؟(كان بَحَثَ)

[Marko55]

Hi! I hear in the following passage (كان بَحَثَ). Is this correct or should it be (كان يبحث)? I am sure that the speaker does not say (yabHathu). 😮

وكان العاهل المغربي الراحل الحسن الثاني بحث مع ملك إسبانيا السابق خوان كارلوس بناء نفق بين البلدين
(Al Jazeera, video on YouTube)

 

[analeeh]

It's correct. It means 'had discussed'.

 

[Marko55]

It's correct. It means 'had discussed'.

Thank you for the reply! I didn't know this structure.

 

[HotIcyDonut]

Thank you for the reply! I didn't know this structure.

Probably you didn't recognize it because it normally comes with قد:

في غضون لحظة، كانوا قد اختفوا مباشرةً أمامي — in a moment, they have just disappeared right in front of me

In your sentence قد is dropped.

 

[rarabara]

Probably you didn't recognize it because it normally comes with قد:

في غضون لحظة، كانوا قد اختفوا مباشرةً أمامي — in a moment, they have just disappeared right in front of me

In your sentence قد is dropped.

to my knowledge, قد will be required when the subject is given.