كان

See also: کان, كأن, and گان

Arabic

Root
ك و ن (k w n)
11 terms

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Semitic *kawan- (“to be or exist in a place”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kaː.na/
Audio: (file)

Verb

كَانَ • (kāna) I (non-past يَكُونُ (yakūnu), verbal noun كَوْن (kawn) or كِيَان (kiyān) or كَيْنُونَة (kaynūna))

(copulative) to be [with accusative]
(auxiliary) forms the past perfect, past continuous, future perfect and future continuous tenses
كَانَ (قَدْ) فَعَلَ ― kāna (qad) faʕala ― He had done.

كَانَ يَفْعَلُ ― kāna yafʕalu ― He was doing.

كَانَ سَيَفْعَلُ ― kāna sayafʕalu ― He was going to do.

سَيَكُونُ (قَدْ) فَعَلَ ― sayakūnu (qad) faʕala ― He will have done.

سَيَكُونُ يَفْعَلُ ― sayakūnu yafʕalu ― He will be doing.
(intransitive) to exist, to be, there be
- 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 2:280:
  وَإِنْ كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَىٰ مَيْسَرَةٍ
  waʔin kāna ḏū ʕusratin fanaẓiratun ʔilā maysaratin
  And if he is in unease, then [let there be] a delay until a time of ease.
- 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 40:68:
  هُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ فَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ
  huwa llaḏī yuḥyī wayumītu faʔiḏā qaḍā ʔamran faʔinnamā yaqūlu lahu kun fayakūnu
  It is He who causes to live and causes to die. And when He decided a matter, he says to it, "Be", and it is.
- 1865 CE, Bible (SVD), Book of Genesis, 1:3:
  وَقَالَ اللهُ: «لِيَكُنْ نُورٌ»، فَكَانَ نُورٌ.
  waqāla llāhu: “liyakun nūrun”, fakāna nūrun.
  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (literally, And God said, “Let light be”; and light is.)
to behove
Synonym: يَنْبَغِي (yanbaḡī)
- 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 24:16:
  وَلَوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ قُلْتُمْ مَا يَكُونُ لَنَا أَنْ نَتَكَلَّمَ بِهَٰذَا سُبْحَانَكَ هَٰذَا بُهْتَانٌ عَظِيمٌ
  walawlā ʔiḏ samiʕtumūhu qultum mā yakūnu lanā ʔan natakallama bihāḏā subḥānaka hāḏā buhtānun ʕaẓīmun
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)
to happen, to occur, to take place

Usage notes

Like all copulative verbs in Arabic, كَانَ (kāna) takes a predicate in the accusative case. This contrasts with old Indo-European languages such as Latin and Greek, in which the predicate of a copulative verb is in the nominative case.
كَانَ جَمَالٌ عَبْدُ ٱلنَّاصِرِ رَئِيسَ جُمْهُورِيَّةِ مِصْرَ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّةِ.
kāna jamālun ʕabdu n-nāṣiri raʔīsa jumhūriyyati miṣra l-ʕarabiyyati.
Gamal Abdel Nasser was the president of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
In the present indicative, “to be” is most often expressed by a nominal sentence (جُمْلَة اِسْمِيَّة (jumla ismiyya)) with no verb. In this case, the predicate is in the nominative case.
عَبْدُ الْفَتَّاحِ ٱلسِّيسِي (هُوَ) رَئِيسُ جُمْهُورِيَّةِ مِصْرَ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّةِ.
ʕabdu l-fattāḥi s-sīsī (huwa) raʔīsu jumhūriyyati miṣra l-ʕarabiyyati.
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is the president of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
Imperfect forms of كَانَ (kāna) are not rare, however:
- They occur after certain conjunctions that must always be followed by a verb:
  أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَكُونَ غَنِيًّا. ― ʔurīdu ʔan ʔakūna ḡaniyyan. ― I want to be rich.
- They are sometimes used instead of a nominal sentence to provide for a clearer sentence structure.
The jussive forms that end in sukun sometimes drop the final ـن (-n), giving: يَكُ (yaku), تَكُ (taku), أَكُ (ʔaku), نَكُ (naku).
كَانَ (kāna) is the only verb in Arabic that can be followed by a past-tense verb.

Conjugation

Conjugation of **كَانَ** (I, hollow, a ~ u, no passive, irregular, verbal nouns *كَوْن*, *كِيَان*, *كَيْنُونَة*)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر					كَوْن, كِيَان, كَيْنُونَة kawn, kiyān, kaynūna
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل					كَائِن kāʔin
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد			dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1^st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب	1^st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب	1^st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب
past indicative (perfect) الْمَاضِي	m	كُنْتُ kuntu	كُنْتَ kunta	كَانَ kāna	كُنَّا kunnā	كُنْتُمَا kuntumā	كَانَا kānā	كُنَّا kunnā	كُنْتُمْ kuntum	كَانُوا kānū
past indicative (perfect) الْمَاضِي	f	كُنْتُ kuntu	كُنْتِ kunti	كَانَتْ kānat	كُنَّا kunnā	كُنْتُمَا kuntumā	كَانَتَا kānatā	كُنَّا kunnā	كُنْتُنَّ kuntunna	كُنَّ kunna
non-past indicative (imperfect) الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَكُونُ ʔakūnu	تَكُونُ takūnu	يَكُونُ yakūnu	نَكُونُ nakūnu	تَكُونَانِ takūnāni	يَكُونَانِ yakūnāni	نَكُونُ nakūnu	تَكُونُونَ takūnūna	يَكُونُونَ yakūnūna
non-past indicative (imperfect) الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	f	أَكُونُ ʔakūnu	تَكُونِينَ takūnīna	تَكُونُ takūnu	نَكُونُ nakūnu	تَكُونَانِ takūnāni	تَكُونَانِ takūnāni	نَكُونُ nakūnu	تَكُنَّ takunna	يَكُنَّ yakunna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَكُونَ ʔakūna	تَكُونَ takūna	يَكُونَ yakūna	نَكُونَ nakūna	تَكُونَا takūnā	يَكُونَا yakūnā	نَكُونَ nakūna	تَكُونُوا takūnū	يَكُونُوا yakūnū
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	f	أَكُونَ ʔakūna	تَكُونِي takūnī	تَكُونَ takūna	نَكُونَ nakūna	تَكُونَا takūnā	تَكُونَا takūnā	نَكُونَ nakūna	تَكُنَّ takunna	يَكُنَّ yakunna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَكُنْ, أَكُ ʔakun, ʔaku	تَكُنْ, تَكُ takun, taku	يَكُنْ, يَكُ yakun, yaku	نَكُنْ, نَكُ nakun, naku	تَكُونَا takūnā	يَكُونَا yakūnā	نَكُنْ, نَكُ nakun, naku	تَكُونُوا takūnū	يَكُونُوا yakūnū
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	f	أَكُنْ, أَكُ ʔakun, ʔaku	تَكُونِي takūnī	تَكُنْ, تَكُ takun, taku	نَكُنْ, نَكُ nakun, naku	تَكُونَا takūnā	تَكُونَا takūnā	نَكُنْ, نَكُ nakun, naku	تَكُنَّ takunna	يَكُنَّ yakunna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		كُنْ kun			كُونَا kūnā			كُونُوا kūnū
imperative الْأَمْر	f		كُونِي kūnī			كُونَا kūnā			كُنَّ kunna

Alternative forms

כאן — Judeo-Arabic

Descendants

Maltese: kien

Etymology 2

From French Caen, q.v.

Proper noun

كَان • (kān) ?

Caen (a city in France)

Etymology 3

From French Cannes, q.v.

Proper noun

كَان • (kān) ?

Cannes (a city in France)

References

Wehr, Hans (1979), “كون”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

Egyptian Arabic

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Semitic *kawan-

Arabic كَانَ (kāna)

Egyptian Arabic كان

Inherited from Arabic كَانَ (kāna).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kæːn/, [kæːn]

Verb

كان • (kān) (verbal noun كون (kōn))

(copulative) to be (see usage notes)
(in the past-tense, auxiliary)
1. (auxiliary with indicative) Indicates progressive or continuous aspect: to be
  Synonyms: قعد (aʕad), فضل (faḍal, fiḍil)
  
  كان بيحاول يقولّك ― kān biyḥāwil yiʔullak ― He was trying to tell you
2. (auxiliary with subjunctive) Expresses regret or condemnation: should have
  Synonym: بقى (baʔa) (present-tense)
  
  كانت تحاول تقولّك
  kān tiḥāwil tiʔullak
  [Then,] she should have tried to tell you
3. (auxiliary with future-tense) Indicates a past conditional: would have
  لو كان هنا، كان حيحلّ المشكله
  law kān hina, kān ḥayḥill il-muškila
  If he was here, he would have solved the problem

Usage notes

In the present indicative, it is not used, a nominal sentence is used instead.

Conjugation

Although this process most often goes unwritten, when suffixed with a ت (t), the ن (n) is often assimilated when the word is unstressed.
- With ـْت (-t) or ـْتـ (-t-), the ن (n) disappears and the ت (t) becomes a geminate: كتّ (kutt), كتّي (kutti), كتّوا (kuttu).
- With ـِت (-it), both the ن (n) and the vowel disappear completely: كات (kat, always short due it being an unstressed form).

Conjugation of **كان**
		singular			plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
past	m	كنت (kunt)	كنت (kunt)	كان (kān)	كننا (kunna)	كنتوا (kuntu)	كانوا (kānu)
past	f	كنت (kunt)	كنتي (kunti)	كانت (kānit)	كننا (kunna)	كنتوا (kuntu)	كانوا (kānu)
present subjunctive	m	اكون (akūn)	تكون (tikūn)	يكون (yikūn)	نكون (nikūn)	تكونوا (tikūnu)	يكونوا (yikūnu)
present subjunctive	f	اكون (akūn)	تكوني (tikūni)	تكون (tikūn)	نكون (nikūn)	تكونوا (tikūnu)	يكونوا (yikūnu)
present indicative	m	بكون (bakūn)	بتكون (bitkūn)	بيكون (biykūn)	بنكون (binkūn)	بتكونوا (bitkūnu)	بيكونوا (biykūnu)
present indicative	f	بكون (bakūn)	بتكوني (bitkūnu)	بتكون (bitkūn)	بنكون (binkūn)	بتكونوا (bitkūnu)	بيكونوا (biykūnu)
future¹	m	هكون (hakūn)	هتكون (hatkūn)	هيكون (haykūn)	هنكون (hankūn)	هتكونوا (hatkūnu)	هيكونوا (haykūnu)
future¹	f	هكون (hakūn)	هتكوني (hatkūnu)	هتكون (hatkūn)	هنكون (hankūn)	هتكونوا (hatkūnu)	هيكونوا (haykūnu)
imperative	m		كون (kūn)			كونوا (kūnu)
imperative	f		كوني (kūni)			كونوا (kūnu)

¹ The future tense can be prefixed with either هـ (ha-) or حـ (ḥa-) depending on the speaker.

Hijazi Arabic

Root
ك و ن
2 terms

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Semitic *kawan-

Arabic كَانَ (kāna)

Hijazi Arabic كان

Inherited from Arabic كَانَ (kāna).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kaːn/

Verb

كان • (kān) I (non-past يِكُون (yikūn))

to be

Conjugation

Conjugation of **كان**
		singular			plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
past	m	كنت (kunt)	كنت (kunt)	كان (kān)	كننا (kunna)	كنتوا (kuntu)	كانوا (kānu)
past	f	كنت (kunt)	كنتي (kunti)	كانت (kānat)	كننا (kunna)	كنتوا (kuntu)	كانوا (kānu)
non-past	m	أكون (ʔakūn)	تكون (tikūn)	يكون (yikūn)	نكون (nikūn)	تكونوا (tikūnu)	يكونوا (yikūnu)
non-past	f	أكون (ʔakūn)	تكوني (tikūni)	تكون (tikūn)	نكون (nikūn)	تكونوا (tikūnu)	يكونوا (yikūnu)
imperative	m		كون (kūn)			كونوا (kūnu)
imperative	f		كوني (kūni)			كونوا (kūnu)

South Levantine Arabic

Root
ك و ن
4 terms

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Semitic *kawan-

Arabic كَانَ (kāna)

South Levantine Arabic كان

Inherited from Arabic كَانَ (kāna).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kaːn/, [kæːn]
Audio (al-Lidd): (file)

Verb

كان • (kān) I (present بكون (bikūn), active participle كاين (kāyen))

to be
Synonym: (rural) بقى (baka)

الشباب كانو في البيت. ― iš-šabāb kānu fi l-bēt ― The guys were in the house.

وين كاينة؟ ― wēn kāyne? ― Where have you been?

لازم تكوني فاهمة على وضع ه.
lāzim tkūni fāhme ʕala waḍaʕo
You should be understanding of his situation.
(auxiliary, by extension) (with subjunctive) continuous and habitual aspect marker
هي رح تكون تحكي مع الدكتور.
hiyye rāḥ tkūn tiḥki maʕ id-doktōr
She will be speaking to the doctor.

و انا زغير، كنت اسافر كتير مع اهل ي.
w-ana zġīr, kunt asāfer ktīr maʕ ahli
When I was young, I used to travel a lot with my parents.
(auxiliary, by extension) (with past tense) perfect aspect marker
لمّا جيت، كنت خلّصت.
lamma jīt, kunt ḵallaṣt
When you came, I had already finished.
(literally, “When you came, I was I finished it.”)

بكرا بتكون خلّصت ه.
bukra bitkūn ḵallaṣto
Tomorrow you will have finished it.
(literally, “Tomorrow, you will be you finished it.”)
(auxiliary) (optional; always in the past tense) sets up the main clause in a counterfactual conditional
لو سألت ني، (كنت) قلت لّك.
law saʔaltni, (kunt) ʔultillak
If you had asked me, I would have told you.

لو بتسأل ني، (كنت) بقل ّك.
law btisʔalni, (kunt) baʔullak
If you were to ask me, I would tell you.

Usage notes

The copula "to be" is omitted in the present tense, whereas the present form of كان (kān) is used to express the future tense.

Conjugation

Conjugation of **كان**
		singular			plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
past	m	كنت (kunt)	كنت (kunt)	كان (kān)	كننا (kunna)	كنتو (kuntu)	كانو (kānu)
past	f	كنت (kunt)	كنتي (kunti)	كانت (kānat)	كننا (kunna)	كنتو (kuntu)	كانو (kānu)
present	m	بكون (bakūn)	بتكون (bitkūn)	بكون (bikūn)	منكون (minkūn)	بتكونو (bitkūnu)	بيكونو (bikūnu)
present	f	بكون (bakūn)	بتكوني (bitkūni)	بتكون (bitkūn)	منكون (minkūn)	بتكونو (bitkūnu)	بيكونو (bikūnu)
subjunctive	m	اكون (akūn)	تكون (tkūn)	يكون (ykūn)	نكون (nkūn)	تكونو (tkūnu)	يكونو (ykūnu)
subjunctive	f	اكون (akūn)	تكوني (tkūni)	تكون (tkūn)	نكون (nkūn)	تكونو (tkūnu)	يكونو (ykūnu)
imperative	m		كون (kūn)			كونو (kūnu)
imperative	f		كوني (kūni)			كونو (kūnu)

Tunisian Arabic

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Semitic *kawan-

Arabic كَانَ (kāna)

Tunisian Arabic كان

Inherited from Arabic كَانَ (kāna). Compare Maltese kien.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ke̞ːn]

Verb

كان (kēn)

(emphasis or non-present) to be
تَوّْ مُوش كِان پرُوف؟ ― taww mūš kēn prōf? ― Now, was he not a professor?

وِين كُنَّا ووِين صبَحنَا
wīn konnə w-wīn ṣbaħnə
Look how far we've gone
(literally, “Where we were and where we became”)
(auxiliary with non-past)
1. to be about to do something
  كِان مِاشي وبِاش يوَصِّلنَا فِي ثنيتُو
  kēn mēši w-bēš ywaṣṣelnə fi tnītu
  He was about to go already and pick us up
2. expands verb constructions, locked in non-past tense forms, to past tense
(genealogical) to be to a relative
هَاكِي تكُونِلهَا كِنِّتهَا
She is her daughter-in-law
(literally, “That one is to her her daughter-in-law”)

Conjugation of كِان (Group CVVC)

Infinitive: **كِان**
		singular				plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
		1^st person	2^nd person	masculine	feminine	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
		آنَا	اِنتِ	هُوَّ	هِيَّ	اَحنَا	اِنتُومَا	هُومَا
Active voice
past		كُنت (kont)	كُنت (kont)	كِان (kēn)	كِانِت (kēnet)	كُنّا (konnə)	كُنتُوا (kontu)	كِانُوا (kēnu)
non-past		نكُون (nkūn)	تكُون (tkūn)	يكُون (ykūn)	تكُون (tkūn)	نكُونُوا (nkūnu)	تكُونُوا (tkūnu)	يكُونُوا (ykūnu)
imperative			كُون (kūn)				كُونُوا (kūnu)
		masculine		feminine		common
participles	past
participles	present
verbal noun		—


		singular				plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
		1^st person	2^nd person	masculine	feminine	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
		آنَا	اِنتِ	هُوَّ	هِيَّ	اَحنَا	اِنتُومَا	هُومَا
Passive voice
past
non-past
imperative
		masculine		feminine		common
participles	past
participles	present
verbal noun

Causative infinitive: كَوِّن
		singular				plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
		1^st person	2^nd person	masculine	feminine	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
		آنَا	اِنتِ	هُوَّ	هِيَّ	اَحنَا	اِنتُومَا	هُومَا
Causative voice
past		كَوِّنت (kawwent)	كَوِّنت (kawwent)	كَوِّن (kawwen)	كَوّنِت (kawwnet)	كَوِّنّا (kawwennə)	كَوِّنتُوا (kawwentu)	كَوّنُوا (kawwnu)
non-past		نكَوِّن (nkawwen)	تكَوِّن (tkawwen)	يكَوِّن (ykawwen)	تكَوِّن (tkawwen)	نكَوّنُوا (nkawwnu)	تكَوّنُوا (tkawwnu)	يكَوّنُوا (ykawwnu)
imperative			كَوِّن (kawwen)				كَوّنُوا (kawwnu)
		masculine		feminine		common
participles	past
participles	present
verbal noun

Passive causative infinitive: تكَوِّن
		singular				plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
		1^st person	2^nd person	masculine	feminine	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
		آنَا	اِنتِ	هُوَّ	هِيَّ	اَحنَا	اِنتُومَا	هُومَا
Passive Causative voice
past		تكَوِّنت (tkawwent)	تكَوِّنت (tkawwent)	تكَوِّن (tkawwen)	تكَوّنِت (tkawwnet)	تكَوِّنّا (tkawwennə)	تكَوِّنتُوا (tkawwentu)	تكَوّنُوا (tkawwnu)
non-past		نِتكَوِّن (netkawwen)	تِتكَوِّن (tetkawwen)	يِتكَوِّن (yetkawwen)	تِتكَوِّن (tetkawwen)	نِتكَوّنُوا (netkawwnu)	تِتكَوّنُوا (tetkawwnu)	يِتكَوّنُوا (yetkawwnu)
imperative			اِتكَوِّن (etkawwen)				اِتكَوّنُوا (etkawwnu)
		masculine		feminine		common
participles	past
participles	present
verbal noun

The infinitive form is identically the 3rd person singular masculine past form of the verb

Etymology 2

Clipping of Arabic لَوْ كَانَ (law kāna). Cognate with Maltese jekk.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ke̞ːn]

Conjunction

كان (kēn)

(accompanied with رَا in the second clause if non-imperative else it's not) if, in case, when
كِان قرِيت بالباهي، رَاك فِي فَاك طَيَّارَة
kēn qrīt b-el-bēhi, rāk fi fāk tayyāra
If you had studied hard, you would've attended a prestigious college

كِان تسَكِّر بِيكْ الپِيسِي واِنتِي مِزِّلتْ تِخْدِمْ، رَاوْ تِترِسْتُورَى خِدمتِك كِي تعَاود تحِلّ
kēn tsakker bīk l-pesē w-enti mezzelt teḵdem, rāo tetrestōra ḵedmtek ki tʕāwed tḥell
In case your PC [suddenly] shut down while you're working, you can restore your work once you turn it on

كِان جَاك، أَعْطيه حَقّ السِّلعَة
kēn jēk, aʕṭīh ḥaqq s-selʕæ
When he arrives, pay him for the goods
whether
مَا نَعرِفش علِيك عَاد كِان عِينِك
mə naʕrefš ʕlīk ʕǣd kēn ʕīnek
Hey, I don't know whether you want it
(prenomial) only
Synonym: بَرك (bark)

كِان زُوز خَرجُو ― kēn zūz ḵarju ― Only two [people] went [abroad]
except
مشِاو الكُلّ كِان هُوَّ ― mšēw l-koll kēn howwə ― They all went except him

Derived terms

كِانِش