how to ask questions in arabic

8/9/2019 How to Ask Questions in Arabic

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How to Ask Questions in ArabicBy David F. DiMeo from Arabic For Dummies Audio Set

6 of 10 in Series: The Essentials of Arabic Words and Phrases for Traveling

Ho do yo! as" basic #!estions in Arabic$ Well% Arabic interrogative ords mean the same as they do forEnglish: ho% hat% hen% here% hy% and ho & By "no ing basic Arabic interrogatives% yo!'ll be able to

e()ress yo!r #!estions% even itho!t an e(tensive vocab!lary&

*or e(am)le% say yo!'re visiting a street mar"et and find a +ac"et yo! ant to b!y& ,o! co!ld as" the vendor-bi-kam al- qubba'a? - .-Ho m!ch is this +ac"et$-/& B!t if yo! don't "no eno!gh vocab!lary% yo! co!ld sim)ly)oint to the +ac"et and say - bikam? - and the seller ill !nderstand&

man $ .Who$/

maa $ .What$ itho!t a verb /

maadhaa $ .What ith a verb /

mataa? .When$/

a na? .Where$/

limaadhaa? .Why$/

ka !a? .Ho $/

kam? .Ho many$/

bikam .Ho m!ch$/

a "a a? .Which$/

hal hunaaka .2s there$/ .Are there$/

2n addition to the #!estion ords above% yo! can )!t a hal in front of the sentence to create a #!estion in Arabic that o!ld elicit a yes #na'am$ or no #laa$ res)onse&

Here's a loo" at some different ays to )!t all these #!estion ords to )ractice in some !sef!l )hrases&

bi-kam al-bi%aaqa? .Ho m!ch is the tic"et$/

a na-l-baab? .Where is the gate$/

ka ! Haalak? .Ho are yo!$/

maa ismuka? .What is yo!r name$/
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maa waDHii!atuka? .What is yo!r )rofession$/

a na al-mustash!aa? .Where is the hos)ital$/

mataa taSil a%-%aa'ira? .When does the )lane arrive$/

hal hunaaka marka& bariid qariib min hunaa? .2s there a )ost office nearby$/

orkin( with )erbs in Arabic

,o!'ll be very )leased to "no that verb tenses in Arabic% hen com)ared to other lang!ages% are fairlystraightfor ard& Basically% yo! only need to be concerned ith t o )ro)er verb forms: the )ast and the )resent&

A f!t!re verb tense e(ists% b!t it's a derivative of the )resent tense that yo! achieve by attaching a )refi( to the)resent tense of the verb&

Di((in( u* the *ast tense

The str!ct!ral form of the )ast tense is one of the easiest grammatical str!ct!res in the Arabic lang!age&Basically% every reg!lar verb that's con+!gated in the )ast tense follo s a very strict )attern& *irst% yo! refer toall reg!lar verbs in the )ast tense !sing the h! a .hoo3 ah4 he/ )ersonal )rono!n& Second% the over helmingma+ority of verbs in h! a form in the )ast tense have three consonants that are accom)anied by the samevo el: the fatHa .fat3hah/& The fatHa creates the -ah- so!nd&

*or e(am)le% the verb - rote- in the )ast tense is "ataba ."ah3tah3bah/4 its three consonants are -"%- -t%- and-b&- Here are some common verbs yo! may !se hile s)ea"ing Arabic:

'a"ala .ah3"ah3lah4 ate/

fa'ala .fah3ah3lah4 did/

dhahaba .5ah3hah3bah4 ent/

#ara'a ."ah3rah3ah4 read/

ra'a .rah3ah4 sa /

The follo ing table sho s the verb "ataba ."ah3tah3bah4 rote/ con+!gated !sing all the )ersonal )rono!ns&ote that the first )art of the verb remains constant4 only its s!ffi( changes de)ending on the )ersonal )rono!n!sed&

%able +, ataba /on0u(ated 1sin( All the 2ersonal 2ronouns

Form Pronunciation Translation


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'anaa katabtu ah-nah kah-tab-too I wrote

'anta katabta an-tah kah-tab-tah You wrote (MS)

'anti katabtii an-tee kah-tab-tee You wrote (FS)

huwa kataba hoo-wah kah-tah-bah He wrote

hiya katabat hee-yah kah-tah-bat She wrote

naHnu katabnaa nah-noo kah-tab-nah We wrote

'antum katabtum an-toom kah-tab-toom You wrote (MP)

'antunna katabtunna an-too-nah kah-tab-too-nah You wrote (FP)

hum katabuu hoom kah-tah-boo They wrote (MP)

hunna katabna hoo-nah kah-tab-nah They wrote (FP)

antumaa katabtumaa an-too-mah kah-tab-too-mah You wrote (dual/MP/FP)

humaa katabaa hoo-mah kah-tah-bah They wrote (dual/MP)

humaa katabataa hoo-mah kah-tah-bah-tah They wrote (dual/FP)

Every )ersonal )rono!n has a corres)onding s!ffi( !sed to con+!gate and identify the verb form in its s)ecifictense& Table 7 o!tlines these s)ecific s!ffi(es&

%able 3, 2ersonal 2ronoun Su!!i4es !or )erbs in the 2ast %ense


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Arabic Pronoun Pronunciation Translation Verb Suffix

'anaa ah-nah I/me -tu

'anta an-tah you (MS) -ta

'anti an-tee you (FS) -tii

huwa hoo-wah he/it -a

hiya hee-yah he/it -at

naHnu nah-noo we -naa

'antum an-toom you (MP) -tum

'antunna an-too-nah you (FP) -tunna

hum hoom they (MP) -uu

hunna hoo-nah they (FP) -na

'antumaa an-too-mah you (dual) -tumaaa

humaa hoo-mah they (M/dual) -aa

humaa hoo-mah they (F/dual) -ataa


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Anytime yo! come across a reg!lar verb yo! ant to con+!gate in the )ast tense% !se these verb s!ffi(es iththe corres)onding )ersonal )rono!ns&

ot all reg!lar verbs in the )ast tense have three consonants& Some reg!lar verbs have more than threeconsonants% s!ch as:

tafarra+a .tah3fah3rah3+ah4 atched/

ta"allama .tah3"ah3lah3mah4 s)o"e/

Even tho!gh these verbs have more than three consonants% they're still considered reg!lar verbs& To con+!gatethem% yo! "ee) the first )art of the ord constant and only change the last consonant of the ord !sing thecorres)onding s!ffi(es to match the )ersonal )rono!ns&

When yo! "no ho to con+!gate verbs in the )ast tense% yo!r sentence3b!ilding o)tions are endless& Hereare some sim)le sentences that combine no!ns% ad+ectives% and verbs in the )ast tense:

'al3 alad dhahaba 'ilaa al3madrasa& .al3 ah3lad 5ah3hah3bah ee3lah al3mad3rah3sah4 The boy ent tothe school&/

al3bint ta"allamat fii al3#ism& .al3bee3net tah3"ah3lah3mat fee al3"ee3sem4 The girl s)o"e in theclassroom&/

'a"alnaa Ta'aam ladhiidh& .ah3"al3nah tah3am lah35ee54 We ate delicio!s food&/

54aminin( the *resent tense

8on+!gating verbs in the )ast tense is relatively straightfor ard% b!t con+!gating verbs in the )resent tense is abit tric"ier& 2nstead of changing only the ending of the verb% yo! m!st also alter its beginning& ,o! need to be

familiar not only ith the s!ffi( b!t also the )refi( that corres)onds to each )ersonal )rono!n&

To ill!strate the difference bet een )ast and )resent tense% the verb "ataba . rote/ is con+!gated as ya"t!b!.ya"3too3boo4 to rite/% hereas the verb darasa .st!died/ is yadr!s! .yad3roo3soo4 to st!dy/&

Here's the verb ya"t!b! .to rite/ con+!gated !sing all the )ersonal )rono!ns& otice ho both the s!ffi(es and)refi(es change in the )resent tense&

%able 6, 7aktubu /on0u(ated 1sin( All the 2ersonal 2ronouns

Form Pronunciation Translation

'anaa 'aktubu ah-nah ak-too-boo I am writin!

'anta taktubu an-tah tak-too-boo You are writin! (MS)


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'anti taktubiina an-tee tak-too-bee-nah You are writin! (FS)

huwa yaktubu hoo-wah yak-too-boo He i writin!

hiya taktubu hee-yah tak-too-boo She i writin!

naHnu naktubu nah-noo nak-too-boo We are writin!

'antum taktubuuna an-toom tak-too-boo-nah You are writin! (MP)

'antunna taktubna an-too-nah tak-toob-nah You are writin! (FP)

hum yaktubuuna hoom yak-too-boo-nah They are writin! (MP)

hunna yaktubna hoo-nah yak-toob-nah They are writin! (FP)

antumaa taktubaani an-too-mah tak-too-bah-nee You are writin! (dual/MP/FP)

humaa yaktubaani hoo-mah yak-too-bah-nee They are writin! (dual/MP)

humaa taktubaani hoo-mah tak-too-bah-nee They are writin! (dual/FP)

As yo! can see% yo! need to be familiar ith both the )refi(es and s!ffi(es to con+!gate verbs in the )resenttense& Table 9 incl!des every )ersonal )rono!n ith its corres)onding )refi( and s!ffi( for the )resent tense&

%able 8, 2ersonal 2ronoun 2re!i4es and Su!!i4es !or )erbs in the 2resent %ense

Arabic Pronoun Pronunciation Translation Verb Prefix Verb Suffix

'anaa ah-nah I/me 'a- -u


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'anta an-tah you (MS) ta- -u

'anti an-tee you (FS) ta- -iina

huwa hoo-wah he/it ya- -u

hiya hee-yah he/it ta- -u

naHnu nah-noo we na- -u

'antum an-toom you (MP) ta- -uuna

'antunna an-too-nah you (FP) ta- -na

hum hoom they (MP) ya- -uuna

hunna hoo-nah they (FP) ya- -na

'antumaa an-too-mah you (dual) ta- -aani

humaa hoo-mah they (M/dual) ya- -aani

humaa hoo-mah they (F/dual) ta- -aani

Aside from )refi(es and s!ffi(es% another ma+or difference bet een the )ast and )resent tenses in Arabic isthat every verb in the )resent tense has a dominant vo el that's !ni#!e and distinctive& *or e(am)le% thedominant vo el in ya"t!b! is a damma .dah3mah4 -ooh- so!nd/& Ho ever% in the verb yaf'al! .yaf3ah3loo4 to


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do/% the dominant vo el is the fatHa .fat3hah4 -ah- so!nd/& This means that hen yo! con+!gate the verbyaf'al! !sing the )ersonal )rono!n 'anaa% yo! say 'anaa 'af'al! and not 'anaa 'af'!l!&

The dominant vo el is al ays the middle vo el& nfort!nately% there's no hard r!le yo! can !se to determinehich dominant vo el is associated ith each verb& The best ay to identify the dominant vo el is to loo" !)the verb in the #aam!!s ."ah3moos4 dictionary/&

2eekin( into the !uture tense

Altho!gh Arabic grammar has a f!t!re tense% yo!'ll be glad to "no that the tense has no o!tright verbstr!ct!re& ;ather% yo! achieve the f!t!re tense by adding the )refi( sa3 to the e(isting )resent tense form of theverb& *or e(am)le% ya"t!b! means -to rite&- Add the )refi( sa3 to ya"t!b! and yo! get saya"t!b!% hichmeans -he ill rite&-

/reatin( Sim*le )erb-Free Sentences in Arabic

There are t o ays to form sentences in Arabic: ,o! can mani)!late definite and indefinite no!ns andad+ectives% or yo! can )!ll together no!ns% ad+ectives% and verbs& 2n Arabic% it's )ossible to create a com)letesentence ith a s!b+ect% ob+ect% and verb itho!t act!ally !sing a verb< This conce)t may seem a little strangeat first% b!t this article hel)s yo! see the logic and reasoning behind s!ch a str!ct!re&

%o be or not to be, Sentences without verbs

Before yo! can constr!ct verb3free sentences% yo! need to "no that there's act!ally no -to be- verb in the Arabic lang!age& The verb -is=areas a )ro)er verb sim)ly doesn't e(ist& That's not to say that yo! can't createan -is=are- sentence in Arabic > yo! can& -2s=are- sentences are created itho!t the !se of an act!al verb& 2n

other ords% yo! create -to be- sentences by mani)!lating indefinite and definite no!ns and ad+ectives% similarto hat's covered in the article - nderstanding the 2nteraction bet een o!ns and Ad+ectives&-

When yo! )!t an indefinite no!n ith an indefinite ad+ective% yo! create an indefinite )hrase& Similarly% henyo! add a definite ad+ective to a definite no!n% yo! end !) ith a definite )hrase& So hat ha))ens hen yo!combine a definite no!n ith an indefinite ad+ective$ This combination > defined no!n and !ndefinedad+ective > )rod!ces an -is=are- sentence similar to hat yo! get hen yo! !se the verb -to be- in English&

*or e(am)le% ta"e the defined no!n al3"itaab .the boo"/ and add to it the indefinite ad+ective "abiir .big/& Theres!lting )hrase is al3"itaab "abiir% hich means -The boo" is big&- Here are some more e(am)les to ill!strate

the constr!ction of -is=are- sentences:

al3 alad marii?& .al3 ah3lad mah3reed4 The boy is sic"&/

al3bint SaHiiHa& .al3bee3net sah3hee3hah4 The girl is healthy&/

as3sayyaara "hadraa'& .ah3sah3yah3rah "ad3rah4 The car is green&/

aT3Taaliba da"iiya& .ah3tah3lee3bah dah3"ee3yah4 The st!dent is smart&/ .*/

al3m!darris #aSiir& .al3moo3dah3rees "ah3seer4 The teacher is short&/ .@/

al3'!staadh Ta iil& .al3oos3ta5 tah3 eel4 The )rofessor is tall&/ .@/


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2f yo! ant to !se additional ad+ectives in these verb3free sentences% yo! sim)ly add the con+!nction a& Hereare some e(am)les of -is=are- sentences ith m!lti)le ad+ectives:

al3 alad marii? a ?a'iif& .al3 ah3lad mah3reed ah dah3eef4 The boy is sic" and ea"&/

al3bint SaHiiHa a #a iiya& .al3bee3net sah3hee3hah ah "ah3 ee3yah4 The girl is healthy and strong&/

as3sayyaara "hadraa' a sarii'a& .ah3sah3yah3rah "ad3rah ah sah3ree3ah4 The car is green and fast&/

aT3Taaliba da"iiya a laTiifa& .ah3tah3lee3bah dah3"ee3yah ah lah3tee3fah4 The st!dent is smart andnice&/ .*/

al3m!darris #aSiir a da"iiy& .al3moo3dah3rees "ah3seer ah dah3"ee4 The teacher is short and smart&/.@/

al3'!staadh Ta iil a Sa'b& .al3oos3ta5 tah3 eel ah sahb4 The )rofessor is tall and diffic!lt&/ .@/

This constr!ct is fairly fle(ible% and if yo! change the nat!re of one of the ad+ectives% yo! radically alter themeaning of the +!mla .+oom3lah4 sentence/& *or instance% the e(am)les all sho a defined no!n ith t oindefinite ad+ectives& What ha))ens hen yo! mi( things !) and add an indefinite no!n to an indefinite

ad+ective and a definite ad+ective$

8onsider the e(am)le al3bint SaHiiHa a #a iiya .The girl is healthy and strong/& ee) al3bint as a definiteno!n b!t change the indefinite ad+ective SaHiiHa into its definite version% aS3SaHiiHa4 also% dro) the a% and"ee) #a iiya as an indefinite ad+ective& The res!lting )hrase is al3bint aS3SaHiiHa #a iiya% hich means -Thehealthy girl is strong&-

,o! can gras) hat's going on here by dividing the terms into cla!ses: The first cla!se is the definiteno!n=definite ad+ective combination al3bint aS3SaHiiHa .the healthy girl/4 the second cla!se is the indefinitead+ective #a iiya .strong/& 8ombining these cla!ses is the same as combining a definite no!n ith an

indefinite ad+ective > the res!lt is an -is=are- sentence& Here are more e(am)les to hel) clear !) anyconf!sion yo! have regarding this conce)t:

al3 alad al3marii? ?a'iif& .al3 ah3lad al3mah3reed dah3eef4 The sic" boy is ea"&/

as3sayyaara al3"hadraa' sarii'a& .ah3sah3yah3rah al3"ad3rah sah3ree3ah4 The green car is fast&/

aT3Taaliba ad3da"iiya laTiifa& .ah3tah3lee3bah ah3dah3"ee3yah lah3tee3fah4 The smart st!dent is nice&/.*/

al3m!darris al3#aSiir da"iiy& .al3moo3dah3rees al3"ah3seer dah3"ee4 The short teacher is smart&/ .@/

al3'!staadh aT3Ta iil Sa'b& .al3oos3ta5 ah3tah3 eel sahb4 The tall )rofessor is diffic!lt&/ .@/

otice that a sim)le change in the definite article changes the meaning of the )hrase or sentence& *ore(am)le% hen the no!n is defined and both ad+ectives are indefinite% yo! create an -is- sentence% as in -Theboy is big&- n the other hand% hen both no!n and ad+ective are defined% the ad+ective affects the no!ndirectly% and yo! get -the big boy&-


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9uildin( sentences with common *re*ositions

2n grammatical terms% )re)ositions are ords or small )hrases that indicate a relationshi) bet een s!bstantiveand other ty)es of ords% s!ch as ad+ectives% verbs% no!ns% or other s!bstantives& 2n both English and Arabic%)re)ositions are )arts of s)eech that are essential in the formation of sentences& ,o! can add them to -is=are-sentences to give them more s)ecificity& Table 1 lists the most common )re)ositions yo!'re li"ely to !se in

Arabic&

%able +, /ommon 2re*ositions

Arabic Pronunciation Translation

min meen "rom

"ii "ee in

'ilaa ee-lah to

ma'a mah-ah with

'alaa ah-lah on

#ariib min kah-reeb meen $lo e to

ba'iid min bah-eed meen "ar "rom

'amaama ah-mah-mah in "ront o"

waraa'a wah-rah-ah behind

taHta tah-tah underneath


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"aw#a "aw-kah abo%e

bi&aanibi bee-&ah-nee-bee ne t to

,o! can !se these )re)ositions to constr!ct cla!ses and )hrases !sing both indefinite and definite no!ns andad+ectives& Here are some e(am)les:

al3bint 'amaama al3madrasa& .al3bee3net ah3mah3mah al3mad3rah3sah4 The girl is in front of the school&/

aT3Taa ila fii al3gh!rfa& .ah3tah3 ee3lah fee al3goor3fah4 The table is in the room&/

al3'!staadha fii al3+aami'a& .al3oos3tah35ah fee al3+ah3mee3ah4 The )rofessor is in the !niversity&/ .*/

al3maT'am bi+aanibi al3f!nd!#& .al3mat3ham bee3+ah3nee3bee al3foon3doo"4 The resta!rant is ne(t to thehotel&/

ar3ra+!l min 'amrii"a& .ah3rah3+ool meen am3ree3"ah4 The man is from America&/

al3madiina #ariiba min ash3shaaTi'& .al3mah3dee3nah "ah3ree3bah meen ah3shah3teeh4 The city is closeto the beach&/

as3sayyaara al3bay?aa' araa'a al3man5il& .ah3sah3yah3rah al3bay3dah ah3rah3ah al3man35eel4 Thehite car is behind the ho!se&/

al3 alad al3laTiif ma'a al3m!darris& .al3 ah3lad ah3lah3teef mah3ah al3moo3dah3rees4 The nice boy isith the teacher&/

2n addition% yo! can !se m!lti)le ad+ectives ith both the s!b+ect and ob+ect no!ns:

al3'imra'a al3+amiila fii as3sayyaara as3sarii'a& .al3eem3rah3ah al3+ah3mee3lah fee ah3sah3yah3rah ah3sah3ree3ah4 The bea!tif!l oman is in the fast car&/

al3m!darissa ad3da"iyya 'amaama al3madrasa al3bay?aa'& .al3moo3dah3ree3sah ah3dah3"ee3yah ah3mah3mah al3mad3rah3sah al3bay3dah4 The smart teacher is in front of the hite school&/ .*/

al3"!rsiiy aS3Saghiir araa'a aT3Taa ila al3"abiira& .al3"oor3see ah3sah3geer ah3rah3ah ah3tah3 ee3lah al3"ah3bee3rah4 The small chair is behind the big table&/

How to 2ronounce Arabic SoundsBy David F. DiMeo from Arabic For Dummies Audio Set

C of 10 in Series: The Essentials of Arabic Words and Phrases for Traveling

To be !nderstood in Arabic% yo! need to recogni5e and "no ho to )rono!nce some distinctso!nds that differ from English% or don't e(ist in English at all& The Arabic so!nd system isn't asdifferent from English as yo! may thin"&

2n fact% the Arabic al)habet consists of 7D letters% most of hich have English e#!ivalents& Theseletters are )rono!nced essentially the same as their English co!nter)arts: b% d% f% h% +% "% m% n% s% t%
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% y% 5& There are also some Arabic so!nds that e(ist in English% altho!gh e don't !se a se)arateletter for them: sh% th .as in bath/% dh .as in these/% l .as in hello/&

2n Arabic% vo els come in both long and short& Ho ever% !nli"e in English% in Arabic% yo! act!allyhold a long vo el t ice as long as a short vo el& 2n addition% Arabic vo el can so!nd differentde)ending on the consonants aro!nd them&

Vowel Sound Example

a short "bet" or "bad"

aa long "father"

I short "bit" or "spin"

Ii long "keep" or "teeth"

U short "foot" or "cook"

uu long "Ruth" or "food"

ay compound "bait" or "shake"

aw compound "cow" or "how"

A n!mber of Arabic consonants have em)hatic or hard versions that are )rono!nced dee)er inthe throat& Em)hatic consonants can ma"e the vo els aro!nd them harder and dee)er too&

EmphaticConsonant

Sounds Like Example

D "d" The word mariiD

H "h"; imagine exhaling a strong and deepbreath

The word marHaban

"s" The phrase SabaaH al-khayr

T "t" The word 'aTshaan

DH "dh" sound The word DHuhr

! ronounced like "k#" but deeper in the The phrase ilali aa'


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throat

Pay close attention to the letters in the follo ing table& The consonants here are distinctly Arabicin the ay they so!nd&

!ni"uely

#rabicConsonant

Sounds Like Example

kh The "ch" in "$ach" or "loch"; has a raspy sound Thephrase SabaaHal-khayr

r % rolled "r" sound# similar to the panish R Theword marHaban

gh % "gargling" kind of sound between "g" and "r#"produced deep in the throat

Theword $haDbaan

& 'o e(ui)alent in *nglish# produced by contracting themuscles in the throat; sometimes compared to a"choking" sound

Theword 'aTshaan

& % "glottal stop#" found at the beginning of "uh+oh," The phrase ilali"aa'

/ommon /onversational ords and 2hrases in ArabicBy David F. DiMeo from Arabic For Dummies Audio Set


By mastering the basics of )olite conversation in Arabic% yo! )!t yo!rself and the )erson yo!'retal"ing to at ease& Everyone sho!ld learn essential Arabic conversational ords and )hrasesbefore traveling to an Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntry& These ords and e()ressions are s!re to come!) in most everyday conversations&

/ourteous *hrases

Being )olite is +!st as im)ortant in Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntries as they are any here else in thisorld& The follo ing ords and )hrases cover most of the )leasantries re#!ired for )olite


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conversation& After all% learning to say the e()ressions of common co!rtesy in Arabic beforetraveling is +!st good manners&

na'am .yes/

min !aDlik .)lease/

ta!aDDal .go ahead% be my g!est/

shukran & .Than" yo!&/

shukran 0a&iilan. .Than" yo! very m!ch&/

'a!wan .,o! re elcome&/

aasi! .Sorry&/

'a!wan .E(c!se me&/

mara thaani a min !aDlik? .Please re)eat&/

laa .no/

2n the @iddle East% -,es- and -no- can be conf!sing for Americans& 2n many Arab co!ntries% thegest!re for -yesF> sha"ing the head side to side > loo"s li"e the American gest!re for -no- - o-in those areas is indicated by thro ing the head bac" and loo"ing !) ard& ,o! may be f!rtherconf!sed if the Arab recogni5es yo! as an American and is trying to !se the American gest!re&;est ass!red% in any Arab co!ntry% laa means -no&-

:e!erences to *eo*le

nce yo!'ve mastered the common )leasantries% the ne(t im)ortant thing to learn is ho to referto )eo)le& When meeting )eo)le in Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntries% be s!re to !se the a))ro)riateformal title& A man o!ld be called as-sa id % hich is the same as @r& or Sir& An older or marriedoman is called as-sa ida and a yo!ng lady is called al-aanisa &

The ne(t most common ay to refer to )eo)le is by !sing )ersonal )rono!ns& 2n Arabic% the)rono!ns .yo! and they/ are com)licated by gender and formality& ,o!'ll !se slightly differentvariations of these ords de)ending on the )erson yo! are referring to and ho ell yo! "nothem&

anaa .2/

huwa .he/

hi a .she/

naHnu . e/

anta"anti .yo! @=* /


15/35

antum .yo! )l!ral /

hum .they/

2hrases !or travelers

There are some )hrases that are )artic!larly hel)f!l to international travelers& Belo are several

)hrases that might come in handy d!ring yo!r stay in an Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntry& hal tatakallam al-;arabi a? .?o yo! s)ea" Arabic$/

hal tatakallam al-in0lii&i a? .?o yo! s)ea" English$/

atakallam al-'arabi a. .2 s)ea" Arabic&/

laa atakallam al-'arabi a. .2 do not s)ea" Arabic&/

atakallam qaliilan. .2 s)ea" a little&/

a!ham. .2 !nderstand&/

laa a!ham. .2 do not !nderstand&/

hal ta!ham? .?o yo! !nderstand$ @ /

hal ta!hamiin? .?o yo! !nderstand$ * /

Arabic


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ahlan wa sahlan . elcome/

ee) in mind that beca!se of the conservative nat!re in many Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntries it isconsidered r!de for men and omen to greet each other in )!blic&

2n addition to the initial greetings% there are a n!mber of Arabic greetings that have a s)ecifictraditional res)onse&

%reetin$ &ronunciation Traditionalesponse

&ronunciation

eace be upon you-.formal/group0

as-salaam'alaykum

Upon you be peace wa 'alaykumsalaam

1ood morning SabaaH al-khayr

2orning of light SabaaH an-nuur

1ood e)ening (asaa' al-khayr

*)ening of light (asaa' an-nuur

When meeting someone for the first time or greeting someone in a formal sit!ation% it is commonfor members of the same se( to e(change handsha"e& Ho ever% if they're close friends or family%the standard greeting is a handsha"e and a "iss on each chee"&

Al ays sha"e hands ith yo!r right hand& The left hand is considered !nclean&

*are ells can vary de)ending on here yo!'re visiting% b!t t o common ays to say goodbye tosomeone are ma'a as-salaama .goodbye/ and ila-liqaa' .!ntil e meet again/&

Askin( and res*ondin( to =How are ou?=Ho are yo!$ Ho 's it going$ Ho many times a day do e hear or say these brief greetings atthe beginning of o!r conversations$ So many times% in fact% that e rarely even thin" abo!t theres)onse% e often res)ond ith a standard -fine- or -good- regardless of ho e are act!allyfeeling& The same is tr!e in Arabic& The #!estion =ka ! Haalak?= .Ho are yo!$/ !s!ally calls for a form!laic res)onse > -*ine% )raise od- . bi-kha r al-Hamdu lillah / > rather than an act!aldescri)tion of yo!r c!rrent condition& Ho ever% if yo! have a real need or are s)ea"ing to a friend%yo! can give a more realistic res)onse& ,o! can !se =anaa . . .= .2 am & & & / follo ed by one ofthese conditions:

sa'iid"sa'iida .ha))y @=* / &.Arabic ad+ectives have masc!line and feminine forms& So% if yo!need to change these ad+ectives to feminine% +!st add an a &/

Ha&iin"Ha&iina .sad/

ta'baan"ta'baana .tired/


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(haDbaan"(haDbaa .angry/

'a%shaan"'a%shaa .thirsty/

0aw'aan"0aw'aa .h!ngry/

bardaan"bardaana .cold/

Harraan"Harraa .hot/mash(huul"mash(huula .b!sy/

mariiD"mariiDa .sic"/

muta'akhkhir"muta'akhkhira .late/

Arabic %ravel-:elated ords and 2hrasesBy David F. DiMeo from Arabic For Dummies Audio Set


Traveling in Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntries can be conf!sing es)ecially if yo! can't read the signs or!nderstand the instr!ctions yo!'re given& Iearning a fe !sef!l Arabic travel3related ords and)hrases before yo! begin traveling can save yo! time and red!ce yo!r fr!stration level&

Here are a fe general travel3related terms that everyone sho!ld "no before ma"ing the big tri)&

Ha0& .reservation/

riHla .flight% tri)/Haqiiba %Haqaa'ib .s!itcase.s//

0awaa& sa!ar .)ass)ort/

ta'shiira .visa/

dukhuul .entry/

khuruu0 .e(it/

ma%aar .air)ort/baab .gate/

al-0umruk .c!stoms/

istilaam al-amti'a .baggage claim/

Saalat al-wusuul .arrivals area/

Saalat al-intiDHaar . aiting de)art!re area/


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Haa!ila .b!s/

%ickets and reservations

While traveling in an Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntry% yo! often need to ma"e or change yo!r travelarrangements& The follo ing ords can hel) yo! ith the reservation and tic"et3b!ying )rocess&

bi%aaqa .tic"et/

maw'id ar-riHla .de)art!re time/

ad-dara0a al-uulaa .first class/

ad-dara0a ath-thaani a .second class/

The follo ing )hrases are some of the most common #!estions that yo! might need to as" henma"ing travel arrangements in Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntries&

'uriid an ashtarii bi%aaqa. .2 o!ld li"e to b!y a tic"et&/

'uriid an usaa!ar ilaa . . . .2 o!ld li"e to travel to & & &/

'indii Haqiibata n. .2 have t o s!itcases&/

'indanaa thalaath Haqaa'ib. .We have three s!itcases&/

mataa taSil a%-%aa'ira? .When does the )lane arrive$/

hunaa 0awwa& sa!arii. .Here is my )ass)ort&/

hunaa bi%aaqatii. .Here is my tic"et&/

'uriid an usaa!ar bi-%aa'ira. .2 ant to travel by )lane&/

'uriid an usaa!ar bi-sa aara. .2 ant to travel by car&/

bi-kam al-bi%aaqa? .Ho m!ch is the tic"et$/


Hotels

Altho!gh many of the larger hotels in Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntries have English3s)ea"ing staff% yo!rarely find that in the smaller hotels and in the smaller to ns& 2t ill be hel)f!l to learn a fe

Arabic ords that can hel) yo! ith boo"ing a room at a hotel&

!unduq .hotel/


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(hur!a .room/

HawD as-sibaaHa .)ool/

%aabiq .floor/

muka i!a al-hawaa' .air conditioning/

balkuun .balcony/sariira n .t o beds/

Hammaam .bathroom/

haati! .)hone/

til!aa& .television/

The follo ing )hrases can hel) yo! ma"e or change yo!r hotel reservations&

'indii Ha0&. .2 have a reservation&/

hal 'indakum (hur!a? .?o yo! have a room$/

'u!aDDil (hur!a bi . . . .2 )refer a room ith & & &/

bikam al-(hur!a? .Ho m!ch is the room$/

How to Ask !or and 1nderstand Directions in ArabicBy David F. DiMeo from Arabic For Dummies Audio Set

J of 10 in Series: The Essentials of Arabic Words and Phrases for Traveling

E()loring Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntries can be #!ite an advent!re% b!t yo! need to "no ho to as"for directions in Arabic and to !nderstand hat yo!'re told& After all% if yo! don't !nderstand thedirections% yo! might miss the very things yo! ho)ed to see&

The first thing yo! need to "no is ho to as" for directions& To get hel) yo! can say Men!athlek"!athleki * .E(c!se me/ or Hal beemkanek mosa'adati? .8an yo! hel) me$/&

2f yo!'re standing aro!nd loo"ing conf!sed% someone might as" yo! Hal beemkanimosa'adatuk? .8an 2 hel) yo!$/

The follo ing ords can hel) yo! to !nderstand the directions yo! hear in Arabic3s)ea"ingco!ntries&

sharq .east/

(harb . est/


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shamaal .north/

0anuub .so!th/

amiin .right/

asaar .left/

The follo ing )hrases might come in handy ith as"ing for and receiving directions in Arabic&


a na maHa%%a matruu? .Where is a s!b ay station$/

hal hunaaka marka& bariid qariib min hunaa? .2s there a )ost office nearby$/

huwa !ii shaari' tuunis. .2t is on T!nis Street&/

a na as-si!aara al-amriikii a? .Where is the American Embassy$/

hal haadhaa shaari'as-saadaat? .2s this Sadat Street$/

uriid an adhab ilaa . . . .2 ant to go to & & &/

anaa biHaa0a ilaa taaksii. .2 need a ta(i&/

al-matHa! qariib min al-kaniisa. .The m!se!m is near the ch!rch&/

no ing the names of some common )laces or locations is often hel)f!l hen as"ing fordirections&

maHa%%a qi%aaraat .train station/

ma%aar .air)ort/

mustash!aa .hos)ital/

!unduq .hotel/

mas0id .mos#!e/kaniisa .ch!rch/

ma%'am .resta!rant/

suuq .mar"et/

maktab .office/

bank .ban"/


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si!aara .embassy/

marka& ash-shur%a .)olice station/

maktab as-si aaHa .to!rist office/

matHa! .m!se!m/

madrasa .school/ 0aami'a .!niversity/

madiina .city/

shaari' .street/

mu!taraq .intersection/

taaksii sa aarat u0ra .ta(i/

matruu .s!b ay/

maHa%%a .station/

marka& bariid .)ost office/

Hallaaq .barber/

shur%a .)olice/

maktab as-si aaHa .to!rist office/

baqqaal .grocery store/

si!aara .embassy/

marka& .center/

maktaba .boo"store/

matHa! .m!se!m/

mas0id % 0aami' .mos#!e/

kaniisa .ch!rch/

kulli a .college/

S)ecific locations are formed ith the name follo ing the ty)e of )lace% as in !unduq Hilton .theHilton Hotel/ or ma%aar ba ruut .Beir!t Air)ort/&

How to Ask For Hel* in ArabicBy David F. DiMeo from Arabic For Dummies Audio Set
http://www.dummies.com/search.html?query=David+F.+DiMeohttp://www.dummies.com/store/product/Arabic-For-Dummies-Audio-Set.productCd-0470251549.htmlhttp://www.dummies.com/search.html?query=David+F.+DiMeohttp://www.dummies.com/store/product/Arabic-For-Dummies-Audio-Set.productCd-0470251549.html


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no ho to as" for hel) in Arabic before yo! have an act!al emergency& By learning a fesim)le Arabic ords and )hrases for emergencies% yo! can save val!able time in a crisis&

The sim)lest ay to as" for assistance is to say saa 'adinii> % hich means Hel) me< f co!rse%different sit!ations re#!ire different "inds of hel)& *or e(am)le% if yo!'re e()eriencing a legal

emergency of some "ind% yo! ant to as" for the )olice . shur%a /% a )olice officer . shur%ii /% or the)olice station . marka& ash-shur%a /& 2f yo!'re e()eriencing a serio!s legal emergency yo! mightalso ant to say -Where is the American Embassy$- . a na as-si!aara al-amriikii a? /&

@ost emergencies that ha))en in foreign co!ntries% ho ever% are medical& The most efficient ayto get the hel) yo! need is to "no ho to as" for the right "ind of hel) and to be able to e()lainhat's rong&

etting the right "ind of hel) !s!ally de)ends on getting to the right )erson& ,o! can !se thefollo ing vocab!lary ords hel) yo! get to the right )erson for the sit!ation&

To as" for a doctor say %abiib &

To as" for a dentist say %abiib al-isnaan &

To as" for a hos)ital say mustash!aa &

To as" for a )harmacist say Sa Dalii &

2n most Arab co!ntries% )harmacists often have medical training and can recommend and

)rovide s!itable medicines for common ailments% so )eo)le often go directly to the)harmacist for common )roblems% instead of a doctor&

To as" for a n!rse say mumarriD .@/% mumarriDa .*/&

nce yo! are able to tal" to the right )erson% yo! can !se the follo ing ords to e()lain hat'srong&

Sudaa' .headache/

Huruuq ash-shams .s!nb!rn/&ukaam .a cold/

alam .)ain/

iltihaab .inflammation/

al-is-haal .diarrhea/

mariiD .sic"/
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-essentials-of-arabic-words-and-phrases-for-tra.htmlhttp://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-essentials-of-arabic-words-and-phrases-for-tra.htmlhttp://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-essentials-of-arabic-words-and-phrases-for-tra.html


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The follo ing )hrases might come in handy hen yo! need medical hel) in an Arabic3s)ea"ingco!ntry&

anaa mariiD. .2 am sic"&/

'indii &ukaam. .2 have a cold&/

a na al-mustash!aa? .Where is the hos)ital$/

hal hunaaka %abiib hunaa? .2s there a doctor here$/

anaa biHaa0a ilaa %abiib. .2 need a doctor&/

anaa biHaa0a ilaa dawaa' li . . . .2 need medicine for & & &/

hal 'indakum dawaa' li . . . ? .?o yo! have a medicine for & & & $/

a na aqrab Sa Dali a? .Where is the nearest )harmacy$/

How to Make ntroductions in ArabicBy David F. DiMeo from Arabic For Dummies Audio Set

Iearning the )ro)er ay to ma"e introd!ctions in Arabic can hel) yo! get off to the right start& The Arabic lang!age tends to be a bit more formal than American English& 8onse#!ently%introd!ctions in Arabic follo more of a )attern than they sometimes do in the nited States&?on't orry% it s not com)licated > +!st good manners&

ntroducin( oursel!

*irst im)ressions are im)ortant > they can start a friendshi) and set the tone for yo!r entiremeeting&

+. Start with a (reetin(.

The sim)lest greeting is ahlan .hello/ or marHaban .hello4 greetings/&

Ho ever% beca!se of the conservative nat!re in many Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntries it is consideredr!de for men and omen to greet each other in )!blic&

+. ntroduce oursel!.

The most common ay to introd!ce yo!rself is to say ismii Name .@y name is Name /&

3. Ask their name.


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As" the other )erson their name by saying maa ismuka"maa ismuki? @=* .What is yo!rname$ literally: What is yo!r noble name$ /&

6. A!ter the tell ou their name ou should res*ond.

After they tell yo! their name% it is c!stomary to ac"no ledge the introd!ction bysaying tasharra!naa .Pleased to meet yo!/&

here are ou !rom?

To tell someone here yo! are from yo! can say anaa min place name .2 am from place name /or anaa K .2 am & & &/ in then list yo!r nationality& *or e(am)le% if yo!'re from the nited States%yo! can say anaa amriikii" amriiki a .2 am American$ @=* /& To as" here the other )erson isfrom% yo! can say anta min a na?"a na .Where are yo! from$ @=* /$

anaa min lundun. .2 am from Iondon&/

huwa min kali!uurniia. .He is from 8alifornia&/

a na taskun?"a na taskuniin? .Where do yo! live$ @=* /

askun !ii . . . .2 live in at & & &/

askun !ii shaari' ma n. .2 live on @ain Street&/

askun !ii bustun. .2 live in Boston&/

2f yo! ant to tal" abo!t here yo! or yo!r Arab co!nter)art lives on the other hand% yo! o!ld!se aksun .2 live & & &/ andtaskun .yo! live&/

ntroducin( a !riend or s*ouse

The second most common ty)e of introd!ction is to introd!ce someone else% s!ch as yo!rs)o!se% child% or friend:

ismuhu ahmad & .His name is Ahmad&/

ismuhaa la la & .Her name is Iayla&/

maa ismuhuu $ .What is his name$/

maa ismuhaa $ .What is her name$/

The )attern for e()ressing yo!r nationality is the same as for e()ressing conditions& Sim)ly !sethe )rono!n follo ed by the nationality&


25/35

anaa amriikii. .2 am American& @ /

anaa amriiki a. .2 am American& * /

hi a birii%aani a. .She is British&/

About nationalities

@ost nationalities in Arabic are formed by adding ii to the end of the co!ntry name for masc!lineconstr!ctions and i a for feminine ones& 2f the name of the co!ntry starts ith al- .the/% then al- isdro))ed hen the ord for the nationality is made& Here are some e(am)les&

al-wilaa aat al-muttaHida .The nited States/

amriikaa .America/

amriikii"amriiki a .American @=* /

maSr .Egy)t/

maSrii"maSri a .Egy)tian/

suuri aa .Syria/

suurii"suuri a .Syrian/

lubnaan .Iebanon/

lubnaanii"lubnaani a .Iebanese/

as-sa'uudiia .Sa!di Arabia/

sa'uudii"sa'uudi a .Sa!di/

al-kuwa t . ! ait/

kuwa tii"kuwa ti a . ! aiti/

'umaan . man/

'umaanii";umaani a . mani/

!ilas%iin .Palestine/

!ilas%iinii"!ilas%iini a .Palestinian/

al-urdunn .Lordan/

urdunnii"urdunni a .Lordanian/

!aransaa .*rance/


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!aransii"!aransi a .*rench/

birii%aani aa .Britain/

birii%aanii"birii%aani a .British/

Arabic )ocabular !or Sho**in(By David F. DiMeo from Arabic For Dummies Audio SetD of 10 in Series: The Essentials of Arabic Words and Phrases for Traveling

ne of the best ays to e()lore another co!ntry is to go sho))ing& Whether yo!'re sho))ing forclothes% food% or so!venirs% yo! can !se the follo ing )hrases in any Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntry tohel) yo! find +!st the right thing&

There are some fab!lo!s deals to be fo!nd in the @iddle East& 2n most Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntries%there are street mar"ets .called souqs / here yo! can b!y anything from fr!its and vegetables to

anti#!es and collectibles& 2f yo! need more s)ecific grocery items% yo! ant to visita 9aqqaal .grocery store/&

Bargaining in these mar"et)laces is one of the great c!lt!ral activities in the Arab orld and oneof the best o))ort!nities for a visitor to )ractice s)ea"ing& ood3nat!red haggling is e()ected inthe street mar"ets .b!t not in fi(ed3)rice stores/& E()ect the sales)erson to start at t ice thee()ected )rice or higher&

The follo ing ords can be !sed in a variety of sho))ing sit!ations&

baa'i ' .sales)erson/thaman % si'r .)rice/

(haalii .e()ensive/

rakhiiS .chea)/

maqbuul .acce)table/

(ha r maqbuul .!nacce)table/

tan&iilaat .sale disco!nt /sa00aada .r!g/

nuHaas .brass/

Sunduuq .bo(/

ibriiq .coffee !rn/

!in0aan .c!)/


27/35

'i%r .)erf!me/

Hariir .sil"/

0ild .leather/

The follo ing )hrases ill be !sef!l no matter hat "ind of sho))ing yo! )lan on doing&

bikam? .Ho m!ch$/

haadhaa (haalii. .That is e()ensive&/

haadhaa thaman 0a id. .That is a good )rice&/

uriid haadhaa. .2 ant this .one/&/

uriid an ashtarii . . . .2 ant to b!y & & &/

uriid an ad!a' bishiik. .2 ant to )ay by chec"&/

hal umkinnii an ashtarii . . . hunaa? .@ay 2 b!y & & & here$/

hal anta tabii' . . . ? .?o yo! sell & & & $/

uriid sha 'an arkhaS min !aDlik. .2 ant something less e()ensive% )lease&/

u!aDDil haadhaa. .2 )refer this one &/

haadhaa si'r maqbuul. .That )rice is acce)table&/

sa'd!a' . . . .2 ill )ay & & &/

laa uriid an ad!a' akthar min . . . .2 don't ant to )ay more than & & &/

How to Make Small %alk in ArabicBy David F. DiMeo from Arabic For Dummies Audio Set

@a"ing small tal" in Arabic is +!st the same as in English& To!ch on familiar to)ics li"e +obs%s)orts% children > +!st say it in Arabic< Small tal" describes the brief conversations that yo! haveith )eo)le yo! don't "no ell& Small tal" is here friendshi)s are made& 2f yo! "no ho toma"e small tal" in Arabic yo!'ll be able to -brea" the ice- and get to "no some of the )eo)le yo!meet d!ring yo!r tri)&

Small tal" generally consists of greetings and introd!ctions and descri)tions of )ersonalinformation and interests& 2f yo! are able to hold yo!r o n in each of these areas% yo!'ll be able tohandle most small tal" sit!ations&


28/35


29/35

anaa %aalib !ii 0aami'a . . . .2 m a st!dent in !niversity &/

2ersonal nterests

@any friendshi)s are forged on the bond of common interests& To tal" abo!t yo!r hobbies orinterests yo! can insert any of the follo ing no!ns into the sentences uHibb . . . .2 li"e & & & /or ul'ab . . . .2 )lay & & & /&

kurat al-qadam .soccer/

kurat al-qadam alamriiki a .football American /

kurat al-maDrib .tennis/

al-ba sbuul .baseball/

as-sibaaHa .s imming/

al-0arii .r!nning/at-ta0dhii! .ro ing/

ri aaDa .s)ort/

al-muusiiqaa .m!sic/

qiithaar .g!itar/

bi aanuu .)iano/

!ilm a!laam .movie s /masraH .)lays% theater/

al-qiraa;a .reading/

ar-raqS .dancing/

Terms for an entire category or an abstract conce)t% li"e -s imming- or -m!sic- re#!ire a definitearticle in Arabic% !nli"e English& Iiterally% yo! say in Arabic -2 li"e the s imming- . uHibb as-sibaaHa /&

,o! can !se the follo ing )hrases to give yo! some g!idelines to hen ma"ing small tal" in Arabic&

uHibb an ushaahid kurat al-qadam. .2 li"e to atch soccer&/

nuHibb an nal'ab kurat al-maDrib. .We li"e to )lay tennis&/

uHibb al-qiraa;a. .He li"es reading&/


30/35

maadhaa tuHibb an tal'ab? .What do yo! li"e to )lay$/

How to Sa Dates and %imes in ArabicBy David F. DiMeo from Arabic For Dummies Audio Set

When ma"ing )lans% a))ointments% and travel arrangements in Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntries% yo!

need to be able to state dates and other calendar terms in Arabic& nderstanding the days of theee"% the months of the year% and ho to tell time in Arabic can hel) yo! to avoid conf!sion&

/alendar terms

2n Arabic% the ee" al ays starts on S!nday and the names of the days of the ee" are based.mostly/ on n!mbers&

awm al-aHad .S!nday/

awm al-ithna n .@onday/

awm ath-thulaathaa' .T!esday/

awm al-arbi'aa' .Wednesday/

awm al-khamiis .Th!rsday/

awm al-0um'a .*riday/

awm as-sabt .Sat!rday/

When !sing the names of the days in conversation% the ord awm .day/ is often dro))ed&

ther terms !sed to describe days in more general terms incl!de

al- awm .today/

ams .yesterday/

(hadan .tomorro /

taariikh .date/

The Arab orld !ses three different systems for the names of the months& The t o most commonones are one based on the *rench months .!sed commonly in orth Africa/ and one that is !sedin the *ertile 8rescent area .Syria% 2ra#% and Lordan/&

)orth #*rican +ertile Crescent En$lish

yanaayir kaanuun ath+thaanii 3anuary


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fabraayir shubaaT 4ebruary

maaris aadhaar 2arch

abriil niisaan %pril

maayuu ayyaar 2ay

yuuniyuu Ha5iiraan 3une

yuuliyuu tammuu5 3uly

aghusTus aab %ugust

sibtambir ayluul eptember

uktuubir tishriin al+awwal 6ctober

nuu7mbir tishriin ath+thaanii 'o)ember

diisambir kaanuun al+awwal December

The last system is based on the 2slamic calendar% hich is a l!nar calendar and doesn'tcorres)ond to the months !sed in o!r calendar&

%ellin( timeThe time of day can be described in general terms or s)ecific times& The follo ing ords can be!sed to describe the general time of day&

SabaaH .morning/

DHuhr .noon/

ba'd-aDH-DHuhr .afternoon/

masaa' .evening/la l .nighttime/

nahaar .daytime/

When yo! ant to "no a s)ecific time of day% yo! can as" as-saa'a kam? .What time is it$/&;emember that time e()ressions !se ordinal .first% second% and so on/ n!mbers rather thancardinal n!mbers .one% t o% and so on/% s!ch as the follo ing:


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as-saa'a al-waaHida .one o'cloc"/

as-saa'a ath-thaani a .t o o'cloc"/

as-saa'a ath-thaalitha .three o'cloc"/

as-saa'a ar-raabi'a .fo!r o'cloc"/

as-saa'a al-khaamisa .five o'cloc"/as-saa'a as-saadisa .si( o'cloc"/

as-saa'a as-saabi'a .seven o'cloc"/

as-saa'a ath-thaamina .eight o'cloc"/

as-saa'a at-taasi'a .nine o'cloc"/

as-saa'a al-'aashira .ten o'cloc"/

as-saa'a al-Haadi a 'ashra .eleven o'cloc"/

as-saa'a ath-thaani a 'ashra .t elve o'cloc"/

When e()ressing time bet een the ho!rs% !se the follo ing terms to brea" things do n&

saa'a .ho!r=time=cloc"= atch/

daqiiqa .min!te/

thaani a .second/

nuS! .half/

rub' .#!arter/

thulth .third 70 min!tes /

To give a s)ecific time% yo! o!ld state the ho!r and then add the min!tes% #!arters% etc& to theend of the )hrase% as in the follo ing e(am)les&

as-saa'a ar-raabi'a illaa rub' .#!arter 'til fo!r/

as-saa'a al-waaHida wa nuS! !ii-SabaaH .1:G0 a&m&/

as-saa'a as-saabi'a wa rub'!ii-l-masaa' .J:1C )&m&/

S*eakin( Arabic at ork and SchoolBy David F. DiMeo from Arabic For Dummies Audio Set


33/35

S)ea"ing Arabic at or" and school doesn't have to be com)licated& Whether yo!'re loo"ing for a +ob in an Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntry or +!st need to tal" ith yo!r co or"ers or classmates there%yo!'ll need to "no some "ey ords and )hrases to hel) ease yo!r ay&

1sin( Arabic at work

The follo ing are some common ords that yo!'ll hear at or" on a daily basis&

i0timaa' .meeting/

mu'tamar .conference/

maktab .office/

waDHii!a .+ob/

kull awm .every day/

kull usbuu' .every ee"/qalam .)en/

qalam ar-raSaaS .)encil/

kursii .chair/

kumbuutur Haasuub .com)!ter/

makaatib .des"s/

da!tar .note)ad/haati! .tele)hone/

Some common +ob3related )hrases incl!de:

adhhab ilaa-l-i0timaa' .2 am going to the meeting&/

maa waDHii!atuka? .What is yo!r )rofession$/

maadhaa ta'mal? .What do yo! or" at $/

,o! can ans er this #!estion by saying anaa . . . / .2 am a & & &/ and then add the no!n for yo!r)rofession% s!ch as anaa mudarris .2 am a teacher/& The follo ing ords describe manycommon +obs& L!st add an -a to the follo ing ords to change it to feminine&

muwaDHDHa! . hite3collar or"er/

shur%ii .)olice officer/

muHaamin =muHaami a .la yer/


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SiHaa!ii .+o!rnalist/

0undii .soldier/

na00aar .car)enter/

kahrabaa'ii .electrician/

saa'iq .driver/Hammaal .)orter/

musaa'id .assistant/

muHaasib .acco!ntant/

mudiir .chief% director/

kaatib . riter/

bawaab .doorman/

The doorman . bawaab / )lays an im)ortant role in r!nning an a)artment b!ilding and is%therefore% an im)ortant )erson to "no &

1sin( Arabic at school

The follo ing are some common ords that might come in handy if yo!'re st!dying abroad in an Arabic3s)ea"ing co!ntry&

madrasa .school/madrasa thaanawi a .high school/

kulli a .college/

0aami'a .!niversity/

%aalib .st!dent/

mudarris .teacher/

ustaadh .)rofessor/Sa!! .class/

(hur!at Sa!! .classroom/

imtiHaan .test/

al-'uluum .sciences/

al-'uluum as-si aasi a .)olitical science/


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al-handasa .engineering/

at-taariikh .history/

al-adab .literat!re/

Some common school3related )hrases incl!de:

anaa %aalib !ii 0aami'a . . . .2 am a st!dent in & & & !niversity &/

adrus at-taariikh. .2 st!dy history&/

huwa ustaadhii. .He is my )rofessor&/

'indii imtiHaan. .2 have a test&/

hi a !ii Sa!!ii. .She is in my class&/

uHibb al-handasa. .2 li"e engineering&/

Formin( the 2ast %ense )erb in ArabicBy eith Masse

Part of the 2ntermediate Arabic *or ?!mmies 8heat Sheet

2n Arabic% the )ast tense is )rod!ced ith a system of s!ffi(es& ,o! !se the same s!ffi(esregardless of hich of the ten verb forms yo!'re !sing& Here's a table sho ing the )ast tense of

ty)ical *orm 2 verb so yo! can s)ot the s!ffi(es in a )inch&
http://www.dummies.com/search.html?query=Keith+Masseyhttp://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/intermediate-arabic-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.htmlhttp://www.dummies.com/search.html?query=Keith+Masseyhttp://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/intermediate-arabic-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html

how to ask questions in arabic

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