Arabic vocabulary
قَدْused to
How to say “used to” in Arabic, with pronunciation and real example sentences from OpenArabic texts.
Example sentences
قد كنا يا رسول الله نكذبك بما تأتينا به من خبر السماء،
We used to deny you, O Messenger of Allah, concerning what you brought us from the news of the heavens,
قَدْ — indeed. qad (before a past-style verb) = 'indeed, certainly'.
From: Early Converts to Islam →وَكَانَ قد أعطَاهُ الله تَعَالَى الْحِكْمَة
And Allah, the Exalted, had given him wisdom
قَدْ — had. 'qad' = a word that stresses a completed action — like English 'had (already)'.
From: Luqman's Response to Injustice →إِذْ جَاءَهُ لُقْمَان وَقد حمل حزمة على ظَهره
Then Luqman came to him, carrying a bundle on his back.
وَقَدْ — and indeed. 'wa-' = 'and' + 'qad', which stresses a completed action.
From: Luqman's Response to Injustice →وَقَدْ يَقَعُ التَّسَاوِي بَيْنَهُمَا فِي الْمَيْلِ بِالْهَوَى
And there may be equality between them in inclination towards desire.
وَقَدْ — and indeed. 'And' plus a particle that, sitting on a present-tense verb, softens it to 'may, sometimes'. On a past verb that same particle instead stresses completion — context decides which.
From: The Discipline of Foresight →لأَنَّهَا قَدْ صَارَتْ عِنْدَهُمْ كَالْعَيْشِ الاضْطِرَارِيِّ
Because they have become for them like a basic need of life.
قَدْ — has. A particle that, on the past-tense verb that follows, stresses the change is complete — 'has indeed become'. It works with the verb to give a 'has done' sense.
From: The Discipline of Foresight →وَلَوْ زَالَ رَيْنُ الْهَوَى عَنْ بَصَرِ بَصِيرَتِهِ لَرَأَى أَنَّهُ قَدْ شَقِيَ مِنْ حَيْثُ قَدَّرَ السَّعَادَةَ وَاغْتَمَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ ظَنَّ الْفَرَحَ وَأَلِمَ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَرَادَ اللَّذَّةَ
If the veil of desire were lifted from the eyes of his insight, he would see that he is miserable where he thought he was happy, grieved where he thought he was joyous, and in pain where he sought pleasure.
قَدْ — has. A particle stressing the past verb that follows as a settled fact — 'has indeed turned out'.
From: The Discipline of Foresight →وَقَد تَقَدّم مَا ذكره الْمَشَايِخ من نفي التَّشْبِيه والتعطيل
And what the shaykhs have mentioned regarding the negation of likening and nullification has already been addressed.
وَقَدْ — and already. 'qad' before a past verb stresses that the thing is already done and settled — 'has indeed, already'. With 'wa' it ties this back to earlier discussion.
From: Worship God Alone →ولا يزيدُ الإيمانَ علمًا ولا يقينًا؛ بل قد يفتحُ بابَ التخييلِ والبدع
and it neither increases faith in knowledge nor certainty; rather, it may open the door to delusion and innovations.
قَدْ — may. Before a present verb 'qad' softens to 'may, sometimes' — it flags a real but not constant possibility. So 'qad yaftah' is 'it may well open'.
From: Words That Nourish the Heart →لذلك قد يسبق همسُ استغفرُ الله ضجيجَ خُطبةٍ تُطلب بها السمعة
Therefore, the whisper 'I seek God's forgiveness' may outweigh the noise of a sermon given for reputation.
قَدْ — may. Before a present verb 'qad' equals 'may, sometimes' — a real possibility.
From: When Hidden Deeds Are Shown →وزخرفوه بعبارات موجودة في كلام العلماء قد نطقوا بها،
And they adorned it with phrases found in the speech of scholars who have uttered them.
قَدْ — indeed have. 'qad' plus a past verb — 'have indeed', stressing the act is real and done.
From: Misguided Methodology →وقد نهى النبي ﷺ عن أغلوطات المسائل
And the Prophet ﷺ prohibited intricate questions.
وَقَدْ — And indeed. 'and indeed' — 'wa' plus 'qad' plus a past verb, stressing the act is established.
From: Misguided Methodology →فَعلمت قُرَيْش أَن أَصْحَابه قد كَثُرُوا
Quraysh realized that his companions had increased in number.
قَدْ — had. The particle before a past verb stressing the act is accomplished — 'had indeed'. It deepens the completed sense of 'increased'.
From: The Night of the Migration →لما رأى الرَّسُول حزنه قد اشْتَدَّ
When the Messenger saw that his sorrow had intensified.
قَدْ — had. The particle 'qad' before a past verb stressing the act is accomplished — 'had indeed'. It opens the clause describing the grief's state.
From: The Night of the Migration →وَقَد غلبت عَلَيْك
And they have dominated over you.
وَقَدْ — and indeed. 'And' plus 'qad', the particle stressing a completed act before a past verb — 'and they have indeed'. It underscores the domination.
From: Overcoming Desire →أصدق فِي الطّلب وَقد جاءتك المعونة
Be sincere in seeking, and assistance will come to you.
وَقَدْ — and indeed. 'And' plus 'qad', here opening a circumstantial clause — 'and lo, [already]…'. The 'wa-qad' marks an accompanying fact: help is on its way.
From: The Path to God's Love →تلقى قلبه فقد أَرْسلتهُ عجلا إِلَى لقائك والأشواق تقدمه
You will find his heart as he has sent it hurriedly to meet you, and longing precedes it.
فَقَدْ — as he has. 'Fa-' (for) plus 'qad', opening a causal / explanatory clause — 'for he has already'. The 'fa-qad' gives the reason: because he has sent it.
From: Stages of the Seeker →مهلا فَأن ذمّ الروافض قد فار
Wait, for indeed the rage of the dissenters has boiled over.
قَدْ — has. Set before a past verb, this particle stamps the act as completed and certain, 'has indeed boiled over'. It adds confirmation rather than new meaning, much as English leans on 'has' plus tone.
From: The Prophet's Refuge in the Cave →وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوْ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَك،
Know that if the nation gathered to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah has decreed for you.
قَدْ — has. Before a past verb, this particle stamps the act as already accomplished: 'something God has already written'. It stresses that the decree is fixed and past.
From: Patience and Trust in God →وَإِنْ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْك؛
And if they gathered to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah has decreed against you.
قَدْ — has. Before the past verb, this particle marks the decree as already settled: 'something God has already written'. The harm too is pre-inscribed.
From: Patience and Trust in God →فقد عذبت الحيوان وضيعت الزمان،
You have only exhausted yourself and wasted your time.
فَقَدْ — so has. The 'fa-' delivers the result of the 'if,' and 'qad' with a past verb stresses the act as done and certain — 'then you have surely...'. It introduces the futile outcome: you only tormented yourself and wasted time.
From: Revelation Over Philosophy →اذا كان الذين قد انتدبوا للرد على الفلاسفة قد حاروا ولحقتهم كسفة،
If those who set out to refute the philosophers were confused and affected by gloom,
قَدِ — indeed. Placed before a past-tense verb, this particle stresses that the action is fully completed — 'have indeed' set out. It is an emphasizer of certainty, not a meaning-word in its own right; its whole job is to firm up the verb that follows.
From: Revelation Over Philosophy →اذا كان الذين قد انتدبوا للرد على الفلاسفة قد حاروا ولحقتهم كسفة،
If those who set out to refute the philosophers were confused and affected by gloom,
قَدْ — were. A second emphasizer-of-completion before a past verb, opening the result side of the 'if' begun earlier. Repeating this particle keeps the narration crisp and certain: each step 'has indeed' happened. It carries no independent meaning beyond firming up the verb.
From: Revelation Over Philosophy →وكم من واعظ مفوه قد أبكى وأثر في الحاضرين تلك الساعة،
And how many eloquent preachers have moved the attendees to tears at that moment,
قَدْ — have. Placed before a past verb, this particle underlines that the action really happened and is complete — 'has indeed' moved them. It is purely an emphasizer firming up the verb that follows, with no meaning of its own to translate.
From: Sincere Preaching →فقد قرأ مقت الشعراء في سورة الشعراء
He has indeed read the contempt for poets in Surat Ash-Shu'ara.
فَقَدْ — so indeed. This is 'so' joined to the completion-emphasizer, stressing that the reading really happened — 'so he has indeed read'. The 'fa-' ties it to the prior point as a consequence; the second piece firms up the verb to come.
From: Sincere Preaching →
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