculine form)
• جَوْلَةٌ: tour/trip/go around
• يَا: O / Hey
• لَقَدْ: indeed / certainly (often used for emphasis)
• مُمْتِعَةٌ: enjoyable
• وَ: and
• جَمِيلَةٌ: beautiful

Summary of Key Learnings:

1. Core Question Structure: The most natural way to ask "How was...?" about a past experience or event is by using the pattern كَيْفَ كَانَ + [اسم]؟ (Kayfa kāna + [noun]?). The verb "kāna" (was) must agree in gender with the noun.

Example: كَيْفَ كَانَتِ الْجَوْلَةُ؟ (Kayfa kānati al-jawlah? - How was the tour? - Feminine verb).

2. Grammar of "Kāna": "Kāna" (and its sisters) change a nominal sentence:

• The subject (originally the mubtada') becomes اسم كان (ism kāna) and stays in the nominative case (marfū' - indicated by ḍammah).
• The predicate (originally the khabar) becomes خبر كان (khabar kāna) and is put into the accusative case (manṣūb - indicated by fatḥah).

Example: الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدٌ (Nominal) -> كَانَ الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدًا (With Kāna - khabar manṣūb).

3. Emphasis with "Laqad": لَقَدْ (Laqad) is used at the start of a past tense statement to add strong emphasis, affirmation, or certainty. It makes the claim more definitive.

Example: لَقَدْ كَانَتْ جَوْلَةً... (Laqad kānat jawlatan... - It was indeed a tour...).

4. Adjectives (Na't) & Agreement:

• Adjectives (نَعْت - na't) come after the noun they describe (مَنْعُوت - man'ūt).
• Adjectives must agree with their noun in gender, number, definiteness, and case.
• Multiple adjectives are connected by وَ (wa - and).

Example: جَوْلَةً مُمْتِعَةً وَ جَمِيلَةً (Jawlatan mumti'atan wa jamīlatan - an enjoyable and beautiful tour - all feminine, singular, indefinite, accusative).

5. Vocative Particle "Yā": يَا (Yā) is used for direct address ("O", "Hey"). The noun following it is in the nominative case (marfū') without tanwīn.

Example: يَا عُمَرُ (Yā 'Umaru - O Omar!).

6. Pronunciation Adjustment: The feminine verb "كَانَتْ" (kānat) changes to كَانَتِ (kānati) before a definite noun starting with "al-" (e.g., الْجَوْلَةُ) for smoother pronunciation, avoiding two consecutive sukūn.

7. Implied Subject: In the response "لَقَدْ كَانَتْ جَوْلَةً...", the actual subject (اسم كان - ism kāna - equivalent to "الْجَوْلَةُ") is omitted because it's understood from the context. "جَوْلَةً" here is the predicate (خبر كان - khabar kāna).

8. Morphology: It provides a breakdown of the root words and their conjugations for key vocabulary words like 'كَانَ', 'جَوْلَةٌ', 'مُمْتِعَةٌ', and 'جَمِيلَةٌ'.

Review 

1. Sentence pattern

2. Basic Rules

Exercises

Answers: