Conjugation › Arabic › Istaṭāʿa / yastaṭīʿu
Arabic · Verb Tables · Intermediate
اِسْتَطاعَ / يَسْتَطِيعُ (istaṭāʿa / yastaṭīʿu) means "to can" in Arabic. Present: أنا (anā) أَسْتَطِيعُ [astaṭīʿu], أنتَ (anta) تَسْتَطِيعُ [tastaṭīʿu], أنتِ (anti) تَسْتَطِيعِينَ [tastaṭīʿīna], هو (huwa) يَسْتَطِيعُ [yastaṭīʿu], هي (hiya) تَسْتَطِيعُ [tastaṭīʿu], نحن (naḥnu) نَسْتَطِيعُ [nastaṭīʿu]. Below: all 14 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) | أَسْتَطِيعُ [astaṭīʿu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | تَسْتَطِيعُ [tastaṭīʿu] |
| أنتِ (anti) | تَسْتَطِيعِينَ [tastaṭīʿīna] |
| هو (huwa) | يَسْتَطِيعُ [yastaṭīʿu] |
| هي (hiya) | تَسْتَطِيعُ [tastaṭīʿu] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | نَسْتَطِيعُ [nastaṭīʿu] |
| أنتم (antum) | تَسْتَطِيعُونَ [tastaṭīʿūna] |
| هم (hum) | يَسْتَطِيعُونَ [yastaṭīʿūna] |
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 مُسْتَطِيعٌ [anā mustaṭīʿun] |
| أنتَ (anta) | أَنْتَ مُسْتَطِيعٌ [anta mustaṭīʿun] |
| أنتِ (anti) | أَنْتِ مُسْتَطِيعَةٌ [anti mustaṭīʿatun] |
| هو (huwa) | هُوَ مُسْتَطِيعٌ [huwa mustaṭīʿun] |
| هي (hiya) | هِيَ مُسْتَطِيعَةٌ [hiya mustaṭīʿatun] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | نَحْنُ مُسْتَطِيعُونَ [naḥnu mustaṭīʿūna] |
| أنتم (antum) | أَنْتُمْ مُسْتَطِيعُونَ [antum mustaṭīʿūna] |
| هم (hum) | هُمْ مُسْتَطِيعُونَ [hum mustaṭīʿūna] |
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) | اِسْتَطَعْتُ [istaṭaʿtu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | اِسْتَطَعْتَ [istaṭaʿta] |
| أنتِ (anti) | اِسْتَطَعْتِ [istaṭaʿti] |
| هو (huwa) | اِسْتَطاعَ [istaṭāʿa] |
| هي (hiya) | اِسْتَطاعَتْ [istaṭāʿat] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | اِسْتَطَعْنا [istaṭaʿnā] |
| أنتم (antum) | اِسْتَطَعْتُمْ [istaṭaʿtum] |
| هم (hum) | اِسْتَطاعُوا [istaṭāʿū] |
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] أَسْتَطِيعُ [astaṭīʿu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | كُنْتَ [kunta] تَسْتَطِيعُ [tastaṭīʿu] |
| أنتِ (anti) | كُنْتِ [kunti] تَسْتَطِيعِينَ [tastaṭīʿīna] |
| هو (huwa) | كانَ [kāna] يَسْتَطِيعُ [yastaṭīʿu] |
| هي (hiya) | كانَتْ [kānat] تَسْتَطِيعُ [tastaṭīʿu] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | كُنّا [kunnā] نَسْتَطِيعُ [nastaṭīʿu] |
| أنتم (antum) | كُنْتُمْ [kuntum] تَسْتَطِيعُونَ [tastaṭīʿūna] |
| هم (hum) | كانُوا [kānū] يَسْتَطِيعُونَ [yastaṭīʿūna] |
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 اِسْتَطَعْتُ [qad istaṭaʿtu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتَ [qad istaṭaʿta] |
| أنتِ (anti) | قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتِ [qad istaṭaʿti] |
| هو (huwa) | قَدْ اِسْتَطاعَ [qad istaṭāʿa] |
| هي (hiya) | قَدْ اِسْتَطاعَتْ [qad istaṭāʿat] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْنا [qad istaṭaʿnā] |
| أنتم (antum) | قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتُمْ [qad istaṭaʿtum] |
| هم (hum) | قَدْ اِسْتَطاعُوا [qad istaṭāʿū] |
Built with kāna (past) + قد (qad) + the past-tense main verb. Matches English 'had written'.
| أنا (anā) | كُنْتُ [kuntu] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتُ [istaṭaʿtu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | كُنْتَ [kunta] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتَ [istaṭaʿta] |
| أنتِ (anti) | كُنْتِ [kunti] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتِ [istaṭaʿti] |
| هو (huwa) | كانَ [kāna] قَدْ اِسْتَطاعَ [istaṭāʿa] |
| هي (hiya) | كانَتْ [kānat] قَدْ اِسْتَطاعَتْ [istaṭāʿat] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | كُنّا [kunnā] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْنا [istaṭaʿnā] |
| أنتم (antum) | كُنْتُمْ [kuntum] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتُمْ [istaṭaʿtum] |
| هم (hum) | كانُوا [kānū] قَدْ اِسْتَطاعُوا [istaṭāʿū] |
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) | سَأَسْتَطِيعُ [sa'astaṭīʿu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | سَتَسْتَطِيعُ [sa-tastaṭīʿu] |
| أنتِ (anti) | سَتَسْتَطِيعِينَ [sa-tastaṭīʿīna] |
| هو (huwa) | سَيَسْتَطِيعُ [sa-yastaṭīʿu] |
| هي (hiya) | سَتَسْتَطِيعُ [sa-tastaṭīʿu] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | سَنَسْتَطِيعُ [sa-nastaṭīʿu] |
| أنتم (antum) | سَتَسْتَطِيعُونَ [sa-tastaṭīʿūna] |
| هم (hum) | سَيَسْتَطِيعُونَ [sa-yastaṭīʿūna] |
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 أَسْتَطِيعُ [sawfa astaṭīʿu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | سَوْفَ تَسْتَطِيعُ [sawfa tastaṭīʿu] |
| أنتِ (anti) | سَوْفَ تَسْتَطِيعِينَ [sawfa tastaṭīʿīna] |
| هو (huwa) | سَوْفَ يَسْتَطِيعُ [sawfa yastaṭīʿu] |
| هي (hiya) | سَوْفَ تَسْتَطِيعُ [sawfa tastaṭīʿu] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | سَوْفَ نَسْتَطِيعُ [sawfa nastaṭīʿu] |
| أنتم (antum) | سَوْفَ تَسْتَطِيعُونَ [sawfa tastaṭīʿūna] |
| هم (hum) | سَوْفَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ [sawfa yastaṭīʿūna] |
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 اِسْتَطَعْتُ [istaṭaʿtu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | سَتَكُونُ [sa-takūnu] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتَ [istaṭaʿta] |
| أنتِ (anti) | سَتَكُونِينَ [sa-takūnīna] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتِ [istaṭaʿti] |
| هو (huwa) | سَيَكُونُ [sa-yakūnu] قَدْ اِسْتَطاعَ [istaṭāʿa] |
| هي (hiya) | سَتَكُونُ [sa-takūnu] قَدْ اِسْتَطاعَتْ [istaṭāʿat] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | سَنَكُونُ [sa-nakūnu] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْنا [istaṭaʿnā] |
| أنتم (antum) | سَتَكُونُونَ [sa-takūnūna] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتُمْ [istaṭaʿtum] |
| هم (hum) | سَيَكُونُونَ [sa-yakūnūna] قَدْ اِسْتَطاعُوا [istaṭāʿū] |
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] سَأَسْتَطِيعُ [sa'astaṭīʿu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | كُنْتَ [kunta] سَتَسْتَطِيعُ [sa-tastaṭīʿu] |
| أنتِ (anti) | كُنْتِ [kunti] سَتَسْتَطِيعِينَ [sa-tastaṭīʿīna] |
| هو (huwa) | كانَ [kāna] سَيَسْتَطِيعُ [sa-yastaṭīʿu] |
| هي (hiya) | كانَتْ [kānat] سَتَسْتَطِيعُ [sa-tastaṭīʿu] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | كُنّا [kunnā] سَنَسْتَطِيعُ [sa-nastaṭīʿu] |
| أنتم (antum) | كُنْتُمْ [kuntum] سَتَسْتَطِيعُونَ [sa-tastaṭīʿūna] |
| هم (hum) | كانُوا [kānū] سَيَسْتَطِيعُونَ [sa-yastaṭīʿūna] |
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 اِسْتَطَعْتُ [istaṭaʿtu] |
| أنتَ (anta) | كُنْتَ [kunta] سَتَكُونُ [sa-takūnu] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتَ [istaṭaʿta] |
| أنتِ (anti) | كُنْتِ [kunti] سَتَكُونِينَ [sa-takūnīna] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتِ [istaṭaʿti] |
| هو (huwa) | كانَ [kāna] سَيَكُونُ [sa-yakūnu] قَدْ اِسْتَطاعَ [istaṭāʿa] |
| هي (hiya) | كانَتْ [kānat] سَتَكُونُ [sa-takūnu] قَدْ اِسْتَطاعَتْ [istaṭāʿat] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | كُنّا [kunnā] سَنَكُونُ [sa-nakūnu] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْنا [istaṭaʿnā] |
| أنتم (antum) | كُنْتُمْ [kuntum] سَتَكُونُونَ [sa-takūnūna] قَدْ اِسْتَطَعْتُمْ [istaṭaʿtum] |
| هم (hum) | كانُوا [kānū] سَيَكُونُونَ [sa-yakūnūna] قَدْ اِسْتَطاعُوا [istaṭāʿū] |
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 أَسْتَطِيعَ [an astaṭīʿa] |
| أنتَ (anta) | أَنْ تَسْتَطِيعَ [an tastaṭīʿa] |
| أنتِ (anti) | أَنْ تَسْتَطِيعِي [an tastaṭīʿī] |
| هو (huwa) | أَنْ يَسْتَطِيعَ [an yastaṭīʿa] |
| هي (hiya) | أَنْ تَسْتَطِيعَ [an tastaṭīʿa] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | أَنْ نَسْتَطِيعَ [an nastaṭīʿa] |
| أنتم (antum) | أَنْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا [an tastaṭīʿū] |
| هم (hum) | أَنْ يَسْتَطِيعُوا [an yastaṭīʿū] |
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 أَسْتَطِعْ [lam astaṭiʿ] |
| أنتَ (anta) | لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ [lam tastaṭiʿ] |
| أنتِ (anti) | لَمْ تَسْتَطِيعِي [lam tastaṭīʿī] |
| هو (huwa) | لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ [lam yastaṭiʿ] |
| هي (hiya) | لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ [lam tastaṭiʿ] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | لَمْ نَسْتَطِعْ [lam nastaṭiʿ] |
| أنتم (antum) | لَمْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا [lam tastaṭīʿū] |
| هم (hum) | لَمْ يَسْتَطِيعُوا [lam yastaṭīʿū] |
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 أَسْتَطِعْ [in astaṭiʿ] |
| أنتَ (anta) | إِنْ تَسْتَطِعْ [in tastaṭiʿ] |
| أنتِ (anti) | إِنْ تَسْتَطِيعِي [in tastaṭīʿī] |
| هو (huwa) | إِنْ يَسْتَطِعْ [in yastaṭiʿ] |
| هي (hiya) | إِنْ تَسْتَطِعْ [in tastaṭiʿ] |
| نحن (naḥnu) | إِنْ نَسْتَطِعْ [in nastaṭiʿ] |
| أنتم (antum) | إِنْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا [in tastaṭīʿū] |
| هم (hum) | إِنْ يَسْتَطِيعُوا [in yastaṭīʿū] |
| أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أُساعِدَكَ. astaṭīʿu an usāʿidaka. | I can help you. |
| لَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ أَنامَ لَيْلَةَ أَمْسِ. lam astaṭiʿ an anāma laylata amsi. | I couldn't sleep last night. |
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