Basic Arabic Verbs List: Classroom Vocabulary (Past & Present Tense)

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Classroom Vocabulary (Past & Present Tense)

Welcome to your beginner-friendly guide to essential Arabic verbs used in the classroom! Mastering these foundational action words is a critical milestone for any student beginning their journey into the Arabic language.

Basic Arabic verbs list classroom vocabulary infographic


The Learning Method: Verb Pairs

When learning Arabic verbs, the most effective way to memorize them is in pairs. Structuring your study in this manner helps your brain recognize morphological patterns. Native speakers and students alike learn the Past Tense (Fi'l Madi) first, immediately followed by the Present Tense (Fi'l Mudari).

Here is the basic pattern you will follow:

  • Past Tense: فَعَلَ (fa'ala) – meaning "he did"
  • Present Tense: يَفْعَلُ (yaf'alu) – meaning "he does"

List of Basic Arabic Verbs with Past and Present Tense

Below is a carefully curated list of essential classroom verbs. We have included the English meaning, the Arabic script, and the transliteration (how to pronounce it) to help you practice and memorize them easily.

📚 Essential Classroom Verbs FlashCards


Flashcards: Classroom Vocabulary

Click on the cards to see the English meanings and master your vocabulary!

كَتَبَ - يَكْتُبُ
to write
Tap to flip back
قَرَأَ - يَقْرَأُ
to read
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دَرَسَ - يَدْرُسُ
to study
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سَأَلَ - يَسْأَلُ
to ask
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فَهِمَ - يَفْهَمُ
to understand
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عَلَّمَ - يُعَلِّمُ
to teach
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أَجَابَ - يُجِيبُ
to answer
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رَسَمَ - يَرْسُمُ
to draw
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دَخَلَ - يَدْخُلُ
to enter
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خَرَجَ - يَخْرُجُ
to go out / exit
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ذَهَبَ - يَذْهَبُ
to go
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جَلَسَ - يَجْلِسُ
to sit
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وَقَفَ - يَقِفُ
to stand
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سَمِعَ - يَسْمَعُ
to listen
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نَظَرَ - يَنْظُرُ
to look
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فَتَحَ - يَفْتَحُ
to open (a book/door)
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أَغْلَقَ - يُغْلِقُ
to close (a book/door)
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تَكَلَّمَ - يَتَكَلَّمُ
to speak / to talk
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شَرَحَ - يَشْرَحُ
to explain
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مَسَحَ - يَمْسَحُ
to erase / to wipe
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حَفِظَ - يَحْفَظُ
to memorize
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لَعِبَ - يَلْعَبُ
to play
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سَاعَدَ - يُسَاعِدُ
to help
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عَرَفَ - يَعْرِفُ
to know
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نَسِيَ - يَنْسَى
to forget
Tap to flip back

📚 Essential Classroom Verbs Table

The following table provides the complete vocabulary list:

No. English Meaning Past Tense (Fi'l Madi) Present Tense (Fi'l Mudari)
1 to write كَتَبَ (kataba) يَكْتُبُ (yaktubu)
2 to read قَرَأَ (qara'a) يَقْرَأُ (yaqra'u)
3 to study دَرَسَ (darasa) يَدْرُسُ (yadrusu)
4 to ask سَأَلَ (sa'ala) يَسْأَلُ (yas'alu)
5 to understand فَهِمَ (fahima) يَفْهَمُ (yafhamu)
6 to teach عَلَّمَ ('allama) يُعَلِّمُ (yu'allimu)
7 to answer أَجَابَ (ajaaba) يُجِيبُ (yujiibu)
8 to draw رَسَمَ (rasama) يَرْسُمُ (yarsumu)
9 to enter دَخَلَ (dakhala) يَدْخُلُ (yadkhulu)
10 to go out / exit خَرَجَ (kharaja) يَخْرُجُ (yakhruju)
11 to go ذَهَبَ (dhahaba) يَذْهَبُ (yadhhabu)
12 to sit جَلَسَ (jalasa) يَجْلِسُ (yajlisu)
13 to stand وَقَفَ (waqafa) يَقِفُ (yaqifu)
14 to listen سَمِعَ (sami'a) يَسْمَعُ (yasma'u)
15 to look نَظَرَ (nazhara) يَنْظُرُ (yanzhuru)
16 to open (a book/door) فَتَحَ (fataha) يَفْتَحُ (yaftahu)
17 to close (a book/door) أَغْلَقَ (aghlaqa) يُغْلِقُ (yughliqu)
18 to speak / to talk تَكَلَّمَ (takallama) يَتَكَلَّمُ (yatakallamu)
19 to explain شَرَحَ (sharaha) يَشْرَحُ (yashrahu)
20 to erase / to wipe مَسَحَ (masaha) يَمْسَحُ (yamsahu)
21 to memorize حَفِظَ (hafizha) يَحْفَظُ (yahfazhu)
22 to play لَعِبَ (la'iba) يَلْعَبُ (yal'abu)
23 to help سَاعَدَ (saa'ada) يُسَاعِدُ (yusaa'idu)
24 to know عَرَفَ ('arafa) يَعْرِفُ (ya'rifu)
25 to forget نَسِيَ (nasiya) يَنْسَى (yansaa)

Sentence Examples

Classroom & Study Activity: Arabic Sentence Examples

Practical Arabic Sentences for Learning

Seeing words in context is the most effective way to build your vocabulary, especially if you are on a self-study journey. Below is a practical collection of Arabic sentence examples focused on classroom activities and studying. Notice how the essential verbs shift between the Past Tense (Fi'l Madhi) and the Present Tense (Fi'l Mudhari').

  1. Past كَتَبَ جِيمْس الدَّرْسَ فِي الدَّفْتَرِ James wrote the lesson in the notebook.
  2. Present يَكْتُبُ جِيمْس الدَّرْسَ فِي الدَّفْتَرِ James is writing the lesson in the notebook.
  3. Past قَرَأَ رُوبِرْت الكِتَابَ فِي الفَصْلِ Robert read the book in the classroom.
  4. Present يَقْرَأُ رُوبِرْت الكِتَابَ فِي الفَصْلِ Robert is reading the book in the classroom.
  5. Past دَرَسَ مَايْكِل اللُّغَةَ العَرَبِيَّةَ فِي المَدْرَسَةِ Michael studied the Arabic language at school.
  6. Present يَدْرُسُ مَايْكِل اللُّغَةَ العَرَبِيَّةَ فِي المَدْرَسَةِ Michael is studying the Arabic language at school.
  7. Past سَأَلَ الطَّالِبُ المُعَلِّمَ سُؤَالاً The student asked the teacher a question.
  8. Present يَسْأَلُ الرَّجُلُ عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ The man is asking about the road.
  9. Past فَهِمَ الوَلَدُ الدَّرْسَ The boy understood the lesson.
  10. Present يَفْهَمُ التِّلْمِيذُ القِصَّةَ The pupil understands the story.
  11. Past عَلَّمَ المُدَرِّسُ الطَّالِبَ The teacher taught the student.
  12. Present يُعَلِّمُ الأُسْتَاذُ اللُّغَةَ العَرَبِيَّةَ The professor teaches the Arabic language.
  13. Past أَجَابَ الطَّالِبُ عَنِ السُّؤَالِ The student answered the question.
  14. Present يُجِيبُ الأَبُ عَنِ الرِّسَالَةِ The father is replying to the letter.
  15. Past سَمِعَ الطَّالِبُ السُّؤَالَ فِي الفَصْلِ The student heard the question in the classroom.
  16. Present يَسْمَعُ التِّلْمِيذُ صَوْتَ الجَرَسِ The pupil hears the sound of the bell.
  17. Past شَرَحَ المُعَلِّمُ الدَّرْسَ The teacher explained the lesson.
  18. Present يَشْرَحُ المُهَنْدِسُ المَشْرُوعَ The engineer explains the project.
  19. Past سَاعَدَ الطَّالِبُ زَمِيلَهُ فِي الفَصْلِ The student helped his classmate in the classroom.
  20. Present يُسَاعِدُ المُعَلِّمُ التِّلْمِيذَ فِي الكِتَابَةِ The teacher helps the pupil with writing.
  21. Past نَسِيَ الطَّالِبُ شَرْحَ مُعَلِّمِهِ فِي الفَصْلِ The student forgot his teacher's explanation in the classroom.
  22. Present يَنْسَى التِّلْمِيذُ كَلَامَ زَمِيلِهِ فِي الفَصْلِ The student forgets what was said by his classmate in the classroom.
  23. Past حَفِظَ الطَّالِبُ الدَّرْسَ فِي الفَصْلِ The student memorized the lesson in the classroom.
  24. Present يَحْفَظُ التِّلْمِيذُ القَصِيدَةَ مَعَ المُعَلِّمِ The pupil memorizes the poem with the teacher.

Educational Note for Students: Language acquisition is a journey best taken step by step. Consistent repetition of this List of Basic Arabic verbs with past and present tense will build a strong foundation for your conversational skills. Read the pairs aloud together (e.g., kataba - yaktubu) to train your ear.

For auditory learners looking to perfect their pronunciation, complementing your reading with dedicated video lessons—such as the resources available on the @learningwithabiandummi channel—can be highly beneficial in reinforcing these essential classroom vocabulary words. Here are the video list:

Happy learning!

Browse more Arabic vocabulary here.