menu Podcast

MSA or colloquial - there's something to learn in every lesson. Thanks.

I'm not clear about when to use يكلم and يتكلم ?

Didn't you guys translate the word "بعدين"
as "otherwise" in a previous lesson?

I'm a bit confused?

@ jenkki

That's correct. "Ba'deen" evidently has two distinct meanings. Some Arabic words even have twenty or thirty different meanings.

@psibear…my observations about your question.

Consider the following sentences -

Do not speak to me! I am angry with you
لا تكلّمني, زعلان منّك

I am speaking to you from the plane
أنا أكلمك من الطيارة

Do you speak English?
هل تتكلم الإنجليزية؟

In the first & second sentences, ‘to speak’ means ‘to talk to someone (in particular) ’
In such case, Form 2 verb is used -
kallama / yukallimu
(Imperative - kallim)

In the third sentence, ‘to speak’ has a broader meaning – ‘to use (a language) for conversing or communicating’
Here, use the Form 5 verb -
takallama / yatakallamu

Hosts may correct me, if I am wrong.

Thanks for clarifying, vinod, that makes sense, the verbs with the extra ت are interesting as sometimes they often seem to be connected with an ongoing two way action, eg to cooperate يتعاون otherwise they appear to make an active verb into a passive - not sure whether they're the correct linguistic terms - but I was thinking of يغير to change something and يتغير to be changed.

@ psibear

Your remark about verbs beginning with the letter “taa” has set me thinking. There are a lot of Arabic verbs that form pairs (verbs that begin with “taa” and verbs that do not). Here are two examples:

(1) daraba (ﻀﺮﺐ: he hit / tadarraba (ﺘﺪﺮﺐ: he practised

(2)haadatha (ﺤﺎﺪﺙ: he talked / tahaddatha (ﺘﺤﺪﺙ: he talked

In the first case the “d” sounds are different, but there seems to be some connection between “daraba” and “tadarraba”. Perhaps it has something to do with intensification.

In the second case the connection is evident. The verbs have identical consonants and are very similar in meaning.

It’s very hard to discern an overall pattern. We need more examples.