Arabic word sheet
كَانَ
he was; it was
- Type
- verb
- Root
- ك و ن
Meaning and usage
To be (in the past)
Says what a person or thing was, or what state it was in, at a past time. It needs something after it to say what: "Zayd was standing".
كَانَ الطَّقْسُ بَارِدًا فِي الصَّبَاحِ
The weather was cold in the morning.
To happen, to exist
Used on its own, with nothing to complete it, it says that something takes place or exists: "the matter happened", "there was …".
كَانَ مَطَرٌ شَدِيدٌ فِي اللَّيْلِ
There was heavy rain in the night.
To be, with no idea of time
Sometimes it is a simple link between a thing and what is said of it, without placing it in the past: the thing is so and has always been so.
كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مَالِحًا دَائِمًا
The sea has always been salty.
To become
Also said of a thing that passes from one state to another: it "becomes" what is said next.
ذَابَ الثَّلْجُ فَكَانَ مَاءً
The ice melted and became water.
Used to
Followed by another verb, it says that an action was repeated or went on in the past: "he used to do", "he would do".
كَانَ سَامِي يَمْشِي إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ
Sami used to walk to school.
Word family
What the root means ك و ن
The root carries the idea of existing, coming about and being somewhere. From it come the words for existence, for what exists and for the place where a thing is.
existence, being
كَوْنٌ
the fact of being, existence
كَيْنُونَةٌ
being, existence
كِيَانٌ
being, existing
كَائِنٌ
place
مَكَانٌ
Synonyms
to happen, to take place
وَقَعَ
Said only of an event that occurs, never to say what a thing was.
to become
صَارَ
Stresses the passage from one state to another, whereas the headword most often states a plain condition.