The First 10 Verbs You Should Learn in Arabic

If you're just starting to learn Arabic, focusing on the most common verbs will help you build useful sentences fast. These 10 essential verbs will allow you to express actions in daily life, whether you're ordering food, talking about travel, or discussing work.

In Levantine Arabic, verbs are usually learned in the present tense first, as this is the form you'll use most in conversation. Below, We'll introduce each verb along with its pronunciation and example sentences so you can start using them right away. We will also share the full conjugation video we have available on YouTube, so you can start practicing straight away!

1. بروح (broo7) – I go

• أنا بروح عالشغل كل يوم
  (ana broo7 3a' shoghel kil yom.)
  I go to work every day.

2. يشتغل (yishtighil) – He works

• هو بيشتغل بالمطعم.
  (howe byishtaghl b-il-maṭ3am.)
  He works in a restaurant.

3. بعرف (b3arif) – I know

• أنا ما بعرف الجواب .
  (ana ma b3arif il-jawab.)
  I don’t know the answer.

4. بفهم (bafham) – I understand

• ما بفهم عليك.
  (ana ma bafham alayk.)
  I don’t understand you.

5. بدرس (bidros) – I study

• أنا بدرس عربي كل يوم
  (ana bdros 3rabi kil yom.)
  I study Arabic every day.

6. منسافر (mnsaafir) – We travel

• نحن بدنا نسافر عالبحر هالصيف
  (nahna bidna nsaafir 3 l-ba7r hal-Sayf.)
  We want to travel to the beach this summer.

7. آكل (aakol) – To eat

• أنا بحب آكل كبة
  (ana b7ob aakol kibbeh.)
  I love eating Kibbeh.

8. بتشرب (btishrab) – You drink (m)

• بتشرب قهوة؟
  (btishrab ‘ahwe?)
  Do you drink coffee?

9. بتعمل (bt3amil) – You do / make (m)

• شو عم تعمل؟
  (shū ‘am ta‘mil?)
  What are you doing?

10. بشوف (bshoof) – I see

• أنا بشوف صاحبي كل أسبوع
  (ana bshoof sa7bi kil isbo3a)
  I see my friend every week.

How to Practice These Verbs

1. Try forming simple sentences with them

2. Listen for them in conversations - if you are not surrounded by native speakers listen to our podcast

3. Practice conjugating – Start with the I (أنا) and you (إنتَ / إنتِ) forms, then expand.

4. Write them down – Keeping a list will help with remembering them.

💡 Want more help learning Levantine Arabic verbs? Check out our Patreon, where we have a full course called 'Verbs Made Easy' where we teach you all the ins and outs of conjugation.