Water > Taste > An Introduction to Lebanese > Lexicon: Verbs

In the table used for this lexicon, the Lebanese verb is given in its dictionary form, which is the completed form of the masculin 3rd person singular, but as close as it gets to "infinitive". The "past participle" is given in masculine/feminine and plural. The "present perfect", also in masculine/feminine and plural, is really the verb form in Lebanese that serves the same purpose. Transitive means the verb takes an object ("I took the ball"), intransitive that it doesn't ("I ran"); "both" means it can be used either way ("I drank [the milk]").

For more information about the completed, incomplete, and imperative tenses see The verb.

The lexicons will mostly grow on demand, therefore please let me know what you would like to see in there.


Can (be able to) 

'eder  

Arabic

Transitive?

Past participle

Present perfect

 qadara

no 

 

'éder/'édra, 'édreen 

Completed:

 'eder, 'edrit, 'edro, 'deret, 'derte, 'derto, 'deret, 'derna

Incomplete:

 bye'der, bte'der, bye'dro, bte'der, bte'edre, be'der, mne'der

Imperative:

 'dor, 'dere, 'dero

Other forms:

 

 



 Cut

'ass 

Arabic

Transitive?

Past participle

Present perfect

 qata3a

 both

ma'soos, ma'soosa 

'áses, 'ássa, 'ásseen 

Completed:

 'ass, 'asset, 'asso, 'asseyt, 'asseyte, 'asseyto, 'asseyt, 'asseyna

Incomplete:

 bi'oss, bet'oss, bi'osso, bet'oss, bet'osse, bet'osso, b'oss, men'oss

Imperative:

 'oss, 'osse, 'osso

Other forms:

 'as'es: diminutive of "to cut", for informal effect



 Drink

shereb 

Arabic

Transitive?

Past participle

Present perfect

 sharaba

 both

mashroob/mashroobe, mashroobeen 

shéreb, shérbe, shérbeen 

Completed:

shereb, sherbit, sherbo, shrebet, shrebte, shrebto, shrebet, shrebna

Incomplete:

 byeshrab, bteshrab, byeshrabo, bteshrab, bteshrabe, bteshrabo, beshrab, mneshrab

Imperative:

 shrab, shrabe, shrabo

Other forms:

sharrab: to make someone drink

 Mashroob means soup, sharáb means fruit syrup, like sharáb toot (mulberry syrup).



Eat 

akal 

Arabic

Transitive?

Past participle

Present perfect

 akala

 both

 ma'kool/ma'koole, ma'kooleen

ékel/ékle, ékleen 

Completed:

 akal, akalit, akalo, akalet, akalte, akalto, akalet, akalna

Incomplete:

 byékol, btékol, byéklo, btékol, btékle, btéklo, békol, mnékol

Imperative:

 Kól, kele, kelo

Other forms:

 akkal: to make someone eat

 Ma'kool and its plural ma'koolét refer to foodstuff, dishes, "things eaten".



 Fear

kháf 

Arabic

Transitive?

Past participle

Present perfect

 kháfa

 no

mukheef/mukheefe, mukheefeen (frightening) 

 kháyef/kháyfe, kháyfeen (frightened)

Completed:

 kháf, kháfit, kháfo, kheft, khefte, khefto, kheft, khefna

Incomplete:

 bikháf, betkháf, bikháfo, betkháf, betkháfe, betkháfo, bkháf, menkháf

Imperative:

 kháf, kháfe, kháfo

Other forms:

 khawwef: to frighten



Know 

3eref 

Arabic

Transitive?

Past participle

Present perfect

 3arafa

 both

ma3roof/ma3roofe, ma3roofeen (well-known) 

3éref/3érfe, 3erféneen 

Completed:

 3eref, 3erfit, 3erfo, 3refet, 3refte, 3refto, 3refet, 3refna

Incomplete:

 bya3ref, bta3ref, bta3rfo, bta3ref, bta3rfe, bta3rfo, ba3ref, mna3ref

Imperative:

 

Other forms:

3arref: to make someone know, to introduce someone to

 Here the completed tense implies "found out about", a punctual event in time, while the present perfect expresses present knowledge ("I know").



Run

rakad (rakada) IT

rakad, rakadit, rakado, rakadet, rakadte, rakadto, rakadet, rakadna

byerkod, bterkod, byerkdo, bterkod, bterkde, bterkdo, berkod, mnerkod

rko, rkede, rkedo

réked/rekde, rékdeen

rakked (to make someone run, T)

 

 

 

Arabic

Transitive?

Past participle

Present perfect

 

 

 

 

Completed:

 

Incomplete:

 

Imperative:

 

Other forms:

 

 



 Sleep

ném 

Arabic

Transitive?

Past participle

Present perfect

náma 

no 

ném, néme, némo 

néyem/néyme, néymeen 

Completed:

 ném, némit, némo, nemt, nemte, nemto, nemt, nemna

Incomplete:

 biném, betném, binémo, betném, betneeme, betnémo, bném, menném

Imperative:

 ném, néme, némo

Other forms:

 nayyem: to make someone sleep

 Also used for "to lie down".



Travel 

séfar 

Arabic

Transitive?

Past participle

Present perfect

safara 

no 

 -

mséfar/mséfra, mséfreen 

Completed:

 séfar, séfarit, séfaro, séfaret, séfarte, séfarto, séfaret, séfarna

Incomplete:

 biséfer, betséfer, biséfro, betséfer, betséfre, betséfaro, bséfer, menséfer

Imperative:

 séfer, séfre, séfro

Other forms:

 



 Write

 katab

Arabic

Transitive?

Past participle

Present perfect

 kataba

yes 

 maktoob/maktoobe, maktoobeen

kéteb/kétbe, kétbeen 

Completed:

 katab, katabit, katabo, katabet, katabte, katabto, katabet, katabna

Incomplete:

 byektob, btektob, byeketbo, btektob, bteketbe, bteketbo, bektob, mnektob

Imperative:

 któb, ktebe, ktebo

Other forms:

 



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