The Conjunction كما
In Arabic, when you want to compare two actions and say that one thing happens "just as" or "as" another does, you can use the conjunction كما.
This word combines the preposition كـ (like/as) and the particle ما (what). You will often see it used to describe doing an action in the exact same manner as someone else.
| He sculpts marble just as classical artists did. | ينحت الرخام كما فعل الفنانون الكلاسيكيون.yanhitu r-rukhâma kamâ fa'ala l-fannânûna l-klâsîkiyyûn |
Connecting Verbal Clauses
The conjunction كما is generally followed directly by a verb. It connects two verbal clauses together and works smoothly whether the second action is in the past or the present tense.
Here is an example where كما introduces a past tense verb (رأينا):
| The female sculptor polished the block of marble just as we saw. | صقلت النحاتة كتلة الرخام كما رأينا.saqalati n-nahhâtatu kutlata r-rukhâmi kamâ ra'aynâ |
And here is how it looks when the second clause uses a present tense verb (تستخدمه):
| She used the chisel just as the classical female sculptor uses it. | استخدمت الإزميل كما تستخدمه النحاتة الكلاسيكية.istakhdamat al-izmîla kamâ tastakhdimuhu an-nahhâtatu al-klâsîkiyyah |
Expressing "Just as they did"
To avoid repeating the same verb in the second part of the sentence, it is very common in Arabic to follow كما with the verb فعل (to do). This translates perfectly to the English phrase "just as [someone] did."
| She mastered using the chisel just as her teacher did. | أتقنت استخدام الإزميل كما فعل أستاذها.atqanati stikhdâma l-izmîli kamâ fa'ala ustâdhuhâ |
You will also frequently see كما paired with short, everyday verbs to express phrases like "as we saw" or "as we wanted."
| The marble was polished just as we wanted. | صقل الرخام كما أردنا.suqila ar-rukhâmu kamâ aradnâ |
