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EGYPTIAN ARABIC VERB

كَان

to be (was, will be)

  • #1 most used
  • Irregular verb
  • Active participle: كَايِن

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

المُضَارِع · now and habits: the b- forms (بَكْتِب)

Form Affirmative Negative
أَنَاI am
إِنْتَyou are (to a man)
إِنْتِyou are (to a woman)
هُوَّhe is
هِيَّshe is
إِحْنَاwe are
إِنْتُوyou all are
هُمَّthey are

Past

المَاضِي · finished actions (كَتَبْت, كَتَب)

Form Affirmative Negative
أَنَاI was
إِنْتَyou were (to a man)
إِنْتِyou were (to a woman)
هُوَّhe was
هِيَّshe was
إِحْنَاwe were
إِنْتُوyou all were
هُمَّthey were

Future

المُسْتَقْبَل · plans: the ha- forms (هَاكْتِب)

Form Affirmative Negative
أَنَاI will be
إِنْتَyou will be (to a man)
إِنْتِyou will be (to a woman)
هُوَّhe will be
هِيَّshe will be
إِحْنَاwe will be
إِنْتُوyou all will be
هُمَّthey will be

After want, must and can

المُضَارِع المُجَرَّد · the bare present (عَايِز أَكْتِب, لاَزِم تِكْتِب)

Form Affirmative Negative
أَنَا(that) I am
إِنْتَ(that) you are (to a man)
إِنْتِ(that) you are (to a woman)
هُوَّ(that) he is
هِيَّ(that) she is
إِحْنَا(that) we are
إِنْتُو(that) you all are
هُمَّ(that) they are

Commands

الأَمْر · to a man, a woman and several people, and don’t

Form Affirmative Negative
إِنْتَbe! (to a man)
إِنْتِbe! (to a woman)
إِنْتُوbe! (to several people)

How to use كَان

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    الزَّحْمَة بِتْكُون مَجْنُونَة السَّاعَة خَمْسَة.

    The traffic is usually crazy at five.

  2. Past

    كُنْت فِي شِيكَاغُو السَّنَة اللِّي فَاتِت.

    I was in Chicago last year.

  3. Future

    بُكْرَة هَنْكُون عَنْد تِيتَة فِي البَلَد.

    Tomorrow we'll be at Grandma's in the village.

  4. After want, must and can

    لاَزِم أَكُون فِي المَتْحَف السَّاعَة تِسْعَة.

    I have to be at the museum at nine.

  5. Commands

    كُون جَاهِز السَّاعَة سَبْعَة, يَا لِيُو.

    Be ready at seven, Leo.

Good to know

  • In the present "is" is left out (أَنَا تَعْبَان, I'm tired); كَان carries the past (كُنْت تَعْبَان) and هَيْكُون the future.
  • بِيكُون is "is usually" or "tends to be": الجَوّ بِيكُون حَرّ فِي الصِّيف.

Where you hear كَان

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Egyptian Arabic · Beginner Level 2

  • الجَوّ بِيكُون حَرّ فِي الصِّيف. The weather is usually hot in summer.
  • أَمْبَارِح كَان بَرْد أَوِي. Yesterday it was very cold.
  • بُكْرَة هَيْكُون دَافِي, إِنْ شَاء الله. Tomorrow it will be warm, God willing.

Egyptian Arabic · Beginner Level 3

  • الجَوّ بِيكُون حَرّ فِي الصِّيف. The weather is usually hot in summer.
  • أَمْبَارِح كَان بَرْد أَوِي. Yesterday it was very cold.
  • بُكْرَة هَيْكُون دَافِي, إِنْ شَاء الله. Tomorrow it will be warm, God willing.
10
The Weather on Television

Beginner Level 2 · أَمْبَارِح كَان بَرْد كَمَان. · أَمْبَارِح كَان اِتْنَاشَر. · بُكْرَة هَيْكُون تَمَانْيَة. · هَيْكُون دَافِي, إِنْ شَاء الله.

Needs a subscription 16
Grandma's oven

Beginner Level 2 · لِيُو! كُنْت فِين? · كُنْت عَلَى السَّطْح. · حَضْرِتِك كُنْتِ فِين? · كَانِت.

Needs a subscription 29
The Picnic by the Nile

Beginner Level 2 · الشِّتَا اللِّي فَات كَان بَرْد. · السَّنَة اللِّي فَاتِت كُنْت فِي شِيكَاغُو.

Needs a subscription 8
The First Morning at the Workshop

Beginner Level 3 · مَاشِي, هَاكُون هِنَا.

Needs a subscription 16
The Fort of Qaitbay

Beginner Level 3 · الفَنَار كَان أَقْدَم.

Needs a subscription 24
A Cafe on the Marina

Beginner Level 3 · مَرَّة, فِي دَهَب. كُنْت خَايِف.

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Grandma Knows

Beginner Level 3 · مَبْسُوط. البَحْر كَان حِلْو.

Needs a subscription 2
A Long Night

Intermediate Level 1 · كَانِت إِزَّيّ اللَّيْلَة? · كَانِت طَوِيلَة, وِالسِّرِير كَان ضَيَّق. · كُنْتِ بَرْدَانَة? · كُنْت تَعْبَان?

Free 11
The Morning After

Intermediate Level 1 · كُنْت فِين إِمْبَارِح?

Needs a subscription 12
The Quarrel

Intermediate Level 1 · كُنْت شَغَّال طُول الوَقْت.

Needs a subscription 13
The Flower Shop

Intermediate Level 1 · مُوبَايْلِي كَان فَاصِل.

Needs a subscription 14
Making Up on the Bridge

Intermediate Level 1 · كُنْت غَلْطَان, سَامْحِينِي. · كُنْت غَلْطَانَة. · أَيْوَه, كُنْت غَلْطَان. · وِإِنْتِ كُنْتِ زَعْلاَنَة قَوِي.

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And 46 more lessons.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular verb.