Kana and its Sisters

The verb كَان (was) and its inflections يَكُونُ (to be), كُنْ (be) all represent the meaning of being (existence). They give the nominative case to the subject and the accusative to the predicate.

Its sisters are similar verbs and their inflections which also denote states of existence (being, inception, continuity and duration). They follow the same case rules as Kāna.

ليسَ (to not be)

لَيسَ البَيتُ وَاسِعًا

The house is not spacious

أَصبَحَ (to become | associated with morning)

أَصبَحَ الجوُّ ممطرًا

The weather has become rainy

صَارَ (to become)

صار الوَلدُ طَبِيبًا مَشهُورًا

The boy became a famous doctor

صِرتُ مُهَندِسًا

I became an engineer

أَمسى (to become | associated with evening)

كيف أمسيتَ؟

How are you this evening?

ظَلَّ (to remain / stay)

ظَلّ الوَلَدُ قَائمَا

The boy remained standing

Verbs of continuity:

مازال ، ما برح ، ما انفك ، ما فتئ

مَا زِلتَ شَابًا

You are still young

ما زالَ المَطَرُ نازِلًا

The rain is still descending

مَا فَتِئَ يتذَكَّر

He still remembers

ما دام (‘duration | ‘as long as)

اِعمَلْ مَا دُمتَ صِحِيًا

Work as long as you are healthy