In Arabic grammar, كان and its sisters (أَخَوَاتُ كَانَ) enter upon a nominal sentence (جُمْلَةٌ اسْمِيَّة) and change the case of the predicate:
- The subject (اسم كان) stays in the nominative (مرفوع) case.
- The predicate (خبر كان) shifts to the accusative (منصوب) case.
Normal sentence: مُحَمَّدٌ طَالِبٌ — Muhammad is a student.
With كان: كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ طَالِبًا — Muhammad was a student. (طالبًا = accusative)
Key Formula: كَانَ + اسم كان (nominative) + خبر كان (accusative)
كان leads a family of 13 semi-verbs. They all take a nominative اسم and accusative خبر:
| Arabic | Translit. | Meaning | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| كَانَ | kāna | was / were / to be | Most common; all tenses |
| أَصْبَحَ | aṣbaḥa | became (morning) / to become | Often = “became” |
| أَضْحَى | aḍḥā | became (midday) | Literary/formal |
| أَمْسَى | amsā | became (evening) | Literary/formal |
| بَاتَ | bāta | spent the night / became at night | Nighttime states |
| ظَلَّ | ẓalla | remained / continued | Ongoing daytime state |
| صَارَ | ṣāra | became / turned into | Common; transformation |
| لَيْسَ | laysa | is not / was not | Present negation only |
| مَا زَالَ | mā zāla | still is / continues | Ongoing up to now |
| مَا انْفَكَّ | mā infakka | still / keeps on | Literary; continuation |
| مَا فَتِئَ | mā fatiʾa | still / kept on | Literary/Quranic |
| مَا بَرِحَ | mā bariḥa | still / ceaselessly | Literary; persistence |
| مَا دَامَ | mā dāma | as long as | Duration condition |
3.1 Past State or Condition
Describing what someone or something was in the past.
Past State
كَانَ الطَّقْسُ جَمِيلًا.
Kāna al-ṭaqsu jamīlan.
The weather was beautiful.
Past State
كَانَتِ الْمَدْرَسَةُ كَبِيرَةً.
Kānat al-madrasa kabīratan.
The school was big.
Past State
كَانَ الْأُسْتَاذُ صَبُورًا.
Kāna al-ustādhu ṣabūran.
The teacher was patient.
3.2 Present Tense (يَكُونُ)
Habitual, general, or ongoing present states — also used in subordinate clauses.
Present
يَكُونُ الصَّبْرُ مِفْتَاحَ الْفَرَجِ.
Yakūnu al-ṣabru miftāḥa al-faraj.
Patience is the key to relief.
Present
يَكُونُ الطِّفْلُ سَعِيدًا عِنْدَمَا يَلْعَبُ.
Yakūnu al-ṭiflu saʿīdan ʿindamā yalʿab.
The child is happy when he plays.
3.3 Future Tense (سَيَكُونُ / سَوْفَ يَكُونُ)
Add سَ or سَوْفَ to يَكُونُ for the future.
Future
سَيَكُونُ الِامْتِحَانُ صَعْبًا.
Sayakūnu al-imtiḥānu ṣaʿban.
The exam will be difficult.
Future
سَوْفَ تَكُونُ الْحَيَاةُ أَفْضَلَ.
Sawfa takūnu al-ḥayātu afḍal.
Life will be better.
3.4 Negation — لَمْ يَكُنْ / لَيْسَ / لَنْ يَكُونَ
Past negation: لَمْ + يَكُنْ (jussive) — “was not”
Present negation: لَيْسَ — “is not”
Future negation: لَنْ + يَكُونَ (subjunctive) — “will not be”
Present negation: لَيْسَ — “is not”
Future negation: لَنْ + يَكُونَ (subjunctive) — “will not be”
Negation – Past
لَمْ يَكُنِ الطَّعَامُ لَذِيذًا.
Lam yakuni al-ṭaʿāmu ladhīdhan.
The food was not delicious.
Negation – Present
لَيْسَ الْجَوُّ بَارِدًا الْيَوْمَ.
Laysa al-jawwu bāridan al-yawm.
The weather is not cold today.
Negation – Future
لَنْ يَكُونَ الطَّرِيقُ سَهْلًا.
Lan yakūna al-ṭarīqu sahlan.
The path will not be easy.
3.5 Continuous / Habitual Past (كَانَ + يَفْعَلُ)
كان combined with a present-tense verb = past continuous or habitual past.
Continuous Past
كَانَ يَدْرُسُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.
Kāna yadrusu kulla yawm.
He used to study every day.
Continuous Past
كَانَتْ تَطْبُخُ الطَّعَامَ حِينَ وَصَلْتُ.
Kānat taṭbukhu al-ṭaʿāma ḥīna waṣaltu.
She was cooking food when I arrived.
Habitual Past
كُنَّا نَلْتَقِي كُلَّ جُمُعَةٍ.
Kunnā naltaqī kulla jumʿa.
We used to meet every Friday.
3.6 Conditional Clauses (لَوْ كَانَ / إِنْ كَانَ)
Conditional
لَوْ كَانَ الطَّقْسُ جَيِّدًا، لَذَهَبْنَا.
Law kāna al-ṭaqsu jayyidan, la-dhahabnā.
If the weather had been good, we would have gone.
Conditional
إِنْ كَانَ عِنْدَكَ وَقْتٌ، تَفَضَّلْ.
In kāna ʿindaka waqtun, tafaḍḍal.
If you have time, please come.
3.7 Modal Uses — كَادَ / كَانَ يَجِبُ
Near Action
كَادَ الطِّفْلُ يَسْقُطُ.
Kāda al-ṭiflu yasquṭu.
The child almost fell.
Obligation
كَانَ يَجِبُ أَنْ تَدْرُسَ.
Kāna yajibu an tadrus.
You should have studied.
3.8 كَانَ التَّامَّة — Complete كان (Intransitive)
When كان simply means “existed” — it takes only a subject, no predicate needed.
Kāna Tāmma
كَانَ اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْءٌ غَيْرُهُ.
Kāna Allāhu wa-lam yakun shayʾun ghayruhu.
Allah existed and nothing else existed with Him.
Kāna Tāmma
كَانَ زَمَانٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ إِنْتَرْنِت.
Kāna zamānun lam yakun fīhi internet.
There was a time when there was no internet.
3.9 مَا زَالَ — Still / Ongoing
Ongoing
مَا زَالَ الطَّالِبُ مُجْتَهِدًا.
Mā zāla al-ṭālibu mujtahidan.
The student is still diligent.
Ongoing
مَا زِلْتُ أَتَعَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.
Mā ziltu ataʿallamu al-ʿarabiyyah.
I am still learning Arabic.
Order: 3rd person masculine → 3rd person feminine → 2nd person → 1st person.
4.1 Past Tense — الْمَاضِي
| Person & Gender | Pronoun | Arabic | Translit. | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd Person Masculine — الغائب المذكر | ||||
| 3rd m. singular | هُوَ | كَانَ | kāna | He was |
| 3rd m. dual | هُمَا | كَانَا | kānā | They two (m.) were |
| 3rd m. plural | هُمْ | كَانُوا | kānū | They (m.) were |
| 3rd Person Feminine — الغائب المؤنث | ||||
| 3rd f. singular | هِيَ | كَانَتْ | kānat | She was |
| 3rd f. dual | هُمَا | كَانَتَا | kānatā | They two (f.) were |
| 3rd f. plural | هُنَّ | كُنَّ | kunna | They (f.) were |
| 2nd Person — المخاطب | ||||
| 2nd m. singular | أَنْتَ | كُنْتَ | kunta | You (m. sg.) were |
| 2nd f. singular | أَنْتِ | كُنْتِ | kunti | You (f. sg.) were |
| 2nd dual | أَنْتُمَا | كُنْتُمَا | kuntumā | You two were |
| 2nd m. plural | أَنْتُمْ | كُنْتُمْ | kuntum | You (m. pl.) were |
| 2nd f. plural | أَنْتُنَّ | كُنْتُنَّ | kuntunna | You (f. pl.) were |
| 1st Person — المتكلم | ||||
| 1st singular | أَنَا | كُنْتُ | kuntu | I was |
| 1st plural | نَحْنُ | كُنَّا | kunnā | We were |
4.2 Present / Imperfect — الْمُضَارِع
| Person & Gender | Pronoun | Arabic | Translit. | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd Person Masculine — الغائب المذكر | ||||
| 3rd m. singular | هُوَ | يَكُونُ | yakūnu | He is / will be |
| 3rd m. dual | هُمَا | يَكُونَانِ | yakūnāni | They two (m.) are |
| 3rd m. plural | هُمْ | يَكُونُونَ | yakūnūna | They (m.) are |
| 3rd Person Feminine — الغائب المؤنث | ||||
| 3rd f. singular | هِيَ | تَكُونُ | takūnu | She is / will be |
| 3rd f. dual | هُمَا | تَكُونَانِ | takūnāni | They two (f.) are |
| 3rd f. plural | هُنَّ | يَكُنَّ | yakunna | They (f.) are |
| 2nd Person — المخاطب | ||||
| 2nd m. singular | أَنْتَ | تَكُونُ | takūnu | You (m.) are |
| 2nd f. singular | أَنْتِ | تَكُونِينَ | takūnīna | You (f.) are |
| 2nd dual | أَنْتُمَا | تَكُونَانِ | takūnāni | You two are |
| 2nd m. plural | أَنْتُمْ | تَكُونُونَ | takūnūna | You (m. pl.) are |
| 2nd f. plural | أَنْتُنَّ | تَكُنَّ | takunna | You (f. pl.) are |
| 1st Person — المتكلم | ||||
| 1st singular | أَنَا | أَكُونُ | akūnu | I am / will be |
| 1st plural | نَحْنُ | نَكُونُ | nakūnu | We are / will be |
4.3 Jussive (Majzūm) — لَمْ يَكُنْ
| Pronoun | Arabic | Translit. | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| هُوَ | لَمْ يَكُنْ | lam yakun | He was not |
| هِيَ | لَمْ تَكُنْ | lam takun | She was not |
| أَنْتَ | لَمْ تَكُنْ | lam takun | You (m.) were not |
| أَنْتِ | لَمْ تَكُونِي | lam takūnī | You (f.) were not |
| أَنَا | لَمْ أَكُنْ | lam akun | I was not |
| نَحْنُ | لَمْ نَكُنْ | lam nakun | We were not |
⚠️ Common Mistake: Always put the خبر (predicate) in the accusative case. كَانَ الجوُّ بَارِدًا ✅ — not بَارِدٌ ❌. Check for the fatḥa / tanwīn al-fatḥ ending!
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