A fiʿl māḍī (perfect/past verb) reports an action or state associated with the past. It is identified by Arabic form and context, not just by a particular word in an English translation.
Word / formMeaning / explanation
ضَرَبَhe struck.
جَلَسَhe sat.
كَتَبْتُI wrote.
The suffix ـتُ changes the doer to “I” while the verb remains past. Past-tense forms therefore have their own range of person-and-number distinctions.
Opening interactive controls...
Introduction to ʿIlm al-Ṣarf and Basic Terminology
A fiʿl māḍī (perfect/past verb) reports an action or state associated with the past. It is identified by Arabic form and context, not just by a particular word in an English translation.
Word / formMeaning / explanation
ضَرَبَhe struck.
جَلَسَhe sat.
كَتَبْتُI wrote.
The suffix ـتُ changes the doer to “I” while the verb remains past. Past-tense forms therefore have their own range of person-and-number distinctions.