Both "I'm reading a book" and "I read a book" are translated as: أنا أقرأ كتابا But for example, "I sleep" and "I'm sleeping" aren't the same. I sleep at... = أنا أنام الساعة... I'm sleeping = أنا نائم But actually I don't know the rule! I hope you get a better answer.

Hi all ! So Nadia what I have to say is that arabic had a lot of verbs and persons but it hadn't a lot of tenses ! In arabic we only have the past and the present and then come the future with only adding س or سوف to the present tense ! for instance : Present form: هو يقرأ كتابا ( here it means : he reads a book or he is reading a book it's the same because in arabic when we talk about present whatever it is continuous or others it's the same but if you want to mention that the action is happening now you have just to add a time indicator ) then the future form : هو س+ يقرأ كتابا = هو سيقرأ كتابا So what I wanted to say is : IN ARABIC THERE IS ONLY TWO TENSES : Present AND Past AND THEN COMES THE Future WITH JUST ADDING س or سوف TO THE PRESENT FORM!

if you want to tell person that you start reading a book from few minute and still read it you say : لا أزال أو لا زلت لازلت أقرأ الكتاب but if you want to tell him that you usually read book you say : أنا قاري للكتب أو أنا أقرأ الكتب و لاحاجة لأن تقول كتاب أنا أقرأ كتاب فالجمع في الكلمة "كتب" مثل A في اللغة الانجليزية "عدم تحديد"

أنا قارئ كتابا / أقرأ كتابا الآن /لا أزال أقرأ كتابا For present continuous ما زال، ما برح، ما فتيء، ما أنفك. هذه الأفعال تفيد استمرار الفعل وإتصاله بزمن الأخبار، تقول (مازال زيد منطلقا) أي هو مستمر في الإنطلاق إلى زمن التكلم . ما زلت أقرأ كتابا مابرحت أقرأ كتابا مافتئت أقرأ كتابا ماانفككت أقرأ كتابا Therefore you have to take a look at the modal verb ( KANA and her sisters /كان وأخواتها )

Hi all ! Abo Osama, your answer wasn't really right ! to say أنا أحب القراءة is only like : I love reading. and not I love to read because you're here using a verb while you choosed to say القراءة which is a noun ! So Nadia what I have to say is that arabic had a lot of verbs and persons but it hadn't a lot of tenses ! In arabic we only have the past and the present and then come the future with only adding س or سوف to the present tense ! for instance : Present form: هو يقرأ كتابا ( here it means : he reads a book or he is reading a book it's the same because in arabic when we talk about present whatever it is continuous or others it's the same but if you want to mention that the action is happening now you have just to add a time indicator ) then the future form : هو س+ يقرأ كتابا = هو سيقرأ كتابا So what I wanted to say is : IN ARABIC THERE IS ONLY TWO TENSES : Present AND Past AND THEN COMES THE Future WITH JUST ADDING س or سوف TO THE PRESENT FORM!