How do I teach my child simple Arabic verbs like “I eat” and “I write”?

Question

Bloomtivo Academy · Accepted Answer

Start with “I” verbs, which all begin with أَ: أَكْتُبُ (I write), أَقْرَأُ (I read), أَلْعَبُ (I play), آكُلُ (I eat), أَشْرَبُ (I drink), أَنَامُ (I sleep). Act them out, then add “you” (تَـ) and “he” (يَـ): تَكْتُبُ, يَكْتُبُ. Use one verb family a week in real moments at home. Verbs let children make real sentences. Arabic present-tense verbs follow a pattern that children can spot quickly.Start with “I”ArabicSay itEnglishأَكْتُبُaktubuI writeأَقْرَأُaqra’uI readأَلْعَبُal‘abuI playآكُلُakuluI eatأَشْرَبُashrabuI drinkأَنَامُanamuI sleepأَذْهَبُadhhabuI goThe pattern: “I” verbs start with أَ.Then the familyPersonStart letterExampleIأَأَكْتُبُYou (boy)تَتَكْتُبُHeيَيَكْتُبُSheتَتَكْتُبُWeنَنَكْتُبُTeach it through actionAct it out: your child mimes, you guess and say the verb.Real moments: at dinner, “مَاذَا تَفْعَلُ؟” (What are you doing?) “آكُلُ!”One verb family a week; revisit old ones.Quran connectionOlder children will spot this pattern in the Quran: نَعْبُدُ and نَسْتَعِينُ in Al-Fatihah both start with نَ: “we worship”, “we ask for help”.Teacher’s tip: make a “What am I doing?” card game with pictures. Children who play it for a week often start using verbs on their own.Related: Question words.

Arabic	Say it	English
أَكْتُبُ	aktubu	I write
أَقْرَأُ	aqra’u	I read
أَلْعَبُ	al‘abu	I play
آكُلُ	akulu	I eat
أَشْرَبُ	ashrabu	I drink
أَنَامُ	anamu	I sleep
أَذْهَبُ	adhhabu	I go

Person	Start letter	Example
I	أَ	أَكْتُبُ
You (boy)	تَ	تَكْتُبُ
He	يَ	يَكْتُبُ
She	تَ	تَكْتُبُ
We	نَ	نَكْتُبُ

How do I teach my child simple Arabic verbs like “I eat” and “I write”?

Start with “I”

Then the family

Teach it through action

Quran connection

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