Lesson 45 · قَالَ
Verbs with a long middle vowel: قَالَ يَقُولُ
Some verbs have a long vowel in the middle: قَالَ (he said), نَامَ (he slept), بَاعَ (he sold). The middle letter is really و or ي, and it shows in the present: يَقُولُ, يَبِيعُ, يَنَامُ.
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
قَالَ الْمُدَرِّسُ: اِجْلِسُواqaala l-mudarrisu: ijlisuuThe teacher said: Sit down.
قُلْتُ لَهُ: شُكْرًاqultu lahu: shukranI said to him: Thank you.
يَبِيعُ التَّاجِرُ التَّمْرَyabiiʿu t-taajiru t-tamraThe merchant sells dates.
نِمْتُ مُبَكِّرًاnimtu mubakkiranI slept early.
يَزُورُنَا جَدِّي كُلَّ أُسْبُوعٍyazuurunaa jaddii kulla usbuuʿinMy grandfather visits us every week.
قُمْ لِلصَّلَاةِqum liṣ-ṣalaatiGet up for the prayer.
Key points
- The long aa becomes short when the next letter has no vowel: قَالَ but قُلْتُ (I said), بِعْتُ (I sold), نِمْتُ (I slept).
- Three types: قَالَ يَقُولُ, زَارَ يَزُورُ · بَاعَ يَبِيعُ, عَاشَ يَعِيشُ · نَامَ يَنَامُ, خَافَ يَخَافُ.
- Commands are short: قُلْ say! · قُمْ stand up! · نَمْ sleep! · بِعْ sell!
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Say “I visited my friend.”
زُرْتُ صَدِيقِي zurtu ṣadiiqii
Say “He says the truth.”
يَقُولُ الْحَقَّ yaquulu l-ḥaqqa
Tell a man “Sleep!”
نَمْ nam