Every verb on the CEFR-levelled Lock&Learn Arabic lists with its romanization and meaning, the beginner ones in a real sentence. Filter it, flip it into flashcards, or carry it on your Lock Screen with Lock&Learn Arabic.
The verbs of beginner and elementary Arabic, each with its romanization and meaning. Arabic dictionaries list a verb in the past tense of "he": kataba is "he wrote", and it is glossed "to write". Most verbs are built on a three-consonant root, k-t-b for writing, which also gives kitāb (book) and maktab (office).
In Lock&Learn Arabic these words sit in their level packs (Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate and more), one per glance on the widget: a fully vocalized word waits with its romanization; one tap reveals the meaning and a real sentence. Beginner is free in full; every other pack opens with a free preview.
Type to filter by Arabic, romanization or meaning. Flashcards hides the meaning until you tap a row; Shuffle deals the list in a new order.
| Arabic | Romanization | Meaning | Level | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| وَجَدَ | wajada | to find | A1 | وَجَدْتُ كِتَابِي فِي الْمَكْتَبَةِ.Wajadtu kitābī fī al-maktabati.I found my book in the library. |
| اِسْتَمَعَ | istamaʿa | to listen | A1 | اِسْتَمَعَ الطَّالِبُ لِلأُسْتَاذِ.Istamaʿa al-ṭṭālibu lilʾustādhi.The student listened to the teacher. |
| اِشْتَرَى | ishtarā | to buy | A1 | اِشْتَرَيْتُ خُبْزًا وَحَلِيبًا.Ishtaraytu khubzanā waḥalībanā.I bought bread and milk. |
| أَحَبّ | aḥabb | to love or like | A1 | أَنَا أُحِبُّ القَهْوَةَ.Anā uḥibbu al-qahwata.I like coffee. |
| أَخَذَ | akhadha | to take | A1 | أَخَذَ عَلِيٌّ كِتَابَهُ.Akhadha ʿaliyyun kitābahu.Ali took his book. |
| أَرادَ | arāda | to want something | A1 | أُرِيدُ شُرْبَ المَاءِ.Urīdu shurba al-māʾi.I want to drink water. |
| رَجَعَ | rajaʿa | to return | A1 | رَجَعَ أَبِي إِلَى الْبَيْتِ.Rajaʿa abī ilā al-bayti.My father returned home. |
| رَأَى | raʾā | to see | A1 | رَأَيْتُ صَدِيقِي فِي السُّوقِ.Raʾaytu ṣadīqī fī al-ssūqi.I saw my friend at the market. |
| عَرَفَ | ʿarafa | to know or recognize | A1 | أَنَا أَعْرِفُ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ.Anā aʿrifu hadhā al-rrajula.I know this man. |
| أَجابَ | ajāba | to answer | A1 | أَجابَ الطَّالِبُ عَنِ السُّؤَالِ.Ajāba al-ṭṭālibu ʿani al-ssuʾāli.The student answered the question. |
| أَعْطَى | aʿṭā | to give | A1 | أَعْطَانِي أَبِي كِتَابًا جَدِيدًا.Aʿṭānī abī kitābanā jadīdanā.My father gave me a new book. |
| أَكَلَ | akala | to eat | A1 | أَكَلَ الْوَلَدُ خُبْزًا.Akala al-waladu khubzanā.The boy ate bread. |
| نام | nām | to sleep | A1 | نَامَ الطِّفْلُ بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ مُتْعِبٍ.Nāma al-ṭṭiflu baʿda yawmin mutʿibin.The child slept after a tiring day. |
| نَظَرَ | naẓara | to look at | A1 | نَظَرَ أَبِي إِلَى السَّاعَةِ.Naẓara abī ilā al-ssāʿati.My father looked at the clock. |
| تَكَلَّمَ | takallama | to speak | A1 | هَلْ تَتَكَلَّمُ العَرَبِيَّةَ؟Hal tatakallamu al-ʿarabiyyata?Do you speak Arabic? |
| جَلَسَ | jalasa | to sit down | A1 | جَلَسَ الوَلَدُ عَلَى الكُرْسِيِّ.Jalasa al-waladu ʿalā al-kursiyyi.The boy sat on the chair. |
| خَرَجَ | kharaja | to leave or exit | A1 | خَرَجَ الطَّالِبُ مِنَ الصَّفِّ.Kharaja al-ṭṭālibu mina al-ṣṣaffi.The student left the classroom. |
| دَرَسَ | darasa | to study or learn | A1 | دَرَسَ أَحْمَدُ العَرَبِيَّةَ.Darasa aḥmadu al-ʿarabiyyata.Ahmad studied Arabic. |
| شاهَدَ | shāhada | to watch or view | A1 | أَنَا أُشاهِدُ فِيلْماً.Anā ushāhidu fīlman.I am watching the movie. |
| عَنَى | ʿanā | to mean or signify | A1 | مَاذَا يَعْنِي هَذَا؟Mādhā yaʿnī hadhā?What does this mean? |
| عاشَ | ʿāsha | to live | A1 | عَاشَ جَدِّي فِي القَاهِرَةِ.ʿĀsha jaddī fī al-qāhirati.My grandfather lived in Cairo. |
| فَعَلَ | faʿala | to do | A1 | مَاذَا فَعَلَ هَذَا الوَلَدُ؟Mādhā faʿala hadhā al-waladu?What did this boy do? |
| قالَ | qāla | to say | A1 | قالَ أَحْمَدُ نَعَم.Qāla aḥmadu naʿam.Ahmed said yes. |
| فَهِمَ | fahima | to understand | A1 | أَنَا فَهِمْتُ الدَّرْسَ جَيِّدًا.Anā fahimtu al-ddarsa jayyidanā.I understood the lesson well. |
| كانَ | kāna | to be | A1 | كَانَ الجَوُّ جَمِيلاً.Kāna al-jawwu jamīlan.The weather was beautiful. |
| تَحَدَّثَ | taḥaddatha | to speak or talk | A1 | أَتَحَدَّثُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ قَلِيلًا.Ataḥaddathu al-ʿarabiyyata qalīlanā.I speak a little Arabic. |
| جاء | jāʾ | to come | A1 | جَاءَ زَيْدٌ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ.Jāʾa zaydun ilā al-madrasati.Zaid came to the school. |
| تَعَلَّمَ | taʿallama | to learn (something) | A1 | أَتَعَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ فِي الْمَدْرَسَةِ.Ataʿallamu al-ʿarabiyyata fī al-madrasati.I learn Arabic at school. |
| سَمِعَ | samiʿa | to hear | A1 | سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَ أُمِّي فِي الْمَطْبَخِ.Samiʿtu ṣawta ummī fī al-maṭbakhi.I heard my mother's voice in the kitchen. |
| فَتَحَ | fataḥa | to open | A1 | فَتَحَ الطَّالِبُ نَافِذَةَ الغُرْفَةِ.Fataḥa al-ṭṭālibu nāfidhata al-ghurfati.The student opened the room window. |
| ذَهَبَ | dhahaba | to go | A1 | ذَهَبَ أَحْمَدُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ.Dhahaba aḥmadu ilā al-madrasati.Ahmad went to school. |
| دَخَلَ | dakhala | to enter a place | A1 | دَخَلَ الطَّالِبُ الْفَصْلَ.Dakhala al-ṭṭālibu al-faṣla.The student entered the classroom. |
| سَأَلَ | saʾala | to ask inquire | A1 | سَأَلَنِي الْمُعَلِّمُ عَنِ اسْمِي.Saʾalanī al-muʿallimu ʿani asmī.The teacher asked me my name. |
| مَشَى | mashā | to walk | A1 | مَشَيْتُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ الْيَوْمَ.Mashaytu ilā al-madrasati al-yawma.I walked to school today. |
| سافَرَ | sāfara | to travel | A1 | سَافَرَ وَالِدِي إِلَى مِصْرَ.Sāfara wālidī ilā miṣra.My father traveled to Egypt. |
| شَرِبَ | shariba | to drink | A1 | أَشْرَبُ حَلِيبًا.Ashrabu ḥalībanā.I drink milk. |
| قَرَأَ | qaraʾa | to read | A1 | أَنَا أَقْرَأُ كِتَاباً فِي الصَّفِّ.Anā aqraʾu kitāban fī al-ṣṣaffi.I am reading a book in class. |
| كَتَبَ | kataba | to write | A1 | كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الدَّرْسَ.Kataba al-ṭṭālibu al-ddarsa.The student wrote the lesson. |
| لَعِبَ | laʿiba | to play | A1 | الْوَلَدُ يَلْعَبُ بِالْكُرَةِ.Al-waladu yalʿabu biālkurati.The boy is playing with the ball. |
| لَيْسَ | laysa | to not be | A1 | لَيْسَ الطَّقْسُ بَارِدًا.Laysa al-ṭṭaqsu bāridanā.The weather is not cold. |
| عَمِلَ | ʿamila | to work or do | A1 | أَنَا أَعْمَلُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.Anā aʿmalu kulla yawmin.I work every day. |
| تَشَرَّفَ | tasharrafa | to have the honor of... | A1 | تَشَرَّفْتُ بِمَعْرِفَتِكَ.Tasharraftu bimaʿrifatika.I am honored to meet you. |
| تَفَضَّلَ | tafaḍḍala | to kindly offer | A1 | تَفَضَّلْ هَذَا الْكِتَابَ.Tafaḍḍal hadhā al-kitāba.Here you go, take this book. |
| بَدَأَ | badaʾa | to begin | A1 | بَدَأَ الدَّرْسُ فِي السَّاعَةِ التَّاسِعَةِ.Badaʾa al-ddarsu fī al-ssāʿati al-ttāsiʿati.The lesson began at nine o'clock. |
| سَكَنَ | sakana | to live | A1 | أَسْكُنُ فِي بَيْتٍ جَدِيدٍ.Askunu fī baytin jadīdin.I live in a new house. |
| وَصَلَ | waṣala | ،، | A1 | وَصَلَ الطَّالِبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ.Waṣala al-ṭṭālibu ilā al-madrasati.،، |
| نامَ | nāma | to sleep | A1 | نامَ الوَلَدُ فِي بَيْتِهِ.Nāma al-waladu fī baytihi.The boy slept in his house. |
| شَكَرَ | shakara | to thank | A1 | شَكَرْتُ النَّادِلَ عَلَى الْقَهْوَةِ.Shakartu al-nnādila ʿalā al-qahwati.I thanked the waiter for the coffee. |
| اِبْتَسَمَ | ibtasama | to smile | A2 | |
| تَرَكَ | taraka | to leave behind | A2 | |
| اِتَّصَلَ | ittaṣala | to contact or call | A2 | |
| اِحْتَفَلَ | iḥtafala | to celebrate | A2 | |
| أَتَى | atā | to arrive or come | A2 | |
| اِخْتارَ | ikhtāra | to choose or select | A2 | |
| اِحْتاجَ | iḥtāja | to need | A2 | |
| اِسْتَطاعَ | istaṭāʿa | to be able to | A2 | |
| اِسْتَمْتَعَ | istamtaʿa | to enjoy | A2 | |
| اِسْتَخْدَمَ | istakhdama | to use or employ | A2 | |
| اِسْتَعْمَلَ | istaʿmala | to use or utilize | A2 | |
| اِسْتَيْقَظَ | istayqaẓa | to wake up | A2 | |
| اِنْتَقَلَ | intaqala | to move somewhere | A2 | |
| اِشْتَغَلَ | ishtaghala | to work / to be occupied | A2 | |
| اِنْتَهَى | intahā | to finish (intransitive) | A2 | |
| اِعْتَذَرَ | iʿtadhara | to apologize | A2 | |
| اِنْتَظَرَ | intaẓara | to wait for | A2 | |
| أَخْرَجَ | akhraja | to take out | A2 | |
| اِلْتَقَى | iltaqā | to meet up | A2 | |
| حَضَرَ | ḥaḍara | to attend or be present | A2 | |
| سارَ | sāra | to walk or travel | A2 | |
| قَبِلَ | qabila | to accept | A2 | |
| أَصْبَحَ | aṣbaḥa | to become | A2 | |
| صَلَّى | ṣallā | to perform prayer | A2 | |
| حاوَلَ | ḥāwala | to try or attempt | A2 | |
| إِنَّ | inna | to groan or moan | A2 | |
| أَرْسَلَ | arsala | to send | A2 | |
| أَمْكَنَ | amkana | to be possible (often used as 'yumkin') | A2 | |
| أَيْقَظَ | ayqaẓa | to wake someone up | A2 | |
| وَضَعَ | waḍaʿa | to put or place | A2 | |
| طَلَبَ | ṭalaba | to request something | A2 | |
| أَعادَ | aʿāda | to repeat / to bring back | A2 | |
| حَمَلَ | ḥamala | to carry something | A2 | |
| اِنْتَبَهَ | intabaha | to pay attention | A2 | |
| باعَ | bāʿa | to sell | A2 | |
| أَخْطَأَ | akhṭaʾa | to make a mistake | A2 | |
| رَفَعَ | rafaʿa | to lift or raise | A2 | |
| تَذَكَّرَ | tadhakkara | to remember | A2 | |
| أَضاعَ | aḍāʿa | to lose something | A2 | |
| تَأَكَّد | taʾakkad | to become certain | A2 | |
| حَصَلَ | ḥaṣala | to happen | A2 | |
| حَفِظَ | ḥafiẓa | to memorize/to keep/to preserve | A2 | |
| أَغْلَقَ | aghlaqa | to close or shut | A2 | |
| شَعَرَ | shaʿara | to feel or sense | A2 | |
| ساعَدَ | sāʿada | to help or assist | A2 | |
| سَمَحَ | samaḥa | to permit or allow | A2 | |
| شاء | shāʾ | to will (mostly used in religious expressions) | A2 | |
| عَدّ | ʿadd | to count items | A2 | |
| بَقِيَ | baqiya | to stay or remain | A2 | |
| وَقَفَ | waqafa | to stop or stand | A2 | |
| كَلَّفَ | kallafa | to cost or assign | A2 | |
| ماتَ | māta | to die | A2 | |
| تَأَخَّرَ | taʾakhkhara | to be late | A2 | |
| تَوَقَّفَ | tawaqqafa | to stop | A2 | |
| خافَ | khāfa | to be afraid | A2 | |
| دَفَعَ | dafaʿa | to pay or push | A2 | |
| بَكَى | bakā | to cry or weep | A2 | |
| تَزَوَّجَ | tazawwaja | to get married | A2 | |
| رَتَّبَ | rattaba | to organize or arrange | A2 | |
| رَسَمَ | rasama | to draw or sketch | A2 | |
| حَدَثَ | ḥadatha | to happen or occur | A2 | |
| صَدَّقَ | ṣaddaqa | to believe or verify | A2 | |
| صارَ | ṣāra | to become | A2 | |
| ضَحِكَ | ḍaḥika | to laugh | A2 | |
| تَعِبَ | taʿiba | to get tired | A2 | |
| قَطَعَ | qaṭaʿa | to cut or sever | A2 | |
| سَقَطَ | saqaṭa | to fall | A2 | |
| قامَ | qāma | to stand up | A2 | |
| قادَ | qāda | to lead or drive | A2 | |
| صَنَعَ | ṣanaʿa | to make or build | A2 | |
| مَرّ | marr | to pass by | A2 | |
| ضَرَبَ | ḍaraba | to hit or strike | A2 | |
| طارَ | ṭāra | to fly | A2 | |
| قابَلَ | qābala | to meet (someone), to interview (someone) | A2 | |
| زارَ | zāra | to visit | A2 | |
| فَكَّرَ | fakkara | to think or ponder | A2 | |
| مَلَأَ | malaʾa | to fill | A2 | |
| عادَ | ʿāda | to return | A2 | |
| قَرَّرَ | qarrara | to decide | A2 | |
| صَحَّحَ | ṣaḥḥaḥa | to correct or rectify | A2 | |
| صَعِدَ | ṣaʿida | to ascend or rise | A2 | |
| صامَ | ṣāma | to fast | A2 | |
| سَلَّمَ | sallama | to greet | A2 | |
| ضاعَ | ḍāʿa | to be lost | A2 | |
| قَدَّمَ | qaddama | to present or offer | A2 | |
| تَخَرَّجَ | takharraja | to graduate | A2 | |
| نَجَحَ | najaḥa | to succeed / to pass (a test) | A2 | |
| نَزَلَ | nazala | to descend or stay | A2 | |
| رَقَصَ | raqaṣa | to dance | A2 | |
| صَوَّرَ | ṣawwara | to take a picture / to photograph | A2 | |
| غادَرَ | ghādara | to depart from | A2 | |
| كَرَّرَ | karrara | to repeat something | A2 | |
| فازَ | fāza | to win or triumph | A2 | |
| ذاكَرَ | dhākara | to study | A2 | |
| دَخَّنَ | dakhkhana | to smoke | A2 | |
| فَطَرَ | faṭara | to have breakfast | A2 | |
| سَهِرَ | sahira | to stay up late | A2 | |
| صَحا | ṣaḥā | to wake up | A2 | |
| قَفَزَ | qafaza | to jump; to leap | A2 | |
| بَحَثَ | baḥatha | to search for or discuss | A2 | |
| نَسِيَ | nasiya | to forget | A2 | |
| اِرْتاحَ | irtāḥa | to rest or relax | A2 | |
| اِسْتَأْجَرَ | istaʾjara | to rent or hire | A2 | |
| لَبِسَ | labisa | to wear clothing | A2 | |
| غَسَلَ | ghasala | to wash | A2 | |
| غَيَّرَ | ghayyara | to change | A2 | |
| تَرْجَمَ | tarjama | to translate | A2 | |
| كَسَرَ | kasara | to break, shatter | A2 | |
| بَنَى | banā | to build, to construct | A2 | |
| تَعَرَّفَ | taʿarrafa | to get to know / to meet | A2 | |
| اِتَّجَهَ | ittajaha | to head toward | B1 | |
| واجَهَ | wājaha | to face someone | B1 | |
| تَحَمَّلَ | taḥammala | to endure or bear | B1 | |
| حَلَّقَ | ḥallaqa | to shave (hair) | B1 | |
| قَصّ | qaṣṣ | to cut, shear, or clip (hair, fabric, etc.) | B1 | |
| لَوَّحَ | lawwaḥa | to wave (one's hand) | B1 | |
| اِسْتَرَدّ | istaradd | to take back | B2 | |
| اِقْتَحَمَ | iqtaḥama | to storm or break in | B2 | |
| أَسْلَم | aslam | to hand over, to surrender | C1 | |
| دَرَجَ | daraja | to take one's first steps / to walk | C1 |
Words from the Lock&Learn Arabic deck, built on the Arabic CEFR-classified word list of Khallaf and Sharoff (2021). Definitions adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Vowel marks are shown in full and the romanization is generated; example sentences are original Lock&Learn content.
Kāna (to be), qāla (to say), dhahaba (to go), jāʾa (to come), akala (to eat), shariba (to drink), kataba (to write), qaraʾa (to read), ʿarafa (to know) and arāda (to want) are among the first a learner meets. The 168 verbs below come from the CEFR-levelled Lock&Learn Arabic lists, most of them from A1 and A2, each in the dictionary form with its romanization and meaning.
48 from A1, 110 from A2, 6 from B1, 2 from B2, 2 from C1. The level chip on each row says where the word sits, so you can stop at your level or read ahead. Beginner-level words carry a real example sentence; the rest show word, romanization and meaning, with their sentences in the app.
Install Lock&Learn Arabic, then touch and hold your Lock Screen, tap Customize, tap the widget area and choose Lock&Learn Arabic. Enable the level packs these words come from (Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate and more). A fully vocalized word waits with its romanization; one tap reveals the meaning and a real sentence.
Yes. The app is free on iOS: Beginner is free in full, and every other pack opens with a free preview. Lock&Learn+ is an optional upgrade that opens every pack at once, offered as a yearly plan (with a 3-day free trial) or a monthly plan.