The perfective aspect

The perfective aspect in Arabic refers to actions that already lay in the past.

Only on rare occasions a verb in the perfective aspect refers to an action happening in the present. This is the case, when an Arabic native speaker talks about his wishes – he will use his verbs in the perfective aspect.

The following table gives you an overview over the verb فَعَلََ (to do) in the perfective aspect.

Example: the perfective aspect of the Arabic verb فَعَلََ (to do)
form	personal pronoun	verb	ending	transliteration	translation
3.p. sg., m.*	هُوَ (huwa)	فَعَلَ	(-)	fa'ala	he did
3.p. dual, m.	هُمَا (humā)	فَعَلاَ	ا	fa'alā	they (m) (both) did
3.p. pl., m.	هُمْ (hum)	فَعَلُوا	ـُوا	fa'alū (*)	they (m) did
3.p. sg., f.	هيَ (hiya)	فَعَلَتْ	تْ	fa'alat	she did
3.p. dual, f.	هُمَا (humā)	فَعَلَتَا	تَا	fa'alatā	they (f) (both) did
3.p. pl., f.	هُنَّ (hunna)	فَعَلْنَ	ـْنَ	fa'alna	they (f) did
2.p. sg., m.	أَنْتَ ('anta)	فَعَلْتَ	ـْتَ	fa'alta	you (m) did
2.p. dual, m.	أَنْتُمَا ('antumā)	فَعَلْتُمَا	ـْتُمَا	fa'altumā	you (m) (both) did
2.p. pl., m.	أَنْتُمْ ('antum)	فَعَلْتُمْ	ـْتُمْ	fa'altum	you (m) did
2.p. sg., f.	أَنْت ('anti)	فَعَلْت	ـْت	fa'alti	you (f) did
2.p. dual, f.	أَنْتُمَا ('antumā)	فَعَلْتُمَا	ـْتُمَا	fa'altumā	you (f) (both) did
2.p. Pl., fem.	أَنْتُنَّ ('antunna)	فَعَلْتُنَّ	ـْتُنَّ	fa'altunna	you (f) did
1.p. sg., m./f.	أَنَا ('anā)	فَعَلْتُ	ـْتُ	fa'altu	I (m/f) did
1.p. pl., m./f.	نَحْنُ (naḥnu)	فَعَلْنَا	ـْنَا	fa'alnā	we (m/f) did

*Reading assistance:
This shortens the meaning of: third person in singular, masculine form.

The next chapter gives you the opportunity to compare the perfective aspect of Arabic verbs to their imperfective aspect.

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The perfective aspect

Arabic Grammar

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