كتب
kataba/ka.ta.ba/
The Arabic phrase for "to write" is كتب (kataba).
The verbal noun for the act of writing is كتابة.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present tense, يكتب is used for "he writes" or "he is writing," while يكتبون is the third-person masculine plural form for "they write." In the past tense, كتبتُ means "I wrote" and كتبت is the feminine singular form meaning "she wrote."
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ka.ta.ba/. The romanization is kataba and it has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The phrase كتب is the root of the word مكتوب, which means 'destiny' or 'fate', based on the belief that one's life is already written.
- In Arabic calligraphy, the act of writing is viewed as a spiritual exercise, where the physical movement of the pen is intended to reflect the inner state of the writer.
- Linguists believe the sense of 'to write' in كتب may have been borrowed from another Central Semitic language, rather than evolving naturally within early Arabic.
Examples in context
- كيف يُكتب "بيت" بالعربية؟How to write "house" in Arabic?This sentence is useful for asking how a specific word is written using كتب.Tatoeba #13362683 by Adelpa, translation #11944966 by LdjuherTaqvaylit
- هل هي صعبة للغاية لكي تُكتب؟Is it so difficult to write?This sentence is useful for asking if something is difficult to write using كتب.Tatoeba #1929418 by Asma, translation #1929390 by CM
- كَتَبْتُ مَقالًا في الصَّحيفَةِ.I wrote an article in the newspaper.
- أَنَا أكتبُ بالقَلَمِ الأسْوَدِ.I write with a black pen.
- رَحْ نَكْتُب عَلى السِّبُّورَة.We will write on the whiteboard.
- ما بِشْتَغِل بِالكِتَابَة الإبْدَاعِيَّة.I don't work in creative writing.
Example conversation
Layla and Yusuf are in a library.
- ليلى Laylaهل تريد أن تكتب قصيدة؟Hal tureedu an taktuba qasida?Do you want to write a poem?
- يوسف Youssefنعم، أريد أن أكتبها هنا.Na'am, ureedu an aktubaha huna.Yes, I want to write it here.
- ليلى Laylaهل كتبت المسودة الأولى؟Hal katabta al-musawwada al-oula?Did you write the first draft?
- يوسف Youssefلا، لم أكتب شيئاً بعد.La, lam aktub shay'an ba'd.No, I haven't written anything yet.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry كتب, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries كتب, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
