Conjugation › Arabic › Akhadha / yaʾkhudhu
Arabic · Verb Tables · Intermediate
أَخَذَ / يَأْخُذُ (akhadha / yaʾkhudhu) means "to take" in Arabic. Present: أنا (anā) آخُذُ [ākhudhu], أنتَ (anta) تَأْخُذُ [taʾkhudhu], أنتِ (anti) تَأْخُذِينَ [taʾkhudhīna], هو (huwa) يَأْخُذُ [yaʾkhudhu], هي (hiya) تَأْخُذُ [taʾkhudhu], نحن (naḥnu) نَأْخُذُ [naʾkhudhu]. Below: all 16 tenses we teach, with examples.
The present (imperfect) stem takes a person prefix and, for 'you (f.)' and the plurals, a suffix, plus the indicative ending -u (dropped in casual speech). Covers English simple present and present continuous alike ('I write' / 'I am writing') — Arabic does not force a choice between them.
| أنا (anā) | آخُذُ [ākhudhu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | تَأْخُذُ [taʾkhudhu] |
| أنتِ (anti) | تَأْخُذِينَ [taʾkhudhīna] |
| هو (huwa) | يَأْخُذُ [yaʾkhudhu] |
| هي (hiya) | تَأْخُذُ [taʾkhudhu] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | نَأْخُذُ [naʾkhudhu] |
| أنتم (antum) | تَأْخُذُونَ [taʾkhudhūna] |
| هم (hum) | يَأْخُذُونَ [yaʾkhudhūna] |
Arabic has no separate progressive verb form; ongoing action is normally just the plain present above. To stress 'right now', speakers instead use the active participle (ism al-fāʿil, here kātib 'writing') as the predicate; it agrees like an adjective (gender/number), not by person, so 'I' and 'you (m.)' share the masculine form shown here and 'she' takes the feminine kātibatun.
| أنا (anā) | أَنا آخِذٌ [anā ākhidhun] |
| أنتَ (anta) | أَنْتَ آخِذٌ [anta ākhidhun] |
| أنتِ (anti) | أَنْتِ آخِذَةٌ [anti ākhidhatun] |
| هو (huwa) | هُوَ آخِذٌ [huwa ākhidhun] |
| هي (hiya) | هِيَ آخِذَةٌ [hiya ākhidhatun] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | نَحْنُ آخِذُونَ [naḥnu ākhidhūna] |
| أنتم (antum) | أَنْتُمْ آخِذُونَ [antum ākhidhūna] |
| هم (hum) | هُمْ آخِذُونَ [hum ākhidhūna] |
The past (perfect) stem takes only suffixes for person, gender and number; there is no prefix. Used for any completed action, corresponding to both English simple past ('I wrote') and, in most contexts, present perfect ('I have written').
| أنا (anā) | أَخَذْتُ [akhadhtu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | أَخَذْتَ [akhadhta] |
| أنتِ (anti) | أَخَذْتِ [akhadhti] |
| هو (huwa) | أَخَذَ [akhadha] |
| هي (hiya) | أَخَذَتْ [akhadhat] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | أَخَذْنا [akhadhnā] |
| أنتم (antum) | أَخَذْتُمْ [akhadhtum] |
| هم (hum) | أَخَذُوا [akhadhū] |
No single-word imperfect exists; it is built with kāna (to be, conjugated in the past) followed by the plain present tense of the main verb. Matches English 'was writing' or 'used to write'.
| أنا (anā) | كُنْتُ [kuntu] آخُذُ [ākhudhu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | كُنْتَ [kunta] تَأْخُذُ [taʾkhudhu] |
| أنتِ (anti) | كُنْتِ [kunti] تَأْخُذِينَ [taʾkhudhīna] |
| هو (huwa) | كانَ [kāna] يَأْخُذُ [yaʾkhudhu] |
| هي (hiya) | كانَتْ [kānat] تَأْخُذُ [taʾkhudhu] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | كُنّا [kunnā] نَأْخُذُ [naʾkhudhu] |
| أنتم (antum) | كُنْتُمْ [kuntum] تَأْخُذُونَ [taʾkhudhūna] |
| هم (hum) | كانُوا [kānū] يَأْخُذُونَ [yaʾkhudhūna] |
MSA does not distinguish 'I wrote' from 'I have written' morphologically — both are the simple past. The particle قد (qad) placed before the past verb adds the nuance of a completed action with present relevance ('have indeed done'), common in news and formal writing.
| أنا (anā) | قَدْ أَخَذْتُ [qad akhadhtu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | قَدْ أَخَذْتَ [qad akhadhta] |
| أنتِ (anti) | قَدْ أَخَذْتِ [qad akhadhti] |
| هو (huwa) | قَدْ أَخَذَ [qad akhadha] |
| هي (hiya) | قَدْ أَخَذَتْ [qad akhadhat] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | قَدْ أَخَذْنا [qad akhadhnā] |
| أنتم (antum) | قَدْ أَخَذْتُمْ [qad akhadhtum] |
| هم (hum) | قَدْ أَخَذُوا [qad akhadhū] |
Built with kāna (past) + قد (qad) + the past-tense main verb. Matches English 'had written'.
| أنا (anā) | كُنْتُ [kuntu] قَدْ أَخَذْتُ [akhadhtu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | كُنْتَ [kunta] قَدْ أَخَذْتَ [akhadhta] |
| أنتِ (anti) | كُنْتِ [kunti] قَدْ أَخَذْتِ [akhadhti] |
| هو (huwa) | كانَ [kāna] قَدْ أَخَذَ [akhadha] |
| هي (hiya) | كانَتْ [kānat] قَدْ أَخَذَتْ [akhadhat] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | كُنّا [kunnā] قَدْ أَخَذْنا [akhadhnā] |
| أنتم (antum) | كُنْتُمْ [kuntum] قَدْ أَخَذْتُمْ [akhadhtum] |
| هم (hum) | كانُوا [kānū] قَدْ أَخَذُوا [akhadhū] |
Formed by attaching the prefix سَـ (sa-) directly to the present-tense verb. Used for something the speaker sees as fairly soon or certain — the everyday way to say 'will'.
| أنا (anā) | سَآخُذُ [sa'ākhudhu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | سَتَأْخُذُ [sa-taʾkhudhu] |
| أنتِ (anti) | سَتَأْخُذِينَ [sa-taʾkhudhīna] |
| هو (huwa) | سَيَأْخُذُ [sa-yaʾkhudhu] |
| هي (hiya) | سَتَأْخُذُ [sa-taʾkhudhu] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | سَنَأْخُذُ [sa-naʾkhudhu] |
| أنتم (antum) | سَتَأْخُذُونَ [sa-taʾkhudhūna] |
| هم (hum) | سَيَأْخُذُونَ [sa-yaʾkhudhūna] |
Formed with the separate word سوف (sawfa) before the present-tense verb instead of the attached سـ. Textbooks treat it as interchangeable with the near future, just a shade more formal or more distant/emphatic.
| أنا (anā) | سَوْفَ آخُذُ [sawfa ākhudhu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | سَوْفَ تَأْخُذُ [sawfa taʾkhudhu] |
| أنتِ (anti) | سَوْفَ تَأْخُذِينَ [sawfa taʾkhudhīna] |
| هو (huwa) | سَوْفَ يَأْخُذُ [sawfa yaʾkhudhu] |
| هي (hiya) | سَوْفَ تَأْخُذُ [sawfa taʾkhudhu] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | سَوْفَ نَأْخُذُ [sawfa naʾkhudhu] |
| أنتم (antum) | سَوْفَ تَأْخُذُونَ [sawfa taʾkhudhūna] |
| هم (hum) | سَوْفَ يَأْخُذُونَ [sawfa yaʾkhudhūna] |
Built with سَـ + kūn (the future of kāna) + قد (qad) + the past-tense main verb. Matches English 'will have written'; mainly seen in formal or written registers.
| أنا (anā) | سَأَكُونُ [sa'akūnu] قَدْ أَخَذْتُ [akhadhtu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | سَتَكُونُ [sa-takūnu] قَدْ أَخَذْتَ [akhadhta] |
| أنتِ (anti) | سَتَكُونِينَ [sa-takūnīna] قَدْ أَخَذْتِ [akhadhti] |
| هو (huwa) | سَيَكُونُ [sa-yakūnu] قَدْ أَخَذَ [akhadha] |
| هي (hiya) | سَتَكُونُ [sa-takūnu] قَدْ أَخَذَتْ [akhadhat] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | سَنَكُونُ [sa-nakūnu] قَدْ أَخَذْنا [akhadhnā] |
| أنتم (antum) | سَتَكُونُونَ [sa-takūnūna] قَدْ أَخَذْتُمْ [akhadhtum] |
| هم (hum) | سَيَكُونُونَ [sa-yakūnūna] قَدْ أَخَذُوا [akhadhū] |
MSA has no distinct conditional mood. 'Would' in a statement (often reported speech, 'he said he would write') is expressed with kāna (past) + the sa- future: kāna sa-yaktubu, literally 'he was going to write'. Real hypothetical 'if... would' sentences use a different construction (see Conditional sentences in Grammar).
| أنا (anā) | كُنْتُ [kuntu] سَآخُذُ [sa'ākhudhu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | كُنْتَ [kunta] سَتَأْخُذُ [sa-taʾkhudhu] |
| أنتِ (anti) | كُنْتِ [kunti] سَتَأْخُذِينَ [sa-taʾkhudhīna] |
| هو (huwa) | كانَ [kāna] سَيَأْخُذُ [sa-yaʾkhudhu] |
| هي (hiya) | كانَتْ [kānat] سَتَأْخُذُ [sa-taʾkhudhu] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | كُنّا [kunnā] سَنَأْخُذُ [sa-naʾkhudhu] |
| أنتم (antum) | كُنْتُمْ [kuntum] سَتَأْخُذُونَ [sa-taʾkhudhūna] |
| هم (hum) | كانُوا [kānū] سَيَأْخُذُونَ [sa-yaʾkhudhūna] |
A heavy, mostly written/bookish compound — kāna (past) + sa-akūnu (future of kāna) + qad + the past main verb — for 'would have written'. In practice, most speakers avoid it and rephrase with a لو (law, 'if only') hypothetical sentence instead (see Conditional sentences in Grammar).
| أنا (anā) | كُنْتُ [kuntu] سَأَكُونُ [sa'akūnu] قَدْ أَخَذْتُ [akhadhtu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | كُنْتَ [kunta] سَتَكُونُ [sa-takūnu] قَدْ أَخَذْتَ [akhadhta] |
| أنتِ (anti) | كُنْتِ [kunti] سَتَكُونِينَ [sa-takūnīna] قَدْ أَخَذْتِ [akhadhti] |
| هو (huwa) | كانَ [kāna] سَيَكُونُ [sa-yakūnu] قَدْ أَخَذَ [akhadha] |
| هي (hiya) | كانَتْ [kānat] سَتَكُونُ [sa-takūnu] قَدْ أَخَذَتْ [akhadhat] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | كُنّا [kunnā] سَنَكُونُ [sa-nakūnu] قَدْ أَخَذْنا [akhadhnā] |
| أنتم (antum) | كُنْتُمْ [kuntum] سَتَكُونُونَ [sa-takūnūna] قَدْ أَخَذْتُمْ [akhadhtum] |
| هم (hum) | كانُوا [kānū] سَيَكُونُونَ [sa-yakūnūna] قَدْ أَخَذُوا [akhadhū] |
The present stem changes its final ending (marfūʿ -u becomes manṣūb -a, and the nūn of taktubīna/taktubūna/yaktubūna is dropped) after linking particles: أَنْ (an, 'to', joining two verbs), لَنْ (lan, 'will not' — the standard way to negate the future), and كَيْ/لِكَيْ (kay/likay, 'so that') or حَتَّى (ḥattā, 'in order to/until') for purpose.
| أنا (anā) | أَنْ آخُذَ [an ākhudha] |
| أنتَ (anta) | أَنْ تَأْخُذَ [an taʾkhudha] |
| أنتِ (anti) | أَنْ تَأْخُذِي [an taʾkhudhī] |
| هو (huwa) | أَنْ يَأْخُذَ [an yaʾkhudha] |
| هي (hiya) | أَنْ تَأْخُذَ [an taʾkhudha] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | أَنْ نَأْخُذَ [an naʾkhudha] |
| أنتم (antum) | أَنْ تَأْخُذُوا [an taʾkhudhū] |
| هم (hum) | أَنْ يَأْخُذُوا [an yaʾkhudhū] |
The jussive drops the present tense's final short vowel or nūn ending. Placed after لَمْ (lam, 'did not'), it is the standard formal way to negate a past action — more common in writing than negating the perfect verb with مَا.
| أنا (anā) | لَمْ آخُذْ [lam ākhudh] |
| أنتَ (anta) | لَمْ تَأْخُذْ [lam taʾkhudh] |
| أنتِ (anti) | لَمْ تَأْخُذِي [lam taʾkhudhī] |
| هو (huwa) | لَمْ يَأْخُذْ [lam yaʾkhudh] |
| هي (hiya) | لَمْ تَأْخُذْ [lam taʾkhudh] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | لَمْ نَأْخُذْ [lam naʾkhudh] |
| أنتم (antum) | لَمْ تَأْخُذُوا [lam taʾkhudhū] |
| هم (hum) | لَمْ يَأْخُذُوا [lam yaʾkhudhū] |
After إِنْ (in, 'if'), both the if-clause verb and the result-clause verb take the jussive. This is the main B1–B2 way to build a real, likely conditional ('if you do X, Y will happen'), corresponding to English 'if + present, will + verb'.
| أنا (anā) | إِنْ آخُذْ [in ākhudh] |
| أنتَ (anta) | إِنْ تَأْخُذْ [in taʾkhudh] |
| أنتِ (anti) | إِنْ تَأْخُذِي [in taʾkhudhī] |
| هو (huwa) | إِنْ يَأْخُذْ [in yaʾkhudh] |
| هي (hiya) | إِنْ تَأْخُذْ [in taʾkhudh] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | إِنْ نَأْخُذْ [in naʾkhudh] |
| أنتم (antum) | إِنْ تَأْخُذُوا [in taʾkhudhū] |
| هم (hum) | إِنْ يَأْخُذُوا [in yaʾkhudhū] |
Built from the jussive stem: drop the person prefix, and if the stem then starts with two consonants, add a helping alif (اُ-/اِ-) at the front, pronounced with a short u or i. Only exists for the three 'you' forms; other persons use a linking particle instead (e.g. لِيَكْتُبْ, li-yaktub, 'let him write' — not covered at this level).
| أنا (anā) | — |
| أنتَ (anta) | خُذْ [khudh] |
| أنتِ (anti) | خُذِي [khudhī] |
| هو (huwa) | — |
| هي (hiya) | — |
| نحن (naḥnu) | — |
| أنتم (antum) | خُذُوا [khudhū] |
| هم (hum) | — |
Negative commands are not a separate verb form: they are simply لَا (lā, 'don't') plus the jussive of the same 'you' forms used in the affirmative imperative, unlike English, which reuses the plain verb ('write' → 'don't write').
| أنا (anā) | — |
| أنتَ (anta) | لَا تَأْخُذْ [lā taʾkhudh] |
| أنتِ (anti) | لَا تَأْخُذِي [lā taʾkhudhī] |
| هو (huwa) | — |
| هي (hiya) | — |
| نحن (naḥnu) | — |
| أنتم (antum) | لَا تَأْخُذُوا [lā taʾkhudhū] |
| هم (hum) | — |
| أَخَذْتُ التّاكْسِي إِلَى المَطارِ. akhadhtu t-tāksī ilā l-maṭāri. | I took a taxi to the airport. |
| سَآخُذُ يَوْمَ إِجازَةٍ الجُمُعَةَ. sa'ākhudhu yawma ijāzatin al-jumuʿata. | I'll take a day off on Friday. |
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