Levantine Arabic Present Tense: The b- Prefix Explained

What the present tense is used for

The Levantine present tense does two jobs that English splits between two forms. It covers habits and general facts (I study Arabic every day) and it also covers what is happening right now (what are you doing?). So بَدرُس can mean both 'I study' and 'I am studying', and the context tells you which one is meant.

This is the form you will use most in everyday conversation: talking about your job, your routine, what you like and what you are up to. It is also the base for other structures later on, so it is worth getting comfortable with it early.

The three parts of a present-tense verb

Every present-tense verb is built from up to three pieces: a prefix at the front, the stem in the middle, and sometimes an ending at the back. The stem carries the meaning (study, drink, write). The prefix and ending tell you who is doing the action.

The prefix always begins with بـ (b-). After it comes a letter that marks the person: nothing extra for 'I', تـ (t-) for 'you' and 'she', نـ (n-) for 'we', and nothing extra for 'he' and 'they'. Then two endings finish the job: ـي (-i) for a woman you are talking to, and ـوا (-u) for plural 'you' and 'they'.

Put together, that gives you a pattern you can apply to almost any regular verb. Here it is with دَرَس (to study), the verb the workbook uses to introduce the rule.

Tip: Notice that 'you' (to a man) and 'she' are identical: بِتدرُس. Arabic speakers rarely mind, because the pronoun or the situation makes it clear. Add إنتَ or هي if you want to be explicit.

When a stem ends in a consonant and you add -i or -u, the short vowel inside the stem often shifts or drops, which is why بِتدرُس (btidrus) becomes بِتدرسي (btidirsi). There is no need to memorise this as a rule: say the forms aloud a few times and your mouth will find the natural rhythm. The written forms in the tables match the workbook, so you can check yourself against them.

Verbs with a long vowel: the bi- for 'he' and 'they'

Some very common verbs have a long vowel in the middle of the stem, such as روح (go), زور (visit) and نام (sleep). They follow the same pattern, with one small difference: for 'he' and 'they' the prefix is spelled بي (bi-) rather than a single بِـ. Compare بِدرُس (he studies) with بيروح (he goes).

The verb أكَل (to eat) behaves in a similar way. Its stem starts with a long aa sound, so you hear باكُل (baakul) for 'I eat' and بياكُل (byaakul) for 'he eats'. Once you have heard these a few times they stop feeling irregular.

Everyday examples

Here are some sentences you could hear any morning in Amman or Nablus. Look at the start of each verb and try to name the person before you read the translation.

• أنا بَشرَب قهوة كل صبح.ana bashrab 2ahwe kul sub7I drink coffee every morning.
• كل يوم بروح عالشغل بالباص.kul yoom broo7 3ash-shughul bil-baaSEvery day I go to work by bus.
• يا أحمد، وين بِتشتغِل هلّق؟ya a7mad, ween btishtghil hal2?Ahmad, where do you work now?
• يا رنا، بِتدرسي بالليل ولا الصبح؟ya rana, btidirsi bil-leel walla aS-SubH?Rana, do you study at night or in the morning?
• أبوي بيروح عالسوق كل خميس.abooy biroo7 3as-soo2 kul khameesMy dad goes to the market every Thursday.
• إحنا بِنحكي بالتلفون كل ليلة.i7na bni7ki bit-talafoon kul leeleWe talk on the phone every night.
• شو بِتعملوا الليلة؟shu bti3malu il-leele?What are you all doing tonight?

Questions use exactly the same verb forms as statements. There is no special word order and no helper verb like the English 'do'. You simply raise your voice at the end, or put a question word such as شو (shu, what), وين (ween, where) or إمتى (imta, when) at the start of the sentence.

Saying 'don't' in the present

To make a present-tense verb negative, put ما (maa) directly in front of it. The verb itself does not change. So بِتاكُل (she eats) becomes ما بِتاكُل (she doesn't eat), and بِشربوا (they drink) becomes ما بِشربوا (they don't drink).

• بنتي ما بِتاكُل خضرة.binti maa btaakul khuDraMy daughter doesn't eat vegetables.
• هم ما بِشربوا حليب.humme maa bishrabu 7aleebThey don't drink milk.
• أنا ما بَحكي فرنسي.ana maa ba7ki faransiI don't speak French.

How this differs from Modern Standard Arabic

If you have studied Modern Standard Arabic, the b- prefix is the big difference. In MSA the present tense starts directly with the person letter (يدرس, تدرس, ندرس), with no b- in front. In Jordanian and Palestinian speech, the b- is what makes the verb sound like a real present-tense statement. Without it, the verb takes on a different role, which you meet in the next lesson on the present tense without بـ.

Learners who start with spoken Levantine sometimes worry that this will make MSA harder later. In practice the stems are the same, so the step across is small: you mainly learn to remove the b- and adjust a few vowels.

Tip: A common beginner mistake is to drop the b- when making simple statements, saying أدرُس عربي for 'I study Arabic'. To a Levantine ear that sounds unfinished. Keep the b-: بَدرُس عربي.

Practice

Cover the answers and try each one aloud. Remember to start with the b- prefix and to add -i or -u where the person needs it.