Lesson 59 · يَكْتُبَانِ

Two people doing something: dual verbs

When two people do something, the verb has its own ending: كَتَبَا (the two of them wrote), يَكْتُبَانِ (the two of them write). For two women: كَتَبَتَا, تَكْتُبَانِ.

Learn with pictures

Tap a picture to hear the sentence.

Examples

الطَّالِبَانِ يَدْرُسَانِaṭ-ṭaalibaani yadrusaaniThe two students are studying.

الْبِنْتَانِ كَتَبَتَا الدَّرْسَal-bintaani katabataa d-darsaThe two girls wrote the lesson.

هَلْ أَنْتُمَا مُسْتَعِدَّانِ؟hal antumaa mustaʿiddaani?Are you two ready?

هُمَا أَخَوَانِhumaa akhawaaniThey are two brothers.

اِجْلِسَا هُنَاijlisaa hunaaSit here, you two.

لَمْ يَحْضُرَا الدَّرْسَlam yaḥḍuraa d-darsaThe two of them didn’t attend the lesson.

Key points

You two: كَتَبْتُمَا (past) · تَكْتُبَانِ (present). Pronouns: هُمَا they two · أَنْتُمَا you two.
After أَنْ, لَنْ and لَمْ, and in commands, the final -ni drops: لَمْ يَكْتُبَا · اُكْتُبَا.
Their possessions: كِتَابُهُمَا the book of the two of them. For dual nouns, see lesson 15.

Practice

Tap a question to see the answer.

Say “The two men went.”

الرَّجُلَانِ ذَهَبَا ar-rajulaani dhahabaa

Ask two people “What are you two doing?”

مَاذَا تَفْعَلَانِ؟ maadhaa tafʿalaani?

Say “The two of them did not write.”

لَمْ يَكْتُبَا lam yaktubaa