Arabic learning resources
Modals in standard and Egyptian Arabic
Modals in standard Arabic
In English, modal verbs include "can," "may," "might," "must," "should," and "would" — verbs that are not conjugated or negated in the same way as regular verbs. Standard Arabic doesn't have exact equivalents of these verbs, but it has words that are used in much the same way — including phrases beginning with من الـ. Here's a list (all of these are followed by imperfect-mood verbs, although if you remove the أن, you can follow them with a مصدر):
| يجب أن (yajib an) | must, should |
| على هـ أن (3ala + object + an) | must |
| من اللازم أن (min al-laazim an) | have to, it is necessary to |
| من الواجب أن (min al-waajib an) | it is necessary to |
| من الضروري أن (min aD-Daruuri an) | it is necessary to |
| ينبغي أن (yanbaġi an) | should |
| من المفروض أن (min al-mafruuD an) | should |
| من المفترض أن (min al-muftaraD an) | should, ought to |
| يمكن أن (yumkin an) | might, may |
| من الممكن أن (min al-mumkin an) | it is possible to |
| من المستحيل أن (min al-mustaHiil an) | it is impossible to |
| من المتوقع أن (min al-mutawaqqa3 an) | it is expected that |
| من المنتظر أن (min al-muntaZar an) | it is expected that |
| من السهل أن (min as-sahl an) | it is easy to |
| من اليسير أن (min al-yasiir an) | it is easy to |
| من الصعب أن (min aS-Sa3b an) | it is hard to |
| من الجدير بالذكر أن (min al-jadiir bid-dikr anna) | it's worth mentioning that |
| من الثابت أن (min at-taabit anna) | it's well-established that |
| من المعروف أن (min al-ma3ruuf anna) | it's (well-)known that |
| من الواضح أن (min al-waaDiH anna) | it's clear that |
| من المفهوم أن (min al-mafhuum anna) | it's understood that |
| من المرجع أن (min al-murajja3 an) | it's most likely that |
| من المحتمل أن (min al-muHtamal an) | it's probable that |
| من المقرر أن (min al-muqarrar an) | it's been decided that |
| من المتفق عليه أن (min al-muttafaq 3aleihi an) | it's been agreed that |
| من المعتاد أن (min al-mu3taad an) | it's customary to |
| من المستحسن أن (min al-mustaHsan an) | it's preferable that |
| من الأحسن أن (min al-aHsan an) | it's better that |
| من الأجدر أن (min al-ajdar an) | it's more suitable/proper to |
| من الطبيعي أن (min aT-Tabii3ii an) | it's natural that |
| من الممنوع أن (min al-mamnuu3 an) | it's forbidden to |
| من المسموح أن (min al-masmuuH an) | it's permitted to |
To shift to the past, add كان (kaan) before the phrase. To shift to the future, add سيكون (sayakuun) beforehand. For negation, add ليس (laysa) before it.
Examples:
هل يجب مناقشة قضايا مثل الكارثة الإنسانية في بورما في مجلس الأمن؟ (hal yajib munaaqašat qaDaaya mitl al-kaarita l-insaaniyya fii burma fii majlis al-amn?)
Should issues like the humanitarian disaster in Burma be discussed in the Security Council?
فيلم ايراني عن "اغتيال السادات" من المتوقع أن يثير غضب المصريين (fiilm iiraani 3an iġtiyaal as-saadaat min al-mutawaqqa3 an yatiir ġaDab al-miSriyyiin)
An Iranian movie about Sadat's assassination is expected to anger Egyptians (lit. excite Egyptians' anger).
هذه المشكلة من الممكن أن تتحول إلى ظاهرة في المستقبل اذا لم توضع لها حلول مناسبة وجذرية (haadihi l-muškila min al-mumkin an tataHawwil ila Zaahira ida lam tuwDi3 liha Huluul munaasiba wa-jidriyya)
This problem may turn into a phenomenon if appropriate and radical solutions for it are not found.
من الطبيعي ان يفرح المواطن، اي مواطن، لدى رؤيته جيشاً غريباً ينسحب من ارضه (min aT-Tabii3i an yafraH al-muwaaTin, ayya muwaaTin, laday ru'yatu jeišan ġariiban yansaHib min arDu)
It's natural for a citizen, any citizen, to rejoice at the sight of a foreign army withdrawing from his land.
إذا لم نستطع تجاوز الانقسامات داخل المجتمع الفلسطيني فسيكون من الصعب جدا تحقيق تقدم في موضوعي غزة وعملية السلام في الوقت نفسه (ida lam nastaTi3 tajaawuz al-inqisaamaat daaxil al-mujtama3 al-filasTiini fa-sayakuun min aS-Sa3b jiddan taHqiiq taqaddum fi mawDuu3eiyy ġazza wa-3amaliyyat as-salaam fil-waqt nafsu)
If we can't overcome the divisions within Palestinian society, then it will be very difficult to achieve progress in the issues of Gaza and the peace process at the same time.
Should issues like the humanitarian disaster in Burma be discussed in the Security Council?
فيلم ايراني عن "اغتيال السادات" من المتوقع أن يثير غضب المصريين (fiilm iiraani 3an iġtiyaal as-saadaat min al-mutawaqqa3 an yatiir ġaDab al-miSriyyiin)
An Iranian movie about Sadat's assassination is expected to anger Egyptians (lit. excite Egyptians' anger).
هذه المشكلة من الممكن أن تتحول إلى ظاهرة في المستقبل اذا لم توضع لها حلول مناسبة وجذرية (haadihi l-muškila min al-mumkin an tataHawwil ila Zaahira ida lam tuwDi3 liha Huluul munaasiba wa-jidriyya)
This problem may turn into a phenomenon if appropriate and radical solutions for it are not found.
من الطبيعي ان يفرح المواطن، اي مواطن، لدى رؤيته جيشاً غريباً ينسحب من ارضه (min aT-Tabii3i an yafraH al-muwaaTin, ayya muwaaTin, laday ru'yatu jeišan ġariiban yansaHib min arDu)
It's natural for a citizen, any citizen, to rejoice at the sight of a foreign army withdrawing from his land.
إذا لم نستطع تجاوز الانقسامات داخل المجتمع الفلسطيني فسيكون من الصعب جدا تحقيق تقدم في موضوعي غزة وعملية السلام في الوقت نفسه (ida lam nastaTi3 tajaawuz al-inqisaamaat daaxil al-mujtama3 al-filasTiini fa-sayakuun min aS-Sa3b jiddan taHqiiq taqaddum fi mawDuu3eiyy ġazza wa-3amaliyyat as-salaam fil-waqt nafsu)
If we can't overcome the divisions within Palestinian society, then it will be very difficult to achieve progress in the issues of Gaza and the peace process at the same time.
Modals in Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic uses many of the same modals listed above, but without the من الـ...أن. Usually they are followed by an imperfect-tense verb.
| لازم (laazim) | must, have to |
| ضروري (Daruuri) | must |
| المفروض (il-mafruuD) | should |
| ممكن (mumkin) | can, it's possible |
| مستحيل (mustaHiil) | it's impossible |
| يمكن (yemkin) | perhaps |
| جايز (gaayiz) | may, it is possible that |
| سهل (sahl) | it's easy to |
| صعب (Sa3b) | it's hard to |
| ممنوع (mamnuu3) | it's forbidden to |
| مسموح (masmuuH) | it's permitted to |
There are also modals that are active participles. Remember that all active participles act as adjectives, and thus have masculine, feminine, and plural forms.
| عايز - عايزة - عايزين (3aayiz - 3ayza - 3ayziin) | want to |
| ناوي - ناوية - ناويين (naawi - nawya - nawyiin) | intending to |
| قاعد - قاعدة - قاعدين ('aa3id - 'a3da - 'a3diin) | continuing to |
| عمال - عمالة - عمالين (3ammaal - 3ammaala - 3ammaliin) | continuing to |
There are also modals that you attach a pronoun suffix to:
| نفس (nifs-) | to feel like |
| قصد ('aSd-) | to mean to |
| زمان (zamaan-) | must have - indicates something happening at the proper or expected time |
| تن (tann-) | continuing to |
| يا ريت (ya reit - suffix optional) | wish |
Again, to shift to the past, add كان (kaan) before the phrase. To shift to the future, add هيكون (haykuun) beforehand. For negation, add مش (miš) before it.
Examples:
كان لازم تفكر في الموضوع قبل ما تاخد قرار (kaan laazim tifakkar fel-mawDuu3 'abl ma taaxod qaraar)
You should've thought about it before you made a decision.
المفروض اننا كلنا نقضي وقت كويس (il-mafruuD innena kollena ni'Di wa't kwayyis)
We should all spend our time well.
ماكانش قصدي أدايقك (makanš 'aSdi adaayi'ak)
I didn't mean to annoy you.
يا ريتني مافتحت صدري واتكلمت بقلب جامد (ya reitni mafataHt sidri witkallemt bi-'alb gaamid)
I wish I hadn't talked so openly and bravely.
زمانها جاية (zamanha gayya)
She ought to be coming (soon now).
زمانك جعت (zamaanak gu3t)
You must be hungry by now.
كان زمان كل حاجة خلصت لو كنتي ساعدتيني (kaan zamaan kulle Haaga xilSit law kunti sa3idtiini)
Everything would've been finished by now if you'd helped me.
نفسي أسافر لبنان (nifsi asaafir libnaan)
I'd like to travel to Lebanon.
ناوية أصحي بدري (nawya aSHa badri)
I intend to get up early.
البلاوي عمالة تتحدف علينا (il-balaawi 3ammaala titHaddif 3aleina)
Troubles keep on befalling us.
العربية الكحيانة دي عمالة تكح في وسط الشارع (il-3arabiyya l-kaHyaana di 3ammaala tkoHH fi wesT iš-šaari3)
This beat-up old car keeps coughing in the middle of the street.
You should've thought about it before you made a decision.
المفروض اننا كلنا نقضي وقت كويس (il-mafruuD innena kollena ni'Di wa't kwayyis)
We should all spend our time well.
ماكانش قصدي أدايقك (makanš 'aSdi adaayi'ak)
I didn't mean to annoy you.
يا ريتني مافتحت صدري واتكلمت بقلب جامد (ya reitni mafataHt sidri witkallemt bi-'alb gaamid)
I wish I hadn't talked so openly and bravely.
زمانها جاية (zamanha gayya)
She ought to be coming (soon now).
زمانك جعت (zamaanak gu3t)
You must be hungry by now.
كان زمان كل حاجة خلصت لو كنتي ساعدتيني (kaan zamaan kulle Haaga xilSit law kunti sa3idtiini)
Everything would've been finished by now if you'd helped me.
نفسي أسافر لبنان (nifsi asaafir libnaan)
I'd like to travel to Lebanon.
ناوية أصحي بدري (nawya aSHa badri)
I intend to get up early.
البلاوي عمالة تتحدف علينا (il-balaawi 3ammaala titHaddif 3aleina)
Troubles keep on befalling us.
العربية الكحيانة دي عمالة تكح في وسط الشارع (il-3arabiyya l-kaHyaana di 3ammaala tkoHH fi wesT iš-šaari3)
This beat-up old car keeps coughing in the middle of the street.
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