Past verb in Arabic

In the Arabic language, there are three fundamental forms of verbs: past, present, and imperative. The past tense verb holds particular significance as it forms the basis of many rules in Arabic, hence it is prioritized in the fundamental sources of the language. In this study, the past tense verb in the Arabic language has been examined from various aspects under the light of both ancient and modern works. The first section of the study addresses basic concepts such as morphology, types of words, and the seven verbal forms to enhance understanding of the subject. Then, the structure of the past tense verb is discussed, including whether it is simple or augmented, and whether the subject and object are identified. Additionally, thirty-five different patterns of conjugation for the past tense verb are examined with their characteristics, accompanied by examples. The section concludes with an analysis of how the verb can be in the passive voice and the rules of vowelization in the past tense verb. In the second section of the study, the past tense verb is approached from a semantic perspective (science of meanings/science of indication). Firstly, the concept of semantics is emphasized, followed by a discussion of the different uses of the past tense verb with various prepositions and semantic elements, illustrated with examples of different times expressed. It is concluded that a comprehensive approach, both morphologically and semantically, is necessary to achieve accurate understanding of Arabic texts when dealing with the past tense verb.