Built from the present, step by step
Take the أَنْتَ form of the present, cut off the prefix, and give the word a vowel to start on:
- تَكْتُبُ — you write
- put it in the jussive: تَكْتُبْ
- drop تَـ: this leaves كْتُبْ, which cannot begin a word
- add a helping alif: اُكْتُبْ — write!
The vowel on that alif copies the stem vowel: damma if the stem has u, kasra otherwise.
| Present | You (m) | You (f) | You (pl) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| تَكْتُبُ | اُكْتُبْ | اُكْتُبِي | اُكْتُبُوا | write |
| تَدْرُسُ | اُدْرُسْ | اُدْرُسِي | اُدْرُسُوا | study |
| تَجْلِسُ | اِجْلِسْ | اِجْلِسِي | اِجْلِسُوا | sit |
| تَفْتَحُ | اِفْتَحْ | اِفْتَحِي | اِفْتَحُوا | open |
| تَذْهَبُ | اِذْهَبْ | اِذْهَبِي | اِذْهَبُوا | go |
To a group of women the ending is ـْنَ: اُكْتُبْنَ.
Verbs that need no helping alif
If the letter left after dropping the prefix already has a vowel, nothing is added:
- تَقُولُ → قُلْ — say!
- تَكُونُ → كُنْ — be!
A few common verbs with hamza drop it and need no alif either:
- أَكَلَ → كُلْ — eat!
- أَخَذَ → خُذْ — take!
The derived forms build their own imperatives: عَلِّمْ (teach), أَرْسِلْ (send), تَعَلَّمْ (learn), اِسْتَخْدِمْ (use). Note that form IV keeps a written hamza: أَرْسِلْ.
Telling someone not to do it
There is no negative imperative. You use لَا plus the present verb in the jussive, prefix and all:
| Do it | Do not do it |
|---|---|
| اُكْتُبْ | لَا تَكْتُبْ |
| اُكْتُبِي | لَا تَكْتُبِي |
| اُكْتُبُوا | لَا تَكْتُبُوا |
| اِذْهَبْ | لَا تَذْهَبْ |
Softening it
مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (to a man) and مِنْ فَضْلِكِ (to a woman) mean "please": اِجْلِسْ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ. — Please sit down.
Watch out as an English speaker
- English has one form; Arabic has separate forms for a man, a woman and a group. ✗ saying اُكْتُبْ to a woman / ✓ اُكْتُبِي.
- The negative command is not لَا plus the imperative. ✗ لَا اُكْتُبْ / ✓ لَا تَكْتُبْ.
- The prefix comes back in the negative. ✗ لَا كْتُبْ / ✓ لَا تَكْتُبْ.
- The helping vowel is not always kasra. ✗ اِكْتُبْ / ✓ اُكْتُبْ.
Example dialogue
اِجْلِسْ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ وَافْتَحِ الْكِتَابَ. — Please sit down and open the book.
وَمَاذَا أَفْعَلُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ؟ — And what do I do after that?
اِقْرَأِ الدَّرْسَ ثُمَّ اكْتُبِ الْأَجْوِبَةَ. — Read the lesson and then write the answers.
وَلَا تَنْسَ الْوَاجِبَ. — And do not forget the homework.
يَا لَيْلَى، اُكْتُبِي اسْمَكِ هُنَا. — Layla, write your name here.