The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

The Past Tense Verb كان

In Arabic, basic sentences in the present tense usually do not use a word for "is" or "are." However, to describe states, places, or situations in the past, you must use the verb كان (to be).

For third-person subjects, you will use one of two forms depending on the gender of the noun:

• كان (he/it was) for masculine subjects
• كانت (she/it was) for feminine subjects

The Predicate of كان (The Accusative Case)

When using كان, the subject of the sentence remains in the default nominative case, but the predicate (the word or phrase giving information about the subject) changes to the accusative case.

In written Arabic, indefinite masculine words in the accusative case usually add an alif (ا) to the end of the word. For feminine words ending in a tied taa (ة), the spelling does not change.

Using Noun Phrases as Predicates

The predicate of كان can be a single adjective, or it can be a noun followed by an adjective (like "a famous person" or "a big museum"). When the predicate is a noun-adjective pair, both words must match in case and take the accusative form.

Notice how the masculine nouns and adjectives below both add an extra alif to show the accusative case.

كان with an Idafa Subject

When the subject of the sentence is an Idafa (possession) phrase, such as "the wall of the castle," the gender of the verb كان matches the first word of the Idafa (the possessed item). The predicate, as always, still takes the accusative case.