What does "think" mean in Arabic?
English "think" has two main jobs. It can mean using the mind: turning something over, considering, reflecting ("I am thinking about the exam"). It can also mean holding an opinion ("I think that it will rain"). Arabic uses different verbs for these two jobs. This lesson teaches the first and commonest one: فَكَّرَ (fakkara), "he thought, he reflected," present يُفَكِّرُ (yufakkiru), "he thinks, he is thinking." For "think" as an opinion, Arabic normally says أظنّ أنّ (aẓunnu anna) or أعتقد أنّ (aʿtaqidu anna), "I think that…". Section D sets out the difference.
فَكَّرَ comes from the root ف ك ر (f-k-r), which has to do with thought. From the same root come فِكْر (fikr), "thought, intellect"; فِكْرَة (fikra), "an idea"; تَفْكِير (tafkīr), "thinking"; and مُفَكِّر (mufakkir), "a thinker." The verb itself is a Form II verb: the middle letter of the root is doubled. In writing, the doubling is shown by a shadda (ّ) over the ك, which is normally left unwritten, so you will usually see فكر. The same three letters without vowels can also be read فِكْر, "thought"; context tells you which.
The thing you think about is introduced by the preposition في (fī), "in": أفكر في الامتحان (ufakkiru fī al-imtiḥān), "I am thinking about the exam." Arabic thinks in a thing, where English thinks about or of it. You will also meet فكّر بـ (bi-) in modern writing and speech. It means the same, and is common, but careful writers prefer في.
Because the verb is Form II, its present-tense prefixes take the vowel u, not a: يُفَكِّرُ (yufakkiru), أُفَكِّرُ (ufakkiru). The imperative is فَكِّرْ (fakkir), "think!"
- فَكَّرَ / يُفَكِّرُ (fakkara / yufakkiru) = "to think, reflect, consider": the mind at work - The thing thought about follows في (fī): فكّر في… = "think about / of…" - "I think that…" as an opinion is usually أظنّ أنّ or أعتقد أنّ, not فكّر - Form II: doubled middle letter (shadda), present prefix with u (yu-, u-, tu-, nu-) - Root ف ك ر also gives فِكْر (thought), فِكْرَة (idea), تفكير (thinking), مُفَكِّر (thinker)
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
53.1a أفكر I-think فيكِ in-you
53.1b ufakkiru (u-FAK-ki-ru) I-think-PRES.1SG fīki (FEE-ki) in-you-F.SG
53.2a فكّر think جيداً well
53.2b fakkir (FAK-kir) think-IMP.M.SG jayyidan (JAY-yi-dan) well-ACC.ADV
53.3a في in ماذا what تفكر؟ you-think
53.3b fī (fee) in mādhā (MAA-dhaa) what-INTERROG tufakkiru (tu-FAK-ki-ru) you-think-PRES.2M.SG
53.4a لم not أفكر I-think في in ذلك that
53.4b lam (lam) not-PAST ufakkir (u-FAK-kir) I-think-JUSS.1SG fī (fee) in dhālika (DHAA-li-ka) that-M.SG
53.5a فكرنا we-thought طويلاً long
53.5b fakkarnā (fak-KAR-naa) we-thought-PAST.1PL ṭawīlan (ta-WEE-lan) long-ACC.ADV
53.6a تفكر thinks أمي my-mother دائماً always في in أولادها her-children
53.6b tufakkiru (tu-FAK-ki-ru) thinks-PRES.3F.SG ummī (UM-mee) mother-NOM-my dāʾiman (DAA-'i-man) always-ACC.ADV fī (fee) in awlādihā (aw-LAA-di-haa) children-PL.GEN-her
53.7a فكّر thought الرجل the-man قليلاً a-little ثم then أجاب he-answered
53.7b fakkara (FAK-ka-ra) thought-PAST.3M.SG ar-rajul (ar-RA-jul) the-man-NOM qalīlan (qa-LEE-lan) a-little-ACC.ADV thumma (THUM-ma) then ajāba (a-JAA-ba) he-answered-PAST.3M.SG
53.8a يجب it-is-necessary أن that نفكر we-think قبل before أن that نتكلم we-speak
53.8b yajibu (YA-ji-bu) is-necessary-PRES.3M.SG an (an) that nufakkira (nu-FAK-ki-ra) we-think-SUBJ.1PL qabla (QAB-la) before an (an) that natakallama (na-ta-KAL-la-ma) we-speak-SUBJ.1PL
53.9a هل QUESTION فكرتِ you-thought في in السفر the-travelling إلى to المغرب؟ the-Morocco
53.9b hal (hal) QUESTION fakkarti (fak-KAR-ti) you-thought-PAST.2F.SG fī (fee) in as-safar (as-SA-far) the-travel-GEN ilā (I-laa) to al-Maghrib (al-MAGH-rib) the-Morocco-GEN
53.10a أنا I أفكر think إذن therefore أنا I موجود existing
53.10b anā (A-naa) I ufakkiru (u-FAK-ki-ru) I-think-PRES.1SG idhan (I-dhan) therefore anā (A-naa) I mawjūd (maw-JOOD) existing-M.SG
53.11a كان was الطلاب the-students يفكرون think في in الامتحان the-exam طوال all-through الليل the-night
53.11b kāna (KAA-na) was-PAST.3M.SG aṭ-ṭullāb (at-tul-LAAB) the-students-PL.NOM yufakkirūna (yu-fak-ki-ROO-na) think-PRES.3M.PL fī (fee) in al-imtiḥān (al-im-ti-HAAN) the-exam-GEN ṭawāla (ta-WAA-la) throughout-ACC al-layl (al-LAYL) the-night-GEN
53.12a لا not تفكر think في in الماضي the-past كثيراً much بل but-rather فكّر think في in المستقبل the-future
53.12b lā (laa) not-PROHIB tufakkir (tu-FAK-kir) you-think-JUSS.2M.SG fī (fee) in al-māḍī (al-MAA-dee) the-past-GEN kathīran (ka-THEE-ran) much-ACC.ADV bal (bal) but-rather fakkir (FAK-kir) think-IMP.M.SG fī (fee) in al-mustaqbal (al-mus-TAQ-bal) the-future-GEN
53.13a فكرت thought الحكومة the-government في in بناء building جسر a-bridge جديد new فوق over النهر the-river
53.13b fakkarat (FAK-ka-rat) thought-PAST.3F.SG al-ḥukūma (al-hu-KOO-ma) the-government-F.NOM fī (fee) in bināʾ (bi-NAA') building-GEN.CONSTRUCT jisr (JISR) bridge-GEN jadīd (ja-DEED) new-M.GEN fawqa (FAW-qa) over an-nahr (an-NAHR) the-river-GEN
53.14a كلما whenever فكرت I-thought في in قريتي my-village اشتقت I-longed إلى for أهلي my-people
53.14b kullamā (KUL-la-maa) whenever fakkartu (fak-KAR-tu) I-thought-PAST.1SG fī (fee) in qaryatī (QAR-ya-tee) village-GEN-my ishtaqtu (ish-TAQ-tu) I-longed-PAST.1SG ilā (I-laa) for ahlī (AH-lee) family-GEN-my
53.15a قال said لي to-me أبي my-father فكّر think بعقلك with-your-mind لا not بقلبك with-your-heart
53.15b qāla (QAA-la) said-PAST.3M.SG lī (lee) to-me abī (A-bee) father-NOM-my fakkir (FAK-kir) think-IMP.M.SG bi-ʿaqlika (bi-'AQ-li-ka) with-mind-GEN-your-M.SG lā (laa) not bi-qalbika (bi-QAL-bi-ka) with-heart-GEN-your-M.SG
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
53.1 أفكر فيكِ — ufakkiru fīki — "I am thinking of you." (to a woman)
53.2 فكّر جيداً — fakkir jayyidan — "Think carefully."
53.3 في ماذا تفكر؟ — fī mādhā tufakkiru? — "What are you thinking about?"
53.4 لم أفكر في ذلك — lam ufakkir fī dhālika — "I didn't think of that."
53.5 فكرنا طويلاً — fakkarnā ṭawīlan — "We thought for a long time."
53.6 تفكر أمي دائماً في أولادها — tufakkiru ummī dāʾiman fī awlādihā — "My mother is always thinking of her children."
53.7 فكّر الرجل قليلاً ثم أجاب — fakkara ar-rajul qalīlan thumma ajāba — "The man thought for a moment, then answered."
53.8 يجب أن نفكر قبل أن نتكلم — yajibu an nufakkira qabla an natakallama — "We must think before we speak."
53.9 هل فكرتِ في السفر إلى المغرب؟ — hal fakkarti fī as-safar ilā al-Maghrib? — "Have you thought about travelling to Morocco?" (to a woman)
53.10 أنا أفكر إذن أنا موجود — anā ufakkiru idhan anā mawjūd — "I think, therefore I am." (Descartes' cogito, in its usual Arabic form)
53.11 كان الطلاب يفكرون في الامتحان طوال الليل — kāna aṭ-ṭullāb yufakkirūna fī al-imtiḥān ṭawāla al-layl — "The students were thinking about the exam all night."
53.12 لا تفكر في الماضي كثيراً، بل فكّر في المستقبل — lā tufakkir fī al-māḍī kathīran, bal fakkir fī al-mustaqbal — "Don't think too much about the past; think about the future instead."
53.13 فكرت الحكومة في بناء جسر جديد فوق النهر — fakkarat al-ḥukūma fī bināʾ jisr jadīd fawqa an-nahr — "The government considered building a new bridge over the river."
53.14 كلما فكرت في قريتي اشتقت إلى أهلي — kullamā fakkartu fī qaryatī ishtaqtu ilā ahlī — "Whenever I think of my village, I miss my family."
53.15 قال لي أبي: فكّر بعقلك لا بقلبك — qāla lī abī: fakkir bi-ʿaqlika lā bi-qalbika — "My father told me: think with your head, not with your heart."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
53.1 أفكر فيكِ
53.2 فكّر جيداً
53.3 في ماذا تفكر؟
53.4 لم أفكر في ذلك
53.5 فكرنا طويلاً
53.6 تفكر أمي دائماً في أولادها
53.7 فكّر الرجل قليلاً ثم أجاب
53.8 يجب أن نفكر قبل أن نتكلم
53.9 هل فكرتِ في السفر إلى المغرب؟
53.10 أنا أفكر إذن أنا موجود
53.11 كان الطلاب يفكرون في الامتحان طوال الليل
53.12 لا تفكر في الماضي كثيراً، بل فكّر في المستقبل
53.13 فكرت الحكومة في بناء جسر جديد فوق النهر
53.14 كلما فكرت في قريتي اشتقت إلى أهلي
53.15 قال لي أبي: فكّر بعقلك لا بقلبك
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
1. A Form II verb. Arabic verbs are built from roots, usually of three letters, poured into patterns called "forms." Form II doubles the middle root letter: ف ك ر → فَكَّرَ (fakkara). Form II verbs are completely regular, which makes فَكَّرَ a good model for many others: دَرَّسَ (darrasa, "to teach"), كَلَّمَ (kallama, "to speak to"), قَرَّرَ (qarrara, "to decide").
2. The past tense. The stem فَكَّر (fakkar-) takes the past-tense endings:
- فكّرتُ (fakkartu) — I thought - فكّرتَ (fakkarta) — you (m.) thought - فكّرتِ (fakkarti) — you (f.) thought (53.9) - فكّرَ (fakkara) — he thought (53.7) - فكّرتْ (fakkarat) — she thought (53.13) - فكّرنا (fakkarnā) — we thought (53.5) - فكّرتم (fakkartum) — you (pl.) thought - فكّروا (fakkarū) — they thought - فكّرتا (fakkaratā) — the two of them (f.) thought (53.24)
3. The present tense. In Form II the prefixes take the vowel u, and the stem has i before the last root letter:
- أُفكّرُ (ufakkiru) — I think (53.1) - تُفكّرُ (tufakkiru) — you (m.) think (53.3); she thinks (53.6) - تُفكّرين (tufakkirīna) — you (f.) think - يُفكّرُ (yufakkiru) — he thinks - نُفكّرُ (nufakkiru) — we think - تُفكّرون (tufakkirūna) — you (pl.) think - يُفكّرون (yufakkirūna) — they think (53.11)
4. Subjunctive, jussive, imperative. After أن (an, "that") the final -u becomes -a: أن نفكّرَ (an nufakkira) (53.8). After لم (lam, "did not") and prohibitive لا (lā, "don't") the jussive drops the vowel: لم أفكّرْ (lam ufakkir, "I didn't think") (53.4); لا تفكّرْ (lā tufakkir, "don't think") (53.12). In the jussive, endings in -na lose the -na: لا تفكّري (lā tufakkirī), "don't think" to a woman (53.22). The imperative is built on the jussive stem without its prefix:
- فكّرْ (fakkir) — think! (to a man) (53.2) - فكّري (fakkirī) — think! (to a woman) (53.21) - فكّروا (fakkirū) — think! (to several people)
5. The object of thought: في. The thing thought about is introduced by في (fī): فكّر في المستقبل (fakkir fī al-mustaqbal), "think about the future." With pronouns, في takes suffixes: فيكِ (fīki, "of you," f.) (53.1), فيّ (fiyya, "of me") (53.26), فيهما (fīhimā, "of the two of them") (53.30). Colloquial and journalistic Arabic often uses بـ (bi-) instead: فكّر بالموضوع (fakkara bi-l-mawḍūʿ). Careful writers prefer في.
6. "Think of doing." To think of doing something, use في with a verbal noun: فكّرت الحكومة في بناء جسر (fakkarat al-ḥukūma fī bināʾ jisr), "the government thought of building a bridge" (53.13); فكّرتِ في السفر (fakkarti fī as-safar), "you thought of travelling" (53.9). You may also use في أن with the subjunctive: أفكّر في أن أسافر (ufakkiru fī an usāfira), "I am thinking of travelling."
7. Other Arabic words for English "think." When English "think" means an opinion, Arabic changes verb:
- ظَنَّ / يَظُنُّ (ẓanna / yaẓunnu), "to think, suppose": أظنّ أنه مريض (aẓunnu annahu marīḍ), "I think he is ill" - اِعْتَقَدَ / يَعْتَقِدُ (iʿtaqada / yaʿtaqidu), "to believe, be of the opinion": أعتقد أن الفكرة جيدة (aʿtaqidu anna al-fikra jayyida), "I think the idea is good" - رأى / يرى (raʾā / yarā), "to see," also means "to hold a view": أرى أنك على حق (arā annaka ʿalā ḥaqq), "I think you are right" - تَفَكَّرَ / يَتَفَكَّرُ (tafakkara / yatafakkaru), Form V of the same root, "to meditate, ponder deeply": a literary and Qurʾānic word, as in أفلا يتفكرون (a-fa-lā yatafakkarūna), "will they not reflect?"
These opinion verbs are followed by أنّ (anna, "that") and a noun or pronoun suffix in the accusative.
- Using فكّر for an opinion. *أفكر أن الفيلم جميل is an anglicism for "I think the film is beautiful." Say أظن أن الفيلم جميل or أعتقد أن الفيلم جميل. (Some modern writers do use فكّر أنّ, but it sounds translated.) - Using عن for "about." English "think about" tempts learners to write *أفكر عن الامتحان. Arabic thinks في: أفكر في الامتحان. - The wrong prefix vowel. Form II has yu-, not ya-: يُفَكِّرُ (yufakkiru), not *يَفْكِرُ (yafkiru). - Dropping the shadda in speech. فَكَرَ with a single k is a rare classical Form I verb. The everyday verb has a doubled k: fak-ka-ra. - Keeping -na in the jussive. *لا تفكرين is wrong for "don't think" to a woman. The prohibition takes the jussive: لا تفكري. - Confusing فكرة and فكر. فِكْرَة (fikra) is "an idea," countable, plural أفكار (afkār). فِكْر (fikr) is "thought" as a faculty or a body of ideas: الفكر العربي (al-fikr al-ʿarabī), "Arab thought."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
فَكَّرَ and its family are everywhere in written Arabic. تفكير (tafkīr, "thinking") appears in education and self-help writing: التفكير النقدي (at-tafkīr an-naqdī), "critical thinking." مُفَكِّر (mufakkir, "thinker, intellectual") is the usual title for a writer on philosophy, religion or society, and الفكر العربي (al-fikr al-ʿarabī), "Arab thought," is the name of a whole field of study. Descartes' cogito (53.10) is known to Arabic readers in the form أنا أفكر إذن أنا موجود.
The verb is used throughout the Arab world, in dialect as in MSA: Egyptian بفكّر في… (ba-fakkar fi…), Levantine عم بفكّر (ʿam bfakkir), "I'm thinking." For "I think that…," however, the dialects have their own habits. In Egypt, فاكر (fākir), literally "remembering," also means "supposing": إنت فاكر نفسك مين؟ (inta fākir nafsak mīn?), "Who do you think you are?" In the Levant, one hears بظنّ (baẓunn) or بعتقد (baʿtiqid), "I think." Everywhere, على فكرة (ʿalā fikra), literally "on an idea," means "by the way," and is one of the commonest phrases in spoken Arabic.
- على فكرة (ʿalā fikra) — "by the way" - فكّر ألف مرة (fakkir alfa marra) — "think a thousand times (before you act)" - فكّر فيها (fakkir fīhā) — "think it over" - حرية الفكر (ḥurriyyat al-fikr) — "freedom of thought" - مُفَكِّرة (mufakkira) — "a notebook, diary"
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The citation is from the Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Muddaththir (The Cloaked One), 74:18–25. The classical commentators, among them al-Ṭabarī and Ibn Kathīr, relate that it describes al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra, a leader of Quraysh in Mecca. His people asked him what they should say about the Qurʾān. He thought, weighed his words, frowned, and at last called it "magic." The passage opens with فَكَّرَ, the headword of this lesson, and then runs through a chain of ثُمَّ, the headword of the last lesson. The text below is given in standard vowelled script and was checked against two published sources.
F.1a إِنَّهُ indeed-he فَكَّرَ thought وَقَدَّرَ and-calculated
F.1b innahu (IN-na-hu) indeed-he-M fakkara (FAK-ka-ra) thought-PAST.3M.SG wa-qaddara (wa-QAD-da-ra) and-calculated-PAST.3M.SG
F.2a فَقُتِلَ so-was-killed كَيْفَ how قَدَّرَ he-calculated
F.2b fa-qutila (fa-QU-ti-la) so-was-killed-PASS.PAST.3M.SG kayfa (KAY-fa) how qaddara (QAD-da-ra) he-calculated-PAST.3M.SG
F.3a ثُمَّ then قُتِلَ was-killed كَيْفَ how قَدَّرَ he-calculated
F.3b thumma (THUM-ma) then qutila (QU-ti-la) was-killed-PASS.PAST.3M.SG kayfa (KAY-fa) how qaddara (QAD-da-ra) he-calculated-PAST.3M.SG
F.4a ثُمَّ then نَظَرَ he-looked
F.4b thumma (THUM-ma) then naẓara (NA-za-ra) he-looked-PAST.3M.SG
F.5a ثُمَّ then عَبَسَ he-frowned وَبَسَرَ and-scowled
F.5b thumma (THUM-ma) then ʿabasa (A-ba-sa) he-frowned-PAST.3M.SG wa-basara (wa-BA-sa-ra) and-scowled-PAST.3M.SG
F.6a ثُمَّ then أَدْبَرَ he-turned-away وَاسْتَكْبَرَ and-was-arrogant
F.6b thumma (THUM-ma) then adbara (AD-ba-ra) he-turned-away-PAST.3M.SG wa-stakbara (was-TAK-ba-ra) and-was-arrogant-PAST.3M.SG
F.7a فَقَالَ and-he-said إِنْ not هَٰذَا this إِلَّا except سِحْرٌ magic يُؤْثَرُ handed-down
F.7b fa-qāla (fa-QAA-la) and-said-PAST.3M.SG in (in) not hādhā (HAA-dhaa) this-M.SG illā (IL-laa) except siḥrun (SIH-run) magic-NOM yuʾtharu (YU'-tha-ru) is-handed-down-PASS.PRES.3M.SG
F.8a إِنْ not هَٰذَا this إِلَّا except قَوْلُ word الْبَشَرِ the-mortals
F.8b in (in) not hādhā (HAA-dhaa) this-M.SG illā (IL-laa) except qawlu (QAW-lu) word-NOM.CONSTRUCT al-bashar (al-BA-shar) the-mortals-GEN
إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ثُمَّ نَظَرَ ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ فَقَالَ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ
innahu fakkara wa-qaddara. fa-qutila kayfa qaddara. thumma qutila kayfa qaddara. thumma naẓara. thumma ʿabasa wa-basara. thumma adbara wa-stakbara. fa-qāla in hādhā illā siḥrun yuʾtharu. in hādhā illā qawlu al-bashar.
"He thought, and he weighed it up. So may he perish, how he weighed it up! Then again, may he perish, how he weighed it up! Then he looked; then he frowned and scowled; then he turned his back and was proud, and said: 'This is nothing but magic handed down from of old. This is nothing but the word of a mortal.'"
— Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Muddaththir 74:18–25 (translation: Latinum Institute, kept close to the Arabic)
إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ثُمَّ نَظَرَ ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ فَقَالَ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ
The passage is a small drama of thinking, told in eight short verses.
- فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ (fakkara wa-qaddara). Two Form II verbs side by side, with the same doubled middle letter and the same rhythm. فكّر is the thinking itself; قدّر (from ق د ر, "measure") is weighing and calculating what to say. Together they describe a deliberate, cunning kind of thought. - فَقُتِلَ (fa-qutila). Literally "so he was killed," a passive verb (u–i vowels: qutila). Here it is an imprecation, "may he perish," expressing astonishment and condemnation. The Arabic past tense often expresses a wish or a curse in this way. - كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ (kayfa qaddara). "How he calculated!" كيف, normally "how?", here marks an exclamation. - The chain of ثُمَّ. نَظَرَ… عَبَسَ… أَدْبَرَ: he looked, he frowned, he turned away. Each ثُمَّ marks a pause, as you learnt in Lesson 52: the verses show a man slowly working himself up to his verdict. Then فَقَالَ (fa-qāla), with فَـ, delivers it at once. - إِنْ… إِلَّا (in… illā). إِنْ here is not "if" but a negative, "not." With إلّا, "except," it gives "this is nothing but…". It is the formal equivalent of ما… إلّا (mā… illā). - وَاسْتَكْبَرَ (wa-stakbara). A Form X verb (اسْتَفْعَلَ), "he considered himself great." The initial alif is not pronounced after و: wa-stakbara. - يُؤْثَرُ (yuʾtharu). A passive present of أَثَرَ (athara, "to hand down, transmit"): "which is handed down."
This passage is often quoted to show what thinking can be used for. Al-Walīd has understood that the Qurʾān is no ordinary speech. Ibn Kathīr reports that he had admitted to his people that it had "a sweetness and a grace." His thinking and calculating is spent on finding a label to set against it. For a learner, the verses are a clear lesson in how Arabic tells a story with verbs alone: فكّر, قدّر, نظر, عبس, بسر, أدبر, استكبر, قال. Nearly every word is a verb in the past tense, and the particles وَ, فَـ and ثُمَّ set the pace. Read it aloud: the short verses and the repeated rhyme in -ar give it its force.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
53.16a فكرت thought سلمى Salma في in رسالة letter الجامعة the-university طوال all-through الصباح the-morning
53.16b fakkarat (FAK-ka-rat) thought-PAST.3F.SG Salmā (SAL-maa) Salma-NOM fī (fee) in risālat (ri-SAA-lat) letter-GEN.CONSTRUCT al-jāmiʿa (al-JAA-mi-'a) the-university-GEN ṭawāla (ta-WAA-la) throughout-ACC aṣ-ṣabāḥ (as-sa-BAAH) the-morning-GEN
53.17a فكرت she-thought هل QUESTION أسافر I-travel أم or أبقى؟ I-stay
53.17b fakkarat (FAK-ka-rat) she-thought-PAST.3F.SG hal (hal) QUESTION usāfiru (u-SAA-fi-ru) I-travel-PRES.1SG am (am) or abqā (AB-qaa) I-stay-PRES.1SG
53.18a فكرت she-thought في in أمها her-mother المريضة the-sick
53.18b fakkarat (FAK-ka-rat) she-thought-PAST.3F.SG fī (fee) in ummihā (UM-mi-haa) mother-GEN-her al-marīḍa (al-ma-REE-da) the-sick-F.GEN
53.19a ثم then فكرت she-thought في in حلمها her-dream القديم the-old
53.19b thumma (THUM-ma) then fakkarat (FAK-ka-rat) she-thought-PAST.3F.SG fī (fee) in ḥulmihā (HUL-mi-haa) dream-GEN-her al-qadīm (al-qa-DEEM) the-old-M.GEN
53.20a ذهبت she-went إلى to جدتها her-grandmother وقالت and-she-said أنا I أفكر think في in السفر the-travelling
53.20b dhahabat (DHA-ha-bat) she-went-PAST.3F.SG ilā (I-laa) to jaddatihā (JAD-da-ti-haa) grandmother-GEN-her wa-qālat (wa-QAA-lat) and-said-PAST.3F.SG anā (A-naa) I ufakkiru (u-FAK-ki-ru) I-think-PRES.1SG fī (fee) in as-safar (as-SA-far) the-travel-GEN
53.21a قالت said الجدة the-grandmother فكري think بهدوء with-calm يا O ابنتي my-daughter
53.21b qālat (QAA-lat) said-PAST.3F.SG al-jadda (al-JAD-da) the-grandmother-NOM fakkirī (FAK-ki-ree) think-IMP.F.SG bi-hudūʾ (bi-hu-DOO') with-calm-GEN yā (yaa) O-VOC ibnatī (IB-na-tee) daughter-my
53.22a ولا and-not تفكري think في in كلام talk الناس the-people
53.22b wa-lā (wa-LAA) and-not-PROHIB tufakkirī (tu-FAK-ki-ree) you-think-JUSS.2F.SG fī (fee) in kalām (ka-LAAM) talk-GEN.CONSTRUCT an-nās (an-NAAS) the-people-GEN
53.23a فكرت thought سلمى Salma ليلةً a-night كاملةً whole ولم and-not تنم she-slept
53.23b fakkarat (FAK-ka-rat) thought-PAST.3F.SG Salmā (SAL-maa) Salma-NOM laylatan (LAY-la-tan) night-ACC kāmilatan (KAA-mi-la-tan) whole-F.ACC wa-lam (wa-LAM) and-not-PAST tanam (TA-nam) she-sleep-JUSS.3F.SG
53.24a في in الصباح the-morning جلست she-sat مع with أمها her-mother وفكرتا and-the-two-thought معاً together
53.24b fī (fee) in aṣ-ṣabāḥ (as-sa-BAAH) the-morning-GEN jalasat (JA-la-sat) she-sat-PAST.3F.SG maʿa (MA-'a) with ummihā (UM-mi-haa) mother-GEN-her wa-fakkaratā (wa-fak-KA-ra-taa) and-thought-PAST.3F.DUAL maʿan (MA-'an) together-ACC.ADV
53.25a قالت said الأم the-mother لقد indeed فكرت I-thought فيكِ in-you قبل before أن that أفكر I-think في in نفسي myself
53.25b qālat (QAA-lat) said-PAST.3F.SG al-umm (al-UMM) the-mother-NOM laqad (LA-qad) indeed fakkartu (fak-KAR-tu) I-thought-PAST.1SG fīki (FEE-ki) in-you-F.SG qabla (QAB-la) before an (an) that ufakkira (u-FAK-ki-ra) I-think-SUBJ.1SG fī (fee) in nafsī (NAF-see) self-GEN-my
53.26a سافري travel ولا and-not تفكري think فيّ in-me كثيراً much
53.26b sāfirī (SAA-fi-ree) travel-IMP.F.SG wa-lā (wa-LAA) and-not-PROHIB tufakkirī (tu-FAK-ki-ree) you-think-JUSS.2F.SG fiyya (FIY-ya) in-me kathīran (ka-THEE-ran) much-ACC.ADV
53.27a بكت wept سلمى Salma ثم then فكرت she-thought في in كلام words أمها her-mother
53.27b bakat (BA-kat) wept-PAST.3F.SG Salmā (SAL-maa) Salma-NOM thumma (THUM-ma) then fakkarat (FAK-ka-rat) she-thought-PAST.3F.SG fī (fee) in kalām (ka-LAAM) words-GEN.CONSTRUCT ummihā (UM-mi-haa) mother-GEN-her
53.28a وأخيراً and-finally قالت she-said فكرت I-thought وقررت and-I-decided أن that أسافر I-travel
53.28b wa-akhīran (wa-a-KHEE-ran) and-finally-ACC.ADV qālat (QAA-lat) she-said-PAST.3F.SG fakkartu (fak-KAR-tu) I-thought-PAST.1SG wa-qarrartu (wa-qar-RAR-tu) and-decided-PAST.1SG an (an) that usāfira (u-SAA-fi-ra) I-travel-SUBJ.1SG
53.29a وهي and-she في in الطائرة the-aeroplane كانت she-was تفكر thinks في in أمها her-mother وجدتها and-her-grandmother
53.29b wa-hiya (wa-HI-ya) and-she fī (fee) in aṭ-ṭāʾira (at-TAA-'i-ra) the-aeroplane-GEN kānat (KAA-nat) was-PAST.3F.SG tufakkiru (tu-FAK-ki-ru) thinks-PRES.3F.SG fī (fee) in ummihā (UM-mi-haa) mother-GEN-her wa-jaddatihā (wa-JAD-da-ti-haa) and-grandmother-GEN-her
53.30a وما and-not زالت ceased تفكر she-thinks فيهما in-the-two-of-them كل every يوم day
53.30b wa-mā (wa-MAA) and-not zālat (ZAA-lat) ceased-PAST.3F.SG tufakkiru (tu-FAK-ki-ru) thinks-PRES.3F.SG fīhimā (FEE-hi-maa) in-them-DUAL kulla (KUL-la) every-ACC yawm (YAWM) day-GEN
53.16 فكرت سلمى في رسالة الجامعة طوال الصباح — fakkarat Salmā fī risālat al-jāmiʿa ṭawāla aṣ-ṣabāḥ — "Salma thought about the letter from the university all morning."
53.17 فكرت: هل أسافر أم أبقى؟ — fakkarat: hal usāfiru am abqā? — "She wondered: should I go, or should I stay?"
53.18 فكرت في أمها المريضة — fakkarat fī ummihā al-marīḍa — "She thought of her sick mother."
53.19 ثم فكرت في حلمها القديم — thumma fakkarat fī ḥulmihā al-qadīm — "Then she thought of her old dream."
53.20 ذهبت إلى جدتها وقالت: أنا أفكر في السفر — dhahabat ilā jaddatihā wa-qālat: anā ufakkiru fī as-safar — "She went to her grandmother and said: I am thinking of going abroad."
53.21 قالت الجدة: فكري بهدوء يا ابنتي — qālat al-jadda: fakkirī bi-hudūʾ yā ibnatī — "Her grandmother said: think it over calmly, my girl."
53.22 ولا تفكري في كلام الناس — wa-lā tufakkirī fī kalām an-nās — "And don't think about what people say."
53.23 فكرت سلمى ليلةً كاملةً ولم تنم — fakkarat Salmā laylatan kāmilatan wa-lam tanam — "Salma thought all night long and did not sleep."
53.24 في الصباح جلست مع أمها وفكرتا معاً — fī aṣ-ṣabāḥ jalasat maʿa ummihā wa-fakkaratā maʿan — "In the morning she sat with her mother, and the two of them thought it over together."
53.25 قالت الأم: لقد فكرت فيكِ قبل أن أفكر في نفسي — qālat al-umm: laqad fakkartu fīki qabla an ufakkira fī nafsī — "Her mother said: I have thought of you before thinking of myself."
53.26 سافري، ولا تفكري فيّ كثيراً — sāfirī, wa-lā tufakkirī fiyya kathīran — "Go, and don't think about me too much."
53.27 بكت سلمى، ثم فكرت في كلام أمها — bakat Salmā, thumma fakkarat fī kalām ummihā — "Salma wept, then thought about her mother's words."
53.28 وأخيراً قالت: فكرت، وقررت أن أسافر — wa-akhīran qālat: fakkartu, wa-qarrartu an usāfira — "At last she said: I have thought, and I have decided to go."
53.29 وهي في الطائرة، كانت تفكر في أمها وجدتها — wa-hiya fī aṭ-ṭāʾira, kānat tufakkiru fī ummihā wa-jaddatihā — "On the plane, she was thinking of her mother and her grandmother."
53.30 وما زالت تفكر فيهما كل يوم — wa-mā zālat tufakkiru fīhimā kulla yawm — "And she still thinks of them both every day."
53.16 فكرت سلمى في رسالة الجامعة طوال الصباح
53.17 فكرت: هل أسافر أم أبقى؟
53.18 فكرت في أمها المريضة
53.19 ثم فكرت في حلمها القديم
53.20 ذهبت إلى جدتها وقالت: أنا أفكر في السفر
53.21 قالت الجدة: فكري بهدوء يا ابنتي
53.22 ولا تفكري في كلام الناس
53.23 فكرت سلمى ليلةً كاملةً ولم تنم
53.24 في الصباح جلست مع أمها وفكرتا معاً
53.25 قالت الأم: لقد فكرت فيكِ قبل أن أفكر في نفسي
53.26 سافري، ولا تفكري فيّ كثيراً
53.27 بكت سلمى، ثم فكرت في كلام أمها
53.28 وأخيراً قالت: فكرت، وقررت أن أسافر
53.29 وهي في الطائرة، كانت تفكر في أمها وجدتها
53.30 وما زالت تفكر فيهما كل يوم
- One spelling, several readings. Unvowelled فكرت can be فَكَّرَتْ (fakkarat, "she thought," 53.16) or فَكَّرْتُ (fakkartu, "I thought," 53.28). Only the context tells you which: in 53.28 she is speaking, so it is "I." - Direct thought. In 53.17, فكرت is followed directly by the question she asks herself: فكرت: هل أسافر أم أبقى؟ This is how Arabic reports a thought word for word. هل… أم… (hal… am…) is "…or…?" in a question. - Feminine commands. The grandmother speaks to a woman, so the imperative is فكّري (fakkirī, 53.21) and the prohibition is لا تفكّري (lā tufakkirī, 53.22, 53.26), the jussive without -na. Compare the masculine forms in 53.2 and 53.12. - The dual. In 53.24 two women think together, so the verb takes the feminine dual ending ـتا: فكّرتا (fakkaratā). In 53.30 the pronoun "them both" is the dual suffix ـهما: فيهما (fīhimā). - لقد + past. لقد فكّرتُ (laqad fakkartu, 53.25) adds emphasis to a completed action: "I truly have thought." - ما زال. وما زالت تفكّر (53.30), literally "and she has not ceased thinking," is the usual Arabic for "still": ما زال + present tense. - The ḥāl clause again. وهي في الطائرة (53.29), "and she in the plane," describes her situation while she was thinking. Compare وهو صغير in Lesson 52.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
- IPA: /ˈfak.ka.ra/, /ju.ˈfak.ki.ru/ - ف (fāʾ) = /f/, as in English. - ـكّ (shadda on kāf) = a doubled k. Hold the closure a moment before releasing it, as in English "book case": fak-ka-ra, never fa-ka-ra. - ر (rāʾ) = a tapped or lightly rolled r, as in Spanish pero. - Stress: FAK-ka-ra; yu-FAK-ki-ru; fak-KAR-tu. The stress moves to a heavy syllable (one closed by a consonant or containing a long vowel) near the end of the word.
- فَكَّرَ (fakkara) "he thought" vs فِكْر (fikr) "thought": same letters, different vowels and no doubling in the noun. - فِكْرَة (fikra) /ˈfik.ra/ "idea" vs فَكَّرَ /ˈfak.ka.ra/. - ظَنَّ (ẓanna) "he thought (supposed)": ظ is the emphatic /ðˤ/, a dark "th" of this; many speakers pronounce it /zˤ/, an emphatic z.
- ع (ʿayn) /ʕ/ in بعقلك, معاً, الجامعة: the voiced constriction in the throat. Written ' in the respellings. - ح (ḥāʾ) /ħ/ in الحكومة, حلمها, سحر: the whispered h from the throat. - ق (qāf) /q/ in قريتي, قبل, قدّر: a k made at the uvula. - The emphatics ص ط ظ in الصباح, الطائرة, نظر: tongue raised at the back, darkening the vowels. - Hamza (ء) /ʔ/ in بهدوء, الطائرة, يؤثر: the glottal stop, written ' in the respellings.
Before sun letters the l of the article assimilates: السفر → as-safar, الطلاب → aṭ-ṭullāb, الناس → an-nās. After و the alif of a Form X verb is silent: وَاسْتَكْبَرَ → wa-stakbara.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
---
Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)