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Intermediate

Kāna and Her Sisters

Verbs that govern nominal sentences

كان puts a sentence in the past

كان (was) introduces a nominal sentence; the predicate becomes accusative.

💬 Examples
كانَ البَيتُ كَبيراً
kaana al-baytu kabiiran
The house was big
📝 Predicate كبيرا is accusative
كانَ الطالِبُ مُجتَهِداً
kaana aṭ-ṭaalibu mujtahidan
The student was diligent
📝 Subject nom., predicate acc.
The subject stays nominative

كان keeps its subject (its 'noun') nominative and makes its predicate (its 'khabar') accusative.

💬 Examples
أصبَحَ الجَوُّ بارِداً
aṣbaḥa al-jawwu baaridan
The weather became cold
📝 'sister' أصبح, same pattern
ليسَ الدَّرسُ صَعباً
laysa ad-darsu ṣa'ban
The lesson is not difficult
📝 ليس = is not
The sisters of كان

Verbs like أصبح، صار، ليس، ظلّ، ما زال behave the same way.

💬 Examples
صارَ الوَلَدُ رَجُلاً
ṣaara al-waladu rajulan
The boy became a man
📝 صار = became
ما زالَ المَطَرُ غَزيراً
maa zaala al-maṭaru ghaziiran
The rain is still heavy
📝 ما زال = still