Arabic vocabulary
كانbe
How to say “be” in Arabic, with pronunciation and real example sentences from OpenArabic texts.
Example sentences
ومع كل فجر، جدّد العهد أن أكون اليوم أصدق قليلًا، أرحم قليلًا، أضبط جوارحي أكثر
And with each dawn, renew the covenant: to be a bit more truthful today, a bit more compassionate, and to control my senses better.
أَكُونَ — to be. Present-tense verb 'akun' = 'I be, I am'; 'I' is built in; the '-a' ending follows 'an'.
From: On Sincerity →وَلَمَّا كَانَ الْغَالِبُ مِنْ مُوَافِقِ الْهَوَى أَنَّهُ لَا يَقِفُ مِنْهُ عَلَى حَدِّ الْمُنْتَفِعِ
And since the common case when following desire is that it does not stop at the limit of benefit,
كَانَ — he was. Past-tense verb 'kana' = 'was'; subject built in (here 'the case was').
From: When Desire Exceeds Its Bounds →فَلَمَّا كَانَ هَذَا هُوَ الْغَالِبُ ذَكَرْتُ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ ذَمَّ الْهَوَى وَالشَّهَوَاتِ مُطْلَقًا
Therefore, since this is prevalent, I mentioned in this chapter the condemnation of desires and lusts in general.
كَانَ — it was. Past-tense verb 'kana' = 'was', subject built in.
From: When Desire Exceeds Its Bounds →كَمَا كَانُوا يستعملون الْحَرْف فِي الِاسْم فَيَقُولُونَ هَذَا حرف غَرِيب أَي لفظ الِاسْم غَرِيب
Just as they used to use (letter) for the word, saying: This is a strange letter, meaning the word itself is strange.
كَانُوا — they used to. 'they used to', past 'kana' with the -u 'they' ending. 'kana' plus a following present verb builds the habitual past — 'they would, used to'.
From: The Declaration of Faith →وكان الداعي إلى إفراد علم الجدل بالتصنيف مع أنه فرع من فروع علم النظر والخلاف
The motivation for dedicating a separate classification to the science of dialectic, even though it is a branch of the sciences of reasoning and dispute, was...
وَكَانَ — and he was. 'and was' — 'wa' plus 'kana'; it opens 'the motive... was...', with the subject next and the predicate later.
From: Rules of Scholarly Debate →أنه لما كان بابُ المناظرة في الرد والقبول مُتَّسِعًا، وكل واحدٍ من المتناظرين في الاستدلال والجواب يرسل عِنانه في الاحتجاج، ومنه ما يكون صوابًا ومنه ما يكون خطأً،
that since the field of debate in rejection and acceptance was wide, and each debater in reasoning and answering would let loose his reins in argumentation, some of it being correct and some incorrect,
كَانَ — it was. Past 'was', subject 'the field' next; 'kana' takes a predicate — 'since the field was wide'.
From: Rules of Scholarly Debate →وإن كان عند التحقيق يؤول إلى الإفلاس، لكنهم لم يكونوا يقبلون من المناظرة إلا ما يفيد ولو ظنًّا ضعيفًا للناظر
although upon closer examination it leads to nothing, they would only accept from debate what was beneficial, even if it gave only a weak impression to the observer.
كَانَ — he was. Past 'was', subject 'it' inside; 'kana' with a following verb — 'even though it [the matter]...'.
From: Rules of Scholarly Debate →وإن كان عند التحقيق يؤول إلى الإفلاس، لكنهم لم يكونوا يقبلون من المناظرة إلا ما يفيد ولو ظنًّا ضعيفًا للناظر
although upon closer examination it leads to nothing, they would only accept from debate what was beneficial, even if it gave only a weak impression to the observer.
يَكُونُوا — they be. 'they were [not]' — 'kanu' (jussive, the nun dropped) after 'lam', the -u 'they'; 'kana' plus a following present makes a continuous past habit.
From: Rules of Scholarly Debate →لَو كَانَ فِي قَلْبك محبَّة لبان أَثَرهَا على جسدك
If there was love in your heart, its effect would appear on your body.
كَانَ — he was. A 'to be' verb used existentially — 'there were / existed', its subject coming later; with the fronted 'in your heart' it builds 'were there in your heart…'. The masculine here precedes its feminine subject.
From: Remembering and Loving God →من خلق فِيهِ قُوَّة واستعداد لشَيْء كَانَت لذته فِي اسْتِعْمَال تِلْكَ الْقُوَّة فِيهِ
For the one created with strength and readiness for something, their pleasure is in using that strength for it.
كَانَتْ — it was. A 'to be' verb with the feminine '-at' tail agreeing with 'his pleasure' — the answer to the condition, 'his pleasure is…'. It sets up its predicate.
From: Directing Desire Toward God →وَأحمد عَاقبَتهَا أَن تكون لَا لَهُ وَلَا عَلَيْهِ تَنْبِيه
And the best outcome is that it is neither for him nor against him. Attention!
تَكُونَ — it is. A subjunctive 'to be' verb (the '-a' ending) after 'that', subject 'it' inside — 'that it should be'. The state described as the best one can hope for.
From: Directing Desire Toward God →فقال ألا أعلمكم شيئًا تدركون به من سبقكم، وتسبقون به من بعدكم، ولا يكون أحد أفضل منكم إلا من صنع مثل ما صنعتم؟
He said: 'Shall I not teach you something by which you will catch up with those who have surpassed you, and you will surpass those after you, and no one will be better than you except those who do as you do?'
يَكُونُ — will be. A present 'to be', 'will be', whose subject and predicate follow — 'no one WILL BE better than you'. It frames a future state and, like other 'be'-verbs, takes its predicate in the accusative.
From: Praises That Elevate the Poor →قال أبو صالح الراوي عن أبي هريرة، لما سئل عن كيفية ذكرهن، قال يقول سبحان الله، والحمد لله، والله أكبر، حتى يكون منهن كلهن ثلاثًا وثلاثين
Abu Salih, the narrator from Abu Hurairah, when asked about how to recite them, said: 'Say: Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, and Allahu Akbar until each is thirty-three.'
يَكُونَ — each is. A present 'to be', in the subjunctive after 'until' (its ending clipped to '-a') — 'until each IS [thirty-three]'. The subjunctive marks the count as the aim worked toward, not yet reached.
From: Praises That Elevate the Poor →وإذا كانوا يقولون الوقت الحاضر والساعة الراهنة وإن لم يفعلا ذلك فكيف يمتنع أن يقولوا ماء دافق وعيشة راضية
And if they say 'the present time' and 'the current hour' without those phrases acting, how could they refrain from saying 'gushing water' and 'contented life'?
كَانُوا — they say. A past-tense 'to be' verb carrying the plural 'they' subject in the -u ending, propping up a 'they were / they do' continuous frame with the verb that follows. Together they express a habitual 'they say'.
From: Creating Life from Nothing →وَلَوْ كَانَتْ إِضَافَتُهُ إِلَيْهِ إِضَافَةَ إِنْشَاءِ وَابْتِدَاءٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولًا،
And if it were attributed to him as origination and initiation, he would not be a messenger.
كَانَتْ — it were. This is the past form of the verb 'to be', and its ending shows a feminine subject, agreeing with the feminine noun 'attribution' that follows. As a 'was/were' verb it sets up a state for a predicate to be attached to, the backbone of the hypothetical clause.
From: Proofs of Scripture →وَلَوْ كَانَتْ إِضَافَتُهُ إِلَيْهِ إِضَافَةَ إِنْشَاءِ وَابْتِدَاءٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولًا،
And if it were attributed to him as origination and initiation, he would not be a messenger.
يَكُنْ — would he be. This 'to be' verb wears the clipped jussive ending demanded by the negator just before it. The shortened shape is the visible mark that lam is controlling it. Together they deliver 'he would not be', the unreal result that answers the earlier 'had it been'.
From: Proofs of Scripture →فما كان السلف يحطون على سالكه ويبدعونه،
So the pious predecessors did not criticize the one who followed it and accuse him of innovation.
كَانَ — were. This is the past-tense 'to be' verb, which Arabic uses to set a sentence in the past and, with a following present-tense verb, to build a 'used to' habitual sense. Negated here, it means they were not in the habit of doing what follows.
From: Unity Over Partisanship →كم من لذة حصلها الإنسان في ساعة، فكانت سببًا لشقائه الأبدي
How many a pleasure has a person gained in an hour, which then became a cause of his eternal misery!
فَكَانَتْ — so it was. The joined 'so' plus a past-tense verb of being whose ending marks a feminine 'it' subject, pointing back to the pleasure: so it became. The feminine ending tracks the referent, since the pleasure-word is feminine.
From: Paradise Over Pleasure →وكم من ألم احتمله في ساعة، فكان سببًا لنعيمه الدائم
And how many a pain has someone endured in an hour, which then became a cause of his everlasting bliss!
فَكَانَ — so it was. The joined 'so' plus a past-tense verb of being carrying its own subject: so it became. Here the verb is masculine to agree with the pain-word, the mirror of the feminine being-verb in the pleasure sentence.
From: Paradise Over Pleasure →فإن كانت تؤول إلى النار، فهي مرارة في الحقيقة وإن كانت حلوة في المذاق
If it leads to the Fire, then it is bitterness in reality, even if it is sweet in taste.
كَانَتْ — it was. A past-tense verb of being with a feminine 'it' ending, agreeing with the pleasure: if it was. Inside a conditional this past form reads timelessly; the feminine ending tracks the feminine referent.
From: Paradise Over Pleasure →فإن كانت تؤول إلى النار، فهي مرارة في الحقيقة وإن كانت حلوة في المذاق
If it leads to the Fire, then it is bitterness in reality, even if it is sweet in taste.
كَانَتْ — it was. A past-tense verb of being with a feminine 'it' ending, agreeing with the pleasure, inside the concession: even if it was. The feminine ending again tracks the feminine referent.
From: Paradise Over Pleasure →وإن كانت تؤول إلى الجنة، فهي حلوة في الحقيقة وإن كانت مرة في المذاق
And if it leads to Paradise, then it is truly sweet, even if it is bitter in taste.
كَانَتْ — it was. A past-tense verb of being with a feminine 'it' ending, agreeing with the pleasure: if it was. The conditional reads the past shape timelessly; the feminine ending tracks the referent.
From: Paradise Over Pleasure →وإن كانت تؤول إلى الجنة، فهي حلوة في الحقيقة وإن كانت مرة في المذاق
And if it leads to Paradise, then it is truly sweet, even if it is bitter in taste.
كَانَتْ — it was. A past-tense verb of being with a feminine 'it' ending, agreeing with the pleasure, inside the concession: even if it was. The feminine ending tracks the referent.
From: Paradise Over Pleasure →أنه كان له حمار فمرض،
He had a donkey that got sick,
كان — he was. A past-tense linking verb, 'was', used here to set up possession. Paired with the 'to him' phrase next, it builds 'there was to him a donkey', Arabic's way of saying he had one.
From: Reflections on Literal Obedience →
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