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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Teach Yourself Arabic!
The aims of the course
If you are an adult learner with no previous knowledge of Arabic
and studying on your own, then this is the course for you. Perhaps
you are taking up Arabic again after a break, or perhaps you are
intending to learn with the support of a class. Again, you will find
this course very well suited to your purposes.
The language you will learn is based on the kind of material seen
in Arabic newspapers and magazines, or heard on radio and
television news broadcasts. The main emphasis is on
understanding Arabic, but we also aim to give you an idea of how
the language works, so that you can create sentences of your own.
If you are working on your own, the audio recordings will be all
the more important, as they will provide you with the essential
opportunity to listen to Arabic and to speak it within a controlled
framework. You should therefore try to get a copy of the audio
recordings if you haven't already done so.
The structure of the course
This course contains:
. a guide to Arabic script and pronunciation
. 18 course units
. a reference section
. an optional audio cassette or CD

2
ARABIC
How to use the course
All the important infonnation that you need for the basic structures
of Arabic are given in the first ten units. The following eight units
introduce more advanced but essential structures, through texts and
dialogues
Statement of aims
At the beginning of each unit is a summary of what you can expect
to learn by the end of the unit.
Presentation of new language
This is in the fonn of dialogues or rex(S introducing the new
language, which are also recorded. These are followed by
questions and phrase-matching exercises to help you check your
comprehension. The answers to these and a translation of the texts
are in the Key at the end of the book. New words are given in the
order in which they appear, and they are followed where necessary
by Notes (al-mulaaHaDHaat .::.a\..lo...:...)LJI) which explain how the
language works. The language is presented in manageable chunks,
building carefully on what you have learned in earlier units.
Throughout the course the texts and vocabulary are given both in
Arabic script and in transliteration, that is, in English letters. Try to
rely less on the transliteration as you progress through the units.
Key Phrases (ta:biiraat ra'tlsiyyah J ,)
To sum up what you have learned in the texts or dialogues, the Key
Phrases section will provide a valuable reference. These contain
the main language elements of the unit, and will help you when
you come to the exercises.
Structures (taraakitb al-Iughah UJJI I)
In this section the forms of the language are explained and
illustrated. Main granunatical concepts have often been grouped
together for ease of reference, and they gradually build up to
provide yoU with all the structures you need to read and write
Arabic.

INTRODUCTION
3
Cultural tips (ma:luumaat thaqaafiyyah W ,:,u."JA.a)
These highlight some of the social and cultural aspects of life in the
Arab world.
Word Shapes (awzaan al..kalimaat ,:,LLKJI ejl,jJi)
This section will help you familiarise yourself with the way Arabic
words are formed.
Practice (tamriimiat ,:,W)
The tamriinaat provide a variety of activities so that you can start
using the new words and structures. Practice is graded so that
activities which require mainly recognition come fust. As you
grow in confidence in manipulating language fonns, you will be
encouraged to write and speak the language yourself. The answers
can be found at the end of the book, in the Key. Transcripts of
listening comprehension exercises follow the Key.
Reference
The reference section contains a Glossary of Grammar Terms, a
Grammar Summary of the main structures of the Arabic language,
and a set of Verb Tables, so that every verb you come across in the
book can be matched in the tables to a verb which works in the
same way. There are also reference sections on Arabic Numerals
and Plurals.
Selected Arabic-English and English-Arabic glossaries are
provided so that you can look up words alphabetically, and fmally
a Grammar Index will enable you to look up specific points.
Study tips
Remember that the rust step in learning a language is listening and
understanding. Concentrate initially on that, and then work on your
writing skills, using the information in the units and, if possible, by
listening to native speakers.
In using a course such as this, it is important to pace yourself, with
a view to consolidating what you have learned before moving on.

4
ARABIC
Due to the nature of the language, the units are of varying length
and complexity. There is no need to attempt to absorb a whole unit
in one sitting.
Our suggestion is that you concentrate on the texts fIrst, with
reference to the transcripts and the audio if you have it. This
includes mastering the vocabulary as far as possible. The
translations are there to help you if you get stuck. You should then
look at the Structures section and make sure you understand how
the language is working. Finally work through the exercises. These
are based on the constructions explained in the unit and will help
you consolidate what you have learned. Try to do each exercise
before checking your work in the Key.
What kind of Arabic will I learn?
The Arabic taught in this book is the standard written language of
more than 150 million inhabitants of the Arab states, ranging from
Morocco in the West, to Iraq in the East. In addition to this large
number of native speakers, it is used by Muslims allover the world
as a language of religion. There are millions of Muslims in
Pakistan. Afghanistan and, further east, Malaysia and Indonesia. H
you are a Muslim, you have to read the Koran and pray in Arabic.
Translations - as in, for example, the European versions of the
Bible - are only used for reference or as an aid to understanding
the Arabic. All the commentaries on the Holy Text, and other
subsidiary literature on practices, interpretation and rules for dw.ly
life are written in and have to be read in Arabic. In addition, it is a
matter of pride for Muslims to regard Arabic as a prestige
language.
In modem everyday life in the Arab countries, socalled vernacular
or dialect Arabic has supplanted Standard Arabic for spoken
communication. but all these dialects derive from the parent root.
The result of this is that, if you have a grounding in Standard
Arabic. it will be easier to learn the modem local dialects which
are based on it. Standard Arabic is also the lingua franca of the
Arab world and can be understood anywhere in conversation with
educated speakers.

INTRODUCTION
5
Written Arabic has existed for about twelve centuries without
major change. Its literature is vast and a key to understanding the
development of world history. While Europe entered the Dark
Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire, Arabic carried the torch
of classical learning. Much that we know today in the realms of
chemistry, medicine, astronomy and other branches of scientific
endeavour would have been lost, were it not for the achievements
of Arab scholars and translators.
Nowadays, due to oil resources and the influence this brings, the
importance of many Arab states in political and economic tenns
cannot be overestimated. The oil in much of the Arab world has
had very powerful influences on the West, which is dependent on
the Middle East for its supplies of the substance which largely
drives their economies.
So, whether your interests are historical, cultural, religious or
economic, there is a lot to be gained from tearning Arabic.
To help you, we have tried to present the modern language in its
most easily accessible fonn. As you will be learning, Arabic script
differs from European scripts in that it does not explicitly write the
short vowels. The traditional language of the Holy Koran and
classical literature used special endings on words which consisted
mainly of vowels. With a few exceptions, these are not now written
and have been largely ignored in this book. The fonn of Arabic
taught in this book is based on its modern fonn, i.e. that used in the
press, fiction and similar written material, usually referred to as
Modern Standard Arabic. As a spoken language, it survives in
fonnal TV and radio broadcasts, political speeches, and so on.
Many examples of these are included in the units.
If you go through this book carefully, you should achieve a level
of proficiency which will enable you to read newspapers and listen
to radio and TV broadcasts. A little further study will introduce you
to the world of Arabic literature, for instance the novels of the
Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, a winner of the Nobel Prize for
Literature.
Finally, many people are put off learning Arabic because of the
apparently difficult script. In fact, this is one of the easiest and

6
ARABIC
most rewarding aspects of learning Arabic. The Arabic alphabet
consists of only 29 letters, and its spelling is 95 per cent phonetic
and therefore largely self-explanatory - something that could never
be said for English. Once you have mastered the basic fonns of the
letters, you will never have to ask yourself the (equivalent)
question of "How many p's are there in apartment?" and the like.
Hints for further study
This book covers all the main structures of Arabic and a reasonable
amount of vocabulary.
If you want to dig deeper, you will first need a pair of dictionaries
The use of these has been discussed in the Review Unit.
. Arabic-English: Hans Wehr A Dictionary of Modem Written
Arabic (edited by J. Milton Cowan) is an essential tool.
. English-Arabic: the best available is Munir Ba'albaki
Al-Mawrid, A Modem English-Arabic Dictionary. This very
comprehensive work was designed for use by native Arabic
speakers and so, to select the correct word for a given context,
some cross-referencing with Wehr may be necessary.
These two dictionaries are the best for the serious student, but there
are others available.
There is a multitude of Arabic grammars on the market, of widely
differing merits
. David Cowan, Modem Literary Arabic provides a concise look
at the structures of written Arabic at a slightly deeper level than
this book.
. John Mace, Arabic Verbs and Essential Grammar, published m
the Teach Yourself series, is an extremely useful reference work
which provides easy access to all the verb types and a summary
of Arabic grammar.
Spoken Arabic varies widely from country to country, and you
should choose from the wide selection of material available
according to which country you intend to visit. Very roughly the
Arabic dialects divide into the following groups: North Africa
from Morocco to Libya; Egypt and the Sudan; Lebanon Jordan and

INTRODUCTION
7
Syria; Iraq and the Arabian peninsula.
The Arabic of the last of these groups is probably the nearest to the
written Arabic you have learned in this book, and is covered by the
present writers' Teach Yourself Gulf Arabic in the same series.
Good luck! We hope you will enjoy learning Arabic!

ARABIC SCRIPT AND
PRONUNCIATION
GUIDE
1 Basic characteristics
The Arabic script looks difficult because it is so different from
what we are used to. In fact, it is easy to master, and, with one or
two easily definable exceptions, all sounds are written as they are
pronounced. There are no combinations of vowels (dipthongs)
which result in a totally different sound, such as, for example, the
English words plough, dough, through, enough.
Some important facts about the Arabic script:
. Arabic is written from right to left. As a result of this, what we
would regard as the back cover of a book, magazine or
newspaper is in fact the front cover of an Arabic publication.
. Arabic script is always joined, or cursive, like English
handwriting. There is no equivalent of the English text you are
now reading, where all the letters have separate fonns with spaces
between them. An exception to this is in crossword puzzles.
. There are no capital letters.
. The joining strokes between letters, called ligatures, have the
effect of slightly altering the shape of the letters on either side.
As a result, Arabic letters have varying forms, depending on
whether they come at the beginning, middle, or end of a word.
. A few letters do not join to the following letter, but all Arabic
letters join to the preceding one.
. The three shon vowels, a, i or u, as opposed to the long vowels
aa, uu and n. are not shown in the script. For example, the word
bank (borrowed from English), is written b-n-k. This is not so
much of a problem as you might think, since the number of
shapes or fonns which Arabic words take is limited. There is a
system (not normally used in Modem Arabic) to show the short

ARABIC SCRIPT AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
9
vowels, which is explained below. As almost all Modem Arabic
is written without the short vowels, we have generally not
included them in the Arabic script in this course, although the
transliteration (pronunciation guide) given for all the Arabic
vocabulary and structures will show you what they are.
However, we have included the short vowels in the Arabic script
in some places where it is especially helpful.
2 The alphabet
Because Arabic is a cursive language, we have given the initial,
medial and final forms of each letter, used depending on where
they occur in the word. A separate form has also been included,
since some letters do not join to the one after them. If you look at
the letters carefully you will see that there are really only two
shapes, although four forms of the non-joining letters have been
given.
The Arabic alphabet is given below in its traditional order. Letters
which do not join to the following one are marked with an asterisk
(*).
The term final in the table should be interpreted as meaning fmal
after a joining letter. If the preceding letter is a non-joiner, the
separate form will be used. If you look closely, you can see that
final and separate letters are usually elongated in form, or have a
'flourish' after them.
In most cases, the initial form of the letter can be regarded as the
basic or nucleus form. For example, if you look at baa' (the second
letter in the following list), you will see that its basic (initial) fonn
is a small left-facing hook with a single dot below it. The medial
form is more or less the same, with a ligature coming in from the
right (remember Arabic reads from right to left). The fInal form is
the same as the medial, with a little flourish to the left, at the end
of the word, and the separate form is the same as the initial, but
again with the flourish to the left. Study the letters bearing these
features in mind, as many of them follow the same principle. Fuller
descriptions and other hints on deciphering will be given in the
units.

10 ARABIC
Here are the four shapes of baa' in enlarged type:
.....a -a.... fo...J- u
. . . .
initial medial final separate
You will see that the nucleus is the hook with a dot under it (the
initial fonn). The medial shape has joining strokes before and after
the letter. and the final form has an elongation or flourish.
The Arabic letters
Name Initial Medial Final Separate Pronunciation
alif. L L I see below
baa' ---! -+-  Io..J b
taa' ....:; ....l...  
thaa' :. :.   th
....I ....L.
iiim .....=I. ...::::10....  r:: i
Haa' .....=I. ...::::10.... C- C H
khaa' ....=.. ....:..... t- t kh
daal- oJ .J,.. .J,.. oJ d
dhaal' oJ .J,.. .J,.. oJ dh
raa" J J- J- J r
za . . . . z
J J- J- J
siin --"' ........... ...,...... (..)U s
shiin ....z..... :. sh
--"' ...,...... (..)U
Saad .....s.oCI -..0.. u..:::a.. c...>4 5
Daad .....s.oCI -..0.. u..:::a.. c...>4 D
Taa' ....b ....b... .b.. .b T
DHaa' .J;. ..J:.... .li.. j; DH

ARABIC SCRIPT AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Nome Initiol Medial Final Separate
:ain -L -'- r:- t
ghain -L -L r:- E-
faa' ...,j ....i.. ....i.. 
qaaf ....i ....i..  L9
kaaf ...s: ...s:... d. t!J
laam .J  J- J
mUm .....0 ...... r- f"
nuun ....J ....L.. u- U
haa' --A -+- <L 
waaw .J .J- .J- .J
yaa' -:! -:!- I.F ':?
11
Pronunciation
gh
f
q
k
I
m
n
h
w
y
There is one combination consonant laam-alif. This must be used
when this series of letters occurs, and it is a non-joiner:
Name Initial Medial/Final Separate
laam-alif 'J  'J
Also note that, in some styles of type and handwriting, when the
letter miim comes after laam, the small circle of the miim is filled
in and looks like a little tag attached to the laam, for example:
I al-maktab the desk, office
The taa' marbuuTah, referred to in this book as the 'hidden -t', is
the Arabic feminine ending. As it only occurs at the end of words,
it has only two forms: final (after joiners) and separate (after non-
joiners). It is always preceded by a short a-vowel:
final Separate
i.
o

12
ARABIC
If you look carefully at this letter, you will see that it is a baa' with
the two dots above of the taa' added. It is nonnally ignored in
speech, or rendered as a very weak h, but in certain combinations
of words it is pronounced as t. It has therefore been transcribed as
b or t accordingly.
The harnzah is regarded by the Arabs as a supplementary sign, not
as letter of the alphabet. Its official pronunciation is a . glottal stop'
(as the t's in the cockney pronunciation of bottle), and it has been
transliterated by means of an apostrophe ('). It is sometimes
omitted in speech, but should be shown in written Arabic, where it
occurs either on its own, or written over an aIif, waaw or yaa'. In
the last case, the two dots under the yaa' are omitted. It can also
occur written below an alif, but this is less common. The actual
bamzah never joins to anything, but its 'supporting' letters take
the form required by their position in the word:
Initicl Medici Fincl Separate
independent  ;n all cases
over alif L L
under alif does not occur !
over waow . . .
  .J
over yaa' . u- '"
.......
Note that, at the beginning of a word, harnzah is always written
above or below alif.
The writing of the hamzah is a frequent source of spelling errors
among native speakers, and it is often omitted in print and writing.
In foreign loanwords the letter p is usually written as a baa' and
the letter v is written either as faa' or with the Persian letter ..J - a
faa' with three dots above it instead of one.
''''' 1
.,
.
"""'C4
. ...'! :i;;f 

ARABIC SCRIPT AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
13
Script Exercise 1
In the photograph below, which five well-known international
companies are sponsors of this race-course?
,"-"
,;':"'
1T
. t', ,..
>. .'>
. --  ,.. .t_(t_ 4 :__t.. - .;'
. T   -= ::' . .! ':'P', . :' , ';" . .; . , . ,  ,. :". .. ;_,,' , ' ,, ' ,  _ \ ,' "
 ::'?".:::.< ,, 11 - < . .
" .. - -
 t- R!!!! I ; ,....A.J,..J
.. <
< . ,. I LII....
- rl ,;. 
y . H.jI
.- , . "Mil Mi ; ;"
l:1:..t g "1 ;'j
' . 1 .  :.,
- l
. . ,'.
3 Vowels
The letters of the Arabic alphabet are all regarded as consonants.
In Arabic writing the short vowels are not usually marked except
in children's school textbooks, the Holy Koran and ancient
classical poetry,
. " - - . ,. ..... The long vowels are
- ",--,,,,., ,"-« ex pr essed b y the three
-- : , .
1 ' 1 ' ..:. - ." - _ 1 letters alif. waaw and
,. -. < : ' yaa'. Alifalmost always
< h "_ <..' expresses the vowel aa,
I · -. . -. .
.. . = =-:;= ,:::, but waaw and yaa' can
. '. . also be consonantal w
and y (as in English wish
... ,,'. .;..:: -- - and yes).
The most important factors to consider in Arabic words are firstly
the consonants, and secondly the long vowels. It will not make
much difference in most cases whether you pronounce a word with
a, U or i (short vowels), but it is important to get the long vowels
right. See page 18 for more details on vowels.
.z;/;!;> :t j
 <..,.....,;....,..
. .. .
.,:<-..
'II; ._:
% -,, ....
S. :".. ..
" . - ..;.,;;..;.;.;-
\. '. i'l! lJL!I9oii.I9 1
4 Variations in handwriting
Think of the Arabic script as essentially handwriting (smce it is

14
ARABIC
always cursive, no matter how it is produced - by hand or on a
computer). Since calligraphy is a highly developed art in the Arab
world, there are more variations in the form of the letters than is
the case in English.
The most common of these is that two dots above or below a letter
are frequently combined into one dash, and three dots (which only
occur above) into an inverted v like the French circumflex ('\).
Here is an example showing taa' and thaa':
lu Ul
Another common variation is the writing of siin (s) and shun
(sh) simply as long lines, ironing out their 'spikes', and often
with a small hook be low at the beginning:
IU-I
This occurs frequently in handwriting, signwriting and newspaper
and advert headings - in fact everywhere where the original copy
has been prepared by a calligrapher rather than typeseL
Above all, Arabic writing is fun. Look at it as an art form!
5 Transliteration
Transliteration means expressing a language which uses a different
writing system (like Arabic) in terms of symbols based on the
Roman alphabet, usually for teaching purposes. There is no
standard way of doing this and we have tried to keep the system
used in this book as simple as possible.
The essential feature of a transliteration system is that it has to
have a precise equivalent for every sound used in the target
language. This differs from conventional spelling, e.g. in English
the letter s has totally different sounds in the two words loafs, and
loaves. Consider also that the same sound in the former can be

ARABIC SCRIPT AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
15
spelled ce, e.g. mince. Transliteration systems have to iron out such
discrepancies.
We have adapted the English alphabet, using capital letters to
distinguish between Arabic sounds which seem related to speakers
of English. For instance, Arabic has two sorts of t which we have
distinguished in this way: rattab means arranged, whereas
raTTab means moistened. Consequently you will not find capital
letters used as they are conventionally, e.g. in personal and place
names. (An exception has, however, been made in the case of
AI-lash God, Allah.)
 6 The Arabic sounds
We have divided the pronunciation table into three parts:
. Group 1: Sounds that are more or less as in English.
. Group 2: Sounds which do not occur in English, but are found in
other European languages with which you may be familiar.
. Group 3: Sounds which are specific to Arabic.
Note: The letter aUf has no sound of its own, and is used only to
express the long vowel aa and as a support for the hamzah (see the
relevant sections below).
Group 1
b as in but
d as in duck
db as in the hard th in this or mother. Do not confuse with the
sound th (see below), as they convey entirely different
meanings in Arabic (dhawb melting, thawb a garment).
f as inforce
h as in hold, but never omitted in speech as it very often is in
English (e.g. vehement). An exception is the common
feminine ending -ah, see above.
j as in jar
k as in kick

16 ARABIC
I mostly as in line, but sometimes has a duller sound, roughly
as in English alter. This distinction is not meaningful in
Arabic but depends on the surrounding consonants,
m asmmum
n as in nib
s as in sit, (it is not pronounced z as in things: see z below)
sh as in flash
t as in tart
tb as in think ( not as in this; see db above)
w as in wonder
y as in yonder
z as in sneeze, bees (sometimes spelled s in English, but in
Arabic s and z never interchange; see also tb and db)
Group 2
r The Arabic r sound does not occur in standard English, but
is familiar in dialect pronunciation. It is the trilled r of
Scottish very ("verry'), and conunon in Italian and Spanish
(Parma, Barcelona).
gh Near to the r of Parisian French. It is actually a more guttural
scraping sound, and occurs in Dutch, e.g. negen. The
Parisian r is near enough as an intermediate measure.
kh Roughly sound of ch in Scottish loch and och aye. Also
familiar in German doch and (written}) in Spanish Jose.
Group 3
These sounds are particular to Arabic. To pronounce them requires
practice and it is best to listen to native speakers if possible.
S,T, With the exception of H (see below), the capitalised
D, consonants are pronounced in a way similar to their small
DB letter versions s, t, d and db, except that the tongue is
depressed into a spoon shape, and the pressure of air from
the lungs increased. This gives a forceful and hollow sound,
often referred to as emphatic. These sounds have a marked

ARABIC SCRIPT AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
17
effect on surrounding vowels, making them sound more
hollow. A rough (British) English equivalent is the
difference in the a as in Sam and (with of course silent p)
psalm.
We have a muscle in our throat which is never used except
in vomiting. Think about that and pretend you are about to
be sick. You will find that what is normally called in English
gagging is actually a restriction in the deep part of the throat.
If you begin to gag, and then immediately relax the muscles
in order to release the airstream from the lungs, you will
have produced a perfect: (called :ayn in Arabic). This
sound must be distinguished from the glottal stop hamzah
as the difference affects the meaning. For instance, :amal
means work, but 'amal means hope.
R Pronounced in exactly the same way as :ayn, except that,
instead of completely closing the muscles referred to above,
they are merely constricted and the air allowed to escape.
The only time English speakers come near to a (weakish) H
is when they breathe on their spectacle lenses before
cleaning them. Both :ayn and Baa' should always be
pronounced with the mouth fairly wide open (say 'ah').
The hamzah occurs in English between words pronounced
deliberately and emphatically (e.g. 'She [pause] is [pause]
awful. '), but is probably more familiar as the Cockney or
Glaswegian pronunciation of tor tt as in bottle.
q is officially pronounced as a 'back of the throat' English e
or k. If you try to imitate the sound of a crow cawing you
will not be far away. A rough equivalent is the difference in
articulation of the letter e in (British) English earn and calm.
Note: The symbol q has been chosen only for convenience:
it has really nothing to do with the English combination quo
Localvariations
As with any language spoken over such a wide area, regional
pronunciations occur. The versions given above are the officially
correct ones, always used in reciting the Holy Koran, but local
variants often slip into the pronunciation of politicians, radio and

18
ARABIC
T. V. announcers etc. The most important of these affect the
following letters:
th Many speakers in the North and West of the Arab world fmd
this sound difficult to pronounce and render it as either t or s.
j In Egypt and a few other areas, this is rendered g as in gold.
In Lebanon, parts of Syria and Jordan it sounds like the j of
French Jacques (which is the same as the s in English
pleasure ).
dh Sometimes becomes d or z (see th above).
D Pronounced identically to DH in most of the Eastern Arab
world (Iraq, the Gulf and Saudi Arabia).
DB See D above. Additionally, in many urban parts of Egypt,
Lebanon, Syria and Jordan it often becomes a sort of
emphatic z-sound.
q In infonnal speech, this is often pronounced as g in many
parts of the Arab world. In the spoken Arabic of urban areas
of Egypt, Lebanon and Syria it is pronounced as a glottal
stop (hamzah).
Note: the above variants are given to help you avoid confusion
when listening to "live' Arabic in various parts of the Arab world.
It is probably better to stick to the more fonnal values until your
ear becomes attuned but if - as is highly recommended - you enlist
the help of a native speaker, imitate his or her pronunciation.
" 7 Vowels
There are only three common vowels, all of which occur both long
and short. These have been transcribed as follows:
a roughly as in hat
aa an elongated emphatic a as in the word and as in: "Did she
actually say that?' "Yes... and she had the cheek to repeat
it!'. In juxtaposition with some of the consonants (mainly
the capitalised ones S, D, T, DB, but also q, gb and
sometimes I and r it sounds more like the vowel in the
English palm.

ARABIC SCRIPT AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
i as in if
ii the long equivalent of i, as in seen, French livre
u as in put (never as in sup)
uu as infood, French lWUS
aw roughly as in English bound
ay as in aye (often pronounced like ai as in bail in informal
situations)
00 as in like French beau or ham/! as pronounced in Scotland -
occurs in less fonnal speech and in some foreign loanwords
19
8 Writing vowels and other signs
As short vowels are not normally written in Modern Arabic, it is
better to become used to recognising Arabic words without them.
However, the transliterated Arabic throughout this course will
show you which short vowel should be pronounced and the short
vowels are also sometimes included on the Arabic script where
helpful to understanding the patterns of words.
Note: All these signs are written above or below (as indicated) the
consonant which they follow. For instance, to express the word
kutiba, you write the (Arabic) consonant k + the vowel sign for U,
consonant t + the sign for i, b + the sign for a. like this:
".. ,


As all three letters are joining letters, the k has the initial form, the
t the medial form and the b the final form.
The long vowels are the same signs, but followed by aUf for aa,
W8aw for uu and yaa' for ii. For example, if the above word had
all three vowels long (kuutiibaa - an imaginary word, for
purposes of illustration only), it would be written like this:
".. ,
fi
"..
A similar means is used to express the diphthong vowels aw and
ay, except that, as you would expect, the vowel sign preceding the

20
ARABIC
.J or($ is always a, for example:
- 
 fi
tay kaw
Zero vowel sign
When a consonant has no vowel after it, this is marked by writing
a miniature circle (like a zero) above it; here above the k:
 0 
· &< 0
.
maktab
This sign is omitted at the end of words, in this case the b.
Doubled consonants
Doubled consonants (written in the transliteration as bb, nn, SS,
etc.) are very important in Arabic, as they can change the meanings
of words radically. They are only pronounced in English when they
span two words, e.g. <BuLI im. mv vo ung friend...' In Arabic,
however, they must always be pronounced carefully, wherever
they occur, with a slight hesitation between them. MathaI means a
proverb, maththal means he acted, represented.
In Arabic, the consonant is written once only, with the following
sign (a little Arabic U"' s without the tail) above it, for example:

Ji.o
maththal
The sign for the vowel following the doubled letter - here an a - is
written above the doubling sign. As you have already learned, an i-
vowel is expressed by writing a short oblique stroke under the letter.
However, by convention, when a letter already has the doubling
sign, the stroke is put under the sign but actually above the letter.
'f,I
Ji.o
maththil

ARABIC SCRIPT AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
21
Other signs
The letter aUf occasionally appears with a longer, curved stroke
above it (similar to a stretched out Spanish tilde as in canon). It is
then pronounced as a bamzah (glottal stop) followed by a long aa-
vowel. An important word which you will meet often and should
take pains to learn to write and pronounce correctly is the Arabic
word for the Koran:
0' 0,.,
u t,:iJ I
al.qur'aan
Finally a sign used on only a very few (but common) words is a
vertical stroke above the preceding letter. This is simply
a shorthand way of writing the long aa-vowel. Another
very important word in Arab culture is God, or Allah. Here
the vertical stroke is written over the doubling sign.
Pronounce this allaah with the stress on the second
syllable. (It is usually uttered with the 'dark' I, i.e. an  , I \
I pronounced with the tongue hollowed at the back of --W
the upper teeth. This gives the aa a 'hollow' sound.)
\
...,
9 Irregular spellings
The letter yaa' occurs frequently at the end of words in Arabic. It
is usually pronounced -ii, but also sometimes .aa. In the former
case, it is usually written with two dots under it (($) and in the latter
without them (($), but this rule is not. unfortunately, always
adhered to.


banaa
Note that in this case, the vowel preceding the yaa' is a. Words
Showing this characteristic will be explained as they occur.
The hybrid letter 6, the 'hidden t', is always preceded by a (L), see
above.
Important note: Both of these spellings can only occur at the end

22
ARABIC
of a word, If any suffix is added to the word, they become I and .:.
respectively. (This will be explained fully later in the book.)
10 Oneoaletter words
By convention, Arabic words consisting only of one consonantal
letter (and usually a short vowel) are joined to the following word.
Thus wa (and) + anta (you) is written:
-'" o"
I.J
To make things clearer in transliteration, such words are separated
by a hyphen: wa-anta.
11 Stress
The rules for suess in Arabic are complex, and it is better to learn
from the audio if you have it, or by listening to native speakers.
.. ,  "c' < " One simple general rule. however, is
, ,f, . - l" t ,:t;>;, that if a word contains a long vowel
< : ,.i'S,l\:' - ... ., " . '-' "',' (aa uu etc ) the stress f: :"' ls on th ' IS '
" 'YSUU\ _".,.. .." "..' , , ,. 41 ·
'Jiii!f:. ,'- and if there is more than one (long
'I :' "f '? :i""'-" ' ,:"' , vowel), the stress falls on the one
:.9.C.fi' ;1"";H ,: '. ' nearest the end of the word, e.g,:
yLWQ I}I -- --
  :'0C'!!i 1 :- - " ,;:, , : ,  makaatib but . _ '!:  makaatiib
< , ,,_:JI--.,_Ii ' Th ' I
:, _ <::.._ :,; ";J'; '-" !' , .S' e stress will be on the last ong
4.1 ,; "," .-:;::-J"" ";'."." syllable before a vowel ending.
{.nytsa 1i :., ."t:'" r,>,' ';';' To help you. the stressed syllables of
.. -«,.. J)  'W''UJ.() .........
I ' !n;!'" ,.:' .. words have been marked with an acute
!M' . ""...'
',. ;;II ;jr'm ,'" ... accent: a, aa.. etc, in the first few units
{-;,;,).::;'_. : .;:I ' . so that you become used to where they
;,\,-2F:<-tb, -y occur.

IC SCRIPT AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
23
12 Case endings
Classical Arabic had a set of three grammatical case endings for
nouns and adjectives, but these are nowadays largely ignored in all
but very formal speech such as Koranic recitation and ancient
poetry.
The only one of these which concerns us is the so-called indefinite
accusative, because this shows in the script This is known as the
accusative marker.
Its form is an alif attached to the end of the noun or adjective,
technically with two slashes above the preceding consonant: L. It
is pronounced -an, e.g. ..... kit3ab, but with accusative marker
4 kitaaban. In practice. the two slashes before the alif are
usually omitted:4.
r " , !_.
I"" ; ..."_1.',,, ." ." I
" A'jJ1 l \:-:);  diJ.I iJ YJ J
. " , \L-- \ \\
1'  ..;.. ,;;,J:.1'.... ,......".\""'"'''-\).,.\Ii.\)
, ";--ktJr,,: ---.. I,;................-r_
 ..",. ....:-: .
 "
. '\ y
, ,
, ,
 .. >
 '-_.... '
 ',:"'1:_ .
<.  .
'I.." .
-, ,
>_>Y.""",". _",. . _n .;c
'.;';::>.c".;.r.1t ....Jy

,

I J...\i
.
fal-nabda'
Let's get started!
In this unit you will learn:
. how to greet people
. how to make short descriptive
phrases
. about definites and indefinites
r/'WJ f{t/\)
0:0
g 1 r<.: I , as-salaamu :alay-kum hello
[lit. Peace be upon you]
In Arabic, it is extremely important to be able to greet people,
and to reply when someone greets you. Notice that each greeting
has its own particular reply. If you have the recording, listen to
these people greeting each other, and see how they respond.
Simple Greetings
r1
as-saIaamu :a18y-kum
r1 ,J
wa- :a18y-kum as-salaam
hello [lit. peace be upon you]
hello (reply) [lit. (and) upon
you peace]
Exercise 1
Kamal is visiting an old friend, John, in his hotel in Cairo, and
Kamal speaks first Practise saying each phrase, filling in the
gaps. Remember to pronounce the stress on every word where it
is shown.

!!NIT 1
a as-salaamu ..., ya John!
b wa :al8y-kum ..., ya KamaaJ.!
25
! 4 ... r-I
!JLaS: 4 ... ,J
Exercise 2
You are going to dinner with your Arabic-speaking friend Nadia.
She welcomes you into her house. What do you say to her?
 2 I t:  SabaaH al-khayr Good morning
Suad is about to begin teaching an Arabic course at the university
in Cairo. First she greets a new student.
Su:aad SaMaR al-khayr.
Taalibab SabaaH an-nuur.
., r 4..0 JU-w
.J.iJ1 r 4..0 *4J
I 4J. *4J Tilalibah (pl. Taalibaat) Female student
Note
The plurals of nouns and adjectives in Arabic do not follow a
logical system, so it is better to learn them along with the
singular from the beginning. They are given after the singular
noun in the vocabulary, separated by a comma.
In Arabic, there is no word for good afternoon, so masaa' al-
kh3yr is used for both late afternoon and evening.
 d ......, , ta:biirciat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
How to wish someone good morning, evening:
..  'I L...o
 r.
SabaaH al-khayr
good morning [lit. morning (of)
the goodness]
good morning (reply) [lit.
morning (of) the light]
-- ". 'I L...o
.JJ'*' r -
SabaaH an-nuur

26
ARABIC
I L-
masaa' al-khayr
I L-
masaa' an-nuur
good afternoon/good evening
[lit. evening (of) the goodness]
good afternoon/good evening
(reply) [lit. evening (of) the light]
Exercise 3
Fill in the bubbles with the appropriate greetings.
Exercise 4
a It is llam and you go to the bank for cash. Greet the bank
clerk.
b You are in a restaurant one evening and an acquaintance comes
up and greets you. What would you say?
c Your partner comes home from work at 7pm. What does he/she
say to you?
d You go into a shop in the market. Say hello to the shopkeeper.
e You see your neighbour in the street and she says hello to you.
How would you reply?

QtlIT 1
27
 3 clJ  kayfa Haal-ak? How are you?
Suad asks one of the students, Michael, how he is:
Su:aad Myfa HaaJ.-ak?
Michael al-Hamdu lil-laah.
Su:aad
ahlan wa-sahlan.
Michael ahlan bi-ki. wa anti,
dJl:s..  b
.4.U I Lo
'.J)Ui b
.)Ui Lo
dJl:s..  .i"
. .4.U t b
Myfa HaaJ.-ik?
Su:8ad al-Hamctu lil-hiah,
bi-kMyr.
Note the spelling of ahlan and sablan with a final aIif. This is
the accusative marker (see Unit 8).
. d .:''': I ta:biiniat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
c;dJl:s..  kayfa Haal-ak? how are you? (to a man)
[lit. How [is] condition-your?]
c;dJl:s..  kayfa Haal-ik? how are you? (to a woman)
UJI
al-Hamdu lil-l8ah

" )UI
aWan wa-s8hlan
 )Ui 8hlan bi-k
 i iihlan bi-ki
i.J wa-antalanti
 bi-khayr
praise [be] to God (response to
above)
welcome
(reply to a man)
(reply to a woman)
and you? (sing. masc.lfem.)
well adj. (lit. in well-being)

2&
ARABIC
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) .::aUi.:..1
. k6yfa HlIal-ak If you are speaking to a woman, you must
say k6yfa H6al-ik, although there is no difference in written
Arabic. If you are talking a group of people, you must say
k6yfa Haal-kum (L:.. ,-¥).
. al-H6mdu lil-ICiah never changes, and is used in many
situations. Even if something unfortunate or unpleasant has
happened, the devout Muslim must submit to the will of Allah
and praise Him for what He has decreed.
. 6hlan bi-k You must say 6hlan bi-ki to a woman (same
spelling), or 6hlan bi-kum ()lAi) to a group of people.
Exercise 5
a Mohammad is having a party, and his English friend John
arrives. Finish the sentence for Mohammad.
kayfa ...? ... 
b What does John reply?
c Fill in the missing words in the next exchange between
Mohammed and John.
- ahlan ....
.,J ...
.... )Ui
- ... wa sablan
d You meet some Arabic-speaking friends. How do you ask
them how they are?
e An Arabic-speaking colleague comes into your office and you
greet him. What do you say, and how does he reply?
g 4 What do they want?

IJ"" YI

UNIT 1
29
Exercise 6
some tourists are spending the day in Cairo. Listen to the
recording or read the dialogues below. and try to work out which
picture belongs to each dialogue?
a Hi b 
o 
Dialogue 1
- t<i.aksi! al-ahnlam, min faDl-ak!
- na:am, ya sayyid-i!
Dialogue 2
- al-miSbaaH min fIDI-ak.
- al-kabfir aw as-8aghflf?
- tafaDDal.
- shUkran.
Dialogue 3
- shaay wa-sandawfitsh
Saghfir min-faDl-ak.
- shaay bi-sukkar?
-Iaa shukran, biduun sUkkar.
bi-kam haadhaa?
- thaIiiathah junayhaat.
C \' I

! 0.0 r-'J-A \tl !
!'f  
. 0.0 c. t :..-,,1 1
I,Ji I
.
.I
 u,:,. .Jl...,,J .lZ..
. 0.0
 'flZ..
.fi.- UJ .I ."':J
'lA 
. )U

30
ARABIC
Exercise 7
Which dialogue takes place:
a in a cafe beside the Nile?
b in Khan al-Khalili market?
c in Tahrir Square, in the centre of Cairo?
Exercise 8
Find the words for the following items:
a small
b a tea with sugar
c the lamp
d the pyramids
e a sandwich
ma:luumaat thaqaahyyah (Cultural tips)  W L.o. 
People don't usually use terms like Me and Mrs. In Egypt and
some other northern Arab countries people say siidi where we
might say sir, but in other countries this term is reserved for
certain classes of nobility. Its correct formal pronunciation is
sayyidi, but this does not show in the Arabic script.
Exercise 9
Which figure from the
Arabian Nights is this?
I c.t", ..JI 
" ;;;...; ..., I ta:biiniat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
 fjA min CaDl-ak
 tafaDDal
I shiikran
please
here you are, welcome
thank you

NIT 1 31
 rni:am yes
",i aW or
'J laa no
-! bi- with
tJ.J bi-duun without
c:l.lA  bi-kam haadha? how much is this?
ilJ.J1 '",:i taraakiib al-Iughah (StruCtures)
1 Definite 01' indefinite?
It is important in Arabic to be able to distinguish between definite
words and phrases, and indefinites.
Indefinite words have a or an before them in English. There is no
indefinite article, or word for a or an, in Arabic.
'-'l  bayt
(a) house
J'': .4w sandawiitsh (a) sandwich
There are three types of definite words in English:
a) words which begin with the definite article - the house
b) proper nouns - Mohammed, Cairo, Egypt
c) pronouns such as he, I, you. etc.
The definite article the never varies in writing, and is always JI
81-. The hyphen shows that, in the Arabic script, al- is always
attached to the following word.
I al-bayt the house
"
rlJoA1 al-ahraam the pyramids
There are two points of pronunciation:
a) If the preceding word ends in a vowel or -ah, the a of al- is
omitted in pronunciation, but kept in writing.

32
ARABIC
g Written
Pronounced
IIo..IL
-.. .. ...
baab al-bayt the door of the house
after a preceding consonant
t
Ii I-bayt in the house
after a preceding vowel
b) If the word to which al- is attached begins with one of the
following consonants, the I of the al. is omitted in pronunciation
and the following letter is doubled.
n I
u J
DHTD 5 shs z
j; .1:.  u-o  U" j
r
dh d
tb t
J
oJ oJ
 ..:..
You are pronouncing the word properly if you make a small
hesitation on the doubled letters.
g Written Pronounced
after a consonant after a vowel
I ash-shams sh-shams the sun
»JI an.nuur n-nuur the light
cJ. ": ..u...J1 as.sandwiitsh s-sandwiitsh the sandwich
Tip: An easy way to remember these letters is to pronounce them
all out loud. With the slight exception of sh, you will notice that
the tip of your tongue is contacting somewhere in the region of
your front teeth or the gum above them - where the letter I is
pronounced, which is why the assimilation occurs. No other Arabic
consonants are pronounced in this area.
The Arabs call these the 'sun letters', simply because the word
shams () sun begins with one of them. The remaining letters

!!.NIT 1
33
are called the 'moon letters', because qamar ) moon does not
begin with an assimilated letter.
Remember: The written form remains the same; it is only the
pronunciation which varies. However, to help you, the
assimilations have been represented in the transliteration.
t Exercise 10
Listen to the following words on the recording, or study them
carefully:
a lZ.Jt
b r-I.."... t
c r-)l.,J I
d LY.,,; ..l'wJ1
e1
f1
. ..:. , _11
g
List those which begin with sun letters and those which begin with
moon letters.
2 Nouns and adjectives
Arabic adjectives behave like nouns but:
a) they always follow the noun;
b) they must agree with the noun in definiteness and in gender;
c) additional adjectives are simply added after the first one with no
punctuation or joining word. If the noun is definite, the
adjectives must all be definite and have the definite article.
It will be a great help when you are learning Arabic if you can
come to look on nouns and adjectives as being virtually the same
thing. This only happens in slightly archaic English in phrases such
as 'the great and the good', 'the meek shall inherit the earth'. More
commonly we use the helping word 'one': 'Which dress do you
prefer?', 'The blue one'.

34
ARABIC
Arabic grammar will become easier if you mentally add the word
<-one' to Arabic adjectives, so that you are effectively equating
them with nouns. In Arabic the reply to the question above would
have been simply The blue'.
g  '-'l bayt Saghiir a small house = (a) house
(a) small( -one)
jJ-#1 .1.1"J1
al-waIad aT- Tawlll
-'-:...11 W
 - 
briiTaanyaa 1-:uDHma
'-':!":-'
kitaab kabiir jadiid
b1 :41,,1I I
al-bint al-jamfilah
S-Saghiirah
the tall boy = the-boy the-tall(-one)
Great Britain = Britain the-great
(-one)
a big new book = (a) book (a) big
(-one) (a) new(-one)
the beautiful young girl = the girl
the-beautiful(-one) the-young( -one)
II
..::.a,j:H <  bayt, buyUut house
 Saghiir young (person), small (thing)
.1 "l Ji < J willad, awlaad boy (pl. also children)
J:! Tawiil toll (person), long (thing)
 .US ki16ab (kutub) book
J:HS kabiir big
( ..?' )  iamiil (fern. iamiilah) beautiful

IT1

.&
t'jA
haram kabor
a big pyramid
(a) pyramid (a) big(-one)
I$JI ;S')I!
TO THE COMMERCIAL CENTRE
4
35

 t'jA
haram Saghor
a small pyramid
(a) pyramid (a) small(-one)
Note: Some words end with a final (S
(written without the two dots) which
is pronounced -a (strictly -aa, bul
often shortened). u1! ila(a), to/
towards is an example of this.
La..a tamriinaat (Practice)
Exercise II
Listen again to the greetings at the beginning of the recording, and
repeat the phrases after the speakers. If you don't have the
recording, read the dialogues several times until you are sure you
are familiar with them.
Exercise 12
Match the following greetings with the appropriate reply.
i  r-I a I
ii I l...w b I l...w
iii  l:s..  
c )UI
iv ", )Ui d r-I ",
v !J...;..L; e 4..lJ .14:J I

36
ARABIC
Exercise 13
J......,,\" JI \
\. .
,,;,.)'II II ,:,I....,....JI.. ....41"I'
4...01,;..11 " u....}JI' pIT
.I1\. ...y.-J 1 V iUJI t
"
Match the Arabic words for the places in the Arab world in the
above box with the transliterated words below, and practise saying
them. To help you the cities are marked on the map.
a ar-ribaaT b al-jazaa'ir
c al-q3.ahirah d ar-riyaaDH
e al-manaamah f baghdaad
g ash-sharq al-awsaT h as-sa:uudtyyah
i as-suu<iaan j al-Urdunn
Now work out the English names for the towns and countries.
Exercise 14
Listen to the recording or read the transliteration, and work out
what is being asked for in the cafe.
a . fjA b* qahwah min fIDl-ak.
b . fjA  laym60n min lIDI-ak.
c . 0-0 b 'Jfi\S.fi kookak60la Saghiirah
min fIDI-ak.
d . (j.o :t:;'Jfi4 -fi (.)":!i ays kriim bi.sh.
shokolaatah min fIDl-ak.

UNIT 1
And where do these people want to be taken?
t I ..... t . I I . . . ...n l k
e . (,j"O "'': ... as-snmmaa nun tUU -a .
f . (j.A I ai-bank min faDl-ak.
Exercise 15
In transliteration, change these words and phrases from indefinite
to definite.
37
a :;: .Jl.... sandawlltsh
b  tilifuun
c .-, bayt
d rb l..J.:a TamaaTim
e  minima
f i b.J:H biirah Saghiirah
g ..&  bargar kabiir
h ..s.::-- ,j:!.J1.; raadyo jadiid
Exercise 16
See if you can match the words in Exercise 15 to the drawings below.
1 2 3""
.II
4
b
56 7
 
8


38
ARABIC
Exercise 17
Choose the correct adjective from the brackets to complete the
phrases.
(b-,:!I <6.1:!) ' A",.:".II -\ 1 the new cinema
(6I'b)-'\" 2 a small girt
(I .) ":" -Y' 3 a beautiful book
(-#I.jJ)  -f. 4 a long film
(t""'t",J1 <t""'I..,) I I-o 5 the big roomy house
lAKJI Ul:,.,i awzaan aIkalimaat (Word shapes)
The large majority of Arabic words are built around a three-
consonant root. It is conventional to express the fust consonant of the
root by e - Le. fust consonant - and later consonants as C and C.
The vowels between are usually stated as they are (a, i, u, 33, uu, ii
and so on) or, where they are variable, simply by v, meaning vowel.
The word pattern for this unit is:
C 1 aC 2 iiC 3
The word kabiir means big (old when applied to people). In
Arabic, anything to do with the root k-b-r will have something to
do with bigness, large size and so on.
This is a very useful concept, noticed long ago by Arab
philologists. Most dictionaries are still arranged according to these
three-letter roots.
Here we have the three consonants k-b-r. In Arabic they are
fleshed out with long and short vowels. You can see that in the
word kabiir, big, the rust consonant of the root (k) has an a. vowel
after it and the second consonant (b) has a long ii after it. This is a
very common pattern for adjectives in Arabic.

IT1
39
To help you feel the cadences of the Arabic sounds, an English
equivalent (or as near as possible) is given. Such words which are
familiar to you will also help with the Arabic stress patterns.
Pattern
C'aC 2 iiC"
Arabic example
kabiir,,&
Eng. sound-alike
marine
It will help you greatly in learning Arabic if you learn and listen for
these patterns.
Here are some more words to show the pattern:
i 1 Saghiir young (person), small (thing)
2 .."b Tawlil
tall (person), long (thing)
3  ba:iid
4 .Ji qariib
5 ..J.? jadiid
6 .J.i qadiim
7  jamiil
8  IaTHf
9 -fi kariim
10  SalliiH
far, distant
near
new
old (things)
beautiful
pleasant, nice
noble, generous
correct, right
Exerdse 18
Write down the roots for the words above in Arabic or
transliteration with hyphens between the letters.
Note: For this type of exercise, use the independent fonns of the
letters in the Arabic script.

J t."",,, .:1. 11 J!.""'I Q  11
.. ..
at-tafaaSiil ash-shakhSiyyal}
Personal details
In this unit you wilileam how to:
. ask someone's name and give your own name
. say where you are from
. construct simple sentences with is/are
. say there islthere are
. say the numbers 1-10
g 1 4Iu,ji i UA miD ayna 80ta? Where are you
from?
Suad introduces herself to the students, and asks one of them his
name and where he is from.
l-9
fl
Exercise 1
Listen to the conversation a fIrst time.
a What is the woman's name?
b What is the man's name

IT2
Exercise 2
Now listen again to the conversation.
s Where does the man come from?
b Where does the woman come from?
Now read the dialogue.
41
Ii I Lo ...1 u.... v-ol ui.l:a.....,... ..Iu...,
.Lo I ui L.
k...ji 0:!i w-o .Lo  )4....,,)Yi ..Iu...,
'ie.wi" .I! c,} Lo u-o ui JS.:!L.
. c,}  I u-o ui ..Iu...,
Exercise 3
find the Arabic for:
a I'm from Manchester.
b And you?
I  Hosanan (note spelling) well, right, OK
u.- min from
 Iii in
 I al-iskandariyyah Alexandrio
 2 d '; ":" ..)'tA4 miSr jamiilah Egypt is beautiful
Suad tells her students a little about Egypt.
Exercise 4
Read or listen to the description and answer the questions.
a What does Suad say about Cairo?
b Where is the Egyptian Museum?
c What does she recommend in the hotel?

42
ARABIC
.I .u " 'O i:yJ.o ojAliJl .I  
.I JoW  j I ol c,} (j1 . ;.- ": J I
 . ._11 'I..u.o ' 1.11 -oW ..u....o -.I......,dUA
, "ji u -   '" .) r-
.o1 c,} rljA I ,d
PI
 miSr Egypt
 iamiilah beautiful (fern.)
I.s.::-- iiddan (note spelling) very
ij-AL:i.J1 al-qaahirah Coiro
.J,.o madiinah city
6 kabiirah big (fern.)
,J wa and (joined to next word)
 hiya she, it (fern.)
.J.i qadiimah old [of things only](fern.)
I . 6_ ": ...' 1 al-matHaf al-miSri The Egyptian museum
I ul maydaan at-taHriir Tahrir Square
0-0 ...u qariib min near
Jt:JI J fUnduq an-niil Nile Hotel
clu...... hunaaka there is/ore
 maT:am restaurant
j mumtGaz excellent
 Tab:an naturally. of course
r-1j-A \'1 al-ahraam the pyramids
61 al-iiizah Geezah, a district of Coiro [in Egypt the letter
 is pronounced like g in garden]

1J'oI/T 2
-
43
I 3 'i cl:a J raqm tilifUun-ak kam?
What's your telephone number?
.After the class, some of the students want to arrange to meet up .
They exchange telephone numbers. Look carefully at the Arabic
numbers on page 45 then listen to the audio. Now answer the
questions.
Exerdse 5
a What is Zaki' s telephone number?
b What is Marie's number?
c What is the Arabic for 'telephone number'?
d How would you say 'My telephone number is...'?
'ib   .£.,£1:i .) ""sj
'i.:.ui.£.)J ."\Y't yy\ \ J.) L:..
Ii  .£.,£1:i .) '.) Lo '-:! ."\ Y \ 0 0 .. · J.,£1:i .) ""s j
."\Y.YOA\ J.,£1:i.) rJJu
. J :''':'J t ta:biiraat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
I In Arabic, verbs and nouns vary in their endings depending on
whether you are speaking to a man, a woman or several people.
Asking people their name and telling them yours
 t lo What is your name?
maa ism-aklism.ik (masc./fem.)?
t ' .
...  ISm.)...
My name is ...
Asking people where they are from and replying
i i 0-0 Where are youfrom?
min ayoa anta/anti (masc.lfem.)?

44
ARABIC
Saying you're &om either a town or a country
r-"b1 0-0 Lti I am from Khartoum
Dna min al-kharTuum
w 0-0 wi ana min I8ndan 1 am from London
wl.J.,,-J1 0-0 wi I am/rom Sudan
ana min as-suud8an
W..",i l..JA wi ana min faransa I am from France
...u.- ui ana min... I am from...
 t 
".- misr lS.a..".i amriika 044011 aI-yaabGan
. .
JJ rUusiya I! iskutlanda 4J1i udr6alya
The Arabic Numbers 1-10
The numbers are given here in their spoken or colloquial fonns. In
strictly grammatical Arabic, the use of the numbers is complicated,
and so these forms are the ones nearly always used.
There are two main points to remember when writing Arabic numbers:
. The numerals are written from left to right (the opposite
direction of the script), for example:
"\ y VT' \ A 0 t V 0 '\ \ t · · y
62 731 854 7591 4002

UNIT 2
--
45
. The written forms given here are the standard ones used in
most of the Arab world, but some countries (mainly in North
Africa) use the same forms as we do (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), and this
tendency seems to be spreading.
We call our numerical system · Arabic' to distinguish it from
Roman, but the forms of the numbers have changed slightly over
time. Still, if you use a little imagination - and turn some of them
through 90" - you should spot the similarities.
I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 to
, Y  t 0 \ V A , \-
These are pronounced (colloquial form) as follows:
I 
sittah h.."\ wQaHid ,,!.::Io.1.J \
s6b:ah V ithnain . ':'1 Y

tbamaanyah WA tbalaathah U,..
t1s:ah , arba:ah )t
:ashrah o \- khCimsah O
zero is Sifr .
. '  i!JIV.N,.
"i:"o tv. '<; S J7DB D ,< 5!. D'O<:, ; ;
" ,UBJ6154l ,,""',-,,.. _W'_"_"u_,"h""
ti.1!1 I.,.,:; taraakiib al-liighah (StruCtures)
1 How to say is and are in Arabic
There is no equivalent of the verb to be in the present tense in
Arabic. Sentences which contain the words is or are in English are
constructed in Arabic by putting together the following:

46
ARABIC
a) any definite noun with an indefinite noun or adjective
al-bayt kabiir  I
the house (is a) big(-one) The house is big
MuHammad masbghuul  
Muhammad (is a) busy(-person) Muhammad is busy
huwa mudiir
He (is a) director
J:! ,y,
He is a director
b) a definite noun or a pronoun with a phrase beginning with a
preposition:
ana min al-iskandariyyah
I (am) from Alexandria
bayruut ru lubruian
Beirut (is) in Lebanon
..l&u I  ui
I amfrom Alexandria
"LW "
u .  .J.):H
Beirut is in Lebanon
If a definite noun is put with a definite noun or adjective, a
separating pronoun must be inserted, to make the meaning clear.
muHammad huwa al-mudiir J:!..1.4I1  
Mohammed he (is) the director Mohammed is the director
Here is a summary of how to make definite and indefinite phrases
and sentences in Arabic:
 
bayt kabiir
II
albayt al-kabiir
I
al-bayt kabiir
",.JI y. u
n6aSir hliwa ,-.ra'iis
a big house, lit. (0) house (0)
big (-one)
the big house, lit. the-house
the-big(-one)
the house is big, lit. the-house
(is 0) big-one
Nasser is the boss, lit. Nasser he
the-boss

2 
--
2 How to say there is, there are
This is expressed in modem Arabic by starting the sentence with
w... hurulaka, there.
ult   fo!Jl.lA there is a restaurant in the
hun8aka maT:am fi l-maydiian square
JI  b ."i fo!Jl.lA
hun8aka glnlraf kathiirah
fi l-f6nduq
there are many rooms in the
hotel
3 Personal pronouns
Personal pronouns are always definite, i.e. if you say he you are
talking about one particular person.
These are the personal pronouns:
I ui ana I
u:.i anla you (masc.)
u,;,i anti you (fem.)
JA hilwa he
 hiya she
 naHnu we
i antum you (masc. pl.)
u:ui antUnna you (fem. pl.)
rA hum they (masc, pl.)
UA hunna they (fem. pl.)
Note: ..
a) The final alif of Ltl ana is there to distinguish it from other
similarly-spelled words. Pronounce it short, and accent the first
syllable. (In fact most final -33 sounds in informal modem
Arabic tend to be pronounced short unless they bear the stress.)
b) The male and female fonns of you are identical in unvowelled
writing. The context usually makes it clear which is intended.
c) Since all Arabic words are either masculine or feminine. English it
mUst be translated as he or she, depending on the gender of the VJOrd

48
ARABIC
..& ul1
al-rnaydaan kabiir
the square is big (masc.)
  huwa kabfir
b bJ1
8S 8 S8yyaarah Saghiirah
it is big
the car is small (fern.)
6  hiya Saghiirah
4 Asking questions in Arabic.
There are several ways to ask questions in Arabic:
a) by using a question word such as which?, what? or where?
'i11o maa ism-ak? What is your name?
it is small
i U:!i  min ayna ants? Where are youfrom?
(lit. from where you?)
b) if no question word is present, hal or 'a must be placed at the
beginning of the sentence, acting as a verbal question mark.
J,ii'.w  J,A Is Muhammad busy?
haI muHarnrnad mashghuul (?)Muhammad (is a)
busy( -person)
'i J,ii'.w  i
'a-huwa mashghuul
Is he busy?
(?) He (is a) busy
(-person)
There is no precise rule about which to use, except that a- is
usually used with personal pronouns. Written question marks art
also used in modem Arabic, in addition to these question words,
Arabic w.prds which consist of only one letter plus a short vowel.
such as I Or J' must not be written alone but attached to the
following word.

uNIT 2 49
---
Pronunciation
1 al after long vowel
When Arabic prepositions ending with a long vowel, such as Iii, in,
are placed before a word beginning with al-, the, the a of al-
disappears and the vowel of the preposition is pronounced short:
I  in the city
fd al-madiinah  Ii l-madiinah
If the word begins with one of the 'sun letters' (see Unit 1) the
doubling of the initial consonant still applies.
JI  in Saudi Arabia
fi So-sa:uudiyyah
2 Irregular spellings
Some of the most common prepositions (e.g.  :alaa, on, l
flaa, to/towards, have an irregular spelling of the final -aa vowel
which is written as a yaa' without the dots. This is also shortened
before al- (see f1i above).
..
lAJS.J' Wi:,.,' awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
C 1 aaC 2 iC 3
Arabic example
bGarid JJ4
Eng. sound-alike
calmish
This pattern expresses the idea of someone or something doing or
carrying out the root meaning. In English for nouns we use the
suffix -er or a variant (painter, actor), and for adjectives we have
-ing: a going concern, a stunning peiformance. This is another
ornmon pattern in adjectives. Again, the root of the word gives an
Idea of the meaning.
.1- J -,":-, b-r-d the root of the word

50
ARABIC
.J"H-:! yabrud to be, to become cold (verb)
.JJ4 baarid cold (adjective: not used for people)
II
g
Jo1l£. :aadil just, upright*
t"j'j lacnr:im necessary
U n6ashif dry
JALS kQamil complete, perfect*
e-iU naafi: useful
r:J SGaliH doing right*
L.w saalim safe, sound*
*These words are also used for men's names in Arabic.
Exercise 6
Extract the roots from the above words.
L:u....,..Li tamriinaat (Practice)
Exercise 7
Change the indefinite noun/adjective phrases below into definite
phrases.
e.g_,":-, .. I,":-,I
kitaab kabiir .. al-kitaab al-kabiir
8 .1:! .fi.-
b  b).
c J..a ...J,J
d '-'!
e I.':':'. - .J.A
u..r-- 

UNIT 2 51

Exercise 8
Change the phrases in Exercise 7 into is/are sentences.
e.g.1 ,,:-,USJI ...  ,,:-,USJI
al.kitaab al-kabiir'" al-kitaab kabiir
Exercise 9
Now substitute a pronoun for the noun in the sentences in Exercise 8.
e.g. ,,:-,\.:iSJI -+  """
aJ-kitaab kabiir ... huwa kabiir
Exercise 10
Change the following statements into questions
.t.,P  0
. (j.4 i \
.t.,P.J c,;  y
) ':'<.:J-6 i  .,..
..J..:>".lt
- . .
I  yatakallam he speaks
$ :arabi Arab, Arabic
Exercise 11
Change the following questions into statements.
l:&.4  jA t
'!"...i 0
'!b b.)1 jA ,
'!4J j Y
'!r 1jA \'1 u.o  J..(a.iJ1 JA .,..
I [ llA hUnn hen.

52
g
.II (j.4 l:ai t
. . t:. i. l:ai 0
,J-! 
. LJl1...I' l:ai "\
-  
ARABIC
Exercise 12
Where do you think the
following people are
from? Listen to the
recording and repeat what
they are saying.
. &0 l:ai ,
.u (j.4 l:ai y
.-> &0 l:ai ,...
Exercise 13
In the telephone directory, all the UAE airports are listed together.
Which of the six airports below would you get if you dialled:
a 2455551, ,- "",'
b 448Ill? u\}....'}.\ u\J ;
c 757611?  '
. "10"1....\\ J J"u\   )IJ:,.. · .,
.. j..J\.J)u:"'. .
n.OO OO I.jJ 'Y!',
J ...J\ U )\.,;J\)u:,.. · . ' "
0" \ . . . oJ
J \ t.,j..\ ,.J)) · 
i i" \ \ \ J" ,
.. J .\ i ,..",::!\)u:,.. · >
Y'\ oJ 
.. J ...J\ \ )Ut".., ..
1\000 00 J
1 Abu Dhabi
2 Dubai
3 Sharjah
4 Ras al Khaimah
S Fujairah
6 Al Ain

2 "
;;.---
f2ce1c1se 14
Here is a list of international dialling codes from a United Arab
EaUrates telephone directory.
'ft." L)IJ,.J' '. '\\0 w..,sJ1 nT jt't
II
",r '»- '. '\\ ,  '''''' ,
II
,,"  Y\A y, T. 
"W, uIJl.' ' ' ny "':-t..til' : H Wi'

H jj'" '\'\A  '\"\1.  I.".JI
'" ,
, ".t i · "\V1. )at T'\ WIJaJI
- -
¥ L):SJ"
'\"W I : '\"\"\ :s,....JI , ' \"\,.
, , ,
, -- - - - ------- - -- -, -,-
What is the code for:
a Bahrain? d Qatar?
b Egypt? e Saudi Arabia?
cAmerica? fItaly?

cl .. · .. · <:
s ,..Q t la,........ t L. a t
..
kayfa taSif nafs-ak
How you describe yourself
In this unit you will learn:
. how to say your nationality
. how to say which languages you speak
. how to talk about more than one object
. the names of some places around town
. how to talk about professions

g 1 4!JI,..... II 'a-aota suudaaoi? Are you
Sudanese?
TWo of the students in Suad's class are asking each other where
they come from.
Exercise 1
Listen to the recording or read the conversation and then answer
the questions.
a What nationality is Zaki?
b What town does he come from?
'i c5y.o-o .:.Uii . j4
- ,
'i.:.Ui,J .r,.,bftJl u-o JI.,... l:ai . ":i
.  u-o (j"'-"" l:ai
'ii
.ojAUJI u-o  
 Lr.....:..
j
 Lr.....:..
",foj
 L.w...-:i.

UNIT 3
----
55

II LJ.A min from
i ilyna where
I...L:U» TanTaa Tanto (a town in Egypt)
...;i qariib near
Exerdse 2
The students at Suad's class begin to talk about their nationalities.
Listen to the recording, and work out where they all come from.
'!4!Lo  .:.Ui" . l:ai
.".. L ".Il:ai
':!
.4.1Ii l:ai
'.J (j.4 i 'J ui
,i
a Su'ad
b Mike
c Kylie
d Younis
e Marie
L.a...u
u
L.s;
Jo:!
I/JY
;t 2  'ij:. t:-- .i l r I< JA hat tatakallam ingliizii?
Do you speak English?
On a flight to Jordan, Julie, an English girl, gets talking to one of
the other passengers. Listen to the ftrst part of the conversation
several times, and answer the questions.
Exercise 3
a Which language does the passenger not speak?

56
ARABIC
b Which language does he speak?
k.ui i u-o .,j! 
'!i.J .I! u-o l:si
'J) l:si .wl..L u-o l:si
'! . .L'.I K I..
..;-- 
..bU  i .l Fi  . '11  . 
!U I 
..bU i1¥i 
I,J
,,
I,J
,,
ySb
ySb
,,
II
,jl  :an idhn-ik excuse me, by your leave (to a woman)
'l ingiltiliTa (with g as in garden) England
ULo.c. :ammaan Ammon
';.JJi urduni Jordanian
 tatakaUam you speak (to a man)
l ingliizi English
to..i,w11  ma:a l-asaf I'm sorry (lit: with the-sorrow)
1 laa not
j atakallam I speak
Jdi "qaT only
Exercise 4
Listen again, and find the Arabic for the following:
a do you speak English?
b a little
Now listen to the second part of the dialogue.

uNIT 3
--
57
!II A ,< tatakallamiin you speak (to a woman)
4...L.t1 al-:arabiyyah Arabic, the Arcbic language (more
formal than :arabi)
U bi-Talaaqah fluently
i..l:!Ji qaliilah a little, few (fern.)
.1dA faqaT only
Exercise 5
The passenger thinks Julie speaks good Arabic. True or false?
" 3 cl.J..a£ 14 maa :amal-ak? What do you do?
During the flight the passenger asks Julie what she does. Listen to
the recording or read the text a few times.
Exer<:ise6
a What does Julie do at the moment?
b Where does the passenger work?
 diu:. Lo ySl.J
'ii,j .w.ill t....o4-  4JU:. wi "I
.uL...c.   wi ySl.J
I
'! La maa :amal-ik what do you do? (to a woman)
uJ.lJ l..?- iaami:at landan University (o London
 Tabiib doctor
. - .
Exercise 7
Find the Arabic equivalent for:
a What do you do?
b I am a doctor.

58
ARABIC
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) 1...&i.:a..1
Talking about your occupation
When you refer to a woman's profession in Arabic, add -ah (b) to
the masculine.
Masculine Feminine
 Tabiib  Tabfibah doctor
. -.
--.Jlb Taalib lb student
cJ"' j.J.A mudarns L J.J.A teacher
cJ"' muluindis L engineer
.J.A mudiir b.J.o manager
J ra'iis J boss
.J.A  muHammad mudiir
L..J.J.A  .aylaa mud3rrisah
Mohammed is a manager
Leila is a teacher
g 4 ;Jo:HS  ..w u JA hallandan madiinah
kabiirah? Is London a big city?
The passenger asks Julie about London.
Exercise 8
Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
a Name one of the places Julie mentions in London.
b Which institution does the passenger ask her about?
'!b ..I.o u  b
o b lL. dl:a..A .lJ.?o o ..I.o . ,,
.':",j ,j
'!4J1 U:!i ySlJ
'JLb.aI . ..-"; All u-o 4.a ..1.J1 b.,j   ".¥:"

uN IT 3
-
59
" ,J.:a.u.a f ' i.... ": 0 matHaf, matGaHif museum
i katbiirah many, much (fern.)
 . iisr, iusuur bridge
\J . maHan, maHallaat shop, store
.tLal? iaami:ah university
J wasT middle
 :i .:....:,,J I ta:biiniat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
Asking someone's nationality and replying
'if.S fi a-anta miSrli? (masc.) Are you Egyptian?
'i fi a-anti miSriyyah? (fem.)
.;1..1.".... wi.. ana suuWianii (masc.) I am Sudanese
I.J."..., Ltl ana suudaaniyyah (fem.)
Asking whether people speak a language and replying
'il.,f'! 0.:. A 1<-.-. /  J,A DoyouspeakArahic?
bal tatakBUam/tatakallamiin :arabi? (to a man/woman)
(j! i atak8llam ingliizi I speak English
$ i 'i laa ataluillam :arabi I don't speak Arabic
u bi- Talaaqah fluently
J:!li qalfil a little
.J W   yataluillam faransaawi* he speaks French
\P  tatakaUam :arabi she speaks Arabic
* A variant of faransi, usually used when referring to the language.

60
IC
Asking someone's occupation
'i' l.o maa :amal-ak?
 wi ana Tabiib
. -.
What is your work?
I am a doctor.
tilll I.,.,:; taraakiib al..lughah (Structures)
1 Masculine and Feminine
All words in Arabic are either masculine or feminine in gender, as
in French and Spanish. Where we use the word it in English for
objects, Arabic uses he or she depending on the gender of the
object.
 I al-maktab naDHiif the office is clean
 ,y, huwa naDHiif
6 L..oWI
- . .
al-jaami:ah ba:iidah
6  hiya ba:iidah
it is clean
the university is far (away)
it is far (away)
2 Feminine Endings
There is no marker for masculine words, but most feminine words I
are marked by the ending  .
This is pronounced as a weak h sound, and is always preceded by
an a-vowel, which is not written. The ending has been transcribed
as -ah in this book.
N ·
A few Arabic words for female family members, for example f'1
umm, mother, have no feminine gender marker, but are naturally
dealt with as feminine.
3 Agreement
Adjectives agree in gender, number and definiteness with the noun

UN IT 3 61
-
they are describing. This applies to all three types of construction
YOU have already met: indefinite phrases, definite phrases and is
sentences.
  Haqiibah thaqlilah a h£avy bag
- .-
I ul1 al-maydaan al-kabiir
b-", o,.,iJ1 al-ghurfah wasikhah
the big square
the room is dirt)'
Unless otherwise stated, you can assume that the feminine of any
word is fonned by adding  as shown above.
I  tiJ ..»ll
f _-_z:-   \ a1-:arabiyyah IUghah jamillah
Arabic is a beautiful language
4 Nationality adjectives
To form a masculine adjective, add c.r. (-) to the name of the
country. To form a feminine adjective, add  (-iyyOO):
 miSr Egypt  / '!
miSriilmiSriyyOO Egyptian
LJ  lubmian Lebarwn
l:uJ / 'l:uJ
- . 1,1 .
lubruianiillubnaaniyyah Lebanese
The final -ii of the masculine is technically -iyy, but this does not
nonnally reflect in the pronunciation. Where the name of a country
ends in -aa or -00, this is omitted:
 briiTaanyaBritain /J->!
briiTaaniilbriiTaaniyyah British
i amriikaa America
:i .:< i I -JAi
amriikiilamriikiyyah American
 mAkkah Mecca
/
nuikki/makklyyah Meccan

62
ARABIC
Many Arabic place names have the word the (al-) in front of them,
as in English Canada, but the United States. When this occurs. the
Arabic al- is omitted from the nationality adjective.
,"=,,I al-maghrib Morocco ."i-o /  maghribijf
maghribiyyah Moroccan
o..a1 al-kuwayt Kuwait
...,s/...,s
kuwaytiilkuwaytiyyah Kuwaiti
Note
Some of these adjectives take slightly different forms from those
given above, but these will be pointed out as we come to them.
5 More than one
There are no particular rules for forming Arabic plurals, and they
should be learned along with the singular, as they are given in the
vocabulary. The word al. the does not change in the plural. I
:u I al.ghUrfah the room
I al.ghUraf the rooms I
Important note I
Arabic has a special formation for saying two of anything (see
Unit 9).
6 Plurals of People and Objects. r
Plurals of objects and abstracts are regarded in Arabic as feminine I
singular. So all adjectives agree by using their feminine singular
and the pronoun hiya she is used to refer to them.
tL  kutub Tawiilah long books
tL1 I al-kutub aT-Tawiilah the long books
tL I al.kutub TawiIlah The books are long
tL  hiya Tawiilah They are long

T3
63
7 Talking about one of something.
The word for one is an adjective, and therefore comes after its
nOun and agrees with it like any other adjective.
J,.3.1.J J.,Uj funduq waaHid one hotel
;.J,:Io.I.J U."i gh6rfah w8Hidah one room
8 The verb to speak
Here are the singular present tense forms of the verb to speak.
i atakilliam I speak
 tatak611am you speak (masc)
0-.;" 1<";"; tatakallamiin you speak (fem)
 yatak611am he speaks
 tatak611am she speaks
Note that the you masc. and she forms are identical.
c;JL   J,A Does John speak Arabic?
hal yatak8Uam juun :arabi?
u <.r$ 
yatak8Uam :arabi bi- Talaaqah
He speaks Arabic fluently
Lo.JS.JI u1jJi awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern Arabic example
maC'C2 uu C 3 mashguul 
Eng. sound-alike
Mam(eJluke
This word pattern expresses something or someone to which an
action has been done, called a passive participle in English.

64 ARABJ.£
maml6uk is an Arabic word meaning owned, as the Mam(e)luke
rulers in Egypt originally were, having been brought in as soldier
slaves.
An example of this pattern is mashghuul, coming from the root
sh-gh.I, work! occupation; so mashghuul means occupied/made
to work, i.e. busy.
The ma. never changes. It is a prefIx, and can be applied to any
root, but is not part of it.
Here are some more examples:
" r maktUum concealed
'"="' IDaktuub written
c masmuuH
t mamnuu:
J:. mabS6.uT
,J mafruuDH
permitted
forbidden
contented, happy
necessary, obligatory
@[.oIr u;.o]
(NO SMOKING)
 tamriinaat (Practice)
"
Exercise 9
Listen to the recording and work out which country these people
say they come from. The countries are listed on page 65.
a.>i-o \.:Ii .4.=-.j4 marHaban, anaa IDaghribiyyah
b J.J) l:ti" .I c  Sab3aH al-khayr, ana 6.rdunii
c J \.:II .I 3hJ.an, anaa :umaanii
d !.: ', \.:Ii .4.=-.j4 m8rHaban, ansa baHrayniyyah

65
UNIT 3
:;:;---
e -fi ui", w8-anaa kuwaytii
[ I 0 ,":-,,;i.J1 £. I"" 0oJ.)1 Y uL...c. \
Exercise 10
How many of the countries below do you recognise? Match them
with their corresponding nationality and language.
Country Nationality Language
a4J! 1" A4-1
bloW",... 2 JII B I
c 4-t 3 JLJI c ..uJ1
d 4J11 4 J! D LJI
. - S' . ELJl.hJ1
e UOU.J-1  --"
fLJi 6J4-! FI
W . 7..uJ G L '. . '- -. I
g '->'" '! LtA "
Exercise 11
Michael is writing to an Arabic-speaking friend about someone he's
meL Read this excerpt from his letter, and answer the questions.
8 What is her name?
b Where does she come from?
I UlII  .J:-oJ u-o  .J  '-f...a-I ...
.i....).1.6  .I.J  I"
Find the Arabic for the following expressions:
c her name is Salma
d she speaks Arabic
g Exercise 12
Read (or listen to) the following infonnation about Martin Romano.
I,/I\.!.J I  .Lb.J-A '-.J'4i u-o yLo.J.) d.)Lo
. t.,P.J o

66
ARAB!£.
Martin is registering with a college in Cairo for an evening class,
The secretary asks him some questions about himself. Imagine that
you are Martm. How would you answer the following questions?
ILo
 .",:.: .....:- Lo
Lo
 t.,F!..>£  j.I.
k.J:. o)l.lu"..L -.1 _K-:-:
. '.r--
L-.I-'.I . WLi
..  -
I
u;i "La
o1
u;i "La
 ,;S.wJ1
u;i "La
I
u;i"La
o ,;S.wJ1
u;i "La
;,;S.wJ1
u;i "u

aI ."4i (fern.) which
 qaliilan slightly, a bit
Exercise 13
Supply the correct adjective endings from the masculine fonn
given in brackets.
() 6t \
) ((jI) r-tjA1 y
(.1?-) t ,..
(-.>4 t) 6Jt f.

UNIT 3
::.:--
67
(.3:!) lb b 0
'i(W) ((j "it) WJI J,A "\
) () J.JW c,r?.J ..} w.a V
(.1::0..1",)  LJII ..} w.a A
()U'\

  mashhuur famous
L . Saydaliyyah, aat pharmacy
JJUi .JJ.li fUnduq, fanaadiq hotel
 sa:iid happy, joyful
Exercise 14
What are the professions of these people? Write a sentence using a
personal pronoun, as in the example.
_ 1 1 LJ1  .".... huwa Tabiib asmian
I He IS a dentlst
4 """0
a .
-
** ..
bl
Ii<il8ft1![
..-B1Iiii:.
f&
c
f

clJjj tj,A
haadhaa wa-dhaalik
This and that
In this unit you will learn:
. how to tell the time
. how to ask about opening times
. the days of the week
. the numbers 11-20
. how to form phrases and sentences with this, that, those, etc.

g 1 \_bu.aJ1 ().:!, ayna l-mataaHif'? Where are
the museums?
Bridget and Jim Hayes are visiting Shwjah, and an Arabic-
speaking friend, Hassan, is showing them around. Today they plan
to visit some of the new museums in the city.
Exercise 1
Listen to the recording several times. Then answer the questions.
a What does Hassan point out on the map first?
b Why don't they want to go to the Natural History Museum?
c Which museum do they decide to visit eventually?
.I .1.J1  bolA .U.)l1oJl...;a. bolA 
.d.-.JI J."... lolA,j
'!.....i.:..I:.... _ i
o..r- 
.I .J-A lolA .u..,j u.. ......i.:..1  bolA 
.}.b.JI t..)l1;, c,; I -Jl1J1 .J-A lolA,j

UN IT.4 69
-
. . a.... "; "II cl.IJ -J-!
t.)U:..   o-=JI  .I. IlA . f"'H'"
.)!  wi I .J .jlL..o .....b..l.o.J-A _I
.dI,j  .wl .1.J1
.I .....b..l.o .)! . -J-!
Exercise 2
Link the English phrases to their Arabic equivalents.
a This is the Old Town.
b That museum is far away.
c That's true.
d Maybe we can go to the Old Town.
..3.i.!1 I !  wi I  \
. . 6_ ': J I ,j y
. 1.lA Y"
..1iH .JA11  6.lA t
I
,),lA 11,lA haadha/haadhihi this (mosc./fem.)
.b:al .ib.a khariiTah, kharGa'iT mop
JL.t.J1 ash-shaariqah Sharjah
I.j-Wj . suuq, aswaaq market (this word is sometimes
regordea as feminine)
 samak fish (collective)
l.lA hunQa here
t;.aL:i taariikh history
 Tabii:ii naturel

70
ARABIC
u,a .(jA fann, funuun art
tJ1.jJI .tJUi shaari:, shawaari: street, road
L 'JU=... maTaar, aat airport
clJ,j dhGalik(a) that (masc.)
 ba:iid For awa distant
 SaHiiH true
cI1 unDHuri 'ook/ (to a woman)
u . HiSn, HuSuun fort, fortress
!j . buri, abrGai tower
ul I u.a min al-mumkin an maybe (before a verb)
 nadhhab we go
JA.! ba:d after
g 2  u,  yaqfil as-saa:ah kam?
What time does it close?
Hassan, Jim and Bridget arrive at the museum. They ask the
attendant about opening hours.
First look at the section on asking the time, then listen to the audio
a few times.
Exercise 3
a What times does the museum close for lunch?
b When does it open again?
c What is the time now?
d What does the attendant give them?

UN IT .4
--
71
'irS WI J.i.i:! ' a....-:"II .I c. u-.:a.
WI F--' 6.1.=..1", WI J.i.i:! I 
...>+.tJ1  .Ji
'iu I WI rS
.J,j 6 WI
. '" l:a .
-J"!

-J"!
..
. ' a.... -: "II /jL  ,j-A 114 J 'j-O I ,,;.w..
Jfi:., 
Exercise 4
Link the English phrases to the appropriate Arabic.
a It closes. . \
bItopens. .J.J 6 L..JI .,..
c What's the time? . ' -- ': ...' 1  .".... I.lot. Y'
d It's a quarter past ten. .Jii:! f.
e Welcome, come in. .I 'joO 0
fThis is a brochure of the museum. '! L..JI ,

72
ARABIC
III
JU.:! yilqfil he/it closes, shuts
U.J- .J",;.w.. mas'uul, -uun official
, 6.... .. I I J",;.w.. mas'uul al-matHaf attendant, official of the
museum
u L .J.£.L.w saa:ah, -aat hour, time, watch, clock
 4£.L.....J1 as-saa:ah kam (at) what time?
 yilftaH he/it opens
) arba:ah four
..Jf-li DHuhr noon
..".aJ::U1  ba:d aDH-DHuhr (in) the afternoon
U I al-'aan now
o  :ashrah ten
..J rub: quarter
.JJ o :ashrah wa-rub: quarter past ten
U :ind-naa we have
uli"i .ui J waqt, awqaat time
 kathiir much, many
4:=tr-jA marHaban welcome
IJ I. ;.0.  tafGDDaluu come in, here you are (plural): used when
inviting someone to come in, sit down, or when giving them
something. The final alif is not pronounced.
..
........us kut6yyib booklet, brochure
. -
 :an concerning, about

UN IT 4
--
73
3 J.....": A ' I I mawaaqiit
Museum opening times
al-matHaf
Exercise 5
Read the notice for the museum opening
times. and answer the questions.
- - - - - - - y - --,. - 
QSE,":.':! '
.
i a

 "
:.QJ l "'"" \
"'"'
at,
o
"-,_. - 'Vo-..J ,,_. - \,- - .u:",I I f""Jo:!
.,.
y -, - - - 'V 0 - -.J 'y,. · - \,. ·  I r.J:!'
b - I .. .., 1
'.) -..  ,.
'J
y · ... · , v_ - -.J 'r, - · - \,. - UI ,..t(
c:.- - 
"'.,_. 'vo-..J ,,_. - \,.. la..o1 ('.t:!'
(kli  b,)4).!I)
Y-,_.
\V.-.,J ',.. - \,_. 0",:,,':"1 1
" - , ,.... - \ ,\,"" - d . A..... I I
.
,. .t:! ;1
,..t:!,
a When are women particularly welcome?
b Which day is the museum closed?
C When does the museum close on Friday evening?
d When does the museum usually open in the morning?
e On which day does the museum not open in the morning?
f How many days have the same opening times?

74
ARABIC
" 4 ... bi-kam...? How much does it cost?
They go to the admission desk to buy tickets.
Exercise 6
Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
a How much does an adult ticket cost?
b How much does a child ticket cost?
c How much does Hassan have to pay?
. rlI 
'r)l..JI.J 14J,,;.-
 ijJ>  ofi1 
.f"'l j .3  JUb I.J · f"'1.).3  u.,iJ4J1 I 4JJ
. iro r-a 1 .).3  I .:.. 
.Ifi:o. . ijJ> .).3  W I .uJ
.III
.Ifi:o. 
Exercise 7
Link the English to the appropriate Arabic expressions.
a How much is a ticket, please?
b Adults are six dirhams.
c Three six-dirham tickets,
please.
d Here are the tickets.
.r-a'J-'  4J1 \
.IJ-'  fil:i;  "
.
.fil,jlJ1 I ,..
C!  . ;:;fi,jl]1 t

!lli 1T .4
75
fJ J -....II .tJ J,;.w.. mas'uulat al-matHaf museum official
(female)
;SI.:Y 10."s tadhkirah,tadhaakir ticket
 bi-kam how much (lit. for how much)
uJA.J4 baalighuun adults
 sittah six
bo1 "Jo1 dirham, daraahim dirham (unit of currency)
Ji I Tifl, aTfaal child
.u thalaathah three
.F-  W tbamaniyat :ashar eighteen
" "':" I ta:biirciat ra'iisiyyab (Key phrases)
Asking and telling the time
rS :i.LWI as--saa.:ah kam? What time is it?
0..\::10.1", WI as-saa:ah w8aHidah It's one o'clock
.J i/ &,J,J u,:.... 1 wt It's quarter past!
as.s3a:ah ithruiyn wa.rub:/illaa rob: quarter to two
 !/", ij)\j :i.LWI It's twenty past/to three
as.saa:ah thalaathah wa/illaa thultb
", t; L..Jt
as-s8a:ab :ashrah wa-niSr
It's half past ten
Times of day
If it is not clear from the context whether the hour referred to is am
or pm, Arabic has a set of words to indicate periods of the day
which may be placed after stating the time:

ARABIC
76
morning, forenoon
t as-SubH
I aDH-DHuhr
I  ba:d aDH-DHuhr
I aJ-:8Sr
t al-masaa'
I al-layl
I L.-:; 4LWI
as-saa:ah tis:ah as-SubH
L....JI  4LWI
as-saa.:ah sab:ah al-masaa'
Asking about opening times
 4LWI /
y8ftaHlyaqfd as-saa:ah kam
 4LWI I'A'a. / -'
. 
yMtaHlyaqfil as-saa:ah sab:ah
The days of the week
.J,:.. I r yawm al-aHad
u': .... "il r yawm al-ithnayn
\j1 r yawm atb-thalaathaa'
Lu..) I r yawm al-arbi:aa'
I r yawm al-kbamiis
I r yawm al-ju.m:ah
I r yawm as-sabt
around noon
afternoon
late afternoon (about 4 pm)
evening
night
nine o'clock in the morning
seven o'clock at night
What time does it
open/close?
It opens/closes at seven
o'clock
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday

u NIT 4
-
77
Sometimes the word yawm is omitted:
p. \tl ..)i.}1 al-ghad aI-aHad tomorrow is Sunday
More time-related words
{".*I aI-yawm
.J,.iJ1 al-ghad
..
v-I ams
.J,.iJ1  ba:d al-ghad
" ..
J" I (,,)"AI ams al-awwal
Li  I.':
{"_ l.H-"'
gabl thalaiathah ayyaiam
("yt) 
ba:d arba:ah ayyaiam
Asking the price of something
 t;fi.h!1
at-taBdhkirah bi-k8m?
 IlA haiadhaa bi-um?
t"-'IJJ A ... ,,:" : IlA
h8adha bi-kh8msah dar8ahim
U:-l1 clJ:; 
bi-Iuim tilka l-majaIlah?
..!Q,.I", J .1.! 
Mya bi-diinaiar waiaffid
today
tomorrow
yesterday
the day after tomorrow
the day before yesterday
three days ago
in four days
How much is a ticket?
How much is this?
This is five dirhams
How much is that
magazine?
It is one dinar

78
ARABIC
ti.1J1 I ... taraakiib aI-lughah (StruCtures)
." 
1 Demonstratives
The words this, that, etc. are called demonstratives. In English they
behave in two ways.
. As an adjective: This book is expensive. The word this describes
which book we mean.
. As a pronoun: That was an excellent film. Here the word that
represents a noun (the ftlm).
It will help you in the use of the Arabic demonstratives if you bear in
mind that in Arabic they are always pronouns, and never adjectives,
Arabic really says this (object, person) the-big (thing. one).
Singular
masC.
.. i.....  A ' 1 1.j.A
this museum
masc.
haadhaa l-matHaf
I o.j.A
haadhihi l-khariiTah
tJWl.JI aJ
Jhaalika sh-shaari:
JAJI clL
rilka I-madiinah
this map
fern.
that street
fern.
that town
Plural.
Ju.b I "}!jA
haa'ulaa'i l-aTfGal
&:.II .ill"}!) those girls
uulaa'ika I-ban Gat
*There is no difference between masculine and feminine in the
plural words for these and those.
these children

79
IT4
AGREEMENT
Demonstratives agree with their noun in gender:
baadhaa l-matHaf . 6_ ': ...1 1 t:""..
This(thing) the-museum This museum (masc)
baiadhihi I-madiinah
This(thing) the-town
I b.iA
This town (fem)
.ADJECTIVES
Adjectives come after their nouns in the usual way.
baadha I-maktab al-jadiid .1.it t t.loA
-. .
This(thing) the-office the-new(one) This new office
baiadhihi l-jarIidah t-tuunisiyyah t 6.1.i1 b.iA
This(thing) the-newspaper This Tunisian newspaper
the- Tunisian( one)
DEMONSTRATIVE SENI'ENCES WnH INDEANITES
h3adhaa kimab
this(thing) [is] book
haadhihi sayyaarah
this (thing) [is] car
dhaalika qalam jadfid
that(thing) [is] pen new(one)
r...Jt:""..
This is a book
6,;4- b:"""
This is a car
 r-l:i clI,j
That is a new pen
blka jariidah yawmiyyah ,J:! 6.1.i 
that (thing) [is] newspaper daily(one) That is a daily newspaper
DEMONS1RATIVE SENTENCES WnH DEANITES
The pronoun agreeing with the subject noun is always put between
the demonstrative and the rest of the sentence. This is necessary, as

80
ARABIC
otherwise we would get a defInite phrase (see Unit 1).
luiadhaa sh-sh8arl: tJ UAJ11 .1...\
this the-street This street
Iuladhaa huwa sh-shaari:
this(thing) he [is] the-street
tiIka hiya I-bint
that(person) she [is] the-girl
tJL:.JI,J-A 1.1...\
This is the street
I
That's the girl
The same procedure is often followed with names of people or
places.
Madhaa huwa muH3mmad
This(person) he Muhammad
These/those with people:
haa'ulaa'i I-awlaad
,J-A 1.1...\
This is Muhammo.d
oJ 'Y..,j ':..J 1  'Y.:""
These boys
ull!J 'Y..,ji
Those girls
Remember that since plurals of inanimate objects are regarded in
Arabic as being feminine singular. the demonstrative used is
feminine singular and the pronoun used for they is actually she
tilka hiya I-ktitub al-:arabiyyah I I  
These(things) they [are] These are the Arabic books
the-books the-Arabic
uulaa'ika I-banaat
Spelling and pronunciation
a) Note that haadhaa, haadhihi and dJuiglik a are spelled with the
dagger aUf for the fIrst long a (see page 21). This is usually
omitted in print, but a normal aUf gnnQl be used.

!!J'IIT 4
81
b) Although spelled long, the final vowel of baadhaa is usually
pronounced short.
c) When these words - or any word ending in a vowel come
before al-, the, the a of the latter is omitted
. 6_ ": ..' II.iA Madhaa l-matHaf
I LJI clJ:; tilka I-madrasab I-kabiirah
d) When dluialika comes at the end of a sentence, its final a is
usually omitted.
2 Telling the time
The way of telling the time in Standard Arabic is complicated, and
used only in the most formal situations. For this reason, the
following section is given in the more common colloquial
(transliterated) form. without Arabic script, except for the main
terms.
8S-saa:ah w8aHidah
It's one o'clock
ass8a:ah itluuiyn wa nib:
the hour is two plus a quarter
as-saa:ah thalaathah ilia thulth
the hour is three less a thin! qf an hour; 20 minutes
s-saa:ah iHda:shar wa niSf
the hour is eleven and a half
Note that:
a) one o'clock, and in some dialects two o'clock, use the feminine
form of the numeral (w8aHidah, itbwiynlthintayn)
b) three o'clock to ten o'clock inclusive use the independent form
ending in -ah.

82
ARABIC
c) for eleven and twelve o'clock there is only one possible form.
d) DiSC, half, is normally pronounced nuSS
e) For the English past, Arabic uses wa ,J, and
as-saa:ah iHda:shar wa-rUb: quarter pasr elen
f) For the English to, Arabic uses ilIa I, except for, less
..
as-saa:ah tbalaathah ilia rub: quarter to three
as-saa:ah sittah
wa khams
as-saa:ah waaHidah
wa nuSS
as-saa:ah arba:ah
ilia thilth
Twenty-five past and twenty-five to the hour are expressed in
Arabic as 'the hour plus a half less five' and 'the hour plus a half
plus five' respectively:
as-saa:ah khaIDsah wa-niSC ilia khamsah twenty five past five
as-saa:ah khamsah wa-niSf wa khamsah twenty five to six
More formally (and less commonly) all times can be stated using
the preceding hour plus the number of minutes:
as.saa:ah :asharah wa khamsah wa-arba:iin daqfiqah 10:45
:i Q; Q .J daqiiqab minute
This is the method used by speaking clocks and other automats,
and also sometimes on official radio and television
announcements. These, however, use the literary Arabic forms of
the numbers, which differ significantly.
3 Saying at a particular time
Arabic requires no additional word. so as-saa:ah kbamsah can
mean (it is) five o'clock or at five 0' clock.

UNIT .4
83
I
1
II

4 Numbers 11-20
The numbers are given here in the colloquial fonn as they were in
Unit 2.
11 iHda:shar
16 sitt6:shar
12 ithna:shar
17 sab:ati:l:shar
13 thalaathti:l:shar
18 thamanlii:shar
14 arba:at6:shar
19 tis:ati:l:shar
15 khamast6:shar
20 :ishriin
Note the common element (equivalent to English -teen) a:shar.
which is a slightly altered fonn of the written :ashar.
Agreement with nouns
a) In written Arabic, the numbers must agree with their nouns in
gender.
b) With the numbers 11-99 inclusive, the noun is in the accusative
singular. This is shown on most nouns without an -ah ending by
the aUf accusative marker, and pronounced -an in formal speech
(see Script and Pronunciation).
4  Lu.) arba:ata:shar kitaiaban 14 books, but
o.fi:i;  L......a..::.. khamasta:shar tadhkirah 15 tickets
c)In Arabic the noun is plural only after the numerals 3-10
inclusive.
.J:H L......a..::.. khaimsah bUyUutfive houses
5 Asking the price of something
H.ere Arabic uses the preposition bi-:
y 1.l.A Iuladhaa bi-kam? How much is this?

ARABIC
84
This is five dirhams
IJ.J I. oJ A':" : IlA
luiadha bikhamsah dar8ahim
c:1 db 
bi-kam tilka l-maj3lIah?
.J,::o.1,J J..1.:! 
hiya bi-diinaar w3aHid
How much is that
magazine?
It is one dinar
lAJS.J' Ul:,.,i awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern Arabic example
maC'C 2 aC 3 maktab .....uS..o
office, desk
Eng. souncJ..alike
madman
This shape usually represents a place where the action of the root
takes place.
The root k-t-b refers to writing, so maktab means a desk or an
office, i.e. a place where you write.
Sometimes this pattern adds a feminine ending -ah. Thus. from the
root d-r-s to do with studying we have madrasah LJ",1.o,
meaning a place of study, i.e. a school. Occasionally the two fonns
exist side by side:
g .....uS..o m3ktab office
 maktabah
Other examples:
.1A madkhal
 nlakhraj
library, bookshop
entrance
exit

UNIT 4
85
. ;.- ":: A matHaf
museum
 m31:ab
C masraH
 masbaH
6 maqbarah
playing field
theatre
swimming pool
cemetery
En trail ce
J=.. ...)...Q
"
- ,- ...
,1f:' '" --L4
.".... J, ,
--"<,:
.., - ... -
--<;i;,; :'W,.."..".., ,
:Y::' ":,;..-;
"E'XtT',
W tamriinaat (Practice)
G Exercise 8
Listen to the times of day on the recording or read the transcript,
and look at the times below. Decide in each case what the correct
time is.
a as-saa:ah w3aHidah wa-niSf
b as-saa:ah sab:ah ilia kh8msah
c as-saa:ah :asharah wa-rub:
d as-saa:ah kh8msah
e as-saa:ah tis:ah as-SubB
a 1:15, 1:20 or 1:301
b 6:25, 6:35 or 6:551
c 10:15, 10:30 or 10:451
d 4:55, 5:00 or 5:051
e 9:00am or 9:00pm1

86
ARARIC
g Exercise 9
Ask what time it is, and say the time shown on the clock. Listen to
the recording or read the transcript to see if you are right.
Example:
as-saa:ah kam? What time is it?
as-saa:ab tham8anyah It is eight 0' clock
a
d e  f
12. I 12. ,
I. lIDj G 
Exacise 10
Do you remember the days of the week? See if you can fill in the
gaps in these sentences in Arabic.
\j1 ................ f"1 \
................ .J.iJ1 Y
u': " t: 1 f" .......,........ wlS ,...
................ J., I i wlS t
I f" ................ 0
f"4i U .!A.! ................"\
Exercise 11
Your Arabic-speaking friend is showing you some photographs of
his home and family which you visited last year. Choose the
correct demonstrative.

IT4
87
'.3:!1 1..tA olA filA \
.I JI.,rA olAfllA""
..J'Y.,JI r-" 1!Jj/'Y.,Ji T'
.u  blA/'lA f.
'LJ'' r-" I!JJ:; / 'Y..Ji 0
.I  ,,:-,)ji11  I!JJ:; / 1!Jj "\
}",...tai ..;  shGiarah. ashiaar tree
&al , Hadiiqah, Had6a'iq gorden, park
ulJ:!-? 'J iaar, iiirCian ne;ghbour
J'Ji 'Io.:'Jli qaarib, qawaarib {small} boat
.J . baHr, biH6ar sea, large river
Exercise 12
Write out the following dates in English in numerical fashion. e.g.
10/6/1989 (day/month/year). Watch the direction of writing!
\ 1\ 0 Y\ \ Y\ T' - \
\ 1\ 'V\ \ \ \ \ 1\ - y
Y...\\\\-T'
\ 1\ '\ · \ Y\ .,.. A - f.
\ AT" \ f. \ \ V - 0

ARABIC
88
Exercise 13
You want to buy tickets for a performance at the National Theatre
in Kuwait. Fill in your side of the dialogue, guided by the
translation below.
i
..;Y1I,.L- LS
i
.U.3 J fi1 LS
i
..ill..Ai (jA 1},.3 \"\ LS
i
.lfiZ.. LS
i
WI ts ..''''  ."....JI.J . L.JI  LS
..J
i
1 Say good evening
2 Ask how much a ticket costs
3 Ask for four tickets
4 Offer the ticket clerk your money
5 Ask the ticket clerk when the theatre opens
6 Say thank you
III
4-t . moblagh, mabGaligh sum of money
v L , masraHiyyah, aat pley (theatrical)
ts' tabtildi' she/it begins

!,!NIT .4
Now answer the following questions.
a How much does a ticket cost?
b When does the theatre open?
c When does the play begin?
Exercise 14
Write out the following times in transliteration, and practise saying
them out loud.
a "\:T" 0
b A: \ ·
c ,\:yo
89
d V:..
e T":t 0
fO:T".
g \:\ 0
h \ Y:o 0
iT":Y.
j\.:.o

C:: " , ...
t ttt tttt
... ...
bayt-naa bayt-kum
Our house is your house
In this unit you willieam:
. how to talk about your family
. how to say who things belong to
. how to describe them
. the numbers 21-100
g 1 ";"::'Jj  4> haadhihi hiya zawjat..jj
This is my wife
Hamed has invited his English friend Tom to his flat in Cairo for
dinner. The whole family is there, so Tom has the chance to meet
them all.
Exercise 1
Listen to the dialogue, and answer the following questions.
a Who does Hamed introduce to Tom fIrst?
b How old is Tamiim?
c How old is their daughter?
d Are Tom's children older or younger than Hamed's?
!r-il   J,.t
..J,.ol.:..  I t' 
.I  'r-il 114 . . .Jj  b14 J,.t
'!.illl.:.. 4 . 4 I L- t'
ki .illl.:.. 4.J '.J )\..Ai ..uJ I  

UNIT 5
!.:1! .1A olA ..uJ I
. lllA,j ...c,?I,j olA,j ..",!I,j IlA .r.,,:i l.! I
.I .J....=..i:i
'io.J-'" rs: 
.4.:a.... y, U.J-'" 0.1,)  U:i:u.,j .L.... '0 o.J-'"
'i r.,,:i l.! · r-".J-'" rs: ..:j o.!1,J 'j ,j i
,j ..:..I 0 O.J-'" I - Jt.i..-. u,J'j.."i
..:..I.ia- Y' U.J-'"
Exercise 2
find the Arabic for:
a This is my father.
b Please sit down.
c This is our son.
d How old are your children?
e Our daughter is three years old.
91
,.

,.

L:..
,.
Jj z6wjah wife
 Jj zGwjat-ii my wife (see below for possessive pronouns)
4J la-ki for you (to a woman)
 tafaDDaI come in (to a man)
J i ahlan wa-sahlan welcomel
41 .i.:! hadiyyah, hadaayaa present, gift
..uIJ wilalid father
..uIJ waalidah mother
i .6-!1 ibn, abnaa' son
I iilis sit down I (to a man)
&> j6£ ,.s. kam :umr-uh how old is he 2

92
ARABIC
I . sanah, sanawaat year
u . bint, banaat girl, daughter
Ju......:. Sighaar young, small (plural)
d .:(.1 &-: uLA  ma:luumaat thaqaafiyyah
(Cultural tips)
Within the framework of the Islamic way of life, customs vary
widely in the Arab world. For example, in the more conservative
areas. a man visiting a family will never see any of the women, and
should not even ask about them. However, in more liberal
countries. he can behave much as he would in a European country.
It is best to err on the safe side until you are sure of your ground,
taking your cue from your hosts.
In very traditional areas. if a man is invited with his wife. she may
be taken to the women's quarters on arrival and be entertained and
fed with the women, while her husband stays with the men. She
will be reunited with her husband when they are leaving.
"'':I,J I ta:biiraat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
Introducing people
f"",:1 IlA haadha Tom
 ',Jj  6.l6
luiadhihi hiya z3wjat-ii, sabna
This is Tom (for a man)
This is my wife, Salma
(for a woman)
Asking people how they are and saying how you are
clJ  kayfa Haal.ak How are you? (to a man),
kayfa Haal-ik (to a woman)
Note: Arabic spelling is the same.

UNITS
93
 .14:J1 . l:ti

ana bi-khayr, al-HSmdu li-Laah
l'm well. praise be to God
 Welcoming people to your home
I  tafanDal Come in
I fjlis Sit down
I
,J i 8hlan wa-s8hlan Welcome
 Asking and saying how old someone is
C:6..)-QL rS  How old is Tamim?
tamfim kam :umr-uh (lit. how much his-life)
I A 6j4L :umr-uh 8 sanawaat He is eight years old
Members of the family
,,:-,i / ..\,H,J w3alidJab*
r i /;..JJI,J waalidahlumm
LHI ibn
 bint
,j"i awlaad
ti akh*
'-'.::...i .i ukht, akhawaat
father
mother
son
girl, daughter
boys, children
brother
sister
[.,J..J zawj husband
4-.J..J zawjah wife
JLs.. / f'"L :ammlkluial uncle
Note: Arabic distinguishes here. :Smm is your father's brother,
khaal is your mother's brother.
Ls.. / :ammahlkhaalah aunt (see note above)

94
 jadd
b jaddah
JL:.. /  I ibn :ammlkhaal
JL:.. /   bint :amm/khaal
ARABI C

grandfather
grandTnJ}ther
(male) cousin
(father's/mother's side)
(female) cousin
* The words akh. brother. and ab,father, are irregular nouns (see
Unit 18 for details). All you need to know now is that they take a
long vowel (usually uu) before most of the possessive pronouns
given later in this lesson. For father you can also use the regular
w8alid, but for brother there is no alternative.
g Numbers 21-100
Exercise 3
Listen to the recording and repeat each number as you hear it, and
fill in the blanks with the missing numbers.
PI
................ 44/1.1.
khamsiin 5010.
wa-khamsiin waaHid 51/0'
,............,.. 57/0v
sit6in 60/'.
tbalaatbah wa-sit6in 63/'"
................ 68/'"
sab:iin 70/V.
................ 76/v,
tbamaaniin 80/A.
..,............. 851 AO
tis:iin 90/" ·
................ 99/'" '"
miiyah 100/'..
:ishriin 20/",
waaHid wa-:ishriin 21/'"
ithnCiyn wa-:ishriin 22/""
tf1alaatbah wa-:ishriin 231" y
arba:ah wa-:ishriin 24/"1.
khamsah wa-:ishriin 25/"0
sittah wa-:ishriin 26/"
sab:ah wa-:ishriin 27/"V
1hamQan.'yah wa-:ish.., 28/"'"
t1s:ah wa-:ishriin 29/""
thalaathiin 30/"
waaHid wa-thalaathiin 31/'(' \
................ 33/1'1'
arba:iin .......
ithn6yn waooarba:iin 42/1. y

IT5
Tens with units
Units are placed before the tens:
Y'f'1Z3 thalaathah wa-:ishriin
'0/65 Ich{im b wa-sittfin
95
three and-twenty
five and-sixty
Pronunciation
The tens have a slightly different written fonn ending in -Dun lJ.J-
in some contexts, but they are universally pronounced with the -iin
ending in everyday speech. They are easy to remember. as, with
the exception of twenty, they closely resemble the equivalent unit
numbers, with the addition of -iin.
ti.U1 I.>a taraakiib al-Iughah (Structures)
Possessive pronouns
Possessives describe who or what something belongs to. English
expresses this in several ways:
This is my shirt.
This shirt is mine.
This shirt belongs to me.
There are several points to note in Arabic:
a) Written Arabic has only one way to express the possessive,
using the equivalents of English my, your, his, etc. We call these
words possessive pronouns. There is no equivalent in Arabic of
the English mine, yours, etc. In Arabic these pronouns are
suffixes, which are joined on to the object which is possessed:
their house becomes in Arabic  bayt-hum house-their;
this is my car becomes J4- blA h3adhihi sayyaarat-i
this(-one) [is] car(-my) (see below for spelling)
b) Arabic distinguishes, in the case of his and her, your and their
(but not my or our), whether the owner of the thing is a male or

ARABIC
96
female. In the following list (and throughout this book) some of
these possessive pronouns are given in a slightly simplified
fonn, much as they are used in spoken Arabic.
c) Since they are suffIxes, the Arabic script versions of these
pronouns have been given here as if they were joined to a word
ending in a joining letter.
Singular
lor -ii my
 -ak your (rnese.)
 ik your (fern.)
 -uh his
l+- -ha{a) her
plural
L.... -na(a) our
 kum your (rnese.)
i:fi- kunna your (fern.)
r+- -hum their (rnese.)
cJ+- hunna their (fern.)
Pronunciation
1 -haa and naa are generally pronounced short. although written
with long vowels.
2 There are the followmg changes in pronunciation that are not
reflected in the Arabic script:
After words ending in long vowels or -ay:
. -ii, my, becomes -ya.
(S1...1.:! yadaa-ya my hands (yadaa hands)
. -ak and -ub lose their vowels:
61...1.:! .cll...1.:! yadaa-k, yadaa-h
. ik becomes ki
cll...1.:! yadaaki
When preceded by i, ii or ay:
. -hum and -hunna change to -him and -hinna:
 mabaanfi-him their buildings

UNIT 5
97
The hidden t
You will remember that 4.... is the most common feminine ending in
Arabic and is written with a hybrid letter, a cross between h and t.
In possessives where the feminine word is the possessed or owned
object, the 4.... h changes into an ordinary  t.
I J4-J1 -the-car the new-one
as-sayyaarah I-jadiidah the new car
.J:!I J4-
sayyaarat-uh al-jadiidah
car-his the new-one
his new car
Deflnites
All Arabic possessives are regarded as definite, and follow the
agreement rules for defmites. This is because if you say my book,
you are referring to one specific book.
a-haadha bayt-ak?
'i .I': : tlAi
[?]This(thing) house-your?
Is this your house?
na:am, haadha bayt-i.
Yes, this (thing) house-my
i]C)
8'-:S
!
. IlA .
Yes. this is my house
a- hBallhfhi sayyaanit-
baa? 'ij4- blAi
[?]This(thing) car-her?
Is this her car?
Iaa, laysat haadhihi sayyaarat-haa. .J4- bolA  . 'J
No, is-not this(thing) car-her No, this is not her car

98
ARABIC
fl l l6ysat ;s not (fern.)
l.6.KJ1 u1jji awzaan at-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
C 1 UC 2 UUC 3
Arabic example
buyilut .:J..,t:H
houses
Eng. souncJ..alike
Toulouse
This shape usually represents one of two things:
a) The plural of simple nouns whose singular shape is c1vce.
bMy-t singular bayt house" plural bUyUut houses
lJ"'..,a / u..li filslfuluus piastre, small unit of currency
"'::" /  sha:b1shu:uub people, folk
b) Nouns expressing the action of a verb - usually formed in
English by adding the ending -ing (e.g. do .. doing, think ..
thinking). In English we call this a verbal noun.
.J dukhtiul from d-kh-I enter, meaning entering, entrance
t. khuniuj from kh-....j exiting, leaving; the act of going out
Note that as is the case with many shapes. CuCuuC cannot be
formed from every noun or verb root. The benefit of learning the
shapes is in recognition, not formation. However, any noun which
you come across in this form will be either a plural or a verbal
noun.
ot.:u tamrlinaat (Practice)
Exercise 4
Put the following numbers into numerical order:
,V \ OA \, yt AA tY O YA \t

UNIT 5
99
 Exercise 5
You are planning a camping trip with some Arab friends and see
the following advertisement in an Arabic paper. You want to tell
your friends about it. Read aloud the prices of the items below
several times. Then listen to the recording to check that you were
correct.
l a f'AJ.J f\ f\ I
Exercise 6
You have invited an Arab friend and her husband for dinner. Match
the English phrases with the appropriate Arabic ones.
a Please come in. ...iJ""'" I.l.A - \
b This is my husband. ',J i-y
c How are you? (to a man) 'id)  -Y"
d This is a present for you. (to a woman) . - t
e Sit down. .I - 0
f Welcome. . dJ .J.A 6.l.A - "\

100
ARABIC
Exercise 7
Fill in the gaps with a possessive, using the correct suffIX endings.
The first one has been done for you.
( . , . 1. _, A 'A ) . - .....-......... - \
,C;-,J - ,C;-,J ................ 
.t.JLb.s1 ..............., o..1ll. -.,.
_ _ ...J
.I.J-A ................ f'JA -yo
.-J"O ,............... i blA - 1.
................. O :,) L-. O :,) L.-JI blA  - 0
- - -
"
..u1 ................  IlAl - "\
- . .
1 Your shirt is dirty!
2 My mother is Italian.
3 My pyramid is the big one.
4 This is my sister Miriam.
5 This car is not mine.
6 Is this his new office?
7 Their grandfather is
from Tunis.
8 Where are our suitcases?
. - . V
. U"'-' Y f..J"O ................  -
..
I;' ..,  . I A
................. ,_""J\..a.:::... ,u -
. 10...'-
t
d
1JI 1y:a .d :..:1.... Haqiibah, Haqaa'ib bag, suitcQse J

UNIT 5
101
Exercise 8
Study the family tree below, then answer the questions in Arabic.
fft=
L> r-'..;-O
fl=f1 .=
..;... I i  I .I!
Q .i ,6
L....., ": L U . loL, 1..4-'
i. J..jJ 4.4D IJ ..,... 
i Imagine that you are Salma, and answer the questions.
Example: l.!I."ai,j.o man akhuu-ki Who is your brother?
Answer. .,1..Q,ai i 8kh-ii aHmad My brother is Ahmed.
I lc:,.o man who?
a Who is your husband?; b Who is your mother?; c Who are your
children?
ii What relation are the following people to Ahmed?
Example: b samfirab
Answer: ,Jj  hiya zawjat-uh She is his wife.
a Bassam; b Fatlma; c Suleiman; d Salma
Hi Answer the following questions in Arabic.
a What relation is Fatimah to Fahad?; b What relation is Khalid to
Bassam?; c What relation is Suleiman to Bassam, Noor and Fatima?

'"
 :1.t ..w.I' J LH'
ayna was aT al-madiinah?
Where is the town centre?
In this unit you wiUleam:
. to give simple directions
. about more places in town and their location
. to say what belongs to whom
..
g 1 ,511.;";' ().4  J.AJ' .b.r..aJ 6-:!' ayna wasaT
al..madiinah, min faDl..ak Where is the town
centre, please?
Andy Fraser, a Scot working in Jordan, has to go to a small town
near Amman to visit a client. He stops a passer-by to ask directions.
Exercise 1
Listen to the recording once, then answer these questions.
8 What does Andy say to get the man's attention?
b Is the fIrst thing Andy has to look out for:
i a mosque?
ii traffic lights?
iii King Hussein Street?
c In which direction should he turn at the traffic lights?
Listen to the recording again.
d How far should he go along the street?
e What is the office next to?
f Is the car park:
i on the left?
ii on the right?
iii behind the office?

UNIT 6
103
Now read the dialogue.
I b.,J i !,j!  lIi
 i ! .JJb  "JI
il::u..,?  b.1A '!O jA .cl.J1   ! ,ji 'ii
.I
I 4J1  .liA.J-'  .i  .oi . "JI
 ,jl. &JI t.)u'I.iA .b.)u')'I.4L Jk:;....i1
. , .. .)I.,p. JJb
.f'""U L:.i. 'ii
'0-'' U:...:,..,..  .I  cl.J1  y:iS.t "JI
I" I Lu.a.... L..i
'.). -f'
k..1.)4-11 ....ii clliA jA .cli. i
.cl.J1   .IJ.J ul}...Jj ..& ....ii clliA . "JI
!)L-H-- I I/i
!I "JI
Exercise 2
Link the English phrases with the equivalent Arabic expressions:
"
a Excuse me U GI ,
r-.a
b straight ahead J.,1:.  y
c let me think JL.Z.. .....iJ Y"
d turn left I.) ,J-O u.. jA t
e on the right i  0
f I understand I uk "\
g Is there a car park there? .jl ijl::. V

ARABIC
104
pj
4i,jl os- :an idhn-ak excuse me (lit. by your leave)
J wasaT centre (of town, ete.)
U JA .   madiinah, mudun town, city
Jl?J .J.?J r6iul, riiaal man
JJi=t  :61a Tuul straight ahead
 tGdh-hab you go (to a man)
,ji adh-hab I go
lS..o. . m6ktab, mak6atib office
4i tG:raf-uh you (mase.) know it/him
4i r i a:raf-uh I know it/him
'pi  khalli-nii ufakkir let me think
e-ol.,t? .e-ol? iaami:, iawaami: main mosque
.....iJ liff turn!
J shamaal left
 :ind at
L .oJL.tl ishaarah, -aat (traffic} signal
.:I Jo1.a .dJ.o malik, muluuk king
,jl idh-hab gol (to a man)
c.rl Hawaalii approximately, about
Jwi .ji4 mitr, amtGar metre
Li faahim understanding
 yamiin right (hand}
l..:?-! bi-ia anib next to, beside
L . maH6nah, -oat station
...)l.! banziin petrol

UNIT 6
105
14i amaam in front of
 . siinamaa, siinamaat cinema
cl i ashkur-ak thank you (lit. I thank you: to a man)
I,.. .,.. m6wqif, mawaaqif stopping, parking place
IJJ warGa' behind
)l,..,j.:? I shukran iaziilan thank you very much; many
thanks
I :6fwan you're welcome
 2  -.wJ'  fi I-madiinah In the town
Look at the town map and read through the names of all the places.
-
-- I ({) IRN leeRIE
 I A .
--  
 1KIHti /FA/SAL STREET 
(d q
JAMA.l A BbV L [5J -
STR  T :- 
@ <>; .
'D., ... 
f\rIA;-
 ;

106
ARABIC
Now listen to the recording to hear how they are pronounced.
"
pj
1 yA,7)JI  suuq adh-dh6hab gold market
2  maT;am restaurant
3 J.A funduq hotel
4 Ul"4J1  maH6TTat al-b6aS bus station
5 I al-khoor the creek
6 I "..... suuq as-samak Fish market
7 "..wl jS. JA markaz ash-shurTah police station
8 4.i Jw:..JI  bank as-sh6arqah Bank of Sharjah
9 " ,. ";, , .. A mustashfaa hos p ital
I,.'t
1 0 .)iJ1 I al-HiSn al-qadiim the old fort
11  Hadiiqah pork, garden
12  iisr bridge
13 I al-baladiyyah town hall
14 Ul mayd6an square
15 4ao i6ami; mosque
16 ':lL..:.:i':l1 ...>-! buri al-iHiSGalaat communications tower
17 uS: J14.".a..J-'-l suubarmaarkit supermarket
18 .).a1  m6ktab al-bariid post office
19  Saydaliyyah chemist
20 I jS. JA markaz at-tas6wwuq shopping centre
21 ,JJSJI at-koorniish the Corniche
"
Exercise 3
Now listen to the recording while you read the text on page 107,
and decide which places are being asked for.

UNIT 6
107
4J1 ,J Ij F W:H ' U''= "JfiJ I  a
 'JL..:.:;'JI [...H  'wl1  I  b
":-,-,,.l31 J.,,-,J I W:H .I 0.0 ..ii c
 I ,J .:AJ..HI &:! d
"",J yooWI  J4 tJU:..  J.,b  ":-,-,,,jl e
I  JWi.J1
u a!:::... A' I IJ,J . clLJI tJU:.."; f
 d ':"'':'J I ta:biiraat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
Asking and giving simple directions
"
J..u.i!1 LJ':!I ayoa I-funduq Where is the hotel?
  lift' yamfin Turn right
J.,b  ":-,-,,,jl idh-hab :81a Tuul Go straight ahead
I  :aila I-yamiin On the right
I   Beside, next to the post
bi-j8anib m8ktab al.barfid office

U44JI  r lol
amaama maHaTfat al.baaS
I IJ,J waraa' ai-bank
. .'<:.11  4..JI'
  - - U:H
bayna as-SaydaIiyyah
wa-maHaTTat al-banziin
I  ba:d al.jisr
Opposite, in front of the
bus station
Behind the bank
Between the chemist
and the petrol station
After the bridge

108
ARABIC
ti.1J1 I .. taraakiib al..16ghah (StruCtures)
." 
Possessives with two nouns
possessive constructions have two elements: the possessor or
owner, and the thing possessed, or property. In 'the doctor's car'
the doctor is the owner and the car is the property.
Owner (of)
The doctor's
Property
car
The most usual way to say this in English is by the use of an
apostrophe s: s, as above, in which case the order is owner before
property. However, sometimes we use the word of and reverse the
order:
Property
The title
The Dogs
(of)
of
of
Owner
the book
War
Arabic is similar to the above, except that:
a) no word for of is used
b) The first possessed noun (title, Dogs) never has the definite
article al-. So the nonnal fonn in Arabic looks like this:
noun without al- followed by
maktab
office
(the possessed object)
noun with al-
al-mudiir
(oij the manager
(the owner/possessor)
*al-maktab al-mudfir does not make sense to an Arab.
c) If the fIrst (possessed) noun has the feminine ending L this
is pronounced -t but - unlike with the possessive pronouns in
Unit 5 _ does not change its fonn when written. This is because
it is still at the end of a word.

UNIT 6
109
 OJ sayyaarat MoHammad Mohammed's car
j ,
.........
,j A.... @
:.. ,, ,"' L"J." 'SaYd&!iyyat saarah
(t ..uu. >-  T-:; . >" Sarah s pharmLlcy
\;;,..i¥'-= , ":f' " -,' -- u,
:J "
I"
"
....'
d) With the exception of the demonstratives this, that, etc, no word
may be inserted between the two nouns, so any additional words
such as adjectives have to come at the end. (see also below).
Pseudo possessives
Possessives are frequently used in Arabic to associate two concepts
which in English would be expressed in another way.
markaz ash-sh-urTah tb yoJl fiJA
centre (of) the-police The police station
maH8.TTat ai-baaS
station (of) the-bus
LJI
u.o .
The bus station
Proper names
You will remember that all proper names
are regarded as definite. whether or not
they begin with the definite article al-, the
such as i."..liJl aJqaahirah, Cairo. In
either case they refer to a specific person
or place, and are therefore deftnite.
"
.J...a.:::..1 '-'l bayt aHmad
'-
Ahmed's house
J-4UJt l:a.
J8ami:at al-qaahirah
University of Cairo;
Cairo University

110
ARABIC
Simple sentences
The fonnula definite + indefinite gives a simple sentence in Arabic
(see Unit 2) implying the word is/are in English. Since nearly all
possessive constructions are by nature definite (see above), you
can use them in the same way. The last part of the sentence can be
a simple adjective (e.g. Muhammad's house is big), but can also be
a phrase with a preposition (using words such as in, under, on,
etc.), telling you where something is located.
j3ami:at aJ.q3ahirah kabiirah b bjoAllU 4-
university (of)(the) Cairo (is) big Cairo University is big
bayt muH3mmad qarfib
house (of) muHammad (is) near
bayt muHammad Iii wasaT
al-madiinah
house (of) muHammad (is)
in (the) centre (of) the-town
->'i  .-.
Muhammad's house is near
I.b..,,J   .-.:
Muhammad's house is in
the centre of town
Word order and adjectives
Because nothing except the demonstratives can come between the
two parts of a possessive, any other words introduced into the
sentence must be placed elsewhere.
If any adjectives are applied to either of the tenns in a possessive
construction, these must come at the end. The possessive
construction can never be split up.
If both possessive tenns are of the same gender, it will strike you
that these adjectives placed at the end of the phrase might describe
either of the possessive tenns. However, the context usually makes
everything clear.
waziir ad-daakhiliyyah al-jadUd
minister (of) the-interior the-new
I 1..\11 ..:,.,
The new minister of the
interior

UNIT 6
111
wizaarat al:adl al-jadfidah
ministry (of) the-justice the-new
kutub al.ustaadh al-jadiidah
books (of) the-professor the-new
b.1:!1 JI bJlj"
The new ministry of justice
"
6.1.a1 ,j\.:w. I 
- . .
The professor:s. new books
Note
Ministries, embassies and government depanments usually have
the possessive construction, with the hidden -to
bJIj." wiz8.arah, ministry is derived from.,J-J':;'" wazur, minister,
and is the origin of the English word vizier:
I bJtu Ministry of Tourism
wizaarat as-siyaaHah
wl..,:!.J1  .."i I bJlj" the Ministry of Education
wizaarat atta:liim qariibah is near the square
min al-maydaan
J..JI bl,j daa'irat al-muruur Traffic departmenr
An alternative is to place the nationality adjective after the noun,
in which case there is no hidden -t:
oJli.... sifaarah, embassy comes from  safiir, ambassador
(which is derived in turn from safar travel, the origin of the word'
safari):
\.J.:u1 bJli..J1 the British embassy
as-sifaarah al-briiTaaniyyah
 :'<..:...J-O I bJli..J1
as-sifaarah al-amriikiyyah
the American embassy
Demonstratives with possessives
Demonstratives (this, that, those, etc.) are the only words which

112
ARABIC
can go between the two tenns of a possessive:
a) If the this-word applies to the second (possessor) word, it goes
between, usually taking the form:
noun without al. + this + noun with al-
q8Jam haadhaa t-tilmiidh
pen (of) this(person) the.pupil
lllA 
this pupil's pen
b) If the this word applies to the ftrst (possessed) word, it comes
at the end:
noun without al- + noun with al- + this
sayyaarat al-mudfir haadhihi bolA .J.JI bJ4-
car (of) the-manager this (one) This car of the manager's
In both cases, the demonstrative must agree in gender with the
word to which it applies.
"
l.A.KJ' U1jJi awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pottern
Arabic example
wizaarah b}jJ
ministry
Eng. sound-clike
banana
CiCaaCah
g
(See also note above.)
This type of noun is always derived from a word of the CaCfiC
shape (see Unit 1), but which refers to a man. Its meaning is
the place where he operates. Thus, as we have seen above, a jJ...JJ
wazfir, minister operates from a b}jJ wizaarah, ministry, and a
 safiir, ambassador from a b)..A.... sifaarah, embassy.
In the Gulf, the Emirates (iInaaraat, plural of bJLol imaarah) ar
so named because they were each originally ruled by an I
amiir, emir/prince.
The shape is also used for some nouns derived from verbs, e.g,
us:: kit3abah, writing and bl.;-i qiraa'ah, reading.

UNIT 6
113
yw....,..u tamriinaat (Practice)
Exercise 4
Pit the two words together to make places found around an Arab
city.
f3Z!J ?E3
 
<r;5>

 
g Exercise 5
Ask where the following places are. Check your answers with the
recording or the transcript.
a the town hall
b the police station
c al-Bustan shopping centre
d King Paisal Street
e Shehrazade restaurant
Q Exercise 6
Now look at the town map on page 105 and imagine that you are
walking down the street and someone asks you the way. Give
directions to the places in Exercise 5, using the Key Phrases on
page 106 to help you. Possible answers are given on the recording
or transcript.

114
ARABIC
Exercise 7
Combine a noun from each column, to fonn a possessive
construction.
Example: boy  bicycle
..\1",J1  :ajalat aJ.walad the boy's bicycle
11 1,:,1.... . :6jalah. -- bicycle
a bank - manager
b town - centre
c country - capital
d company - office
e Rashid - sister
f Italy - embassy
pj
I .l£,:6a5imah.:aw6a5im* capitol (political)
L- .4.S",.J:a shGrikah, -aat company (commercial)
ul.Jl.!/,) ..Jl.! balad, bilGaci/buld6an country, stote
Exercise 8
Now make is/are sentences from the words below, making sure
that the adjectives agree.
Example: watch - Faisal- new" .b.J.::o-  4-.LL..... (Faisal's
watch is new.)
1 streets - Abu Dhabi - wide
2 University - Cairo - big
3 gardens - palace - beautiful
4 rooms - apartment - spacious
5 cuisine - Morocco - delicious
6 shops - market - small

UNIT 6
115
.
-'" :ariiD wide
, qaSr, qu$uur palace
."t ,U."t ghurfah, ghuraf room
 , .a.. shaqqah, shiqaq Rot, apartment
IJ waasi: roomy, spacious
 Tabiikh cooking, cuisine
1J ladhiidh delicious, tasty
lS'.,) 'UlS'..1 dukkaan, dakaakiin small shop, stolf
Exercise 9
Saalim's mother is trying to tidy up the boys' bedroom and she
asks Saalim what belongs to him and what to his brother Tarnim.
Complete the sentences using the correct possessive construction.
Example: .
. ' ............... 1.l.6 ."'i  .I..-. A'6 1.l.61
1-  -
Is this your shirt? No, it's Tarnim's shirt.

11
J.t..c..o
if.;>
y .;I

i.J


116
ARABIC
... 1.iA r-U  cl.ol lolAi a
m blA .  clJ.Jl blAi b
... dI . ..u.o dlJ c
"
... bolA . cl;J blAl d
"
mllA.  IlAl e

f{ u.h.i I j LA
maadhaa fa:alt?
What did you do?
In this unit you will learn:
. how to talk about things which happened in the past
. about means of transport
. about Arabic verbs
. how to say me, him, them, etc.
<-
" 1  I cikhii fahd My brother Fahd
Samira, a Kuwaiti girl, writes to a friend to tell her about her
brother who was working abroad.
Exercise 1
Listen to the recording while you read the letter, and say whether
the following are true or false:
a Her brother went to Amman in May.
b He wrote to Samira every week.
c He returned to Kuwait in September.
Jt C&Sy;,  Jt " V"Jlo   w !L.,
 J .ti JS t]L.,J   .   'u.JJ I
.  Jt .:.ufll
Exercise 2
Link the English phrases with the equivalent Arabic:
a He worked in the office.
b He stayed with my uncle.
c We wrote him a letter every week.
.,
.ti  l...J   ,.
.IJtf

118
ARABIC
pj
"iL...., saafara travel
i/ . shahr, shuhuur/6sh.hur month
I.JI.IJu maars March
J.&£. :amila work, do
 sakana reside, live
J:lL..... J .4JL...., J ris6alah, rasaa'il letter, message
JS kull every, each
(:?J raia:a return, come/go back
sambarpremr*
* A full list of the Christian and Islamic months is given in Unit 11.
g
"
2 I u ,. 1,j14 maadhaa fa:alt ams?
What did you do yesterday?
Zaki, a student at the college in Cairo, asks Sonya, an English
friend, what she did the day before.
Exercise 3
Listen to the conversation, and answer the questions.
a How did Sonya go to Ahmed's house?
b Who lives with Ahmed and his wife?
c Do they live in:
i Zamalek? ii Maadi? iii Helwan?
Listen to the recording again.
d Did they eat:
j breakfast? ii lunch? iii dinner?
e Who cooked the meal?
f Did they have:
i Arabic coffee? ii Turkish coffee? ill American coffee?
g Did Sonya get home:
i by taxi? ji by bus? ill by car?

UNIT 7 119
"
u-I .:.J.O I,jLo j
i ., !,j u-i ,.....
clw !,j  j
.dJLojJl vi  k,.,.tA .W4,j ,.....
c;r=ao I,jLo j
"
.1'4 .,.I.illl 4J.1JI,.,  .4JI-p-I,., 4J.1JI,J,J 6.1J1,., .:...4 L:i ,.....
..>' 6 .,,:.. ,.I.illl
c;i JA,., j
.6.lJ ..,... · r-u  ,.....
W4 J JA j
.4.::i).... vi I uiL..f1...:.,., i .W4 J Lo.'J ,.....
Link the English phrases with the Arabic equivalents.
a yesterday
b How did you go there?
c I went by taxi
d Did you like it?
e He gave me a lift home
clWA !,j  ,
"
I JA ,.
.I !,., ,-
u-i t
.W4 ,j 0
I JU f6:ala to do
i ams yesterday
"'""" dh6hab to go
L .4.1:aLL :6a'ilah, .aat family
u yaskunuun they live, reside, stay

120
ARABIC
J.!li qaabala to meet, encounter
 T6bakha to cook
IJ.£. ghad6a' lunch
 shGriba to drink
;;  qahwah coffee
i JA hal a:i6bat-ik did you (fern.) like it (fern.)?
LA maa not
 j waSSaIa to transport, take, give c lift
g ;; "'': 'J ul ta:biiraat ra'iisiyyab (Key phrases)
Talking about how you travelled
He travelled to Jeddah...
by car
by plane
by bus/coach
by train
by taxi
by ship
Further expressions of time
I met him...
last night
last week/month
last year
...6 !L...
6J4-J
  Lb.l 1
bY '-!
vA4J
lhi.!L
J .
l:iJ

u
 o-i
c"rOLJI I / t \'1
LJI ti...J1

UNIT 7
121
three years ago
in 1995
a week/month ago
a year ago
I . .. "I" I. 'J;
<.:I  ....JU 
",o
.. , i I. 'J;
...>4-'" t 

tilll I - taraakiib al..liighah (StruCtures)
." 
The Arabic verb: general
The Arabic verb differs from the English verb in two ways:
a) It has only two tenses (i.e. ways to express when an action took
place).
· The past tense is used for all completed actions.
· The present tense is used for all actions not yet complete.
b) Most verbs can be reduced to a past stem and a present stem, and
a standard set of prefIxes and suffixes can be added to these stems
to form meaningful words.
Arabic verbs fit into a limited number of categories, but there are
virtually no truly irregular verbs in Arabic - apparent irregularities
can usually be explained by the occurrence of the weak letters
waaw and yaa' as one of the letters in the stern. For further details,
see Verb Tables.
The infinitive
There is no Arabic equivalent of the English infinitive to tIn, to
speak, etc. Instead Arabic verbs are given in the he-fonn of the
past tense, because this part is the simplest form of the verb, with
no written suffixes or prefIxes. It often also constitutes the past
stem, from which which all other parts of the past tense can be
formed.
So when we give a verb as, for example, k3taba, to write, the part
we give actually means he wrote.
In the box below, we have given the suffix endings separated by a

122
ARABIC
hyphen from the past stem of the verb luitaba so that you can learn
them more easily. The verb kataba belongs to Type S-I in the Verb
Tables. The root k.t-b indicates writing.
Note: Study the following in conjunction with the S-section of the
Verb Tables which contains further information.
Past tense
pj Singular plural
y:iS kiltab(a) 1# k6taIJ.uu
he wrote they (mase.) wrote
 katab-at  katab.na
she wrote they (fern.) wrote
 katab.t(a)  kat6b w tum
you (masc.)wrote you (mase.) wrote
 kat6bwti  katab-tUnna
you (fem.)wrote you (fern.) wrote
 katabwt(u)  katilbwna(a)
I wrote we wrote
Note: the Final vowels in brackets are usually omitted in informal speech.
Here is a list of some commonly-used verbs. Remember that these
are all in the he-form of the past tense, and in the past tense they
can all be formed in the same way as k8taba.
Note: Some verbs must be used in conjunction with a preposition.
This is given after the verb.

UNIT 7
123
.
yA,j dhahaba go
.,iL...... silafara travel
J..:> j waSala arrive
t;?J raia:a return, go back
J4.s. :amila do, work
 ",i:i tatGrraia :alaa
wakh, spectate
Js.i tG:ala do, ad
J raldba ride
 sakana live, reside
JSi lakala eat
 shariba drink
yaJ la:iba ploy
 Tabakha cook
w. shaahada see, look at
 j waDa:a put, place
p khilbbara tel" inform
J.!li qaabala meet
Jwl. ghasala wash
JJl£ ghaadara leave, deport
 kallama speak to
j waiada find
i qarala read
IJAi J raqaSa dance
J,E:a.J dakhala enter
.,.:.. kharaia go out (o
 kasara break
.,.:..b tal akhkhara be late
 fQtaHa open
JAi q6fala close
Noun and pronoun subjects
The subject of a verb is the person or thing which perfonns the
action. It is important in Arabic to distinguish between noun and
pronoun subjects.
1 Verbs with pronoun subjects
When you say they arrived, he said, it opened, you are using a
pronoun subject, and the suffix ending of the verb indicates who or
what the subject is. The separate pronouns which you learned in
Unit 2 are not nonnally used with verbs, except for emphasis.
waSaJat min al-maghrib ams i ",:-,,;-i...J1 0-'> -'
She-arrived from Morocco She arrived from Morocco
yesterday yesterday

124
ARABIC
saafara Ua r-ribaaT al-usbuu: WI t I .bL..>U JlL...
al-maaDii
He-travelled to Rabat last week He travelled to Rabat last week
2 Verbs with noun subjects
When the subject of a sentence is specified by means of a noun (the
workmen arrived, Ahmed said):
a) the verb usually comes first, followed by the subject
b) the verb is always in the he- or she-form, no matter what the subject.
In English we usually say who or what we are talking about (the
subject), then go on to say what the subject did (the verb), and
follow this with any other information like who or what he did it
to, where and when he did it (the object or predicate). so that the
word order is usually subject - verb - the rest:
Subject
The man
Verb
wrote
Object/predicate
the letter.
The normal word order in Arabic is verb - subject - the rest.
Verb Subject
4Jlw"J' J..?"JI y:as
k r-raiul
wrote(-he) tf1e man
'+i r:a  JI .;,.,ilw
saafarat al-mudarrisah
Travelled (.she) the teacher
I i"ialAJl j
waSalat aT- Taa'irah
Arrived (-she) the plane
I 1,JjJJ1 J:..
dakhala I-wuzaraa'
entered (.he) the ministers
Object/predicate
ar-risaalah
the letter
ma:a talaamidha....haa
with her students
S-SubH
in the morning
al-qaSr
the palace

UNIT 7
125
The fact that the verb in these cases is either in the he- or she-fonn,
i.e. always singular, never plural, should be noted carefully.
Remember that the plural of things (inanimate objects or abstracts)
is regarded as feminine singular, so that the rule for verbs which
precede their subjects looks like this:
Subject
One or more male
human beings;
singular inanimate
noun of masc.
gender
one or more female
human beings;
singular inanimate
noun of fem. gender;
plural of inanimate
noun of either gender
Example
man, boys, book
Verb
he-form
woman, girls, cor,
booles, cars
she-form
Saying no
To negate something that happened in the past, the word maa, not
can be placed before the verb.
maa sharibt al-qahwah
Not I-drank the-coffee
6.,t+iJ1  Lo
I didn't drink the coffee
Exercise 4
Turn the following sentences into negatives.
a The aeroplane was late 6 y UJI.:....,p.,G
b The workmen spoke to the boss .;31 JI rK
c I ate the bread 1.:JS:i

126
ARABIC
III
L .0 jiu, Taa'irah, -aat aeroplane
JL..£. .J,au. :aamil, :ummaal workman
j:.lwj; 'J ra'iis, ru'asaa' boss, chief
.J+=a. khubz bread
Sentences where the verb comes after the subject
The verb-subject-rest word order given above is the most
common in Arabic, but it is possible to have verbs which come
after their subjects. This occurs most frequently in sentences which
have more than one verb, e.g. The workmen arrived on the site and
started to dig the foundations.
If a sentence starting with a noun subject has more than one verb,
the first one comes before the noun subject and obeys the he-/she-
form agreement rule on page 125, and any subsequent verb comes
after the subject and must agree with it completely, in number
(singular or plural) and gender (male or female).
So if the subject refers to men, the second and any subsequent
verbs must end in -uu (masculine plural). If it refers to women, it
must end in -08 (feminine plural). The plural of things, regarded as
feminine singular, will have the ending -at on both verbs.
":"'4JII-, JI -' The workmen arrived and
wasala I-:ummaal mended the door
wa-SallaHuu I-baab
I &!-' UI .::..\.4.11 .)
dakhalat aI-banaat al-ghurfah
wa-sharibna l-qahwah
W"'JI L:.i-, ....i.)1 {JA I -' The books feU from the shelf
waqa:at aI-kutub min ar-raff and struck the teacher
wa-aSaabat al-mudarris
The girls entered the room
and drank the coffee

UNIT 7
127
Ifi
 t-i.3 w6qa:a fall
...J"a", ....J'" raH, rufUuf shelf
Lw:.i aSGaba hi', strike
It, him, me - object pronouns
To say me, it. them, Arabic uses - with one exception - the same
pronoun suffixes as the possessive pronoun suffIxes which mean
my, his, our (see Unit 5).
They are added to the verb to express the object of the sentence, to
which the action of the verb is applied:
Singular
.; -nii me
.:L -ak you (to a men)
.:L -ik your (to a women)
4.... -uh him
4- -haa her
Plural
L.L -naa us
,.s- -kum you (to men)
 -kUnna you (to women)
M- -hum them (men)
Uf- -hunna them (women)
As the above table shows, the only one which differs is the suffIx
for me which is  -00 after verbs (as opposed to I.,F" -ii after other
types of word).
...)-'-'O J Nasser told me
khabbara-OO naaSir
o-i u.JS:
kaUamt-uh ams
I spoke to him yesterday
- - 'I' l.:J.a I.J
.".......  f"'" .
qaabalnaa-hum fi s-suuq
When -ak and -uh come after a vowel, they are reduced to -k and
We met chem in the souq

128
ARABIC
-h respectively and -ik becomes -ki. This is another example of
elision.
dl.:a,,\.4 shaahadnaa-kJki
We saw you (masc./fem.)
6 sharibuu-h
They (masc.) drank it
Note: The masculine plural ending -un is written with a 'silent' alif
at the end (I.J- - see Verb Tables). This is omitted when any suffix
is joined on to the verb.
Pronunciation - elision
Here are some more conventions of Arabic pronunciation. They
will help to polish your Arabic.
1 Definition of elision
Elision usually means in Arabic that a preceding vowel swallows
up a following one.
al- the becomes 1- after vowels:
,-:,4JII SaIlaHun I-baab
They repaired the gate
Elision also occurs with the sun letters (see Unit 1):
J4-1II SallaHnu s-sayyaarah They repaired the car
2 Elision 0. fii
When the word fii, in precedes al-, the, the a of 31- omitted, and
the vowel of fii is shortened to make fi. Technically this applies to
all words ending in long vowels, but it is most noticeable with rD.
I  fi I-bayt in the house
3 Initial i
Standard Arabic does not allow words to begin with two
consonants like English trip, blank. Instead it adds an i- vowel
prefix. (in Arabic expressed by an alif with an i-vowel below it. In
practice, however, this vowel sign is rarely written.)

UNIT 7
129
t! ijtimaa: meeting
When this vowel is preceded by a word ending in a vowel, the
i-vowel is elided:
t I-, wa-ijtimaa:, and (a) meeting, is pronounced
wa-jtimaa:. This is a refinement in pronunciation. and it will do no
harm if you fail to observe it meticulously.
Some words beginning with alif use this to carry a radical hamzah
(i.e. one which is part of the root), and this should not be elided.
This kind of hamzab is quite often - though not always - marked
in print, and we have tried to follow the Arab convention.
jS:i skala he ate
..*Oi amiir prince, Emir
J.:...i akhadha he took
..
lA.KJ1 U1jJi awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
taC'aaC 2 uC 3
Arabic example
ta:6awun o.,W
cooperation
Eng. sound-alike
to our one
More examples are:
Q  takaatub correspondence. writing to each other
f""A taf8ahum mutual wulerstanding
c:,.. taDaamun solidarity
JJ taba.adul exchange, exchanging
If you look at the nature of the meaning of all these nouns you will
see that they all carry the idea of doing something with someone
else.

130
ARABIC
uw., tamriinaat (Practice)
Exercise 5
How did Mohanuned travel to Cairo? Match the Arabic phrases to
the pictures.
",


a..""" c
t...... -.....

:5-
d
r.Lj.L
e
...6jAL:iJ1 !.j.-.o,.,9L..
6J4-\4 ,
&y UJ 4 \'
4'"
U"=' 4J 4 t
W4 "
Exercise 6
Who did what? Match the Arabic to the English sentences.
a We read the newspapers. .o1 ,j ,
b She put her bag on the table. . Jt liJl u-' "
c We entered the room. .bLJI  , d.:A.... -,'"
d You (masc. sing.) wrote a letter. .I Jlb.o J! I-, t
e He lived in London. .JI iJA y.. "
fYou(fem.pl.)cameoutofthehotel. .4JL... J  '\
g I found the keys in my pocket. .iJ.w Jt tfi- V
h They (masc.) arrived at Bahrain .Ill:J "
Airport.
..,
DIll t.i...t.,C Ui.A miftaaH, mafaatiiH key
 . iayb, iUyUub pocket
I"... .il..a maa'ida, mawaa'id table
I.J'?' .i....J"?' iariidah, iaraa'id newspaper

UNIT7
131
Exercise 7
In the following sentences, put the correct suffix endings on the
verbs in brackets.
a They (masc.) travelled to Kuwait. ..:.ufll l L...)
b She opened the door. .,,:-,4.]1 ()
c Did you (m. sing.) watch the television? jitJl  k) J,.
d I arrived yesterday. .u- i (.J)
e She cooked and we ate the food. .r hbJl (i).J ()
Exercise 8
Jim went on holiday to Egypt.
a Match the drawings with the sentences. (See Key on page 132.)
b Write his postcard home for him, putting the verbs in brackets in
the I-fonn.
a
b
d
e

132
ARABIC
 (J) t
 ("=") "
J"..JI J! (j) '\
tsbu-.JI  () ,
. ._A"I, ( I. U ) "
." 
Q IJt()'"
III
j,,»w. shaaTi' shore, beach
Jl..a.? .J6.? iamal, iimaal cornel
 fWa shaabb, shabGab youth/young person
L t.s: kaafitirya cafeteria/ cofe
 :aSiir juice
Exetdse 9
Alter the underlined nouns in the following sentences to object
pronouns.
Example: I met the manager. .. I met him.
. I u .. .u
JIy.J1 .::.JL t
uL..-iJ1 uJ-i "
.  "U I.U '\
u v'_
UL....>"  ,
i-lhIl .::$i ,.
J4-1 rK ,..
I!I
c. lLi ..t::..lLi tufaaHah, tufaaH apple
JL... sa'ala ask
i .JI su'aal, as'ilah question

UNIT 7
133
Exercise 10
Match the Arabic to the English sentences below
a My wife cooked the food.
b The driver took his boss to the airport.
c The students read books in the university library.
d The aeroplane arrived in Beirut.
e The secretaries drank coffee every day.
.4J1  ..; I ,,:,,)lbJ1 i.;i ,
'r  6"'" o::..l.»1fi-J1  y
'ru.bJ1 .Jj  ,.
.ju....J1 ! j J:jWI J-,., t
.u,J !6ylbJl,., 0
PI
aJ.....,./UJ- <J.....,. s6a'iq, -uun/s6aqah driver
Exercise 11
Read the passage below and fill the gaps with the correct fonn of
the past tense of the appropriate verb chosen from those in the box
below the passage. You will find the Key Words on page 134.
U"jL.,;e ("F'!J !-u£J  J"i}'1I,., ,.,-
...,i 6 u.::. ,;e - .ti 6 cl _ . , 1\ 1\ V 
 - "il r .uljLo)'1 (j.6 u.a l- -,., <HI (j.6
,-.  ! - \j)W1 r .tsbUi.J1 J!  -,., <
'JL LoUk ,Jj r+1-,., < 
1.J+A,j
.;it....

I.,:&..
I,., .a.i
1.,1-,.,,.,

. I
Iu

134
ARABIC
I!I
 qa:ada stay, remain, sit
...3 Ii.mudclat... for the period of...
lJ'oIu naas people
j:.Lii , Sadiiq, aSdiqaa' friend
 la-hum for them
Exercise 12
The following sentences all have the verb (bold type) before the
subject. Rewrite them with the verb after the subject, paying
attention to the correct agreement.
Example:
.t l.4i.::.. YI (y> Ij j:.lj1  .t 4"i1 (y> ,.lj1 t:?J
.6jAUJI Jl ",at,...., ,
.i....J1 (jA ,j"i..J "11 t:?J Y
.,;..JI OJ-I  f
.l.HJ' 1oLU. .:..I  t
.6LJI (jA I j 0
I!I
IJ.).4 ,.).4 mudiir, mudaraa' manager
 HaDara offend, be present
UJ- '1J'oI muhandis, -uun engineer
L ..,..:a;.. mu'tGmar, -bat conference
U , SaHn, SuHuun dish

.LS14u .LS
u ..U
kaan yaa maa kaan
Once upon a time
In this unit you will learn:
. how to say was/were
. how to say is/are not
. how to describe what something was like
. how to say became
. a new type of is/are sentence
. how to say you had done something
" 1 0LS La 4 0LS kaan yaa maa kaan
Once upon a time
In The Arabian Nights, or 4.4J,., 4.4J .....iJi aIf laylah wa-Iaylah (lit.
a thousand nights and a night), Princess Sheherazade kept the
Sultan from executing her when, for 1001 nights, she told him one
tale after another, always ending at an exciting point of the story,
so that he had to let her live to tell the rest of the tale the next night.
, This is how she introduced the stories of Sindbad the Sailor.
Exercise 1
Listen to the recording of the first part of the introduction below,
and answer the questions.
a Was the porter called:
i Harun al-Rashid? ii al-Hindbad? iii Sindbad?
b Where was the porter going?
c Why did he stop?

ARABIC
136
d Did he stop beside:
i a house ii a door iii a market
e What did he ask the servant?
Now read the beginning of the story.
I  J .)I  ulS .)I u.,.)u UJ=JI r 4i V'
  1.lA 41 wlS r4 11.r r,,: ,J .41
-=.UlS,J I  dJ,j wlS,J .J"..JI c,},R'li .'l Jl 
.\.:i,J \.:i 41 i,J.I b 16.;1.r--
. c.JA L..ljl-   ,-:,,4  J-t..).J1 c,} ...u,.,.,i
 IA... u-J4-.J-A ,J .,J .) I  4.l.o.::.. .J.J
I,J rU. l:&.A wlS,J .I J!...I I.r   y
I 11.lA l..A I.r :41 W .I ":"'4 r loi
Exerdse 2
Link the English phrases with the appropriate Arabic expressions.
a beautiful music
b the heat of the sun was very strong
c that was in the summer
d in the days of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid
e in front of the gate of the palace
f al-Hindbad became tired
I ..,j dJ,j . lS ,
_ ..,. IJ
I ,-:,,4 rLoi "
..u1;. . 'I' u UJ=JI Li..,j 'r
_ 'j' oJ.) - r - ..,.
"
L.."u L .'. . 'I I t
. ........... 
 - 0
-. y
I 6 I 6.;tP. -=.UlS "\

UNIT 8
137
II j:.t.iJ..:... khaliifah, khulafGa'* Caliph, head of the
Islamic state (obviously masc., despite its ending)
U .Jl4.:t.. Hammaal, -uun porter
j:.1 . faqiir, fuqarila'* poor, poor person
fl:!1 u.a f  Iii yawm min al-ayyaam one day (lit. 'in
a day of the days')
 ... ulS: kaana ... yaHmil he was carrying
Jl.a..:I..i .J,A...:a. Himl, aHmaal food, burden
 thaqiil heavy
J .J'?u tGaiir, tuiiaar merchant
 Sayf summer
oJI.ra- Harilarah Ileat
 shams sun
 shadiid strong, mighty
i aSbaHa become
u ta:b6an tired
u :aTshaan thirsty
..JI j waqafa stop, stand
 ...",» Tariiq, Turuq road, way
IJofi .4 baab, abwaab gate, door
JJ-i . qaSr, quSuur palace
 fakhm magnificent
ul li-listiraaHah in order to rest (lit. 'for the resting')
Jl.a.Li . :amal, a:maal work, job, business
JI al.6rD the ground, the earth (fern.)

138
ARABIC
 iGlasa sit, sit down
 bGynamaa while
vwJ4- iaalis sitting, seated
.....s kG'" like (joined to following word)
 sami:a hear, listen
".. muusiiqaa* music (fern.)
 munba:ith emanating
Jaloi daakhil inside, the inside of something
, <foil.2. khaadim, khuddaam servant
IJ waaqif standing, stationary
i .yal.w:t SGaHib, a5-Haab owner, moster; also
somelimes friend
g 2 '1t .)4t as..sindibaad al..baHrii
Sindbad the Sailor
Exercise 3
Who could own this magnificent palace? Listen to the rest of the
story and answer the questions below.
a Why was the servant astonished?
b Had the sailor travelled:
i for seven years? ii the seven seas? iii to seven countries?
c Did the porter become sad because:
i Sindbad was rich and he was poor?
ii the servant told him to leave?
iii he was hungry?
d Who was with Sindbad:
i a group of servants? ii his wife? ill a group of people?
e Did Sindbad give him:
i gold? ii food? ill drink?

UNIT 8
139
fWhat had he ordered his servants to do?
Listen to the story again, looking at the Key Words on page 140.
V-O..J :JL...:.JI JU .,=,.ro-+I I .)I ..:.! :r.)WI 4J JU..J
d=-  Lo..J .)I c,} l"SL... .:.Ui :JU -' r.)WI J..A 'i-"",
L... ,=,.l.1I-"", :r.)WI JU."i :.)I JU ,=,I.)I
i ,ill,j  .4K 4:a.1.11  .1.Al.:....J I JI c,}
l.:ai..J . IlA .)II,jLJ :JU  JL..J Cuj.=.. Jl.....=-JI
"
J...JI..J I J=..I.) v-o rlllA .)I ..J 4ii. 
rK..J1 ":-'  r.)WII.lA (.ft..J .,,:-,4]1 c.J!ft fLo .)l3..
.1.Al.:....J I J=..I.) ! JL...:.JI  . JW :JU..J .)I
IlA ulS..J 'uu W1  4.b....J Jt W4- )L.."b J .!1u..
'..J )U.i 'j'O :J ,=,I JU..J ..)I J:..",JI
,j ..J ..l:.l1I1 YI v-o  kli  r.ii..J 4-! i..J
J.i:a.! 4.o1 j'Oi .ii .)I ulS..J .I 4.J)l,..J  0.»=a-
.llJl '-'': c.J! .)I J.o.=..
Exercise 4-
Link the English phrases with the appropnate Arabic expressions.
ahe said  Jw'
b (Indeed) it is the palace of I I . . L... ,.
Sindbad the Sailor . J .  ..>'
c He has travelled the seven seas I J d=- o"
d I am not rich I .)I ..:.! t
e Come with me
f Greetings and welcome!
g He told him about his amazing
voyages
h he had ordered his servants
I j'Oi ..u u\.$ "
JU'
..J)lA,i 'j'O V
4ii.  l.:ai "

140
ARABIC
II (oW) JLi qaala la-hu he said (to him)
<iLal inn-uh it is ... (see grammar section below)
Yu-o man who?
.s dahisha be surprised, astonished
USL...... saakin living, residing
,,:sJI alladhii who, the one who
I JI al-biHaar as-sab:ah the seven seas
y:.4£ . :aiiibah, :aiaa'ib- (object oij wonder
I ad-dunya(a) the world (fem.)
1+JS kull-haa all of them
()J Haziin sad
 n6fs-uh himself
1,jL.J Ii-maadha(a) why
,.i . ghanii, aghniyaa' rich, rich person
 lastv I am not (see grammar section below)
f kalaam speech
J..,.,} arsala send
"":'1 aakhar* other (*does not toke accusative marker)
Jw ta:aala come!
t'" ma:a (along) with
 IiIbi:a follow
1,jL .u. iamaa:ah, -aat group, gathering
lJ"'u 'u1 insaan, naas human being; pI. ;; people
i ailasa seat, couse to sit down
f.si qilddama offer, present with

UNITB
141
tli .t naw:, anwaa: kind, sort, type
JSi aid things to eat, food
..s.A-! ba:d after
.,;"L .4J.:.. J riHlah, -aat journey, voyage
 :aiiib wonderFul
."..i omara order, command ( bi- something)
."..i ..\i ulS: kaana qad omara he hod ordered (for qad see
grommor section)
Ji:a naql transport, transportation
" d ':"'':.'J I ta:biiraat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
Describing someone or something
I  uts He was afamous actor
kaana mumaththilan mash-huuran
il=...)1  I 4:a .:oUts
kaanat ta:baanah jiddan
ba:d ar-riHlah
."....i LA u ts
kaana sha:r-haa aswad
She was very tired ofter
the journey
Her hair was black
(aswad, black does not take the accusative marker. See below and
Unit 16)
Talking about where something was
 Jt (.l:ikIl u ts The key was in his pocket
kaana l-miftaaH Iii jayb-uh

142
ARABIC
6LJI  II \.S
kaanat al-jaraa'id :ala -I-maa'ida
The papers were on the
table
Talking about what someone or something is not
I,. .<..\ - I The hotel is not larue
'-' (}
a1-funduq laysa kabiiran
..j6 .::..-J lastu mariiDan
I am not ill
Talking about what you had done in the past
 &0 I u.J.AlZ.  u:aS J.A Had you seen the film
bal kunta qad shaahadta before?
I-f"lilm min qabl?
-' -' .1i L:.S:
kunna qad waqafnaa wa-jalasnaa
We had stopped and sat
down
w.l1 I'y taraaldib al-Iughah (Structures)
1 Saying was and were
Arabic does not use a verb for is/are, but when you talk about the
past, the verb kaana for was/were is necessary
This verb differs slightly from the past tense verbs which you have
met in that it has two stems (lman and kun-). The endings are the
standard past tense suffixes used on all Arabic verbs (see page
364).

UNIT B 143
.
Singular Plural
he was uLS kaana they (m.) were ILS kaan-uu
she was LS kaan-at they (f.) were US kun-na
you (m.) were uA kunt(a) you (m.) were  kun-tum
you (f.) were uA kun-ti you (f.) were  kun-tunna
I was uA kun-t(u) we were L:iS kun.naa
Notes
a) The final vowels in brackets can be omitted in informal speech
(see page 122).
b) The stem kaan- is used in the he. she and they (masc.) fonns,
and the stem kun- for the rest. It may help you to remember them
if you notice that the shortened kun. stem is used before suffixes
which begin with a consonant. kaana is a type Mw.J verb: see
Verb Tables.
c) Since the last letter of the root of this verb is n, the usual short-
hand spellings with the doubling sign is used when the suffix also
begins with an n (Ifi. kunna - they (fern.) were, and US kunnaa
- we were).
I  .,,:;  US We were in Tunisia in the summer
kunnaa Iii tuuDis Ii S-Sayf
Word order
The verb kaana usually comes first in the sentence, and the norma]
rules of agreement given in the previous unit apply.
kaana jamaaJ :abd an-  Iu->-\:JI  J4 wts:
naaSir qaa'idan :aDHiiman Jamaal Abd ai-Nasir was a great
(he- )was jamaal :abd an- leader
naaSir (a) leader (a) great-one

144
ARABIC
kaana I-mudiir mashghuuIan "i .J.JI ulS:
(he- )was the-manager busy The manager was busy
kUDt(U) mariiDan
I-was ill
...jO 
I was ill
kaanat a)-mumaththilah
mash-huurah
she-was the actress famous The actress was famous
6 lli-.II lS:
kaanat aI-buyuut qadiimah .1i .::..I lS:
she-was the-houses old The houses were old
2 The accusative marker
Fonnal Arabic has a set of (usually) three varying noun endings
which show the part played by a word in a sentence, similar to case
endings in Latin or Gennan (see introduction). The words he, him
and his show these cases in English:
1 Nominative
he
2 Accusative
him
3 Genitive
his
Most of these endings are only vowel marks which are omitted in
modern written Arabic, and for the sake of simplification we have
not included them in this book.
The only case ending appearing in print in contemporary written
Arabic - except for a few special types of noun - is the accusative
case.
How to form the accusative
This ending only affects the spelling of indefinite unsufflxed nouns
or adjectives. The full fonn is actually L (pronounced -an). but
only the alif is usually written after the noun/adjective.

UNIT B
145
Unsuffixed in this context nonnally means that the noun or
adjective does not have the feminine ending :L (-ah). Nouns and
adjectives which have this ending never add the alif. The examples
above illustrate this point.
Note
a) You may think that we could have said simply masculine nouns
take the extra aIif, but there are feminine nouns which do not have
the :L (-ah) ending, and these have to obey the alif law.
For example, ri umm, mother is clearly feminine, but..has no :L
(-ah) ending. Its accusative indefinite is therefore Lol mnman.
There is also a handful of nouns signifying men which have the
feminine ending, such as  khaliifa, caliph in the text above.
These are obviously regarded as masculine, but do not take the alif
because of the presence of the :L (-ah) ending.
b) A minority of Arabic unsufflXed nouns and adjectives do not add
the alif. The conunonest of these are the main colours, as well as
some fonns of the internal plural and many proper nouns. From this
unit on, these are marked in the vocabulary boxes with an asterisk*.
and also appear like this in the glossaries at the end of the book.
i I ulS: The dog was white
kaana l-kaJb abyaD
iJ"Ai 6 I.>:" i
qara'naa jaraa'id kathiirah ams
J,yoJ1  i L:i
qaabalnaa aHmad fi s-suuq
When to use the accusative
We read many newspapers
yesterday
We met Ahmed in the souq
In Arabic, the accusative is used in four instances:
1 When the second noun is the object of the sentence, i.e. the thing
or person the verb applies to:
L.uJ I 1,J.aU,
sbaahaduu qaSran fakhman
They saw a magnificent
castle

146
ARABIC
2 After the verbs kaana was, were/to be. laysa is not, are not/not
to be, aSbaHa to become, and a few other similar verbs * .
Note: laysa only can also take an alternative construction using the
preposition bi- which does not take the accusative:
 u-J / u-J I am not rich
lastu ghaniyyanllastu bi-ghanii
3 In some common expressions and adverbs, when the ending is
most commonly heard in spoken Arabic:
-' )lAi ahlan wa sablan hello, greetings
.,]A marHaban welcome
I shukran thanks
I jiddan very
l.1.,!i abadan never
 Tab:an naturally
4 After certain short words, known as particles, such as inna and
aDDa* .
*The Arabs refer to these words as 'kaana and her sisters' and
'inna and her sisters' .
3 Saying where something was
kaana can be used before prepositions (words which tell you
where something is), and such sentences are the same as the those
verbless sentences in the present, except that kaana is put at the
beginning (and obeys the agreement rules given in Unit 7)
kaana qalam-ii fii jayb-ii  Jt ...,..u wlS
(he- )was pen-my in pocket-my My pen was in my pocket
4 How to say is/are not
The word maa, not is used before normal verbs (see Unit 7, Unit
10), and can also be used before kaana in a past tense sentence.
To negate is/are sentences, the verb laysa is used. This verb is

Uf\IT B
147
unique in Arabic, as it is only used in what looks like the past tense,
with past tense suffixes, but the meaning is actually present
Like kaana it has two stems (lays- and las-). As with kaan-Ikun-
you will see that in both verbs the first stem is used for the he, she
and they (masc.) parts, and the second stem with the rest.
Remember that, although it looks like a past tense, it means isn'tl
aren 't.
PI Singular Plural
he isn't  lays-a they (m.) aren't I lays-uu
she isn't  lays-at they (f.) aren't u,....J las-na
you (m.) aren't  las-t(a) you (m.) aren't  las-tum
you (f.) aren't  las-Ii you (f.) aren't  las-tunna
, am not .:-J las-t(u) we aren't l.l....rJ las-naa
laysa l-walad mujtahidan
(he- )is-not the boy diligent
I .1.1."J1 
The boy is not diligent
Accusative marker
laysa requires the accusative marker in the same way as kaana.
(But see also alternative construction with bi- described above.)
5 How to say to become
There are several verbs in Arabic meaning to become but i
aSballa is by far the most common. Like kaana and laysa it
requires the accusative marker on unsuffixed indefinites, but it has
only one stem aSbaH-.
Note: The initial harnzah of aSbaH is never elided, so if you say
and he became it is wa.aSbaHa, not wa-SbaH.
aSbaHa l-walad mariiDan L.4.a....J-O .1.1."J1 i
he-became the-boy ill The boy became ill

148
ARABIC
aSbaHat aJ.bint mariiDah
she-became the-girl ill
4...A.a  .::..:u..!1 . -. - .. .... i
-.,,-' . .
The girl became ill
.:.U..t bint is an example of a feminine noun without the suffix L.
However the adjective mariiDah still has to have the suffix, as it
refers to a female.
These verbs have all been dealt with together here as they share the
common feature of using the accusative marker on what is not a
direct object.
6 Sentences with inna and ann a
The particle inna, though frequently used, is virtually meaningless.
However, it is translated in this book where necessary as indeed,
just to show it is there (older Arabic-teaching manuals use the
biblical verily).
inna is usually used with is/are sentences which require no verb in
Arabic. When they are followed by an indefinite unsuffixed noun
_ usually the name of a person or place - this noun takes the
accusative marker -an, and this time it is the first noun in the
sentence which has the accusative marker (unlike kaana, laysa
and aSbaHa sentences where it is attached to the second noun).
inna muHammadan :aamil  J...l£. I 01
mujtahid Muhammad is a hard
indeed Muhammad worker hard worker
aona is the conjunction that and follows the same rules as inna.
The Muslim Confession of Faith as heard from the minarets every
prayer time is a good example of the use of anna:
4..1]1 J,-J I wi,., 4..1]1!.J! i i
ash.hadu aJlaa ilaaha ilIa 1.laah wa...sIlDa MuHammadan
rasuulu l-Iaah*
It is usually translated as '/ witness that there is no god but Allah,
and that Muhammed is His apostle'
*The transliteration here reflects the Classical Arabic
pronunciation. aIIaa is a contraction of an-laa that not, no.

UNrr B
149
inna and anna with pronouns
Since inna requires an accusative after it, it has to use the suffixed
pronouns (given in Unit 7)
...1.a.:>. . 4.:a1
-.  .
inna-h khabar jayyid
(Indeed) it is good news
l
inna-baa bint laTiifab
(Indeed) she is a pleasant
girl
Summary of the Arabic sentence
These ere the four types of Arcbic sentence:
1 Is/are sentences with no verb:
(the) X [is/are] Y
.. I.. L.a1
 v--:aJ .
as-sindibaad raiul ghanii
2 Sentences with a verb (other than the kaana group below):
verbXY
5indbcd is a rich man
1/w"J1 "s.&a.4 '-! Mohammed drank the tea
shariba muHammad ash-shaay
3 Sentences with kaan, aSbaHa and laysa
The second term of the sentence is accusative, marked
with an alif when required:
kaana/aSbaHa/laysa (the) X Y-accusative
1.J:!ii 41 6lS Hindbad was poor
kaana I-hindibaad faqiiran

150
ARABIC
4 Sentences introduced by inna and its associates.
The first term of the sentence is accusative, marked as
appropriate:
inna (the) X-occusative [is/ore) Y
   ul Indeed Hasson is a harcJ..
inna Hasanan
working pupil
tilmiidh muitahid
Remember:
a The accusative marker is only written after words
which:
i} do not have al- the in front of them
H) have no other suffix like the feminine ending -ah or
are one of the minority of such words which never take
the accusative marker (noted with an asterisk as they
occur).
b The negative verb laysa is/ore not is past in form, but
present in meaning.
7 How to say had done something
Although there are only two tenses in Arabic, past and present, the
verb kaana can be used to express the meaning of had done
something, called the pluperfect tense in English.
The little word qad is commonly introduced between the subject
and the main verb. It emphasises that the action has been well and
truly completed, that it is over and done with.
The word order is as follows:
1. The he- or she- form of kaana (because it always precedes its
noun - see Unit 7).
2. The subject of the sentence (i.e. who is doing the action) if this
is stated. If it is a pronoun (he, we, etc) it will be implicit in the
verb (see Unit 7).

UNIT 8
151
3. The word qad (optional).
4. The fully-agreeing part of the main verb (Le. the action which
had been carried out) It is fully-agreeing because it comes after its
subject (see Unit 7).
5. Any other infonnation (when, where it happened, etc.).
kaana I-mudiir waSal I r J-,., ..uJ1 wlS:
yawm as-sabt The manager had arrived
he-was the-manager he- on Saturday
arrived day the-Saturday
kaanuu qad saafaruu iIa
I-hind min qabl
they-were qad they-travelled
to the-India from before
I.;;, ""'1 .) 11 'L..,.1i I .ts
.......... ,.,.>' 
They had travelled to India
before
ealA.JS.J1 U1jJi awzaan al..kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
C'aC2(:2 aa C 3
Arabic example
HacidGaci I.).:o,.
blacksmith
Eng. sound-olike
hod Dad (os in hod
Dod known ...)
This is a fonnation often used for trades. In the Sindbad story we
have J Hammaal, porter, from the root H-m-l, carrying,
Haddaad comes from .1:!.).:o,. Hadiid, iron. Other examples are:
Q J najjaar carpenter
jLp.. khabbaaz baker
 bannaa' builder
.1::. khayyaaT tailor
This type of word takes the 0.,... -uun plural
It is really an intensive fonn of CaaCiC (see Unit 2), in that it

152
ARABIC
expresses the idea that somebody is always, habitually or
professionally perfonning the action of the root.
The feminine ending -ah is often added to this word shape either
to indicate a female member of the trade or profession:
4=- khayyaaTah tailoress. seamstress
or a machine:
4.J dabbaabah a (military) tank (bt. a crawling machine, from
the root d-b-b crawling)
UL...i ghassaa1ah washing machine (from root gh-s-I washing)
6.)4- sayya3rah car (lit. going-machine).
6J:aSSaarahjuer
L 4 .J dabbaasah stapler
These take the plural u L -aat.
w..".u tamriioaat (Practice)
Exercise 5
Fill in the gaps in the following sentences with the appropriate
form of kaana. Don't forget to add the accusative marker where
necessary.
tm .' rn .,.. .}yoJl J" .:,'111
& tIJ  . \ A................ I
y... I
c,} 6 I 6.iA "
I .U"'.JL..JI I
. - . WI
!oF' ................ 
.u-WII
y..'
i,,-.. : r-' I
, :....wJ I

i,,-.. :r-I
o :....wJ I

UNIT 8
153
.
V"'-" i
.
r-'=-"
u...... c,} · JI".t.. ,j"i..J  I W  I ,.
JJL..:J ................ '" 0
u- i . b t"1 f.
.l.:u",? .n..n........,
-
 u I al-6an now
.,:,L ..)oS daraiah, -aat step, degree
i .)!raJ1 4.)oS c:l6raiat al "'larGa rah temperature (lit. degree of heaQ
Io.i.,a....:. . Saff, SufUuf class (in school)
lJo'o'oSL...... saadis sixth
U"'Au khaamis fifth
I . sa:iid, su:ad6a'. happy, joyful
Exercise 6
Write the sentences below in the past tense, remembering to put the
accusative marker where necessary (see page 144).
Example: Mahmoud is unhappy. .. Mahmoud was unhappy.
.L:u",?,j wlS ... .",?,j
I
I
I
II
I
I
I
.($ J1.- ...LI  t
- .I ,j":i}JI 0
.  jj t" lA.b.J, ..ill,j ,
.I..J J.wJ1 I.1:>o. y
.I  ;; .,,:.. ,..
uJ- .J1u mumaththil, -uun odor, representative

154
ARABIC
Exercise 7
Where are they?
Mahmoud and his wife Salma and their son Hamad and daughters
Faridah and Sarah are staying at a hotel in Abu Dhabi. They have
left a note at the desk to say where they can be found if friends or
colleagues want to contact them. Answer the questions below in
Arabic, using laysa and the accusative marker where necessary.
Example: Is Salma in the Palm Court cafe?
No, she is not at the Palm Court cafe.
Ic)J.A
.Ic).'J
Where are vouil
lIaml: ..........................
Date: ..... ........ ...... ........
110m number: .............
Time: ......... ..... ..... .......
.  ;.
, ,
.cJ..-:?/... :'ii'
. ..... ... .. ... ... . .... : (:.tJl;Jr
o"-/o\O/'O\L -',0';'1 1 -
;,;......./.'.:.... :41.J""" ""1
........,.I;:::.... =4G""'"
AL -BUST AN RESTAURANT 0 'IF
'-' .
PALM COURT CAFE 0 I -
- u+s-o
LOBBY 0 MI
BUSINESS CENTRE -Y Iij J \'1 J4-..>  J-"
CLUB HOUSE 0 !:?Jl:JI
TENNIS COURT
GOLF COURSE
0__ I
\,.....P..,#
Iij , ..?..JI'  1-...sL
 IiiJ I 
SWIMMING POOL

UNlTB
155
 J-A c,} .) j.A "
liJ\'1
C!.....iJIj.A'
0\" ,0\\ JIf'l:i)j.A V
liO\"'",
'i'1  Jt .)"i}JI j.A"
II
Ii1 \ .,"'. WI j.A ,
'i'1 c,} .) j.A y
j.A'"
'i'w1
Jt JL...", .1.i-,  j.A t
'i'1
,.H-! bahw (hotel) lobby
6 bustGan orchard
c-!L.- . masbaH, masaabiH* swimming pool
Jl.&£i a:m6al (plural) business, affairs, works
 . m6l:ob, malGa:ib* pitch, court, course
. .
Exercise 8
An Arabic proverb says:

I
. 1",.bL.o I
A leopard can't change his spots.
I (lit. "the leopard is spotted and the tiger is striped')
.,
i:II "'",....-'f-i fahd, fuhuud leopard
 . n6mir, numuur tiger
J:ail.o munaqqaT spotted
 mukh6naT striped

156
ARABIC
What is wrong with these two? Change the sentence below into the
negative to make sense.
I
..bl:a.o I.J .bb.o I
Exercise 9
Change the following sentences into the negative, using the verb
laysa,
'ulb'
'JuiY
.I.b.."  b1 J.JI ,..
.Ibt
. a::........I1 ....i L.:.:.,. I 0
u ..,. u."....- . -.
.I iL.."b t1.!J" t1.!J i &0 I 6l.A ,
PI
u kaslaan lazy
J mashghuul busy
\oJ ' .4.,.,.. " . o.,t.... A mustGshfaa mustashfa yo # at hos p ital
-  '
 . qiSSah, qiSaS story, tale

UNITB
157
Exercise 10
Change the sentences below into the pluperfect tense.
Example:
.41  4.14J1 -'
.41  -' (.ii) I wlS
Note: The use of qad is optional. Watch out for the agreement of
the main verb which comes after its subject in the pluperfect.
.  ; t.-:i I u-'J ,
.I u-o r-II jS.?- ,.
.I J UL JL-JI CjI..JP. ,..
.I J=..I I uLoWI  t
..illl \'I U"'l:J1 i 0
II
J.J rawat she told
L ..to,st...:.. khaadimah, .aat (female) servant


'J  }is'
akthar min waaHid
More than one
In this unit you will learn how to:
. look for a job in the paper
. look for a flat or a house
. talk about more than one person or thing
. say these/those
. talk about two people or things
1 ';",s,L.t WJ waDHaa'if shaaghirah
Situations vacant
Arabic newspapers carry classified advertisements, with all the
usual sections for Situations Vacant, For Sale, To Let, and so On.
When you are reading them, concentrate on picking out the key
words, and learn to recognise words such as Wanted and For Rent.
Exercise 1
Read through the Key Phrases, then look at the job advertisements
on page 159 and answer the questions. You don't need to
understand every word.
a You are an experienced hairdresser looking for a job in Dubai.
Which of these three jobs would suit you best?

UNIT 9
159

i
 I..H "I ",J .I.,.S 
Li"L:.J1 ..}  .:o-JL...J
o;-i. L..a1 Lb9
ii . .::.I .Ifi..,..."n... "I 4".J .I..,.. ill
VPJl..t fi..!,J4JI" I" I ..,.....-! ";1" c.J.J--IL.........J
b Which picture is most appropriate for each of the job
advertisements below?
i
ii

1-
a fi"..l 4..JJ'I! "il" Uu,,,lJ i........).!-o
'\0 \ Y'\:.:. L..u
C I .i ..,..".,u....
uooSu i.S: o....Cl."..- 
VIVO\
iii
.t"
,:,I"l...!- L.. ....,.LJO.....
b ,:, I ;.  " - .J
- .'( /VT\ Y""I,:,
'('\\ \\
c What people are wanted for the jobs advertised on page 1601
Match the people to the jobs.
1 labourers and builders 5 secretary (male or female)
2 French teacher 6 employees for a restaurant
3 manageress for a ladies' 7 salesmen and saleswomen
fashion shop
4 phannacist 8 saleswoman for a shoe shop

160
..?J,..aJJ.............. i
 0...-0..."... ,:, '+1............
_I . .j»
'IIY"\",:;,
.....L.:. .....! J.>...o.! WLJ...."n... ii
....1"........ " .............. .>J II""'-'-!
VV\V,:.:.
iii
....J....! JA,j... ___... 0..1 <J" J....
1""\...;:;t
tv....,.....;
:
.
.:, -
·  "' 9 .
. \.I.
v
l" ,.....u .:.UJo"... 
1"''''''1".:0
vi
C"" .J0!4- ,:,1".. ..:. .:.lu........
O....I.)U'.J
."..........JI JL-j.4...-J1.....'
L....io1.l-J1
.............,Ii... '\\11011
tL.--....
.  ...
.
jot;,   
I iljIII4f II...,..'
.:"YI J i".... .
1J\:S J :lb..o ,;..J.ti-'S'\ lA!J\ b! .
I.:r--- .
IJJ\ i .",.-JI JL.. ;1  ft
r-1)U
1'\6&'
ARABIC
vii
.
.....
.;.  .yji u-.l
).,AUr i'-!-lJ i
I
viii
JI  + JL-......
'\\0<1\
iv
ix
.';"""1 ..J' iJ+-I> .::.'--- ..."....
 d- J&; ....,II" I
t..oJ e:- .:;.IJL. I ,;. ..:.1"...........
..-JI Jl...} 4.,.J-& -' .....I
...,..sL...i...JI .r-1--<- I.;.....JI
,.",..., .
x
"..JJ It .
it!JI i".. JI
/o,JJ:;fI.".T 
J-!',II >.-"IJ U.....

UNIT 9
d Which of the advertisements on page 160 require:
i some previous experience?
ii a driving licence?
iii a knowledge of English?
e Name three requirements applicants need for this position as
sales representative.
161
  iwrJ J "'JiI.I tIIat
... tr. .. ' a.....a...,
... 
:  ut£t ij; U!.' ::-:1 ' 
IJ1.o)'1'y-1 ;j"J1"w1 1,,11 .:.,. J ji'Jl  .:Jlr- 'f &........ .
J---.,! U-L.oo 4-...o\i! . :i......t,;..lii.1 L..io.UI  .
IJlo! bl,.i  J  . lo '" J , t  """"1 .
2 J)U Ii-I-iijaar For rent
Read through the Key Phrases to familiarlse yourself with the new
vocabulary, then answer the questions.
Exercise 2
Match the Arabic abbreviations to the English words.
a room, bedroom .:.. ,
b bathroom V. ,.
c telephone t ,..
dfax c.t
e Post Office (PO) Box No. ...i 0
f street "'=" IJ"'=' ,

162
ARABIC
Exercise 3
You are looking for accommodation. Read the advertisements and
answer the questions opposite.
.i ;:'''>c'2
, ;.;J$o-"
:d'4!;:,t6f
, . .
f56i:\j,
, >_.....at.." .t-_..
.: J:'Y:i
;;t,:r
4-o.H u..;.)
1f,l."...,It...-, 4c--,
.,-!.i iv \AYrY.:..U.)L:.H
j"tI'TYr
V"  ...; ..I4-.1 
'6t;>J,I'
..1,1 '\0.1>" >I.
V OTVY'f.;:.-
 <,JL.:...,J"';.;i. ..:s_H..
,&}.I'
'0< '\'1."'1"',\'1.:;;.
t
JI
.  +
ri-ljjS.JA
Jj ..+': .,'
......JA ,- ,.... ",,;;
. , t-"',y  1
...
VlD
__-----.- II.
,:,..: i.JL..aj uj-E  '
., , r
.. \0.... H:'" ..Ir.)iJ
, ,', t
, ,,';' iJL..." ili$. 'i '\::.,.
r'\",...,\,,\,,..\ A' . ':r'
'''-'''Try,-:.:':
ii;
) 1
i
 
. ..
. .
. ,:-.;.t1_t""I_U ....uut ..._-:t,t..
: _ __ f  ..,...."...  '"
YO. .v .J..,lt'J)I.J
tT A "\ '\ .,r.,1
-, -. ... 
\' +c T + t 1L...
,'! ,y'.., .
;l...,.£ .JJI 0,_ ; >#JI''-Aoi.¥
, "II o'\t J..n--.HI
UL....+ -b.> . -i
u ,.)'"'M;' 
..,,'  "Ii,:. WI . . !..ol-
, u" U'V ,
:' \/IA'':'> !t 1 1 "- 1 \
'otvvr:.;:;.

UNIT 9
163
a You want to rent somewhere for your large family. Which place
has the most bedrooms and bathrooms?
b You are looking for two villas close to each other for your finn.
Are there any which would be suitable?
c You want to rent a villa for just a few weeks. Is there anything
available?
d You have found a villa that you like, but can only call the owner
during office hours. Which one is it?
e You would like to rent a villa with a garden. Which one could
you choose?
f Which flat could you rent if you needed to find somewhere
immediately?
g You work for the Gulf Times newspaper. Which flat would be
most convenient for you?
h Where could you find a villa to rent, which is not too expensive,
with air conditioning if possible?
d :....:.J I ta:biiniat ra.iisiyyah (Key phrases)
Looking for a job
PI
y.1b Talaba seek, wont
"'=' maTluub wonted, required
-.J:aUi" , ;;'.:1.:." waDHiifah, waDHaa'ir job, situation
0J- ....J1,; j-A muwaDHDHaf, -uun employee, official (m.)
.,:,L .4iJ,ij-A muwaDHDHafah, -aat employee, official (f,)
.,:,L ,3 J:!ilp kwaafiirah, -aat hairdresser (f.), coiffeuse
oj- . fannii, -uun technician
 .La.J+S kahrabGa'ii, -uun electrician
.,:,L .4....,).,\4 mudarribah, -aat trainer (f.)

164
ARABIC
UJ- . bannaa', -uun builder
L ,"l Saydalaaniyyah, -aat pharmacist (f.)
L .   sikritayrah, -aat secretory
u ,j-1.J , j manduub mabii:aat,
manduubuu mabii:aat soles representative (mumaththil is
also used instead of manduub)
W3- ,t=a4 baa'i:, -uun salesman
uL ,4 baa'i:ah, -aat saleswoman
L , mabii:, -aat selling, soles
L , mukayyif, -aat air conditioner
.,:,L .J=- maHall, -aat (big) shop, store
.:s.:..i aHdhiyyah footwear
.; p khibrah experience'
UI,..., 4.w:a.:a..J rukhSat siwaaqah driving licence
4.o. li l iqaamah residence; residence permit
lo.A SaaliH valid; (of people) upright
4i  ma:rifah knowledge
b raatib salary
(1/>""" mughrii attractive, tempting (for the spelling of this
kind of adjective, see Unit 18)
I ';.J'!'o'" siirah dhaatiyyah CV; resume
...UA.J 6-:inaayat... for the attention of...
Ji1  :ala l-aqilll at leost

UNIT 9
165
Looking for accommodation
-
  Ii-I-bay: for sale
J4-:t>U Ii-I-iiiaar for rent
 , u,t. shaqqah, shiqaq Rot, apartment
 , fUlla, fiilal villa
..J .U ghurfah, ghuraf room, bedroom
.4.Jlo.A SGalah sitting room, lounge
.,:,L 'I"'u..:.. Hammaam, -aat bathroom
J dushsh shower
 matbakh kitchen
I.,» .Lb Taabiq, Tawaabiq* storey, Roor
JLA.......i . si:r, as:aar price
,JJ mutaiilawir adjacent, neighbouring, nex' to each other
#1 0"':'40 mubilasharat aI-khaJw for immediate occupation
JWI .,:,liji awqaat al-:amal working/office hours
Li faalts fox
J-I....,H a.3 Sanduuq bariid PO Box
ti..U1 I taraakiib al-liighah (Structures)
1 Talking about more than one of anything
a) Arabic plural fonnations are not often predictable. so they must
be learned along with their singulars.
b) In Arabic, the plural of inanimate objects or abstracts is treated
in all respects as a feminine singular, so verbs and adjectives must
be in the feminine singular fonn.
c) In English, the word 'plural' refers to more than one (i.e. 1+).

166
ARABIC
However, Arabic has a special fonn for two of anything, called the
dual. so the plural in Arabic refers to more than two (2+).
Plurals of nouns
There are three ways to form the plural in Arabic:
1 The external or suffix masculine plural.
2 The external feminine/neuter plural.
3 The internal plural.
1 The external or sr.d1fx masculine plural
Add the suffix UJ- -uun to the singular noun. For the accusative
form (see page 144), add  -Un to the singular.
This kind of plural can only be used on words which indicate male
human beings, as opposed to females and things/abstracts. The
conunon exception to this is  pI. uy.... (sanah, sinuun) year,
and even this word has an alternative plural (.:..I sanawaat).
HaDaf al-mudarrisuun yU,;..J1 w.,...J.J.J1 
al-mu'tamar The teachers attended the
he-attended the-teachers the-conference conference
hum muqaawlluun
they contractors
OJ.! -' lL. t'"'"
They are contractors
aSbaHuu muHaasibiin
they-became accountants
. . ...II.I'"
 UY"............. uu.
The engineers were Egyptian.
l:..o Ii
They became accountants
kaana I-muhandisuun miSriyyiin
he-was the-engineers Egyptians
2 The extemal feminine/neuter plural
Drop the t.. (if there is one) and add .:.L -aat to the singular word.
This can be applied to words indicating females Or things/abstracts,
and there is no special accusative form.

UNIT 9
167
waSalat aT- Taalibaal
yawm al-jum:ah
she-arrived the-[female]students
day the-Friday
aSbaHna mudarrisaat
they (f)-became teachers
a-antunna mumarriDaat?
(?)-you (f.) nurses?
ta:allam-naa kull al-kalimaat
we-learned all the-words
I r .:..y.J1.bJ1 .:..1.-"
The (female) students
arrived on Friday
..:..L...J i
They became teachers
'iuW:..",...... ii
Are you nurses?
..:..L.KJI js: 
We learned all the words
3 The Internal plural
This is fonned in two ways: a) by altering the internal vowelling of
the word (like Englishfoot'" feet); and/or b) by adding prefixes or
suffixes.
The internal plural is used mainly for males and things/abstracts,
and rarely for females. There is no general relationship between
the singular word shape and the plural word shape.
Some words indicating males fonn a plural with the feminine
ending  ..,.Jl.J.. Taalib, Talabah, male student. (This word also
illustrates the fact that some words have alternative plurals, in this
case ,":-,)lb Thll8ab.) Such plurals are still regarded as masculine.
Tip: The Arabic internal plural system cannot generally handle
words consisting of more than four consonants, excluding suffixes
such as t.. -ah, but counting doubled consonants as two. It is
therefore likely that 'short' words will take an internal plural. but
this is not a rule.

168
ARABIC
dakhala r-rijaal al-ghurfah
he-entered the-men the-room
naHnu :ummaal Iii sharikat
as-sayyaaraat
we workers in company (of) the-cars
aJ-kutuh :alaa I-maa'ida
the-books on the-table
UI J4-",J1 J=..
The men entered the room
oJ4-J1 y. V' J 
We are workers in the car
company
WI uk I
The books are on the table
Plurals of adjectives
It is a good idea to think of adjectives in Arabic as another class of
noun. They have the same choice as nouns in forming their plurals:
a) -uun or -aat ending
b) internal plurals, which which must be learned with their
singulars.
If no adjective plural is given in the vocabulary, use the suffixed
plurals according to the rules below. Internal plurals are given for
those adjectives which have them.
Noun
male human beings
female human beings
things/abstracts
Adiective plural form
mternal plural if it has one,
otherwise + -uun.
+ -aat
+ -ah (fern. singular)
These rules hold for all adjectives with a few common exceptions,
mainly relating to the primary colours (see Unit 16)

UNIT 9
169
Common adJectlves with Internal plural fonns
Adjective
u kaslaan
 nashiiT
 kabiir
 Saghiir
 naHiif
 samiin
J..I Tawiil
 qaSiir
:J dh6kii
 ghGbii
 iamiil
Meaning
lazy
active
big
small
thin
fat
tall
short
clever
stupid
handsome
Mole plural form
l..wS kasaalaa
.bWU nishGaT
J4S kibGar
J Sighaar
1ooiL=..:a niHCiaf
uu...... sim6an
JI,j1:t Tiwaal
JL..:d qiSCiar
4S:Ji adhkiyila'*
i aghbiy6a'*
J iimaal
 sa:iid happy I su:ad6a'*
tJ.I.J.::a. Ha:z:iin sad uj.:to. Huzanaa'*
$- ghariib strange L$ ghurab6a'*
i 6inabii foreign t..;..i aiaanib*
 :aDHiim great, mighty LUi.L :uDHamaa'*
 iadiid new .) iudud
(Note: Many of these plurals - marked with * - do not take the accusative
marker. This applies to the plural only, not the singular as well.)
Remember: The plural of things in Arabic is regarded in all
respects as feminine singular for the sake of grammatical
agreement. Here are a few more mixed examples:
al-awlaad Tiwaal JI".b ..) "i" \'1
the-boys taIls The boys are tall

170
ARABIC
aT- Thlabah mujtahiduun
the-students diligents
. . 4..JbJ1
w .
The students are diligent
al-mumaththilaat al-jadiidaat
the-actresses the-new(ones)
ul1 u1
The new actresses
al-buyuut al-qadiimah
the-houses the-old( one)
.a\1 u1
The old houses
2 j>"i,jA haa.ulaa.(i).... .ill"i} uulaa'ik(a)... these..., those...
You have already learned the demonstrative pronouns J.A/IJ.A this
and clJ:j/.ill that (see Unit 4) to describe singular words which are
either masculine or feminine in gender. Because plurals of
things/abstracts in Arabic are regarded as feminine singular, all
verbs, adjectives and pronouns relating to them must be feminine
singular.
When speaking of plural male/female human beings, use the fonns
. 'i haa'ulaa'(i) these, and oill'i} uulaa'ik(a) those respectively.
The final vowels are often missed out in informal situations.
With these plural forms, there is no distinction for gender, so both
of them can apply to either males or females.
haa'ulaa'i T.Thlabah HaaDiruun u.,b 41bJ1 1>"i,jA
these the-students presents These students are present
uulaa'ika I-banaat jamillaat
those the-girls beautifuls
.::. u1 .ili"i,.,i
Those girls are beautiful
tilka I-buyuut kabiirah
this the-houses big
6 ul..ill:;
These houses are big
3 Talking about two people or things.
Arabic has a special way of talking about two of anything, called
the dual. This is obligatory in use for both people and things (i.e.
you can't use the plural).

UNIT 9
171
Formation of the dual
a) If the noun does not have the feminine ending -ah, add the suffix
-aan to the singular. This changes to ayn when an accusative
marker is required,
aI-waIadaan 'Thwiilaan
u.."b ul.1.1"J1
The two boys are tall
the(2)-boys taIl (x2)
kaana l-waIadaan Tawiilayn
he-was the(2)-boys taIl(x2)
U=L.."b u 1.1.1"J1 U lS
The two boys were tall
This applies to the vast majority of nouns and adjectives.
b) If the noun has the ah ending of the feminine singular, this
changes to at (spelled with an ordinary .:.), and the suffIx aan is
added to it.
as-sayyaarataan kabiirataan
the(2)-cars big(x2)
. l; d.C . l; L.....JI
u u 'J_
The two cars are big
kaanat as-sa yy aarataan kabiira tayn . ...C . l; L...JI..:.U lS
 U 'J_
she-was the(2)-cars big(x2) The two cars were big
Since Arabic has this dual fonn for two, it is not usually necessary
to insert the numeral word (see Unit 2). As with the personal
pronouns and verbs, this is only used for emphasis.
(As with the masculine plural ending u:-I UJ- -uun/-iin the final w
of the dual is omitted if the word constitutes the first term of a
possessive construction. See Unit 14).
Dual pronouns
.Arabic does not need to distinguish between one and two for the
person who is speaking, so where English says we two, Arabic says
simply we.
you two L..:ui antumaa (both rnase. and fern.):
antwnaa ta:baanaan u  l....:.:ui
you-two tired(x2)
You two are tired

172
ARABIC
they two L....", humaa (both masc. and fem.):
humaa mashhuuraan wl W
they-two famous(x2) They two are famous
In practice, the dual is not common, except when speaking about
things like hands, feet, etc., which always come in pairs.
pj
J.:! yad hand
J.? J rijl foot
u,jj udh(u)n ear
 :ayn eye
Note: These words - and indeed all parts of the body which occur in
pairs - are feminine.
There are also special dual markers for the verb. These are given
in the Verb Tables, but they occur so rarely that they need only to
be noted at this stage,
..
ylAKJl W1jJi awzaan al.kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
CuCaCCiC
Arabic example
mudGrris I.J"I;'"
teocher
Eng. sound-alike
McCoskill
This shape indicates the person or thing carrying out the action of
Verb Fonn II (see Table S-II), granunatically known as the active
participle. The verb IJ"''.J darrasa means to teach, so IJ"';'" is a
teaching person, i.e. teacher. This shape is also often used to
indicate trades or professions (see Word shapes in Unit 8).
A similar shape with an a-vowel instead of an i-vowel after the
middle radical is also common. This is the passive participle, Le.
the person or thing to which the action of the verb has been
applied. An example of this is ...ai;;.., muwaDlIDHaf official,

UNIT 9
173
employee. This comes from the verb ...-t.:' waDlIDHafa to appoint
to an official position, to employ.
All these words can be made feminine by the addition of the
ending ... -ah. The male versions take the plural suffIx u,..... and
the females .:.L.
Remember that the point of learning word shapes is to be able to
read and know something about Arabic words. It is not always
possible to get an exact English sound-alike, but the pattern is
usually easy to imitate. Say them aloud one after another until they
become familiar.
U"J..\.6 mudarris teacher
"':-'J..\.6 mudarrib trainer
 mumaththil representative, actor
.J..P'-'4 muHarrir editor
 mufattish inspector
->- mumarriD nurse
 murnijjim astrologer
 tamriinaat (Practice)
Q Exerdse 4
Listen to the recording or read the transcript of four people
describing where they live.
Then try to identify which person lives in which of the flats or
houses described below.
a A villa with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, two living rooms
and a kitchen
b A small villa with three bedrooms, living room, bathroom and
kitchen

174
ARABIC
c A flat with one room and salon
d A two-bedroomed apartment with living room.
i.i."i.  .I 6,., lY> 4.a..>i   ,,) ws- i ,
.,., rL-.,., i]L..=-,., o.b.l,.,
,.,lJ L:.i  6.1..I,., .uUi."i.  .6 Ut. ,,)  ,.
. i]L..=-,., ..1 "i.J)u 6.J,.:o,.1.j.J
t-') L:..I   .IlY> 4.a..>i  Jt  \'"
.  d,., uWL..=-,., uloL-.,., ....i
rL-.,., UL..=-,., ....i )Ij d .6  . Jt  t
.,.,
Exercise 5
Write the correct fonn of plural for the adjectives in brackets.
C..t,j) .1 "i }i I  "i,.,.. ,
()  ,.
() uL..-iJ1 \'"
(>'I) II L:.i t
1()dIO
() (I) J,)I ,
Exercise 6
Change the noun, adjective or pronoun in bold type in the
following sentences into the correct plural fonn.
Example:
I bought a shirt last week.
I bought three shirts last week.
.LJI t\'1  pl
.LJI t\'1 u U)Ij pl

UNIT 9
175
.bjAL:iJ1  I l.u.b.4 l:a,., ,
.t 4 '1)1 j.!1  ,.
'!uu. J-?' i J.A ,.
.4J ';I t
.L:JI . wLb 1.-;'.. 0
. . ..........-:'
...jS J1- .)A ,
. I ulS: V
PJI
I ishtorOyt I bought
u . qamiiS, qumS6an shirl
 i6yyid of good quality
 J-?' .uu. J-?' iaw:6an *, i6w:aa * hungry
Exercise 7
Now change these whole sentences into the plural. Remember that
verbs precedini" their nouns remain singular, and that the -uunl-iin
plural ending must show the correct case.
.I J.oWI Jw:.,., ,
'!.".iJ1 I i ,.
....i.)1 uk l..... JI 4.:i,., ,..
"
. .1.1"J1 I t
-.wJI' .....h..OJ 1 . 0
.\J uA _ [..J-""
!l 1...; ........ Dayf, Duy6uf guest

176
ARABIC
Exercise 8
Choose the correct ending for each of the sentences below,
...4.t..."i I e.:u. ,
...u ..W .. "(,... ,.
m4.0 II olA ,.
"'LJ.J l4U1 I.."i:"" t
. I I -ill"i,.,i u!J,., a
...:..4- ,.W .ill"i"i uSJ,., b
. Ji?:-' I e.lA uSJ,., c
.i II e.jA ,., d
I!I
US-! j walaakin, walaakinna but (the latter behaves like 6!
inna, See Unit 8)
,.l...Y:a nisaa'. women (pI.)
Exercise 9
Put the following sentences iota the dual. (You can leave the verbs
in the singular as they come before the noun.)
1 The office is closed.
2 The technician is not present.
3 The bathroom is spacious.
4 The employee (fem.) worked in
the ministry.
5 The manageress spoke to the
workman.
.I'
.IbI"
-t- I ,., rL-J1 ,.
.).»JI c} ...aJ.;".J1  t
.J.oWI J::!I o..cJS 0

UNIT 9
177
" Exercise 10
Read (and if you have the recording, listen to) the following
infonnation about John Barker.
 ...>£  '.Jj:i.o.JA .ti... \"y 6 ,,!I fi...) W.H-
UI".....) .11.ublo)'1 c,} u1 Jt .:..I 0 o
..:..bLo)'1 c} u!J
John is looking for a job as a salesperson in Abu Dhabi, and wants
to register at an employment agency. He needs to fill in an
application form.
Imagine that you are John, and fill out the application fonn for
him. A possible reply is in the Key to the Exercises.
.... ...... ............... .................................................  l$..Il f'""'" ')'1 ,
u....................................... .............. ............... .......... ..........".-J 1 Y
:t ...:....1 1 ..
.... ......l1li........... +_....... ....... ...... ...... ...... ............. ................ ........ ........ ...... _ 41 1
.......................................................................... .Jjl.o / ,,:-,i t
................ ............. ........... ............... ............................. U 1 I "
. .;.1<:11 - ,
... ......... ............. ...................................................   J
.......... n........................ ........... ............................ ......... .:.. WJI V
.......................................... 'iWLA ul"... J .11 J.A "
...................... 'iuIJLo1 c,} WLA u! J .11 J.A 
.... ....... .... ............. ......................................................., 6 , ·

178
ARABIC
pj
J4LS k6amil complete, whole
uL , 1.:.....:- iinsiyyah, -aat nationality
"-t'..)Li a:z:ab* bachelor, single
 mutaz:6wwai married
..JUL 'ul :unwilan, :anaawiin* address
.:l:!.iJ ladily-k you have (lit. 'with you; in your possession')

1
 J Ij1.4
maadhaa ta:mal?
What do you do?
In this unit you will learn:
. to say what you do every day
. to talk about your interests
. to say what you like or dislike
. to say what you will do in the future
. more about not
g 1 C;f" JS JW I.jLA maadhaa ta:mal kull
yawm? What do you do every day?
A women's magazine has sent Fawzia to interview Kamal, the
sales manager of a local business. She asks him about what he does
during the day. Listen to or read the interview several times, each
time concentrating on a different point. Then answer the questions.
Exercise 1
a What does Kamal always eat 10 the morning?
b Does he telephone his
i son? ii daughter? iii mother?
c Does he read reports for ,
i 2-3 hours? ii 3-4 hours? iii 4-5 hours?
d Did he learn to use a computer
i at school? ii at college? iii at work?
e Who does he sit with in the afternoon?
f How often does he meet the employees?

180
ARABIC
I JSl:; l,jlo
.b.J+i <.:Ji,., 4,., I ui,., .WI.J C;:1"i11 JSf
...jOi c,}  ,.,.. . I (:-4 i b.J'-':.,.,
.ill,j  J.u.:i l,j Lo,.,
i,., A,Y'. L..JI  L..JI.I J!,ji
'r1 Ji UL b)...J1 ,,) u...o
 1!1J,j .J.1.!,.,
IlA .LJLJI I i..ii ui IL... , a .L-:: b -<nil
_ Y-J .". ,., VO J \F c-:-- 
.u'-':.L... .::, .L... J
WI i]1 r J.A
,,) WI i]1 rl1 ..
.bJ1
 I .J.1.! J.u.:i l,j Lo,.,
.C:;: :'11' ':' . t. il:a:a WI.J.A.II . L i . . t 'I 
 uJ,.,.... V- J r  (:-4  Jot- .
.yJ' (:-4  u'-':.4 1 i,.,

JUS

JUS

JUS

JUS

JLQ
Exercise 2
Now read the interview again. Link the English phrases to the
corresponding Arabic expressions.
a I drink coffee. ...jOi c,} ,.,.. ,
b He lives in America. .C:;:.,;.JI w..,:';" J'..il:a:a Y
c I talk with him in the car. .6 ,,:,,i ,.
d And what do you do in the afternoon? I  J.u.:; l,jlo,., t
e We discuss company affairs. .bJ4-J1 ,,) u...o i 0

UNIT 10
181
-
CII JS4 ,JSi akala, y6'kul [5-1 u] eat'
4S1,Ji <Li fGakihah, fawaakih * fruit
 khubz bread
 iubnah cheese
'-!.A .'-! sh6riba, yilshrab [5-1 a] drink
 < takallama, yatakallam [5-V] speak
 m6:a with, together with
 <u. :aash, ya:iish [My-I] live, resIde
J6.A.:! .J,a£. :amila, y6:mal [5-1 a] do, work
y.A <y.A,j dh6haba, y6dh-hab [5-1 a] go
u.,... .L...... saa'iq, -uun driver
  <,j waSSala, yuwilSSiI [5-11] connect, transport
.Ji <",p. kh6bar, akhbGar news
 . Taba:a, yil1ba: [5-1 a] print, type
i.;i:! .i.;J qara'a, yaqra' [5-1 a] read
,)-I..J ',)-1.."Li taqriir, taqaariir* report
,""n.. maalii Financial
 <I istilghraqa, yastilghriq IS-X] toke, use up,
occupy (of time)
f <f1 istilkhdama, yastilkhdim [S-X] use
La 4JI aalah Haasibah compute
 < ta:allama, yata:allam [5-V] learn
fl1 istikhdaam use, employment
.,:,L .4Js; kulliyyah, -aat college, faculty
i.J tiiaarah trade, commerce

182
ARABIC
 . iillasa, y6ilis [5-1 i] sit
L£ :aamm general
Ll:! .u naaqasha, yun6aqish [5-111] discuss
0J¥ .uW:. sha'n, shu'uun molter, affair
 . H6Dara, yilHDur [5-1 u] offend
1 JSI aakul I eat. Note spelling here. This sign over the alif
(coiled maddoh) is always used when (theoretically) two
hamz:ahs come together, or a hamz:ah is followed by a long
a-vowel (e.g. in the word for computer in the next note)
2  4JI aalah Haasibah computer. This coinage - literally
meaning counting machine - seems to have met with fairly
general acceptance, although .,,:i kambyuurir is also
common.
g 2 tl1 yliJi   I,jLA maadhaa ta:mal
fij awqaat al-faraagh? What do you do in your
free time?
Ruhiyyah and Hisham al-Musallam. on business from Jordan. are
discussing with Ali, a Sudanese business contact, what they do in
their free time.
Exercise 3
Listen to the discussion and answer the questions.
a What does Hisham not play any more?
b What do he and Ali have in common?
c Who likes to watch Egyptian television serials?
d What does Ruhiyyah invite Ali to do this evening?
e Who is the most active:
i Hisham? ii Ruhiyyah? iii Ali?

UNIT 10
183
r-l:d 4 tl1 uu} c,} JUJ Ilo 
a . .  . j . .. 0'-':, l:.$: LJ . i....aJ -- 11._.AJi ""LJ:..A
u I.,T'   . I
.I i;;i .i 'J w I cJ$.I.1 i
,.. ,.. ,.. .
I  J.A .II 1.,jS I 1;;1 I 
-'J 4
i .I w..,.a1  i .u,-:!I,,)I J.Ati i . 'J J.)
lu1
i'Ji 
.L..;.4J.!I} LnJI II i . 4-a,.,si .l:ai 'i" ,.wu
.i..A4J.!1  'i "J cJ$.I
II  ....i . . Uj'JI' . l.o.:u...Jl   L.:..
/.S'o . :J-W u  -.  - '.jJ
    .L....JI  I
Exercise 4
Read the dialogue again, and link the English phrases with the
appropriate Arabic expressions.
a I used to play tennis.
b Do you like poetry?
.Iia\
.I ! l:a ....i,.,... y
.i..AL.uJ1  'i -'J ,.
 .6".11' 6 I.. t
u-
.uI1 i "
c I prefer novels.
d Ruhiyyah doesn't like sport.
e We are going to the cinema.

'84
ARABIC
III  ,JAi f6:ala, yaf:al [5-1 a] do
t bAJI .:.ai", waqt al-faraagh free lime
ys..l;! , la:iba, yal:ab [SI aJ ploy
L£ :6a'ish living
 ' sabaHa, yasbaH [SI aJ swim
JJ,jo? guulf golf
ooW IGnis tennis
6\'1 al-aan now
 shi:r poetry
 ,y.::a..i aHabba, yuHibb [D-IV] like, love
J...Ai.:! , f6DDala, yufaDDii [5-11] prefer
.,:)L ,,,-:!I,j.) riwaayah, -aat novel, story
  , tafGrraia, yatafGrrai :ala [S-V] watch, look at
.,:)L , musalsil, -aat serial, series
"i J wa-Iaa and not, nor
t> ,,,.;So kilriha, yakrah [SI aJ hate
 fi:lan really, actually, in fact
IJo! ,t.:aJo! bamaamii, baraamii* programme
W thaqaafii cultural
La...J riyaaDah sport, sports
,. ,,.4- i-'a, yaiii' [My-I] come
g  :."'tJ I ta:biiraat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
Asking what others do and saying what you do
'i1 G l,jlo What do you eat in the morning?

UNIT 10
185
What do you do in the afternoon?
c;1   l.j
c;l i J.A
I ! .ji
WI C:;II i
I &.J+i ,,:-,.,,:.i
....aJ / .  i
.
i
Do you read a lot?
I go to the office
I always eat fruit
I drink coffee a lot
I play tennis/golf
I swim
Asking what others like and saying what you like to do
Jt  wi  l,jlo What do you like to do
"
c;t.II.::..U-,1 in your free time?
.J.ihI1 i I like television
r-.a\1 &fi.  "i 
W4J.!1 I..H b
She doesn  like football
We hate sports programmes
-
ill JU:; ui  tuHibb an liIf:al you like to do (lit. you like that
you do)
f.)iJ1 i.;So k6rat al-qadam football
tilJl Iy taraakiib al-Iughah (Structures)
Talking about things in the present
This unit contains an overview of the Arabic verb system, placed
here for ease of reference. Do not try to absorb all this infonnation

'86
ARABIC
at once, as you will have ample opportunity to revise and
consolidate your knowledge in future units. The overview should
be studied in conjunction with Unit 7, which deals with the past
tense, and, in particular, with the Verb Tables at the back of the
book.
1 How to form the Present Tense
Look at the Present Tense column of Table I on page 364. You will
see that the present tense is fonned from a stem (whose vowels
usually differ from those of the past stem), to which are added
prefixes for all parts. plus suffixes for certain parts.
With only a few exceptions (see below), the same set of prefixes
and suffixes apply to every Arabic verb, so it is obviously
important to learn them thoroughly from the beginning.
Here is the present tense of to write in transliterated fonn, without
the dual fonns which occur rarely and can be learned later. The
stem is given in bold type:
Singular
yaktub he writes, is writing
taktub she writes
taktub you (m.) write
toktubiin you (f.) write
aktub , write
Plural
yaktubuun they (m.) write
yaktubna they (f.) write
taktubuun you (m) write
tcktubna you (f.) write
naktub we write
TIps
To help you remember, here are some pointers:
Prefixes:
_ The you-fonns all have the prefix ta-, which is similar to the t in
the pronouns anta, anti, etc.
_ All the third person fonns have the prefix ya- with the exception
of the feminine singular.
-The I-fonn has a-; the pronoun is anaa.

UNIT 10
187
-The we-form has na-; the pronoun is naHnu.
Suffixes:
· The you (fern. sing.) has suffix .iin to distinguish it from the
masculine.
· The they and you (masc. pI.) have the external plural suffix .uun.
- The they and you (fem. pI.) have the suffix .na.
2 Vowelling of the prefixes
In the types of stems which we have marked II, III and IV (see
Verb Tables), the vowel of all the prefixes changes to u (yu., tu.,
u-, etc.)
3 The present stem
In this unit, both tenses of the verb are given in Arabic script and
transliteration in the he-fonn, plus the verb type in square brackets
[S-III, Mw-I, etc.] to enable you to look them up in the verb
tables.
Example:
Past Present 1Ype Meaning
. faDDala yufaDDil [S-II] prefer
In subsequent units, verbs will be given as follows and you should
refer to the appropriate verb table to identify all the parts of the
verb.
Past Ar.

Past Trans.
faDDala
lYpe
[S-II]
Meaning
prefer
4 Type S-I Verbs
lYpe S-I verbs are the only ones where the vowel on the middle
radical is not predictable. In both tenses it can be any of the three
Arabic vowels, a, i or u.
Since these vowels are never written in Modern Arabic, they have
to be learned. In this book they are given in the foUowing fonn:
Past Ar. Past Trans. 1Ype Meaning
 kataba [S-I u] write
This should be interpreted as follows:

188
ARABIC
a) The Arabic gives the three root letters.
b) The transliterated past identifies the middle radical vowel- here
a (kam ba ). Note: The vowel on the first radical is always a in
the past tense, and this radical has no vowel in the present.
c) The verb type (here S-I) dtrects you to the appropriate verb table.
d) The vowel given after the verb type (here u) is the middle radical
vowel in the present stem (ktyb).
The following scheme of things usually prevails, but there are
always exceptions.
CaCiC i
fahima to understand
CaCuC u
kabura to be big
...
Present Stem
CCuC
ktub
CCaC
fham
Past stem
CaCaC
kataba to write
Vowel on e ... Vowel on e
a ... uori
a
...
u
CCuC
kbur
Most S-I verbs are of the CaCaC ... CCu/iC type. There are quite
a few CaCiC  CCaC types, but CaCuC  CCuC is rare, and
usually indicates a state of being or becoming something.
Tip: You will usually still be understood if you get these vowels
wrong, so don't worry too much about them at this stage.
S Other types of verbs
TYpe D-I and type Fw-I verbs also have variable vowellings which
will be indicated in the same way.
All other types of verbs (including S-I1 to X) fortunately have
standard vowellings for both stems, so reference to the appropriate
verb table will provide all parts automatically.
These will be explained as they are introduced, with reference to
the verb tables, but there are some general pointers which you can
learn about now.

UNIT1Q
189
You know already that there are no really irregular verbs in Arabic,
with the exception of laysa (see Unit 8). The same prefixes and
suffixes are used for all verbs, but some verbs have two stems, in
one Or both of the tenses.
An example of this is the verb kaana, (see Unit 8) which has the
two past stems kaan- and kun. This type of verb is usually known
as a hollow verb, and is the subject of Table Mw-I. Although it
should not be used in is/are sentences, kaana has a 'present' tense
which is used in certain contexts to express doubt or uncertainty.
This also has two stems: kuun- and kun. Again refer Table Mw-I.
6 Function of the present tense
Arabic has only two simple tenses, the past and the present. Just as
the past tense serves for did, has done, the present tense fulfils the
functions of does, is doing and, in questions does do, as in Does he
live here? Common sense will tell you how to translate from
Arabic.
.t:. i . - d.C  '. ..
 v'6 v'
ya:iishuun Iii shaqqah kabiirah Iii abuu DHabi
they-live in apartment big in Abu Dhabi
They live in a big apartment in Abu Dhabi
, J.,i c,} uL....:It.)'1 LI 
tanshur a1-Hukuumah aliHSaa'iyaat Iii awwal ash-shahr
she-publishes the-government the-statistics in flfst the month
The government publishes the statistics at the beginning of the nwnth
 C 4-,.:!..JI ,,) b l,j Lo
maadhaa ta'kul Ii S-SabaaH?
what you-eat in the-morrung
What do you eat in the morning?
7 The past continuous
The past continuous is what we call a verb-phrase such as was

190
ARABIC
studying, used to study, and so on.
In Arabic this is expressed with the aid of the verb kaana (type
Mw-I), in the same way as the had done type verb explained in
Unit 8, except that the main verb this time is in the present tense.
In all other respects, including agreement and word order, this
tense behaves like its sister in Unit 8.
kaana + present tense verb
kaana + pest tense verb
"" pest continuous was studying
= pluperfect hed studied
u 4- ,.} V"J.D L.bu lS
kaanat faaTimah tadrus fii jaami:at landau
she-was Patimah she-studies in university [of] London
Fatimah was studying at the University of London
t  J"..JI !  l:.$:
kunnaa nadhhab Uaa s.suuq kull yawm
we-were we-go to the-market every day
We used to go to the market every day
8 Talking about what you will do in the future
There is no future tense in Arabic.
Actions which have not yet happened are expressed by placing the
word ......i,.,.... sawfa, or the prefix __ sa. before a present tense verb.
Since it consists of only one Arabic letter, 88- is joined to the word
which follows it.
I$I ..J."....
sawfa yaSiI al-waziir ghadan
[future] he-arrives the-minister tomorrow
The minister will arrive tomorrow

UNIT 10
191
r.)UjI t I L...L
sa-usaafir al-usbuu: al-qaadim
[future] - I-travel the-week the-coming
1 shall travel next week
II I  ,J...o J waSala, yaSil [Fw-I i] to arr;ve
9 The complete not
Arabic has several ways of expressing not which must be used in
different contexts.
Formation
second noun/adjective,
if indefinite, has
accusative marker
verb takes normal form
verb in the post tense
sa-/sawfa omitted,
and verb in the
subjunctive * *
verb in the present
jussive** form, but
with past meaning
* Unlike the other negatives, laysG is actually a verb and has to be
used accordingly. (See Unit 8)
** For these terms see later in this unil
Negative
 laysa*
':i laa
Lo maa
&J Ian
Iam
Context
;s/ are sentences
present verb
post verb
future verb
past actions
a) laysa is used for negating is/are sentences:
laysa r-rajul kabiiraD I J:..",JI 
is-not the-man old The man is not old

192
ARABIC
b) maa negates a past verb:
maa saafarat ila I-maghrib
not she-travelled to the-Morocco
,,:-,I i u.;iL... Lo
She did not go to Morocco
c) laa negates sentences with a present tense verb:
laa ya:rafuun al-lughah ,.,.iJ1 tilJl u.".- "i
I-faransiyyah They (masc.) don't know
not they-know the-language the-French French
d) Ian negates the future. The sa- or sawfa future marker is omitted
when Ian is used.
Ian taSilii qabl aDH-DHuhr
not you-will-arrive before the-noon
I   uJ
You (fern. sing.) will not
arrive before noon
e) lam negates verbs which refer to the past, although, as will be
discussed below, the actual verb used is a fonn of the present.
lam ya'kuluu l-laHm II rJ
not they-ate the-meat They didn't eat the meat
Note: maa + past verb and lam + present verb convey exactly the
same meaning. Literary Arabs regard the latter construction more
elegant.
10 Altered forms of the present verb
If you look carefully at examples d) and e) above, you will note
that the verbs used are slightly different from those you have
learned (they have no final u for example).
Historically, in addition to the normal fonn, Arabic had two so-
called moods of the present (not the past) tense, called the
subjunctive and the jussive respectively.
These altered fonns must be used after certain words in Arabic.
Two of these are lan, which requires the subjunctive, and lam,
which requires the jussive.

UNIT 10
193
Fortunately, for many verbs, the subjunctive and the jussive are
identical in writing. They are given in full in Table I on page 364
but, for convenience, here are the parts which show a difference.
Other parts of the verb remain unchanged.
Verbs which show further deviations will be explamed as they
occur.
 taktubiin you write (fem. sing.)'" taktubii 
 yaktubuun they write (masc. pI.) ... yaktubuu I
 taktubuun you write (masc. pI.) ... taktubuu I
The Arabs call this 'the omission of the nuun' .
An unpronounced alif is added at the end. You will remember that
the same thing happened in the past tense. In fact it is a convention
that any verb which has a -uu suffix adds this redundant letter.
Nobody knows why.
Remember to use these fonns after both Ian and lam.
11 Prepositions and pronoun suffixes
Prepositions tell you where something is in relatIon to something
else, such as on, behind, in, etc.
However they often, in both English and Arabic, fonn an essential
part of what are known as phrasal verbs. English examples of
phrasal verbs are call up, call on, call in, all essentially different
meanings derived from the simple verb call.
In Arabic, for instance, you don't 'need something', you 'need
towards something'.
Here are some examples:
l [. .I iHtaaja, yaHtaaj ilaa [Mw-Vm] to need
something
-!  .J.A:i=..1 iHtafala, yahtanI bi- [S-VIII] to celebrate
something

194
ARABIC
,.}  'J raghiba, yargbab Iii [S-I a] to want, desire
something
..>: 'J raHHaba bi. [S-II] to welcome someone
Prepositions reqUIred after verbs are given in the vocabularies.
When prepositions are used with pronouns (towards him , by her,
and so on), they use the same possessive pronouns suffixes as are
used with nouns (see Unit 5):
4-!b$: kitaab-ha her book
 min-hafrom her
Pronunciation
Arabic prepositions alter slightly when they are attached to a
suffix, and some of them affect certain suffixes.
i) Prepositions ending in -a lose the -a with the suffix -ii, me:
ma:a with +-ii me =  ma:ii with me
ii) Prepositions ending in -0 double this with the suffix -ii:
minfrom + -ii me =  minn-iifro me
akhadhuu I-jariidah min-nii  bII-,.i:;..i
they-took the-newspaper from-me They took the newspaper
from me
(Note: This is different from l:a...o min-naa,from us, where one
n belongs to the suffix.)
iii) ter long vowels and .ay, -ii me is pronounced -ya:
 fiiya (or fiyya) in me
..,.u. :alayya on me
iv) After -i, -ii or -ay, -hu, -hum and .hunna change .u to.i (not
visible in the written fonn):
 fii.hi in him
f""+! bi.him with them

UNIT 10
195
v) Prepositions ending in long aa written as a -y without dots (see
page 21) change their endings into -ay:
l iloo, towards becomes l ilay: l ilay-kum, tawards you
 :aloo, on becomes  :a1aay-:  :alay-naa, on us
yaD-Hak :a1ay-naa  
he-laughs on-us Hes laughing at us
vi)..J 6-, to, for becomes la- before all the suffIXes except ii (see
i) above). This change is again not apparent in the written
fonn:
 la-bum for them
sa-adfa: la-baa I-mablagh
al-maDbuuT
(future)I-pay to-her the-sum
the-exact
.b1 t-4J1 4J L..
r II pay her the exact
amount
Note: li-, as a one letter word (see page 22) is attached to the
word after it. If this has al- the, the aIif is omitted:
..J",lJ 6-I-waladfor the boy
In addition, if the noun itself begins with laam, the doubling
sin is used
tilJ li-I-lugbab to the language
<'
ulAKJI U'jJ' awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pottern
CuCaCaa'"
Arabic exomple
wuzaraa' Im
ministers
Eng. sound-olike
to a rat (Cockney /
Glaswegian pron, of
the t as a glottal stop)
This shape is mainly used for the plural of certain male human
beings which have the singular shape CaCiiC. In fact it is

196
ARABIC
relatively safe to guess plurals of such nouns using this shape. It
does not take the accusative marker.
g I.;-i- sufaraa'* from  safiir ambassador
IJ-Oi ,i prince, emir
IJjJ ....)" minister
IJ ...):!.J.<> director, manager
It is also used with some adjectives of the same shape:
I . sa:iid, su:adaa'* happy, joyful
and some nouns with the singular shape CaaCiC:
I .JLL:.. shaa:ir, shu:araa'* poet
L:a.t...".u tamriinaat (Practice)
Exercise 5
Nafisah plays tennis. and enjoys going to the cinema and
swimming. She would like to make friends with someone who has
the same interests as she does. She sees the following entries in the
newspaper. Who has most in common with her?
 :.fi. kun Sadiiq-ii! Be my friend!
f Y
11
l.i"  1,/""""'1
41".. _l.b
'." 'I L...w...J1
u-""'"' :J -
.t=o.4-I l "
.
.ofi i -u\.kJ... l.i
.....wI'-"""i"
. .
w....J1 i... - - . . -<'I
- :J 
.I .,.JI"
,

,-?-i . I
I" fi1 
.t.iiJ1 i,fi "

UNIT 10
197
lIS
pi wi.y.aJ la:b, al:aab playing, game
.,:,L .I,jA hawaayah, -aat hobby
u sibGaHah swimmmg
Exercise 6
Change the following sentences into the negative, using one of the
words in the box below. Use each word only once.
. 11.iA \
.4-"H  J .:..I T
'r.JUJI I c,} I .;iW ...i.,... T'
.I r I!,j t
.LJ...u....=. ....i L - '!  . i 0
- - ..,.  
...jOi ,.} cJLA U"'J.J '\
Lo



'i
 I
I
PI
J .J4.? iamal, iimaal cornel
 qabiiH ugly
.,UfJ1 ai-hind India
I.)'oIJJ.:! .I.)'oIJ.J darasa, yadrus [5-1 u] study
Exercise 7
Fill the gaps using the prepositions from the box below.
. IJ 4-................  ..>:I \
  lbJl . . I . T
.6Y  4....................J-'
u.................  J.A T'

198
ARABIC
.IF................ o1 .::",l&.i t
4.. I  - . c;' llS: 1 'io
. ................ [.  ..) .  ..J..A
u..

J

""'I
Exercise 8
Hameed is an active person. Make up complete sentences about
him, saying what his sports are and what he likes and dislikes, and
using the information in the table below. The first one is done for
you.
.'&fi  
Hameed plays footbalL
t> '1  
. 
I o,.I1  '&fi
w.j£1:iJ1 I t:,.. 4-11 J...I
Exercise 9
The verbs in brackets in the following sentences are all in the he-
form. Referring to the translation below, substitute the correct
present tense forms.
.WI4......)1  "il tilJl (F) ...,bJJ1 "i.,I'
'f" Js: 4-04 () ,.
.J.-.!I c.J.o -'7"")  lZ.. (),.
.o IJ' ':i ! i]L.....) () t
.I u..( -K.t) wi  ....i1; yJl 0
'!.)I dJ,j (...i) J.A ,
., 4.&.WI .::,,4J1 () V

UNIT 10
199
.I r .clJ.,H '* ! () ...i"... "
'UI1 "i} (:-4 () .:..I -=.ULS \
..:.u1 .; I () ..::a1"pU  ULS \ ·
Translation:
1 Qatari children learn English in secondary school
2 She telephones her mother every day.
3 We drink tea on our return from the work
4 I am writing a letter to my friend Nourah
S The official wants to talk to us immediately.
6 Do you (fern. sing.) know that man?
7 The pharmacies close at six o'clock
8 They (fem.) will arrive in New York on Thursday
9 The girls used to play with the neighbours' children.
10 Mahmoud and his brothers used to earn a lot in Kuwait.
Exercise 10
Change the following past tense verbs (in brackets) into the present
tense.
."it.;.... bfi- (JL) \
.t]L...:J1 ! b1 .:..4!1 () V
.II()"-
.C!U:.. l:J (r) uLS.1.11 L:. f
.,,=,,II.lA () Lo 0
(U+A,j) O:!i ! '\
Translation:
1 He asked his (male) secretary a question..
2 The girl carried the coffee to the living room.
3 The doctor examined the eyes of the patient.
4 The shopkeeper offered us tea.
S I didn't understand this book.
6 Where did you (masc. sing.) go?

200
ARABIC
-
DIll  fGHaSa, yafHa5 [5-1 a) to examine
.j4 '....>4 mariiD, marDaa* (adj.) ill; (noun) patient
Exercise 11
Read the article below about the Dubai Shopping Festival, and
answer the following questions.
a When does it take place?
b Why do so many people come to the festival?
c Name two of the attractions.
d Where is the firework display held?
 ,::"w..P-""   I..H"
.,j .:.>L..I", .::.I J 4-
.  W .::..4J i t.:.....",
J4- Ji..o L..)", '"
0- A A  A ",j--&o", JI
..r  JJJ L-JWI ,,:-,u.J\r1
.I
 J.J-.l1.I..r u4 rUt
U"w..J1 J ..:.- .:.J U"JL.o 
.us: rSWI", .::.1)....)'1 ;y.  )1\'4
.::..')l.1 ;y. I", ..:..-:..,' cr. J u1 1
.  I t.....-."i.   ' . .< 'I
Y'.J 't1'
...;IJ-"' \II", L-J t -:- -: I I :rs:11
.::..I r-w dlJ ! UW:.!.,
1'1
f'Li.:! yuqaam is held, tokes place (passive verb)
L .c,j4-.*" mahraiaan, -aat festival
J tas6wwuq shopping
'':0. ':.....: .Ju:l....al istafaada, yastafiid [My-X) benefit
L rJ.s tGnziil, -aat lowering, reduction
Ju.......i . si:r, as:aar price
 baD6a'i:* goods, merchandise
tJJ tiiaarii commercial

UNIT 10
201
a.J.) ! U! iDGafatan ilaa dh6alik in addition to that
f' 'f' qaddama, yuqaddim [5-11] offer, present
I.J-?" ,i4- iaa'izah, iaw6a'iz:* prize, reword
 q6yyim valuable, expensive
La .y.a.w saHb, suHuubaat lottery
j dh6hab gold
i GyDan a/so
L .W fa:aaliyyah, -aat activity, event
 fGnnii artistic; technical
L.a-J riyaaDii sporting
J1.t mithl like
J sibaaq racing
/ khayl/khuyiJul horses (both with plural meaning)
.jj£ 'jS- :arD, :uruuD show, display
U Io.:'wi al:6ab naariyyah fireworks
JJi fawq(a) above, over
 khawr creek

J .4 1 JI
..  ..
al-a:yaad al-islaamiyyah
Islamic Festivals
In this unit you will learn:
. about the main Islamic festivals
. special greetings used on festival days
. the Islamic calendar
. how to say what?lwhere?lwho?
. how to say to have
Introduction
The emphasis of the book changes slightly from this unit onwards.
Units 11O contain all the essential basics of Modern Standard
Arabic, so now we can go on to more advanced and realistic texts
and dialogues. These use more complex sentence structures, so
make sure you have mastered the principles given in Units 1-10
before going on. Individual words can be looked up in the
glossaries. However, it is less easy to refer back to half-absorbed
constructions, so some revision now will pay dividends later.
The Arabic texts and dialogues will be given as they would appear
in a modem book or newspaper; that is, with only occasional
vowelling. Only a literal word-for-word translation of the texts will
be given in the Key to the Exercises to help you to concentrate on
the Arabic structures. You should try to convert this into nonnal
English.
Major new grammatical features are given in special sections just
as before, and minor points and reminders of things already dealt
with are given in the Notes after the texts.

UNIT 11
203
Where there is no realistic alternative, data which has to be learned
mechanically (for instance parts of the verb) can be referred to in
the tables at the back of the book. We suggest that, while you refer
to these as much as possible, you should not allow yourself to
become discouraged if you can't take them all in at once. Rather
keep coming back to them as you work through the units.
,,I 4£.. YI al-a:yaad al-islaamiyyah
Islamic festivals
Jack and Fran, visiting Egypt during the month of Ramadan, ask
their friend Ahmed about Islamic festivals.
exercise 1
Look carefully through the new words before you begin. Listen to
the recording several times, and answer the questions.
a How many festivals do all Muslims celebrate?
b Which month comes before the first festival?
c What should people abstain from during the month of Ramadan?
Exercise 2
Listen to the recording again and answer these questions.
a The great festival of the pilgrimage begins:
i on the first day ii on the last day iii in the middle
b People travel:
i to Mecca ii to Medina iii from Mecca
c They visit:
i the Kaabah ii the mosque
d How do they celebrate the festival?
e Which Muslim celebration resembles a Christian festival?
Now read the dialogue.

204
ARAB.!£.
-rII
.wl  4-11 .j I
-rl........A L...J
.).:.iJ1  I.J I I,J-A YI
-ry\  i .J
-JI -*"  r i ..) I I
-r L...J
...... . .<'1 . L4..o .........b.J J I" ... i 
.r->J f"'....>-- U :J..>f..W. -  ..>f-' U .
.Irl
-r r1  L...J
IlA ':JI  W-.H "i.J w.,K "i W"I.:JI i o r1
'r1 ,J-A
.".=.. I I y\ L...J
. \'1 .Ji I I y\
-r 4.:4w L...J
II.J .I ri  r,p,1 ..) i-4:! y\.J I 
.I u..,J.J-J 4..ofi.,Jt  ui t u..,l....! W"I.:JI i o
..u..J1 r . .1;',,:- . 
 .J..6-!  - '.J
.J  l:! f'""
-r.lI1 vA L...J
IlA.J .I4..! ..) 4.:..,1$ 4.:.l:! ...i.J.A vA .lI1
.I  bJk
I,j! .bli u1 .jU
.6JU  . .1;',,:_. WYI' . ."'1
_ .:J 
-ry\ L...J
.I :J   '.J  ..lJt J...=. .I .11.,.. y\
. I I " I" ", I I I . I . ,
' U.:.:-,,:.UA  1..I...uL.j  \.J""'"" .1A.
.:.14-
.J.L;a,i
u'';
i
.:.14-
.w.ai
u l ';
i
.:.14-
i
ubi
i
.:.14-
i
ubi
i
cl4-
,
ul."i
,U.:Io.i
cll?
.w.a.i
ul."i

UN IT 11
--
205
E1cerdse 3
Read the text again, referring to the notes below, and link. the
English phrases with the equivalent Arabic expressions.
a We have two important festivals.   f'..1: i 
b Which month is it in? .JI
c The fIrst day of the month of -rII  # ,.
Shawal. -rIJl.bli u1 .j U ,.
d What do you mean by fasting? r.s: f'1  L.. t
e People don't eat or drink in the U .j  Jio IlA It
daytime. ' u':':- ":'" .1 1 
f How do they celebrate this U I .j '11 ,
festival? .ul:.:il
g What is the sacrifIce?
h It is a custom among the
Muslims.
i So you only have two festivals?
j This is like our Christian Christmas.
.I  bJL:. IlA V
'J '. KL 'J l.:J1 ,.,
J_ U"
.Jl+J1  
-r.lI1 vA L.. 
-ry\i \.
II J4Li. :iid, a:yaad festival; anniversary
6J- . muslim, -uun Muslim
i*" muhimm important
.,w fiTr breaking of a fast
JI"':' showaal nome of an Islamic month. See list later in this unit.
o:.L '4.:!-u.a munaasabah, -aat occasion
 :aqaba 5-1 u come after, follow
?,I,.,s ,..jS karim, kiraam noble, generous (here used as on
honorific adjective for the month Ramadan, often translated hoM
?'  Sawm fast, fasting
 ma:naa* meaning

206
ARABIC
JL+a nahaar daytime, hours of daylight
i aakhar* (fern. (S,p.i ukhraa*) other
 YI  :iid al-aD-Haa Festival of the Sacrifice (see below)
I al-Haii the Pilgrimage
.;-:.i aakhir lost (of something)
i , yawm, ayyaam day
.....I  makkah I-mukarramah Holy {City o Mecca
Jlj zaara Mw-I visit
I al-ka:bah the Kaabah (Holy Shrine in Mecca)
-! I iHt6fala bi- 5-VIII celebrate
,7) dhabaHa 5-1 a slaughter
4,j ,,j dhabiiHah, dhabaa'iH* sacrificial animal
uLi ...j kharuuf, khurfaan sheep
L+a nihaayah end
uL ,ou. :aadah, -aat custom, habit
Ij! idhan so, therefore
 ba:D some, port of something
JLWi ,)Ai quTr, aqTaar region, zone, area
O,JU thaalith third (adj.)
I .)J.t4 awld an-nabii (festival oij the Prophet's Birthday
.J  4.lJ1  sanaa 1-L6ahu :alGy-hi wa-s61lam
Prayers and Peace be upon Him (said after mentioning the
neme of the Prophe
J1.t. mithl like
I  :iid al-miilaad Christmas
UJ-' masiiHii, -uun Christian

T11
207
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) ..::at.J:i.:a..1
. kam how many. This word tokes the singular of the noun,
which is also morked with the accusative ending -an if there
is no other suffix (see Unit 8).
. muslimiin. The masculine plural ending -uun becomes -iin
after all prepositions (in this case :ind), and also when the
nOun is the possessing item of a possessive construction (see
Unit 14). For :ind expressing to have, see later in this Unit.
. Note the dual pronoun humaa they-two for two things or
persons (see Unit 9)
. awwal yawm the first day. The adjective awwal first can be
used in the normal way, but frequently precedes its noun
which then does not have ai- the.
. shahr shawwaal is a possessive construction (the month of
Shawwa, so the word shahr cannot have al-.
. anna that (conjunction), like inna (Unit 8) is always followed
by a noun showing the accusative marker if applicable, or a
pronoun suffix.
.o-t.lL.o ma:naa-h its meaning. Words ending in -aa but
written with IS change to alif when anything is added. IS can
only exist as the final letter of on Arabic word or word
combination, the some as i (which becomes u when anything
is added).
. The verbs eat and drink are in their full plural agreeing forms
because they come after their subject an-naas the people
(see Unit 7).
. aakhir lost behoves in the some way as awwal. See above.
. yazuuruun they visit. This kind of verb, called by the Arabs
a hollow verb, has two stems for both present and past tenses.
This one is vowelled like kaana, but there are two other
vowel patterns. Study these in Tables Mw, My and Ma, and
you can always refer beck to them in the future. like all verbs,
these occur usually in the he or she forms (because of the

208
ARABIC
agreement rules), so are often recognizable from their long
aa vowel in the past. In the present tense the long vowel is (in
order of statistical frequency) uu, ii or (infrequently) aa.
. fii-h. The use of prepositions in both English and Arabic is
very idiomatic and therefore unpredictable. We would say on
it, but the Arabs say in it. A similar idiosyncracy in English
would be: on Tuesday, but in March.
. kharuuf yadhbaHuun-uh a sheep which they slaughter.
English would supply the word which, and ignore the ending
-uh on the verb. See relative clauses, Unit 13.
. haadhaa :aadah this is a custom. You will recognise this as
an is/are sentence. The haadhaa does not agree with the
feminine noun, as it refers back to the preceding sentence as
a whole.
. faqaT only. This word always follows what it refers to.
. yaHtafiluun they celebrate. The verb is plural here, because
no subject is stated, it being the they implied within the verb.
. naHnu we is for emphasis or contrast here.
" .d :"':"J I ta:biiraat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
What to say at feast times and birthdays
The most universal greeting at festival times:
<!!J  :iid mubaarak May the festival be blessed
(for you)
The reply:
 od J 4:! 4.lJt God bless you
AI-Iaah yubaarik fIi-k (fIi-ki to a
woman, tiiMkum to several people)

UNIT 11
209
A greeting which can be used for any annual occasion such as a
birthday:
 .::.Ui", j"k Js:
kull :aam w-anta bi-khayr
(fem. anti, plural antum)
Every year and [may] you
[be] well
The reply:
 .::.Ui",
wa antalanti/antum bi-khayr
And [may] you [be J well
Cards are often sent, usually bearing one of the congratulatory
phrases given above.
13:; uu ma:luumaat thaqaafiyyah
(Cultural tips)
The main religious festivals celebrated by all Muslims, regardless
of sect or country of origin, are:
I  :iid alMfiTr (or Lesser Bairam, at the end of Ramadan)
Date: 1st of Shawwal (see calendar, page 211)
This is a holiday of about three days, marking the end of the fast
of the month of Ramadan, during which Muslims allow nothing to
pass their lips (food, drink, smoke) between sunrise and sunset.
On the first day of the feast there are special prayers in the mosque,
and the rest of the holiday is traditionally spent visiting family and
friends, offering congratulations, and making up for lost time with
large feasts. Children usually receive gifts of money and new
clothes.
As you can imagine, total abstention from food and drink during
the daytime in Ramadan causes considerable hardship. Working
hours are reduced, but you will find that people tend to be listless.
Lack of sleep is another problem, as a sustaining meal has to be
prepared and consumed before the dawn deadline. If you are in a

210
ARABIC
Muslim country during Ramadan, it is polite to show consideration
by not eating or drinking in front of local people.
 YI  :iid al-aD-Haa (or Korban Bairam)
Date: 10th of Dhuu I-Hijjah (see calendar)
This is the major feast of Islam, and again merits a holiday of
several days. Even for those not on the pilgrimage, a large feast is
in order, those who can afford it slaughtering (usually) a sheep and
sharing it with the family, often giving some of the meat to the
poor. The richer and more important you are, the bigger the feast
that is expected. Members of the family visit each other's houses,
offering congratulations, and again gifts are made to the children.
I ,)..1".. muulid an.nabii Prophet's Birthday
Date: 12th of Rabii; al-awwal (see calendar)
The Prophet Muhammad's Birthday is often just called muulid.
Although not officially prescribed by Islam, this is celebrated in
varying local fonns in many parts of the Arab world.
Muslims of the Shi'ah persuasion have additional festivals of their
own.
The Islamic calendar
Although nowadays it is only used in most countries for religious
purposes (such as festival dates), you should be familiar with the
Islamic calendar.
... '. · · · · .. 'I: f · .
July "a.1t -4 J.,Yt t:HJ '
S S ,M T.W T F ....... .-.. .......,.......... - ...,( .....
1 2 .3 4 5 6 7 II i 'f' , , 'f.. 'A
8 9 IOU 12 13 14 " " ,. I( A V ,
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ,.. 'A \V ,,.  u U'
22 23 24 15 26 27 28 ", "II "i:\'1' n " T.
29 30 31 " "A YV

UNIT 11
211
The Islamic date is calculated from the date of the Prophet
Muhammad's flight (in Arabic hijrah) from Mecca to Medinah,
which took place on July 16, 622 AD. For this reason, Islamic dates
are specified as (S hijrii, often abbreviated to -4. The English
abbreviation is AH.
Apart from starting more than six centuries later than the Western
calendar, the Islamic year consists of 12 lunar months, adding up
to only 354 days. Consequently, the years are not synchronised
with our solar calendar, so festivals creep forward according to our
dating system. For instance in 2000 AD (1420-21 -A ) Ramadan
started about 5 December.
For most secular transactions, Arabic versions of the Western
month names are used. The Arabs call the AD year (S.J millaadii
pertaining to the birth (i.e. of Christ), abbreviateO to (".
.AHY.-Y...
Below is a table for the two sets of months. For the reasons given
above, these do not, of course, correspond except in the order in
which they come.
II Western calendar
l.:..:! yanaayir
I.,H-i fabraayir
U"JL.. maaris
.
J..I abriil
.,HL.. maayuu
-'::! yuunyuu
-'::! yuulyuu
i aghusTus
 sabtambar
.
J-I.",:>S:I uktuubir
 nuufambar
.J diisambar
Islamic calendar
r J='-O muHarram
 Safar
J., I C7lJ rabii: al-awwal
JWI C7lJ rabii: ath-thaanii
,JI (S.A iumaada I-uulaa
b I (S.J4 iumaada l-aakhirah
-I, raiab
u sha:baan
uL..::...o J ramaDaan
JI shawwaal
bI,J,j dhuu I-qa:dah
1,J,j dhuu I-Hiiiah

212
ARABIC
There is a third set of month names, starting with kaanuun ath.
thaani 'the second Kanoon', used mainly in the Syria-Iraq region,
and you should try to learn these if you are going to that area.
4..i.1J1 Iy taraakiib al-Iughah (Structures)
1 Question words
These question words differ from the question markersJ.a hal and
i a given in Unit 2, which merely turn statements into yes/no
questions. The words referred to here are more specific.
What?
There are two words for what:
l..o D1aa is used before nouns and subject pronouns:
11",... L.. What [is] it (he)?
1.l.A L.. What [is] this?
114...<uo.1 L.. What [is] his/its nam£?
l,jl..o maadhaa is used before verbs:
I1Ij 1,jL.. What they ate? (What did they eat?)
11..J..-..: 1,jL.. What he-carries? (What is he carrying?)
Note: l..o is a very versatile word in Arabic, and its meaning
depends on the context. You have already seen it meaning not in
Units 7 and 10, and it has other usages too.
Note also the common construction in the text:
lIl vA L.. What [is] she the-sacrifice-animal?
We would say What is a sacrifice animal?
Who?
i'.J.o man is used before both nouns and verbs. In unvowelled
Arabic this looks identical to minfrom. You have to decide from
the context, which does not usually present any difficulty.
 r-'" i'..J-'> Who [are] they?

UNIT 11
213
,,:,,4J1  u.-. Who he-opened the-door? (Who opened the door?)
Also note:
.>i.J.JI".. u.-. Who he [is] the-manager? (Who is the manager?)
Which?
i ayy (masc.), i ayyah (fern.)
1b..is is followed by a singular noun without al- and agrees with it
in gender.
J.:..J i Which man?
 i Which girl?
How many?
rS kam
This is followed by a singular noun which requires the accusative
marker an, unless it has a feminine ending.
I  How many festivals?
b),"  How many cars?
How?
'-¥ kayf(a) is used before nouns and verbs. The final -a is often
omitted.
.::.oL... '-¥ How you-travelled?
.illL:...  How [is] condition-your? (Le. How are you? - a very
common greeting).
Where?
.
0:!1 ayna
Note that when ayna means where to? and where from? it is
preceded by ! to and w-o from respectively.
¥...b:LJ1 0:!i Where [is] the-museum?
 Oii! To where you-go?
I-, 0:!i u.-. From where they-came?

214
ARABIC
When?
 mataa usually used with verbs.
.J  When you-arrived?
Why?
l,jla! li-maadhaa used before verbs.
.hi-o JI vL... I,jLJ Why she-travelled to Muscat?
2 How to say to have
Arabic has no actual verb meaning to have, but uses a combination
of a preposition and a noun or pronoun.
Three common prepositions are used:
.J Ii- to, for
 :ind(a) with (equivalent of French chez)
(S..,U ladaa with - this is slightly archaic, though still used. When a
pronoun suffix is added, it behaves like ilaa (see Unit 10). It has
not been used much in this book.
So, to say Muhammmi has a new car we say:
iJ.:! bJ4w  to-muHammad car new
ju.........\..:iS: ($ with-me book excellent (1 have an excellent book)
. -
Note: li- and :ind are more or less interchangeable. The former is
considered more elegant, but in spoken Arabic the latter is used
almost exclusively.
To say had. Arabic uses kaana waslwere + Ii-/:ind.
bJ.:! bJ4w  lS: she-was to-muRammad car new
ju....... ,,:",\..:is:  ulS: was with-me book excellent
In the first example above, it is not always necessary for the verb
kaana to agree with its subject (here sayyaarah feminine). kaana
would be just as acceptable.
To say will have use yakuun (the present tense of kaana) + Ii-
I:ind. With this verb the future marker sa- or sawfa is optional:
$.    [future marker] he-is with-you guest tomorrow

UNIT 11
215
(You will have a guest tomorrow)
To say have not in the present. use the verb laysa (see Unit 8) + li-
hind, and in the past and future by applying the appropriate words
for not (see Unit 10).
3 Thematic sentences
A type of sentence which is often encountered in Arabic is the
thematic or topical sentence.
The topic of the sentence, that is the person or thing the sentence
is about, is stated ftrst. followed by what you want to say about the
topic. The part of the sentence which comes after you have
mentioned the topic must be able to stand independently, and very
often has a real or implied pronoun which refers back to that topic.
There are a number of these in the text, and we have given below
a few examples with literal translation to help you understand the
concept. There is no need to spend a lot of time learning how to use
this construction, but the Arabs regard it as an elegant construction
and you will come across it frequently.
It is more or less equivalent to English sentences beginning with as
for. as in As for Peter, he s rarely at home. Note that the part of the
sentence following the topic (Peter) makes complete sense on its
own by including the pronoun he.
I I Y. J.., I the-first he [is] the-festival the-small
...wi .!ow.- t".....J1 the-fasting meaning-his [is] that...
4 The ordinal numbers 1-20
These are adjectives which tell you the order things come in. With
the exception of first and sixth, they are easily related to the
cardinal numbers, using the root of the number and the word shape
CaaCiC (see Unit 2). Apart from first, they all fonn the feminine
in the usual way by adding b -ah.
first J..,i awwal, fem. .Ji uulaa
second JWI <uU thaanin. ath-thaanii**
third U thaalith

216
ARABIC
IJ raabi:
I..J"'-"U" khaamis
U".A... saadis
t"!L... saabi:
U thaamin
t""L:; taasi:
k :aashir
 'f.Jb. Haadii :ashar (fem. b 4..;.Jb.)
 JU thaanii :ashar (fem. i U)
 6.lU thaaUth :ashar (fem. b tilU)
.. . and so on up to nineteenth.
twentieth the cardinal number ( I cJ.J) is used.
.. For this kind of word, see Unit 18.
fourth
fifth
sixth
seventh
eighth
ninth
tenth
eleventh
twelfth
thirteenth
..
, 0'jJ' awzaan alkalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
CaCaa'iC*
Arabic example
iaraa'id .J.51
newspapers
Eng. sound-alike
examine
This is another internal plural shape, usually coming from
feminine singulars of the shape CaCiiCah, e.g. b.J.>...r.-- jariidah,
singular of the above example. It does not show the accusative
marker.
g I from ..y4 tax
l.:i::.. from  bag, suitcase
. .-
I from  garden. park
Note: If the singular refers to a female human being, the aat plural
is used:
j (female) colleague; pI. .::..)4..0j

UNIT 11
217
ow...,..:i tamriioaat (Practice)
Exercise 4
Match the questions below with the appropriate answers.
.'" ...)-'Ob.J  :)U a  "=" 11.l.a .;... 0...
..ill L,.:.. L b 4.u I  0:l i ,.
.J'-A4  c w I  IJlo ,.
..ill .JA vA d b 0... .)  t
.I u1!,j;; e  1.1.1",  0
.J,;  f I b.l.a  IJl.,J ,
.I uk  J.,i g  I bolA .....a..t ....LS V
. . -
.IIi..i h b .-,  .  i A
.If> lolA L.. ..
!I j f>""""'" 4 ":"",,,j;; 0:l i u1! , ·
II OJ- ....AJ mu'611if, .uun author
i:. sharaHa 5-1 a explain
Exercise 5
Rearrange the months of the year into the correct order.
 V  ,
L.. A ...Hi ,.
,J:i .. I . ,.
..>l1.>+Jl
i,. i t
->!
,J.I , ,  0
U"JL.. H l:u ,
..>l _

218
ARABIC
Exercise 6
Malee complete to have sentences in the present tense, using either
Ii- or :ind.
Example:
.,,) u)C .J y. ... .,,) u)C ........... y\
(He ........... three sons.  He has three sons.)
.
.WI bJ ...........  '
.Uill Ua. .....,....,...... V
- . ,-
.t" 0 ........... 4.$:pJl It.
.4..-,1"  ...........  \
. w ........... b ' ·
.b  ........... clLJI
.tL.."Jo ..::"..;.i ........... cii V
'J J"i ........... fUi ,.
.b.l:! 4wb uf ........... eai t
.I o. ........... U"JJ.JI 0
m1
UI 6' tilmiidh, talaamidhah pupil
tJ,} .t",A far:, furUu: branch (of a tree, company, etc.)
L...A .(jl.:i,....,i fustaan, fasaatiin * frock, dress
Now change the sentences 1-5 above into the past tense, using
kaana.
Exercise 7
Prayer is the second of the five pillars of Islam, and Muslims are
called to prayer five times a day. The daily calls are:
,.
I al-fair down
I aDH-DHuhr midday
I al-:aSr mid-afternoon
I alamaghrib sunset
UAJI al-:ishaa' late evening

UNIT 11
219
Prayer times vary according to sunrise and sunset and are always
listed in the daily newspapers. Look at the prayer times here from
the month of April. Which day came first?
Fajr 0453
Shuruq 0613
Zohr 1230
Asr 1557
Maghrib 1836
ha 2006
PRAYER
TIMINGS
Add four minutes for
Abu Dhabi, deduct four
minutes for Ras AI
Khalmah and six min.
utes for Fujairah.
t,..V: .J :- I I
'\,W:JJ .J ,",I I
" ,1'" : J t:. I I
,.,..'1 : .J .......... ' 1
,\,,.t :":" .J :OI l
A," t :.. 1 .... I I
" Exercise 8
Listen to the recording or read the transcript to find out which floor
of the apartment block these people live on.
c::I r:::J
 c::J CJ oJis
c::J c::::J
U' c::J c=:J.
c:::1 CJ 4JJ1 
CJ c::J
.Qt....G. t::J D
(.7
c::1 r::::::l 
r:=J CJ
 t:::] c:J
CJ c::J

220
ARABIC
Then record the information about them.
Example: AU lives on the third floor.
..:JWI J.!LbJI  i ...,k I ,
.O"JWI J.!LbJI  i .ul v- I Y
.JWI J.!LbJI  i .r'+-- v- I ,.
.t"'llJl J.!LbJI   . v- I t
.c:,..oWI J.!LbJI   .on --4L I 0
.WI J.!LbJI   .bJY I ,
. JJ I J-tLbJI  i . I V
Exercise 9
Abdullah takes his family shopping to a large superstore out of
town. Everyone is looking for something particular, and the store
is so big that they have to ask at the infonnation desk where to go.
- ",;;- -- --
'1' :,".'
Look at the store guide and say which row each of them needs to
go to.
Example: Abdullah needs a pair of shoes and a fax machine.
. t"'llJl d...:JI J u- W1 d...:J1 ! 
He goes to the fifth row and the 19th row.
a Qasim (aged13) wants a shirt, a video game and batteries.
b Nadia needs a greetings card for a friend, some coloured pens
and a cassette.
c Miriam (17) wants a hair dryer, jeans and a new game.
d Ali (18) wants a T-shirt, a CD and a computer.
e Sarah wants towels, some chairs for the balcony and clothes for
the baby.

UNIT 11
221
1 Household linen
2 Men's clothing
3 Women's clothing
4 Children's clothing & shoes
5 Men's & women's shoes
6 Baby garments
.,7 Bicycles
L Toys
9 Games/Sports accessories
,:1 0 Stationery
. 11 Books/Greetings c]fds
12 Hardware/Botteries
13 Tables/ChOIrs
14 Home Appliances/CDs
IS Video tapes/Cassettes
16 Electrical accessories/
Video games
17 [ug9cge
18 Computers/Software
19 Phones/Fax machines
20 Cameras/Radio cassette
recorders
 "":'J'IM \
J'Yw "
W 'j.. r
Jltbt t.J 'j.,. t.
WJJt 0
i,3JlI  'j.. "\
ul?--I J " V
 A
;¥ Jul. /ywt ...
u..."i \ .
i.1.:!b.. u\iUi.J /  \\
uJ/u\J.)t '"
, /Jjl ,r
 ';it/4JjJ.4 u l J"l \
c.-\!  4/ J..i  ..J \0
¥ :>-.t.!  :>-
yWl/i..;J'-i wlJ"t n
-¥
U:o. W
1>!jjiil 'A
IJ j...JJ\]A \,
j:!"'J u j.::J'.r.:-'tS y.
iS

,

:. 1 1 6 A I I " ·
..,  d """",Q,.A
SafHat aI-mar' ah
Woman's page
In this unit you will learn:
. how to express nationalities such as English, Lebanese, etc.
..
" II .d ....4..... SafHat al..mar 7 ah Woman's page
The following interview was given to a women's magazine by a
well-known fashion model, Leila. Look through the vocabulary
given below, and listen to the interview a few times before
answering the questions.
Exercise 1
Say if the following sentences are true or false.
a Leila comes from Jordan.
b She is 28 years old.
c She was interested in fashion as a child.
d She specialised in literature at university.
Exercise 2
Listen to the interview again, looking again through the new words
underneath, and answer the following questions.
a Does she want to found an agency which:
i is worldwide? ii shows world fashions?
b Does she hope to employ:
i male models? ii female models? iii male and female models?
c What else does she hope to do?
d What two things help her to keep slim?
e What kind of beauty look does she try to achieve?
f How does she feel about make-up?

UNIT 12
223
.
'.J )l.A1 ;;: - . - I I
..d, )l.Ai 
-r ..h .....,_ L.. ;)':i :i, -- . - I I
'""'. oJ_
..::. . L:a l:..J  i
 (..)A _ .

..JAL A :6"......"
. ,. A yoz;. 
-r"L_}:lI.JL 4.o.}.::.i  J :1.- .....1.
.uAJl tt,:ai 0.0 t 4=> "4.JI.JL i ..,jiJ:40 
.J4-JlllA .} .::,..U,.,3 .illll
-rI'::-'J,3 J.a ;; :.. .-1 1

.} '-"-'--:.J ta...4JI.} I'::-'J';' 
.,,4)1
-r .} l  1,jL...J ;;: _. -I I
F ,,4) I  4J :t1lS:.J ,,lY\ cF"" 

''-:I$-.J $ .::.WoJk.J Jk
" I ' . .. M' I I
   "iF"'.J d:tIo..._
'4 .J'; 4.S: J L.. J-:; "t.,ui  , 
 .!hi J uk W .J ;; .:- . -'.
.I 4}1 IJ"JL.i.J  i 
.ill4.J J :1.... .....1 1
uk  d.>1 i .ill.lJ.J .I JI i l 
I.::.IJ,J ')'! G:LJI .J i ')'.J ,
..bli
..illlfi:;. ;;: - . - I I
.Ifi:;. 

224
ARABIC
Exerdse 3
Now read the dialogue again, and link. the English phrases to the
Arabic expressions.
a How did you begin in the
fashion modelling profession?
b because they are a kind of an
c that is why I entered this field
d I studied arts at university.
e male and female Western and
Arab models
fHow do you keep slim?
g I prefer natural beauty.
pj
J4-JlllA  .J clJ.lI ,
.o....4J1  I J.J "
.I JI ir
JL 4-0  i.1.!  t
'i,,4j1
'i I.... .I:. .....LS: 0
J _
..
",i W.Jk.J Jk ,
",:"JL.J
&iJ1 tli  t  V
 SUHufii reporter/journalist (fern. SuHufiyyah)
'lji awwalan firstly
i bCida' 5.1 a begin
UfA . mihnah, mihan job, trade, profession
 :arD showing, displaying
Ls) 'I/j ziyy, azyaa' clothes, fashion, style
 mundhu since
4J."a» Tufuulah childhood
i.J"1li'anna because
dJ li.dhaalik because of that, for this reason
.;,L ,J4--a maiaal, -aat Field, sphere of adivity
 takhaSSaSa S-V specialise
 taSmiim design, designing
!  TamaHa ilaa 5-1 a aspire to, have the ambition to
C.",w TumuuH aspiration, ambition

!:!.NIT 12
225
p,! inshaa' foundation, setting up
.,:,L ..uI.S.3 wakaalah, -aat agency
..,-cJl£. :aalamii worldwide
 DGmma 1>-1 u include, comprise
u 'Jl£. :aariD, -uun (male) model
.:"L ,wJl£. :aariDah, -aat (female) model
OJ- 'iT.$- gharbii, -uun western
P,4-Wi ,P, shay', ashyaa'. thing
.#- ghayr other than, apart from
4S"u maarkah marque, label
.3,j duwalii or dawlii internatIonal
.,.k- .£:.iu HaafaDHa :alaa 5-111 keep, preserve
Uw. J rashaaqah shapeliness, elegance, slim figure
 Himyah diet
U'lJu maarasa 5-111 pradise
 khafiif light
Ju...:.. iamilal beauty
odji tGraka 5-1 u leave, let be
 sha:r hair
 Tabii:ah nature
J waD: putting
[4Su maakyaai make-up
..:aL , DUrUurah, -aat necessity, requirement
IQ':: LA ma:luumaat thaqaafiyyah
(Cultural tips)
As is obvious from the interview above, Leila is a thoroughly
modern, professional young woman. A role and lifestyle such as

226
ARABIC
hers could only be viable in one of the more liberal Arab states,
where a near western attitude prevails.
Indeed every country has its own ideas, running the whole gamut
from the above to obligatory veiling and virtual purdah.
The role of women is prescribed to some extent in the Koran and
other Islamic texts, and Islamic law (shariiah) defines many of
their rights and privileges. In most Islamic countries it is still legal
for a man to take up to four wives. Westerners are inevitably
shocked by this, but the practice is not in fact widespread - not
least because it is very expensive in tenns of dowries and general
upkeep. The rules require each wife to be treated equally. Another
semi-myth prevalent in the west is that, to obtain a divorce, a man
simply has to say to his wife 'I divorce you' three times. This is
partly true, but there are numerous conditions which in most cases
inhibit abuse of this practice. For instance, men in many Arab
countries have to pay a very large sum of money (dowry) to the
bride's family, and, depending on the timing and situation of the
divorce, some or all of this has to be paid back. 1b.is can easily run
into tens of thousands of pounds.
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) .JI
. owwalan firstly. For this and other adverbs, see Unit 16.
. :umr-ik. :umr life is also used for age.
. 28 sanah. For compound numbers see Unit 5. Meonwhile,
note that numbers above 10 toke the singular noun, not the
plural.
. uHibb. This is a Form IV doubled verb. A doubled verb has
the second and third radicals (vowels) the same, and some
perts of this verb are written with the doubling sign, (See table
D-IV). Remember that in all Form II, III and IV verbs, the
present tense prefixes are vowelled with u instead of a.
. li'anna-haa. li'anna because is a combination of li- for and
'anna that (see Unit 8). -haa refers to the inanimate plural
fashions.
. naw: min anwaa:. An Arabic idiom for one of something.

UNIT 1 2
227
. li-dhaalik for that, i.e. for this reason. Another combination
with li-.
. taTmaHiin. Feminine verb, as a woman is being addressed.
. For the form ilay-h, see Unit 10.
. ... ...4,}ll  k :UlS:.J (wikaalah :aalamiyyah
li-:arD al-azyaa' taDumm...) An agency for fashion
modelling {which} will include... Arabic does not use a word
for which after an indefinite noun (see Unit 13).
. gharbiyyiin wa:arab. When adjectives describe a group
of mixed males and females, the masculine plurals are used.
JUt I
':-' 1 t J....:J I
':-' AI
.  in my name. This is pronounced bi-smii.
. inn-ii. The use of inna + the suffix pronoun lends a very slight
emphasis to the statement (see Unit 8).
UlJI I"':; taraakiib al-Iughah (Structures)
Forming adjectives &om nouns
To describe persons or things associated with the noun, English
uses a variety of suffixes:
history  historic
man - manly
America - American
Japan - Japanese
Arabic adds the following endings to the noun:

228 ARABIC
Gender Transliteration Arabic
masc. sing. -ii 
fem, sing. -iyyah 
masc. plural -iyyuun /
fem. plural -iyyaat .;,4-
They should all have the doubling sign over the (.$, but this is
almost always omitted. -
Remember also that the ending  changes to  when
affected by the possessive or the requirement for an accusative
marker (see Unit 14).
There are irregular plurals (masculine only) which will be given
with the singulars where required.
The noun sometimes has to be altered slightly:
a) If it has al- in front - as in some countries and places - this is
dropped:
f.F! - ",:-,,;i-JI Morocco - Moroccan
b) The feminine ending L and certain other endings are dropped:
1oF': -  industry- industrial
-J-Oi - -J-Oi America  American
c) Some words change their internal vowelling before the ending:
J.JJ> - .JJ> madiinah - madanii city - urban,
civilian
Like all Arabic adjectives, these can freely be used as nouns:
l English, an Englishman

Lo...IS.J' U1jJi awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
taCCiiC
Arabic example
tartiib . ..:.-:
arrangement
Eng. sound-alike
tarfine (French)

UNIT 12
229
This is the verbal noun of all Fonn II (except the Lw, Ly types
which have a slightly different form), and therefore always
expresses the action of a verb. In English, this can be expressed by
adding -ing to the verb, but there are often parallel words with a
slightly different nuance (e.g. arranging, arrangment; presenting,
presentation). In these cases the one Arabic fonn usually serves for
both.
(),  J rattaba S-ll to arrange, put in order ... '. '! ": tartiib
,. arranging, arrangement
 Sammatna S-ll to design'"  designing, design
JJ..o mawwala Mw-ll to finance ...  financing
U"J.J darrasa S.ll to teach'" O'"-'-J teaching
J,:.. HawwaJa Mw-ll to convert'"  converting, conversion
ow.a....,.,u tamriinaat (Practice)
Exercise 4
Here are some common word combinations, many of which you
will see on road signs, in shops etc.
We give you two nouns, e.g. j!.y. markaz centre - bJ4=' tijaarah
commerce, and your task is to put them together, making the
second noun into an adjective: ($J4=' j!.JA markaz tijaarii
commercial (shopping) centre -
Some are given in the definite fonn.
a  minTaqah area, zone - 1J,j zIraa:ah agriculture
b Ju-JI al-maTaar the airport - U".J.II ad-dawlah the state
c  qamar moon -  Sinaa:ah manufacturing**
d J"..JI as-suuq the market - ]S:.".JI al-markaz the centre
e cl:4J1 ai-bank the bank - wb"J1 aJ-waTan the nation
f bJu......J1 as-sifaarah the embassy - I ai-hind India
g I ash-shu'uun the affairs - JL;JI al-khaarij the exterior

230
ARABIC
h ...4J1 al-azyaa' thejashions- ...I an-nisaa' the women
i  minTaqah zone -  Sinaa:ah industry
j  Tabiikh cuisine - JL :arab Arabs
k I al-matHaf the museum - I ash-sha:b the people,
& .
I ..l.\1 al-bariid the post - I al-jaww the air
m :i  ,. -', i II al-qunSuliyyah the consulate - i amriikaaAmerica
n bJI,j)'1 al-idaarah the administration - I al-balad the town,
municipality
o  minTaqah area, zone -  :askar army, troops
P ..l.\...,H bariid post - [.Ju.. khaarij exterior
q JU'JI al-aathaar the remains - -Jl:lJ1
at-taariikh the history
r .::.oL...IJ.1.I1 ad-diraasaat the studies - ,j1 al-adab the literature
S r.,laJ1 al-:uluum the sciences - I aT- Tabii:ah the nature
t ......WI al-al:aab the games - Jl:Jl an-naar the fire
u I al-qaSr the palace - .ill.J1 al-maHk the king
v u i:::... ' I al-mustashfaa the hospital- jS:,."J1 al-markaz the centre
W ..l.\...,H bariid post - I,j daakhil interior
x b* I al-ajhizah equipment
(pI.) - .....>PJI al-kahrabaa' . POSTS. -::' ",.o"/{'
the electricity
y ul.J:tJ.lI ad-diiwaan d.iwan,
personal office -  I al-
amiir the emir
J1-:ZII-H1
" 'J \'\l"
,
;
_":'. -:- ": .: :,,::=:-';';;;y_-:",;<_>'<""f"y<x..;
.- ,;  ::...::<::.tt:' :..:., ..i 
i:::;P::;:l
.01!"..:::
> ,.,_.<=
, \,.i;YtCi
.... .. ..?<:+:-_.1I
...--
**Here, the adjective means artificial:
'artificial moon', i.e. sateUite.
<-
t:.:.J1 1"'''--
. . >. ,> t ::":"'> ';:-:-
..A_. .:M::,,".'.; _
. .. .<y :-...,. ,.. i..

1 . ". 'I t1
..r-- '-'
al-khaliij al-:arabi
The Arabian Gulf
In this unit you will learn:
. more about describing places
. how to use the relative pronouns who, which, that, etc.
. about passive verbs
..
 uJ' ,} , ' f....": : ' ibtasim, anta fi
sh-shaariqah Smile, you're in Sharjah
The passage below is from a tourist brochure about ShaIjah,
describing its role in the Emirates. Listen to the audio and read the
passage carefully several times, referring to the vocabulary given
below.
Exercise 1
Now answer these questions.
a What phrase welcomes the visitor to ShaIjah?
b Where is Shatjah's geographical location?
c What kind of activity is Shatjah a centre for?
d How many inhabitants did ShaIjah have at the last census?
e Name three areas in which ShaIjah pursues scientific
development projects.
r What capital of the Emirates is ShaIjah considered to be?
g What does Sharjah have a number of?
h What type of programmes are transmitted from the television
station?

232
ARABIC
.t"...,.J1  :t-.:i \ \ ·
.::.oIJLoI0--0 wJL.;JI
:i'AL; A ($u1,J1
",:-,."..L..i '-'7 , -: ',I ..ru l I
 J-olZ.J1 I L.: L-=.. -: ' I
:i .: A " -: I I t-'...J J ' . ': .:
4-JI,J I.»!I." ,jL.o::ii1
. II Wl..iiIl L...:i..:... I
L- :J_ ,:J
WI 1 . L u WI....i....- -
............, 'J ,J
..::.oIJL.. I U,J"U  Lil.J1 L.....o
"': ..', -: ,r. y 4....0 l..:;.. b"; b o!Il:a...,J
L..S: . b L.. L WUilI  I
J . , _
......b..l.::i.J1 &0 b b JL.. I F
.:i A-=.... \ 1 :. .:   U..JI,J :i .: . I . I I
U i W--o :i 1..- " ,J
. .KII '. '.. ;....11 J L... I
  "',J-J J.
.:i':A.:'.-:I I." Uill II &0
.
t 6..A J I...1JI .....i1..:.u1 #to.. t" - I
V- 1. ..
I I bJ4-J1 bl+-!
J,jL.aJ1 ,j"J1 J-C-\.:.....  
bJL..!J .4-A UJI 
U,J,j .::.oIJL..! ($..b! vA oJUJI
.,?-JI b1 I ulJLo1
1..1' - WI' W I_
..s-  -   ...,..-...
 ,JA ,JA.J 'CF"I I
,j11  t -: A -: -: wJL.;J1
Wl W:H ,j4.i J,J I
r-- i .P CF'I I
'<:'JI I j$1J-A
.J,:o..i  UI ,j J.a..-J
rLL u..i I uIL-.:..)'1
JI \\\0
JI J.J.£J U <:,i 4-.....:.
Exercise 2
Link the English phrases to the Arabic expressions on page 233.
a which expresses the feelings of true friendship
b the latest census which was carried out
c which looks after the implementation of cultura1 activities
d a number of magnificent scientific and historical museums
e Shatjah is described as the cultural capital
r 190 people to the square kilometre
g one of the most important centres for commercial activity
h many cultural and educational programmes

UNIT 13
233
,j"J1 j-C- t:.....  .,jiJ1 ,
I A.:';' ::J WI.J 1...b..l:i.J1 w.- 1.1.1.1:. ,.
(:-I..".JI  ''\. ,.
A,,:A..:I. 1J 1 .J liiIl II w.-I t
':">->:"i .,jiJ1 .::.I...)'I ..:..J.=oJ D
I J...I '.CI .....&i. "\
l,?J .   " I..J"'O
WliiIl \'I .w:u - V
- - 
liiIl WI 4 YJ\.ZJI ....L:. A
If
I ibtasama [S-VlII] smile
.;;L .'f> J4£. :abaarah, -aat phrase, expression
 tarHiibii welcoming (adj.)
III alladhii who, which, that (fern. I allalii)
-! Lii afOaDa bi- [My-IV] flood, overflow with
JS kull each, every, all
Ww mashaa:ir* feelings, sentiments
oJ.j wadd love, friendship
JoJ 56adiq truthful, true
J.+LW.I istGqbala [SoX] receive, meet
i,S"i.:II.! iHdaa one (fern. of .J,.:a..i 6Had)
J.joJ ..uJoJ dCrwlah, duwal country, state
'f>1 I uIJLo)'1 al-imaarilat al-:arabiyyah al-
muttGHidah The United Arab Emirates
I iHtGlia [D-VlII] occupy
eJl,J06 .eJ,J06 m6wqi:, mawoaqi:* site, situation, place
I iughr6afiigeographiccl
 mutamOyyiz distinctive, prominent
,-",,I I al-khaliii al-:6rabii the Arab,an Gulf

234
ARABIC
 ia:ala [5-1 a] couse, make do something
  tamatta:a [S-V] enjoy
I II  :ala imtidaad al-:uSuur over the ages
J1,joJi 'JjoJ dawr, adwaar role, turn
ljoJ4i qiyaadii leading
&.!of bbyna among, between
..s; ka as, like
,jS1.".. ,jS markaz, marCiakiz* centre
i ahamm more/most important
.» nashaaT activity
IjJ tiiaarii commercial
J.Ji.:! yuqaddar (passive of S-2) is estimated
oJli ,oJ"\£' :adad, a:daad number
uLS....a .USL... saakin, sukkaan inhabitant, resident
 Hasb according to
bi aHdath newest, latest
,,:,L ,j;L..o:.al iHSGa', .aat count, census
-J'?i uiriyat was carried out (passive of Ly.1V)
f"1.t£.i 'f"U:. :aam, a:waam year
..JLAai . niSf, anS6af half
 nasamah individual (used in population counts only)
Iji ay that is
4,i1.jS katftaafah density
.jA murCibba: square (adj.)
 tu:t6bar is considered (passive of 5-VlII)
/S mustilwaa level, context
Jbw . minTaqah, manaaTiq* region, area
I int6haia [S-VlII] follow, pursue (0 path, method, etc.)
i '",:,i usluub, asaaliib* style, method
 takhTiiT planning

UNIT 13
235
 :ilmii scientific
JAw, shaamil comprehensive
'-!   lii-maa yata:6llaq bi- as regards, with regard to
Wu. . t.JFa mash..uu:, moshaarii:* project
A J . .. ";. tanmiyoh development
lJoJ iqtiSciadii economic
1,Jj ziraa:ii agricultural
r siy6aHii tourist (adj.), touristic
! iitimaa:ii social
W thaqaafii cultural
CJI etc. (abbreviation, pronounced ila aakhirih(i))
 ....,,:i tUuSaf ... bi-anna-haa ... is described as
ialJoJ ,.; loJ c16a'irah, claw6o'ir* deportment, directorate
(government)
1J'AUr. khaaSS special; private
,;. J ra:aa [0.-1] take care of, look after
',.:0.<,";. tanfiidh implementation, execution
us. Iea-maa just as, also
-Ju taariikhii historical
JL....J! irsilal transmission, sending
t,:si adhaa:a [My-IV] to broadcast
...iJ.a I al-kathiir min... many, a great number of...
1J'f .w J'f bamilamii, baraamii* programme
 ta:liimii educational
4..:i w LA  ma:luumaat thaqaafiyyah
(Cultural tips)
The literary Arabic fonn of the name Shatjah is ash-shaariqah.
The English version omits the Arabic definite article, and the j

236
ARABIC
comes from a local pronunciation of the Arabic letter q.
The United Arab Emirates (DAE) was formed in December 1971
as a federation of seven sheikhdoms, of which Sharjah ranks third
in size and wealth (after Abu Dhabi and Dubai). Although their
economies are ultimately based on oil production, all the Emirates
have made efforts to diversify. Sharjah has concentrated on
promoting and encouraging social, educational and cultural
projects, resulting in its being named Arab City of Culture in 1998.
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) u1
. ia:ala The original meaning of this verb is to put. However, it
is very frequently used with a following imperfect verb (here
yatamatta:) to express to cause, to make do something, also
sometimes to begin.
. yuqadclar ;s estimated, evaluated. This is a passive verb (see
grammar section below). Other examples in the text are the
feminine form of the same verb - tuqaddar, uiriyat were
carried out, tu:tabar is considered and tuuSaf is described.
. nasamah a person, individual. This is is a special word only
used in population counts.
. uulaa is the feminine of awwal first.
. f!:J1 etc. Abbreviations are not very common in Arabic. The
pronunciation is given in the vocabulary above and the literal
meaning is to its last or to its end.
. kamaa, literally ;ust as, is often used to join sentences and
can usually be translated simply as also.
. baraamii. The singular bamaamii has - according to the
Arab interpretation - five root letters (b-r-n-m-i). Such words
are rare, and almost always of foreign derivation. Since the
Arabic internal plural system cannot cope with 5-consonant
words, one is arbitrarily ignored in the plural formation.

UNIT 13
237
" A ':'''':'J ul ta:biiraat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
WL .<'11 b 0 \11 0 0 L - . Y.:.. .:.a.Lu
_ ut-'"'   oJ .
qaabalt l1\iulan ya:mal fii maSna: al-ajbizah al-kahrabaa'iyyah
I-met a-man he-wOIks in factory [of] the-equipments the-electrical
I met a man who works in the electrical appliances factory
.,:i ..}  IJ'*">i ..u l!1 J:!I
aSSadiiq alladhii zurt-uh ams yaskun fIi tuuDis
the-friend who I-visited-him yesterday he-lives in Tunisia
The friend whom I visited yesterday lives Tunisia
I ..} u-J4- dl:aA 4J J4- .lI1 L.A.lI
aDDaabiT alladhi sayyaarat-uh hunaak jaalis fi l-maqhaa
the-officer who his-car [is] there [is] sitting in the-cafe
The officer whose car is there is sitting in the cafe
U:-=JI..}  I...,:JI b1 :ttl1
aJ-badhlah aJjadiidah aUatii ishtarayt-haa maSnuu:ah Ii S-Siin
the-suit the-new which I-bought-it [is] manufactured in the-China
The new suit which I bought is made in China
UlJI I.>i taraakiib aI-lughah (Sbuctures)
1 Relative clauses
Relative clauses in English are the second half of sentences such
as:
I replied to the letter which arrived last week.

238
ARABIC
They are usually introduced by linking words such as which, who,
whom, whose, that, called relative pronouns. The person or thing
which the relative clause describes (here letter) is called the
antecedent.
There are two important things to decide in Arabic:
1 Whether the antecedent is:
a) definite (with the or the name of a person or place):
The train which we were supposed to catch was cancelled.
Mr Smith who lives next door lent me his lawn mower.
Muscat which was once a small town is now a large metropolis.
b) indefinite (usually with a):
He is a character who always has an answer to everything.
Books which you have already read should be thrown out or
given away.
Arabic has two different structures, according to the indefinitel
definite status of the antecedent.
2 The antecedent's role in the first part ofthe sentence, i.e. whether:
a) it is doing something (subject);
b) something is being done to it (object);
c) it belongs to someone or something (possessive).
English makes slight alterations to some of the relative pronouns:
· who shows that the antecedent is the subject;
· whom shows that the antecedent is the object, or having
something done to it;
· whose shows a possessive relationship.
Sometimes the relative pronoun is omitted in informal speech:
The woman [whom] I love...
The/Urns [that] I like...
Forming relative dauses In Arabic:
a) those with defmite antecedents require the use of relative
pronouns (the equivalents of who, which. whom etc.)
b) those with indefinite antecedents do not use relative pronouns.
Otherwise, the methods of fanning both types are identical.

UNIT 1 3
239
Fonn
Arabic relative pronouns
rnasc. sing.
fern. sing.
rnasc. plur.
fern. plur.
dual (rnasc.)
dual (fem.)
Arabic pronoun
1/,jJ1 alladhi
.
I alIGti
,jJ1 alladhiina
'.il allaati
ejl1 aUadhaani
ejUJJI allatGani
Used with a ntecedent types
one male
one object of rnasc. gender
one female
one object of fem. gender
plural objects of either gender
plural males only
plural females only
two men
two women/objects
Notes:
1 Duals change their endings to &.!- -ayni when they are governed by
another word. (See Unit 14).
2 In most varieties of spoken Arabic, all the above are reduced to illi.
There is no distinction in Arabic between who, whom or which as
there is in English. The relative pronouns agree only in number and
gender with the antecedent.
As well as deciding whether to put the relative pronoun in or not,
the Arabic relative clause differs from that of English in two ways:
a) it must constitute a complete and independent sentence on its
own. English ones do not; which I bought yesterday does not
make independent sense.
b) it must contain some stated or implied pronoun which refers
back to the antecedent This pronoun is called the referent.
Dtifinlte antecedent
English: The film that I saw...
Arabic: Thefiim (masc. sing.) +
that (antecedent is definite, so relative pronoun required;
select from box) +
I saw (referent required to show that what you saw refers
to the film)

240
ARABIC
This gives the model:
The film - that - I saw it
Because film is masculine in Arabic, it requires the appropriate
masculine relative, and it is expressed by masculine uh him.
So in Arabic we say:
4:i.au, - :UI - I
aJ-fillm - alladhi - shaahadt-uh
In both English and Arabic the relative clause makes independent
sense. The relative pronoun is simply a joining word.
lndeftnlte antecedent
For indefinite antecedents the process is identical, except that there
is no relative pronoun:
A film which I saw
A film - I saw it (him)
4:i.a - 
f'illm - shaahadt-uh
Relatfonshlp between verb and antecendent
In the above examples, the antecedent film is the object of the verb,
i.e. the action of the verb is being applied to it. There are three
other possible common relationships between the antecedent and
the verb:
1 Subject. The antecedent is performing the action of the verb.
Remember that in Arabic, all verbs are regarded as having built-in
pronoun subjects. yaktub does not just mean writes, it means he
writes.
The official who works in the customs 
The official - who - he-works in the customs (definite, so needs
relative pronoun)
cl J I ..,; J.u: - <:?:UI - ...i1:..,.J1
al-muwaDHDHaf - alladhi - ya:maJ fi I-jamaarik

UNIT 13
241
An official who works in the customs... ...
(an) official- he-works in the customs (indef. - no relative pronoun)
dJ1 ..,;  - .....iJ,;
muwaDHDHaf - ya:maI Ii I-jamaarik
2 Possessive. This is almost always expressed with the relative
pronoun whose in English.
Maryam, whose sister lives in London
Maryam - who - her sister lives in London (relative pronoun
required after proper name, in this case feminine)
w.3l! ..,; 4J.:;..i  - I- f""'->"
maryam - allati - taskun ukht-haa ru landan
A girl whose sister lives in London
(a) girl- her sister lives in London
u ..,; 4J.:;..i  - 
bint - taskun ukht-haa fii landan
3 Prepositional phrases
The contractors to whom I paid a large sum
The contractors - who - I-paid to-them a large sum
I l.i4o r+' .::..UJ - U:!.lI1 - u.,J",li.J1
al-muqaawiluun - aIIadhiina - dafa:t la-hum mablaghan kabiiran
Contractors to whom I paid a large sum
Contractors - I-paid to-them a large sum
I l.i4o  J - u.,J",l:i.
muqaawiluun - dafa:t la-hum mablaghan kabiiran
All the above examples have verb sentences as the relative clause,
but similar combinations are possible with is/are verbless

242
ARABIC
sentences. The same rules regarding inclusion or omission of the
relative pronoun apply.
The manager, whose name is Qasim...
The manager - who - his-name Qasim
 U ,,-,I - 1:?.lIi - J:!.J.A11
al-mudiir - alladhi - ism-uh qaasim
An official whose name is Muhsin
Official- his-name Muhsin
..........I-......i1;
muwaDHDHaf - ism-uh muHsin
2 Passive verbs
A passive verb is one whose subject suffers the action, rather than
carnes it out (known as an active verb). English uses the
auxiliary verb to be for the passive:
Active: A bolt of lightning struck the rree
Passive: The tree was struck by a bolt of lightning
The use of the passive is much more restricted in Arabic than in
English. In many verbs it is identical in writing to the active, as the
only changes are in the vowelling which is not shown.
The rules for forming it for the various verb types are given in the
Verb Tables.
There are five examples in the text. Three of these look identical to
the active forms, but differ in (unseen) vowelling:
J.1i.! yuqaddar (active yuqaddir) is estimated and its feminine
tuqaddar [5-11 verb]
..*W tu:tabar (active tu:tabir) is considered (fem. form) [5- Vill]
 ujriyat (active ui ajrat) was carried out (fern. fonn) [Ly-IV]
....1-.,,:> tuuSaf (active ....i...:.:i taSiO is described (fem. form) [Fw-I]

UNIT 13
243
Some of these verbs are among the most frequently-used passive
forms in newspaper Arabic, so look out for them. In the case of
those which are identical to the active in spelling, your only
guideline is the context. For instance (after you have looked up all
the words), the subject of the fIrst example is :adad number. Since
numbers can not carry out estimations, the verb must be passive.
..
Lo...IS.JI U1jJi awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
maCaaCiC*
Arabic example
maraakiz ,jS1."..
centres
Eng. sound-alike
moroccos
This is a plural fonn for many words in Arabic which begin with
the prefix ma- or (less commonly) mi-, some of which have the
feminine ending b_ One of the few mainly reliable rules for fonning
internal plurals is that, if the vowel after the middle radical of the
root is short, then they will almost invariably take this plural shape,
e.g. the example in the box above is the plural ofmarkaz (short a
after middle radical k).
This word pattern does not take the accusative marker.
" Other examples from the text are:
ti1y mawaaqi:* situations  ti mawqi:
J.b manaaTiq* regions   minTaqah
Here are a few more common ones:
V").J.c> madaaris* schools  4.... J .J.c> madrasah
l...o.o maSaani:* factories  r:?-- maSna:
lS..o makaatib* offices, desks   maktab
Jj num9niI * residences  Jj:L.o manzil

244
ARABIC
w.a...,..:a tamriioaat (Practice)
Exerdse 3
There are eight relative clauses in the tourist brochure above, four
definite and four indeftnite. Can you spot them?
Exercise 4
Rewrite the following sentences, supplying the correct relative
pronouns (if any) to put into the gaps.
.bb....:a- ..m...... I..... I \
.  J-:! ........... J..k ia.)lj Y
.'wI.b...",  .j ........... I uW:a Y'
.Wl LJ'wI'; U"J '-! .::.oi.;; ,.......... """La t
J   ........... V-Pl ulS 0
.dJL..;l1 w-o t-4J1 .; u,.,..,J'"':I ........... I '\
'r,*1 .:.J.-", LJI t I  ........... J.JL....) V
.U:-=JI ,,;.  J."..JI  4:a ........... uL..-iJ1 It.
. J,J b d J+j b lS ...........  "
'(j1 4.k.i ........... J:! .u I \ ·
Translation
1 This is the house which we are going to rent.
2 An employee who works in a factory visited me.
3 I saw the doctor whose clinic is in the middle of town.
4 Khalid whose book I read teaches at the secondary school
5 The chair which she sat on was broken
6 The students who study at the university are from the Emirates.

UNIT 13
245
7 A letter which he sent last week arrived today.
S The shirts which they sell in the souk are made in China.
9 A singer (f) who was famous many years ago will be visiting Syria.
IOMy son has afriend who is originally [his origin is] Scottish.
 -J"?'GwI istla'iara [S-X] to rent, be a tenant of
.,:,L .o4£ :iyaadah, -aat clinic
AwJ wasT middle
t 4 baa:a [My-I] sell
 mughanniyyah (female) singer
Exercise 5
Read the following excerpts from a Gulf tourist brochure and look
out for passive verbs and relative clauses. These are marked in the
answer key with bold type and underlining respectively.
 I J-!II
e,..:.i c;-:a1J,J I S  £
J.i..  J-f11
,u,,.,lJIJ JlfJlJ Ji.:.,.,lJ1
" 1£'.11 ,..JI ...iI1
LJA J::u- IT,t " 
 ......i.J1 a-s:\'1
. ..,-- U'" _
;)-?o1.1&J1
I uU4--f
..u..:a .4 ; : - . . w.....-J
..L.i ...u:.i I Li
 . ..-
....L.:i....tJ1
.41; .;"I II_"
. , ..JI '1".11 .. b
"""'" IT'  'J" "s.:Io.
...i-,
...,a u;aWI .;i- I
.aw..J1 o,j,A
-;: .  -. -:>. y':..!.. :
. I .:; 1 ... .I I o.)..A ...,a -Y
J I ... f ...   ,.;; , :.;
.7 ,!P- ";'.<, '::0 uL.S I/,wl .J...+.+.J+oI1
:. 1,,1 .], . ;; ') uI..,.w..
.,7 , ", ;;;'t'>iO;'-:;;:-'-:: u . G: ' I_I t 
':Ltn , " . "" --#.,./ '.' <- ...,a u I WlJI
.., " uJPJ .WI UJLII
..
. . . ' -- . i.";. J I
. .. . .-.....- iL.I""
../

246
ARABIC
-
[::II oSi a:aada [Mw-IV] to repeat, renew
 binaa' building, construction
c>iLS kaa'in being, existing, situated
us-ai amkana [S-IV] to be possible
i,s,AL...::... mushaahadah seeing, viewing
Ji , shakl, ashkaal kind, type, form
I.JA hawaa' air
*I..H '*..H bariiil, baraaiiil traditional wind tower
,.\.I tabriid cooling
oS-,,?- iaddada [D-II] renew, restore
t  ..U.Jj qal:ah, qilaa: fort, fortress, citadel
 sh6yyada [My-II] erect, construct
W .u.,i qarn, qu..uun century
 Dilyyiq narrow
}Jj .Ij zaa'ir, zuwwaar visitor
I .u t6abil, tawaabil spice
I inbG:atha [S-VlI] emanate, be sent out
t:='1J.J ..4.:..:ab raa'iHah, rawaa'iH. smell, scent, perfume
JLa."i qu..unful cloves
J haal cardamom
4i."i qirfah cinnamon
U"'4Si . kiis, akyaas bag, sack
»iaHaaTa[Mw-lV]su"ound
J'?L:W . maljar, matilaiir* trading place, shop, stall
uL .J4w sibGaq, -oat race
(.Ro.A . haiiin, huiun racing cemel
 sha:bii folk, popular
Lii aqaama [Mw-IV] (here) to hold (of an event)
Uo:i shitaa'* winter

.Ll!'IIT 1 3
Exercise 6
Link the two sentences together using a relative clause.
.b b 1),J,ji  .<:? Ji- ...LI JAL ,
. \ A \ It.  .; I ...wl ,.1>4J1  u1! J Y
.UJ..#. c: 1 ",... uJ,Jj,! . ,JL JUf  .; 1"
.v-!I I ..} UJu..J1  .UJu..J1 ..} ,Jj  i
.u.a.luJ l ..} '-f+:...L-.  .,j ..}  ...)';"oh...:. D
.I bUJI .:.J-,J .I b u.1.C. u111L.. 'f
247
fI
F-1ji+l1 al-batraa' Petra
I iktashafa [S-VlII] discover (here passive)
,;i far:uunii pharaonic
.s dimashq * Damascus
Exercise 7
Many adjectives in
Arabic are derived from
nouns, and there are
several examples of
them in the text above.
See if you can find the
nouns in the box on
page 248 in
transliteration in the
wordsearch.
i t a . I ii m I a d
.
r i a h kh ii r aa t a
i i t i m aa . a I h
.
y aa u r a d a h h m
aa r m gh 5 i i a m .
.
D a a ii r q f . u i
.
a h t b t aa b aa t I
h a a i q i f r I m
b s 5 a I 5 q I H a
t aa ... k u t a z y w
d h a H aa y i 5 i aa

248 ARABIC
,. l..I.il . geography
- !)1?-
i;-'-J u history
;J commerce
 science
oJl..o.Alil economy
UI"j agriculture
u tourism
I meeting; sociology
t .
'l..04J sports
 education
4.iW culture

Lb.JIJ a qJJ I
as-sam: wa T-Taa:ah
Hearing is obeying
(The Arabian Nights)
In this unit you will learn:
. to follow a recipe
. how to tell people to do something
. more ways of addressing people or attracting their attention
. about duals and masculine plurals in possessive constructions
g 'i1 al-kushari Koshari
Kosharl is a popular Egyptian dish of lentils and rice, often sold
from carts in the streets. Look at the Key Phrases below, and read
through the recipe. It will help if you listen to the recording at the
same time.
Exercise 1
Now answer these questions.
a How many people does the koshari serve?
b What proportion of rice is used to lentils?
c How long must the lentils be soaked?
d How long do they cook with the rice?
e What else is layered with the rice, lentils and macaroni?
f What is added to the dish before it is served?

250
ARABIC
""'"
"\..J.J LJ4 U".wl I ,
.'" ..::.\.£1....
JI  ,j.I4 J....:.+II.>='> y
..LJI I .4- i>I",
,)Wi I;,  4A I y....
- &r'=  -  -.;r-
i>I", U".wl", j,; I i 
.  ..J t-. b.J.J U..JlI.),:' 
 .. LJ 4 .Jfi-II I T'
.,j.I1 i
 .,j.I1  rl-L..b.J1  t-
. 1:.1:.11" i
'" v--' 
.c1.. I1 ", rl-L..b.J1
j,; I   f':!1 ..i 0
u--   · "i",i U".wl",
. I -.'1' 4..i.J.. ... ,<. .11
O"'.f""
."i b JWI :t...:J..:J1 y J.J
.I 4- l..u
uoDu.:..\ "\  
>.!1iL1
J...i...! .j,;i '" ":"I,,,si t- ·
..J
.1"... i U".1L ,",:,,,,s ·
.::.....j ":",,,s  ·
.)I .
j,;)u ..l.. ":,,pl .....1w:.:. '" ":"I,,,si V ·
I  ..\.... ":"I,,,si \. ·
",fi.- 4",s ·
",fi.-.1J ..j tUb  ·
u. Ip. I W:.i.o..::. "\ ·
,
c:,..-. f" Ub llW..o ·
4..0 '" b rl-L..J....::.4-:0- "\ ·
Jilibu...lo ·
. Ll...J.J1 . . laJ..  ·
r O"'t
.)I .
Exercise 2
Link the English phrases to their Arabic equivalents.
a fry the onions in the oil
b leave them on a low heat
c add the pepper and the tomato
paste
d then add the rice and lentils
e pour the hot sauce over it
L.b.II " J.t..liJ1 i ,
bJL.J1 L...L..I I o J ,.
1,)".aJ1" j,; I i  ,.
.::.u..:,J4 I CjJA=>o t
.AAJl:. uk .;il 0

!!t"IT 14
II tJ# kushari name of an Egyptian dish
,;,L- , kammiyyah, -aat amount
 kafaa [Ly-I] to suffice, be sufficient for
u...Li , shakh5, ashkhaa5 person
,):!.1Li.A 'JI miqdaar, maqaadiir* quantify, measure
",:,Ipi ''-fy. kuub, akwaab glass, cup (in recipes)
lJi aruu rice
J-i. gh6sala [5-1 i] wash
 56Haa [Ly-II] drain, strain
1J"I.3£. :ads lentils
.1i aswad* black, here meaning brown (lentils)
,.j zayt (edible) oil
 milH salt
,;,L- 'J raghbah, -aat desire, wish
U maa' water
 salq boiling, the action of boiling something
4.:a  ma:karilunah macaroni
 ,4h.Lt, mil:aqah, malaa:iq* spoon, spoonful
 Ta:aam food
 4h.Lt, mil:6qat Ta:6am tablespoon
 b65a1 onions
 muq6na: chopped
I ,4..a.a..."..t. shariiHah, shar6a'iH* slice
 5615ah sauce
 saman ghee, clarified buffer
l. . Habbah, -aat groin, seed; also used for counting
units of certain fruits and vegetables
L.k TamaaTim * tomatoes
",..:.&a muq6shshar peeled, skinned
JJi.. mafruum minced, ground
251

252
ARABIC
JA.Ii fUlful/filfil pepper
i aHmar* red
JU Haarr hot (chilli)
 maT-Huun ground, milled
 ma:iuun paste
I .a.a Tariiqah, Taraa'iq* method, way
ti:a naqa:a [5-1 a] to soak, steep
6.,\.6 muddah (period oij time
 Hammara [5-11] to brown, fry
 thumma then
t1J rafa:a [5-1 a] raise, lift
40 iaaniban aside, to one side
 sakaba [5-1 u] to pour out
JJi f6wqa above, over
 Hattaa until
 ghalaa [Ly-I] to boil, come to the boil
L..i.i aDaafa [My-IV] to add
.Ju naar fire (fern.)
j,soJu haadi' gentle, quiet
Li.J .oJ daqiiqah, daqaa'iq* minute
j;i athnaa'(a) during, while
 taqdiim presentation, serving
 J waDa:a [Fw-I a] to put, place
 khaliiT mixture
uL . Tabaqah, -aat layer
J rGshsha [D-I u] sprinkle, spray
.
JI OW or
.ii qaddama [5-11] to present, serve
I..H" .40 iaanib, iawaanib * side
J4bi . Tabaq, aTbaaq plate

IT14
253
Ii"t U ma:luumaat thaqaafiyyah
(Cultural tips)
Arabic cookery
The recipe given is for koshari, a simple, nutritious (vegetarian)
dish from Egypt. Instructions in Arabic recipes are usually written
in the feminine singular, on the assumption that Arab men stay out
of the kitchen!
Although all Arab countries have their delicacies, the most highly
regarded are those of Lebanon and Syria, which have much in
common with the cuisines of other Eastern Mediterranean
countries.
North Africa has many tasty dishes, many of them long-simmered
stews eaten with couscous (polenta).
Cookery in the Gulf is much influenced by Indian cuisine, with the
extensive use of spices. The staple in the Gulf is rice, and there is
a wonderful selection of freshly-caught fish and shellfish available
from local souks at reasonable prices.
There are many good books on Middle Eastern cookery, but those
by Claudia Roden and Anissa Helou are especially worth seeking
out.
go d .:....:"."  ta:biiniat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
Describing how to prepare the ingredients
The ingredients should be...
 muqashshar peeled
tbL muqaTTa: chopped
 maT-Huun milled, ground

254
Quantities
r lA.b 4.h..L. mil:aqat Ta:aam tablespoon
\li, 4.h..L. mil:aqat shaay teaspoon
"s. kuub glass, cup (in recipes)
rl."i li..o mi'at ghraam 100 grams
 liitir litre
ARABIC
Instructions
All instructions are feminine singular (see above).
I inqa:ii soak
 Saftii strain
I ikhliTii mix
y.=.. Hammirii brown, fry
..,-iLl usluqii boil
) irfa:ii lift
I utrukii leave
I uskubii pour
i aDiifii add
c.JMJ rushshii sprinkle
 ghaTTii cover
I,F"'""U qaddimii serve

1T14
255
iil!1 I",:; taraakiib al-Iughah (Structures)
Giving instructions and directions
The type of verb used for giving someone instructions or directions
is called the imperative. In English this does not usually differ from
the ordinary present tense verb:
Present tense: You work hard
Imperative: Work hard!
Arabic uses a special adaptation of the variant fonn of the present
tense called the jussive, which you can find in the Verb Tables at
the end of this book.
fanning the imperative
This is also explained in the section on verbs at the end of the book,
but it is simply constructed as follows:
a) Look up in the verb tables the you fonn, or 2nd person singular,
jussive fonn of the present tense, e.g.:
r.1A:i tuqaddim you present, serve
b) Remove the prefix ta- or tu-, to get f"oii qaddim.
c) If the result, as in the above example, begins with:
· a consonant followed by any of the vowels, you have
fonned the imperative masculine singular (f".1i qaddim
Present!)
two consonants (Arabic letters db (j), 1m (t), etc.
counting as only one consonant), supply an alif at the
beginning and pronounce it in most cases as the vowel i.
 tasta:lim you enquire
.
  sta:lim
 I ista:lim enquire!
d) Fonn 1 verbs, as usual, show vowel variation. With sound Form
1 verbs (see Table 5-1), removing the preftx always results in a

256
ARABIC
two-consonant beginning, so an alif must be prefixed. Note the
vowel following the second consonant, which can be a, i or u.
· If it is a or i, the above rules for two consonants apply:
 taghsil wash ... ghsil ... I ighsil Wash!
· If it is u, the alif must also be given au-vowel:
..,,:u tatruk leave (aside)'"  trnk" I utruk Leave!
In practice this is not too important, as these vowels are very
often elided unless the imperative comes at the beginning of a
sentence.
Note: The one exception to the above rules is the Form IV verb (all
types; see Tables). In these verbs, an alifwith an a-vowel is always
prefIxed to the shortened jussive fonn, whether this begins with
two consonants or not. This initial a-vowel is never elided, and is
often written with a hamzah as below:
J... tursiI (from J...) S-IV to send)'" J...J rsil.... J...) arsil Send!
 tuDiifii (fern. sing. from ...il..Ai'My-IV to add) ...  Diifii
... i aDiitii Add! (fem. sing.). The aIif is added even though the
shortened jussive begins with a consonant followed by a vowel.
lnegular Imperatives
The only common irregular imperatives are:
JW ta:aal Come! (no phonetIc relation to the verb...4 jaa'a)
.l=.. khudb Take! from.l=..i akhadba to take
o::..L.. haat Give!, probably from the verb i ataa
 kul Eat!, from JSi akala to eat
Feminine and plural Imperatives
Feminine and plural imperatives obey the rules above, using the
relevant parts of the jussive:
IF" -ii fem. sing. (addressed to one female)

IT 14
257
I.t- uu masc. pI.
 -na fern. pI.
For come! these same endings are added to JW giving 1.,Jl.U .W
etc. The same is true for the other irregular imperatives hsted
above
Note: The dual imperatives for addressing two people occur rarely
and have been omitted from this section. However, they can be
deduced from the jussive fonn in exactly the same way.
Negative Imperatives
Use the negative word "i Iaa, not followed by the appropriate part
of the jussive, retaining its prefix:
.d "i laa tatruk don't leave (to a man)
...,..t-u "i laa taghsilii don't wash (to a woman)
I "i ]aa tasta:limuu don't enquire (to several men)
W uU Jla...o ma:luumaat thaqaafiyyab (Cultural tips)
A situation in which you often see imperatives are road signs
telling you to do something (slow down, stop, etc.)
<:i:__{:);\c '
.
-'it, '
..;-;
...<
..<;O.:y.
. .
f';(;\i
.. ,,:
>.n..Q(Y
'i .. .. '
;k
:Reduc Speed
. , I
# ,; I '
':., <
..."--'---:
::?.ffl;)'; - :
<£y'
,.,... . . .-
:f:, .::
I';" .>
,<.> . >fj.
.:z._...;.:. .
.,. "..,
. . .  ..;; .. .... .!W:'
h"'i:' 4:--""'""'"
y. .:'  : <. ..'.
However, many common signs are expressed in a different way, for
stance with the word ..4..)1 ar-rljaa' which means the request,
i.e. it is requested, please do/don't do something. This is followed

258
ARABIC
by a noun indicating the action requested. Such signs often feature
the word r :adam lack of, absence of when the request is a
negative one, Le ru2l. to do something.
, ..;
':' j '.' t ::
, "
, ,
" ' <, <
:/:....- '
, .
'  ', ''',
" '
, ,
,. , . > ,..
.,. . '
. ,.. ' '
,,:1,
,di'
.':to-.;:
 ;.t "

2 More ways to address people
As we have already seen, all fonns of Arabic use the vocative
particle 4 yaa when addressing people or attracting attention:
!c,.r'L... 4 yaa saamii Sami!
A slightly different form is used when the person addressed has the
definite article:
!J:!oA I 4.!1 4 yaa ayyuhaa al-amiir! 0 Emir!
This construction is commonly found in political and other
emotive speeches with a plural noun:
I,,:,,I b)'1 4:!1 4 0 Arab brothers!
yaa ayyuhaa l-ikhwah al-:arab
!uI1 I 4 Ladies!
yaa ayyatuhaa (fem.) as-sayyidaat
3 Masc. plurals and duals in possessive constructions
As you know these endings all end in the letter nuun 0:

IT 14
Masculine plural:
Z>J- -uun (subject)
 -un (object and possessive)
Dual:
L -aan (fem.uL:a... -ataan) (subject)
 -Byn (fem.  -atayn) (object and possessive)
However, when any of these types of word fonn the fIrst part of a
possessive construction, the letter nuun of the endings is dropped.
There are several examples of such duals in the recipe:
 yfi two cups of macaroni
259
.:.u rlAJ.. uw.. two tablespoons of oil
(this is a double possessive, the Arabic literally reading
two-spoons [of] food [of] oil)
Examples of the masculine plural are:
Lfi=J1 ..J-O'  The officials of the govem-
HaDara muwaDlIDHafuu ment attended
I-Hukuumah
.:. "",,,,,.40 4.S:1 
taTlub ash-sharikah manduubii
mabii:aat
The company is seeking sales
representatives
..
Lo...IS.JI U1jJi awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
istiCCaaC
Arabic example
istinkaar JI
reiection
Eng_ sound-alike
(mJist in car (omiffing
fi rst letter)
This is the verbal noun of S-X verbs.

260
ARABI£
" \",II istikhdaam using. usage, use
JL..u...1 isti:maal same meaning as above
t"1 isti:laam enquiring, enquiry
JI istiqbaal reception (of guests, etc.)
...I istithnaa' excepting, exception
uw.a tamriioaat (Practice)
Exerc:ise 3
You are in an aeroplane and are served a meal. Match each of these
packs of food and seasoning to the appropriate English word.
i ! -- ii I oj I iii  ::;. 
) ::::; '-
om ,...1.iI.i
iv V  f'f:r
eI---
,
I 1
a salt b pepper c sugar d butter e water
Exerc:ise 4
L ook at these road signs and match them with the English.
tUI) t  )
t ) t -ii )
a Thrn left b Stop c Slow down d Thrn right

261
UNIT 1.4
;=--
Exercise 5 .. .
you are in a car park 1D Dubm and have to pay the parking fee.
Read the instructions on the ticket machine and answer the
questions on page 262.
, I u",;,
r
r"'" J I uU . i
I c.J! I
,,..... 1 A.:,o-
n . .. c.Jl I £. .:,0-
t; - vlj)'IJ I
( o. .,{ , J)
JI
i.J.i:J1 r.P <::=J
(y)
(Y")
I
i}'.wl
<:=J
( y)
ftWil


IJ 4-J' ....u
'-i .-.:J I
rAJ) Y = l....
r-J) 0 = \,)l....
ra J) A ::: ,,:,l&.l.... r
ra J) " = .:;..l." £.
J..tr.11 "A:J  tM' J
 (,)

Ua.JL '.1J1
. . r!
n ('>

I "WI I

262
ARABI£.
a Match the following English with the Arabic:
i Payment by coins ti4 "\'\I ,
ii Payment by card I J,,:LJ4 .1.I1 y
b Which coins can you use?
c On what day do you not need to pay a fee?
d What is the longest time you can park?
e How much does it cost to park for two hours?
r Find the word for press
Exerdse 6
Find an appropriate response to the cues in the right-hand column.
(Note: Some of these are in the feminine singular.)
1I-"" .4.......r.'" a
.J,! 1.J.::.oLA b
! bJJ c
!d
..":...AU 'ILAl:;... e
u. 1$".
!<:'J':"I f
Ig
l:.h

. k \.:at ,
u :.t':'"
 t:.i y
!..,...s: b ,..,...s: b ,.
.;"..& ":,,fiJ11.lA t
1iL..o
,J.&.::o.  ,,:,,II.lA '\
..jO i V
!.::.oG"
II
... Lo liP :umrii maa ... I hove never -..
,r!> iarraba [5-11] try out, taste
1.sJ ritdda [D-I u] return something to someone
/S,r!> iaraa [Ly-I] run
t.:a naama [Ma-I] sleep

A local supennarket has special offers on
some food items which are announced
over the loudspeaker. Listen to the
recording, and answer the questions.
- a How much is the minced lamb per kilo?
b What do they want you to see?
c What do they suggest you make for a
meal?
d How long does the cheese offer last?
e Listen to the recording again, and select
an appropriate word from the box to put
t;';-;' n, "':' into the gaps below, putting it into the
· ' , . . imperative fonn.
 ..;. o !liA.l.c. Jla.... ........... !r1  u1! ...........
.f"""IJJ It. -!, t"'' F I
t:.,, 4" ........... .4J!J w u.o ,  ...........
..b:U r L:...Jla....i .b.l1J1 r,.,LJ1  ........... 'r'*' illl....U
UN IT 14
-
 Exercise 7 ",
.. .
.. '
,.. ., .
. ': _f  '.> .
.
."",
:...:

...,. . 
-t' '.....-..
.) : -- 
 
: ..
.
.,.
, .",:
-. <. -...... .::-
263
I
PI
1".s.A W:a
I"., .J'?'
I,.sW
Ii
II
L.....ii . qism, aqsaam section, division
,..w . laHm, luHuum meat
 ghanam sheep (collective)
L . tashkiilah, -aat selection
L ." waiabah, -aat meal
j1=rJ1  iubnat al-Halluum Hal/oumi cheese
Exercise 8
a Read the following exchange between Pawzi and his assistant
Karim. (Note that where English says shall 1..., Arabic uses the
simple present tense)

264
ARABI C
-
-r4JL....)1 bl.A i f"'JJ.
.I. C/jJA
Instruct Karim to do what he offers to do, using an imperative verb
(with suffix pronoun if necessary).
-ru I WI J....) ,
-rl.& 4JL....)1 i ,.
-r4 I"
b Patimah's new maid is helping her with the lunch. Can you tell
her to do what she is offering?
-r4J"LbJI  ,.WI i ,
-r1 ,; j.; I .!!jii T
-r1 J-ii ,.
,.
U I al-aan now
J..u} arsala [S-IV) send
IJJi fawran immediately

JJ  ,-:,J"'U'
al-:arab Iii huuliiwuud
Arabs in Hollywood
In this unit you will learn:
. to make comparisons
. to say how things are done
. more about shopping
g JJJA c} ,.,.a.J' al...:arab fji huuliiwuud
The Arabs in Hollywood
The best-known Arab actor to have achieved stardom in the
Western cinema is the Egyptian-born Omar Sharif, famous for his
celebrated roles in the films Lawrence of Arabia and Dr Zhivago.
However, in the 1990s competition came along in the shape of
Salma Hayek.
Read the magazine article about Salma, looking carefully through
the new vocabulary.
nerdse 1
Now answer the questions.
a What was Salma Hayek the fust Arab woman to do?
b What aspect of her beauty appeals particularly to the West?
c Which stars does she compete with in Hollywood?
d When was she born?
e Where does her mother come from originally?
f How old was she when she was spotted by producers?
g What ftlm did she work in with Quentin Tarantino?
h What will her most recent film give her?

266
ARABIC
I ,.I_lIJ ..I ...< AI 
JI t A -: :- II!.J .J-....:. I
b . - "'I ' . <" ': ' L........  I . L:a...JJ I
 I,/, JI,/ ,
If:.J .cl.!l=oJl  bJ 
Jilil 4 I A:-
.!:.... -:"' WI ' ,-' I I
..;- CU-J ...,. J w'::- ' , A
4-=>-i J .::.IJ U..>--L 0--<'
 .y1 b.)7-1 J.....:..ls:
., 'I '-'I  - -:', A'ILA ' , i
U"J'" IS'.  J 1;..- ..1:>0.
, , .. I I .d """ ,. L '.1
r -  
I 4- I «,J,jl,j))
lil.l.o.  .::.b.LiJ U"1J-lLt
rLu-A1 4J  I L..:.L;..
ULLJ-"'J (5."pJ1 [1.:U)l1 .::.lS:y-..
Jt b1 -J.,wl 4J I.J-O L.
&0 u lS: 1.JJ,j b=--:"" .::.i 4=a!
- .. ' . i .., .'1
b _ U J--
,jy\  J ..J-OI
'iI' '..1. _LI.I.:....
U _ U-OJ
uIlllA
.I}.IJ b,ii.;si
II...
M 99A w
J I b .,L LA - ''6'''1 '
, :..r-:-- .>--' 
 U l l.hl...1 .,;.JI v"1
,jy\ ).,,-i J bi1 J.,i
Wli uk i uk  "":'J
,I
.,,-..J I.).oJ 4=a ",=,,I J
L 0--<' '' I A_  I
lJI J 1 'LU ..
t:? ....,. - - 
u.".b.Li Il..+JJ .I 
uii .J L  I I
.::..;si  I G "': I .:.....
 I,j!.J . ,j.j-A
. L:;,. I' - .. 'I d...l=oJl
u..JJ ("--"'"  r.".....:- -
0.0 L...AJ JJA ,j,J 
.J.J-A .::.
Jy.J1 bl) .4!WI J
. \ , '\ '\  bJ"..J1 '",=,,I 
- . I.. ., I
I,/ ,........... 

UN IT 15
----
267
Exercise 2
Match the English phrases to the Arabic expressions.
a the first woman 4 .j"'" .::..4,;s:i ,
b the leads in their greatest films IJI.J .,:i,;s:i u1 ,.
c most of the stars of Hollywood in
terms of beauty
d the most beautiful television
personality
e greater eminence as regards
power and popularity
oi.>"1 J..,i 1"
..':'b'lb .'Iluit
- J'" 
f+4Y.ii i  .::.. I 0
.
 Jf1 qahara [S-1 aJ to conquer
#1 i:tCibara [S-VlII] to consider, regard
oL ,0  safiirah, -aat ambassador (female)
tu::u"""'1 islaTaa:a [Mw-X] to be able
,..L..U ,0i,J41 imra'ah, nisaa' (irregular plural) woman
I ikhtCiraqa [S-VlII] to breach (wall, defences, etc.)
JI"...,i , suur, aswaar wall, fence
..,.;,,,i fGraDa [S-I iJ impose
f,)'oI"La , nah, nufUus self; soul (fern.)
I a:laa highest; the highest point, top
oL ,4..:alJ qaa'imah, -aat list
,:,L , naimah, -aat star, (female) film star
J 'j.4J ramz, rvmuuz symbol, code
 siHr magic
t;-"')l& malaamiH* features
u. ghaayah extreme, most
;='u naaDHara [S-III] to equal, compete with
i a:Taa [Ly-IV) to give
o1 buTuulaat leading roles

268
AR
f'1 . fiilm, aflaam film
J.A&a mufGDDil preferring
I,j zaaHama [5-111] to jockey for position with
J!i. ghayr other than
L.wl _i1 usTuurah, asaaTiir* legend
,.s,.. mawluud born
u _I ibnah, banaat daughter
u.,. '.J'i'"lf.e. muhaaiir, -uun emigrant
 muqiim residing, resident
'<'.: ...C' . I I al-maksiik Mexico
4-u1 isbGanii Spanish
J.,-i .J.w:.i aSI, uSUul origin, basis
l.j! idhaa if
I iitilma:a [S-VlII] meet, come together
i tbamrah fruit
6,J Halaawah sweetness; also beauty
,J raSada [S-I u] observe, watch, monitor
u - :ayn, :uyUun eye; also spring (of water) (fern.)
u.,. -F muntii, -uun producer
 UJU thaalithah :ashar thirteenth
 :umr oge, life
,Ju.:..1 ikhtlaara [MrVlII] to choose
l+AJ waqt6-haa then, at that time
.s ka- as, like
Ja.?i aimal* more/most beautiful
6,J-?,J -'4'-J waih, wuiuuh face, (media) personality
J-J tilifizyCtunii television (adj.), te/evisual
i akhadha [S-I u] to take

UNIT 15
-=--
269
J Ii. for, in order to
d,jWol ishtlaraka [5.VlII] to participate, subscribe
JIj..A madhaaq flavour
 ialaba [5.1 i] attract, bring
rL..UA1 ihtim6am attention, concern, interest
t wi intlaai production
IJ'.".?-JI al-kubraa the largest (see grammar notes)
1.4 uu.",.... sur:aan maa quickly, before long
J.! bal rather; (here) in fact, indeed
1".:..j.4 mu'6khkhiran recently, lately
 muft6raD assumed, supposed
J i asnada [5-1V] entrust to, vest in
uL . mugh6nniyah, -aat singer (female)
 shahiir famous
i akiid cerlein
li1 inTilaaqah (here) eminence, brightness
.;3Si akthar* more/most
L .6,Ji quwwah, -aat force, power, strength
Jw&:u'l intishaar spread, currency; (here) popular;ty
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) Ui.:rr.1
. awwal imra'ah the first woman. awwal first is treated in
Arabic as a superlative adjective. See below.
. imra'ah woman is an irregular noun:
1 When it has the definite article, it drops both the initiol alif;
(6ij6-1l) and the vowel after the r and is pronounced al-mar'ah
2 It has the phonetically-unrelated plural nisaa', also with
the variant niswaan (ul ....).

270
ARABI C
-
. an takuun. Although no verb to be is used in simple statements
equating to is/are, certain conjunctions, including an that,
require the present subjunctive tense after them. See below.
. bi.maa is a common conjunction, usually translated as for, in
that, as, because.
. salmaa (al-)Haayik. The Arab press seems to be unsure
whether Salma's family name should have the article or not.
Both usages appear.
. ghayr-humaa lit. and other than them-two. The dual suffix is
used because two people (Stone and Moore) have been named
. ibnah is used for daughter in isolation. If you soy daughter of
Rashid, the form is bint, which also means girl.
. takuun will/would be. When the present tense of kaana is
used, it implies future or uncertainty instead of straight fact.
. fa.qad This is fa- so with the past marker qad (see Unit 8).
ath-thaalithah :asharah min :umr-haa. This phrase is
feminine to agree with the unstated word sanah year. See
Ordinal numbers, Unit 11.
. ukhtiirat. Past tense passive of a My-VIII verb. See verb tables
. waqt-haa soon, quickly. lit. her time means then with a sense
of immediacy, there and then
. wuiuuh faces olso has the extended meaning of {show
business} personalities.
. bal is an emphatic word, meaning not only this but...
. muntiiii huuliiwuud. For the dropping of the final nuun of
the first word, see Unit 14.
" .d ':-"'':-'''' 1 ta:biiraat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
Comparatives and superlatives
b u.... i ..t=- Mahmoud is taller than Nasir
 I I vA blA This is the hardest problem

UN IT 15
--
271
JJ I I .,\Au. jA
,j"" ,,;. bijOl i vA
Did you see the first programme?
She is the most beautiful woman
in Hollywood
UJJI I,;:; taraakiib al-Iughah (Structures)
1 Forming comparatives and superlatives
Comparative adjectives in English usually end in -er and are
followed by the word than: larger than life.
Superlatives usually end in -(e)st: the greatest show on earth.
Comparatives
Because they involve internal changes, true comparatives in Arabic
can only be fanned from simple adjectives with three root
consonants, often plus a long vowel (usually 00, ii, e.g. woosi:,
kabiir). The comparative of such adjectives can be constructed
taking the following steps:
a) Identify the three root consonants, e.g.: kabiir ... k-b-r.
b) Prefix an alif (pronounced a) and re-vowel the root letters as
follows:
1 st radical - no vowel
2nd radical- an a-vowel.
e.g.  ... radicals J-'":-'- ... i akbar
Note: Although it is not always written, the prefixed alif
technically has a hamzah on it (i), so the a-vowel is never elided.
This fonn does not change and is used for all genders and numbers.
The word for than is l>-> min:
JU11 u.o i J=iJ1 The elephant is bigger than the mouse
aI-fill akbar min al.fa'r
Look at the following common adjectives and their comparatives:

272
II; J.a..jb tall
 short
b;g
 small
.ii old
.J cheap
J.:!.4.? beautiful
ARABIC
Ji taller
",...:di shorter
",.pi bigger/older (humans)
i smaller/younger (humans)
.iii older (things)
) cheaper
J.L?i more beautiful

fft
- . I i
 IE"
c,.roi 0-0 I I
ukht-ii aqSar min umm-ii
My sister is shorter than my nwther
 JJl..h
JJlb 0-0 i 
saliim aTwaI min Taariq
Salim is taller than Tariq
Pronunciation notes:
1 If the adjective has the same second and third root letters, the a-
vowel is shifted back from the second radical to the fust, and the
second and third radicals are written as one (technically with the
doubling sign shaddah, but this is usually omitted):
.1Z.. shadiid strong, violent" radicals ,J-,J-cJ.. ".1Z..i ashadd
f"u haamm important" radicals f"-r-...A" f"""'i ahamm
2 If it ends in one of the weak letters ,J or IS, this becomes a long
aa (written IS) in the comparative: -
"h Hulw sweet, beautiful" radicals ,J-J-c: .. i aHlaa
liJl al-ghaalii** expensive" radicals ulL i .. -J-t aghlaa
** given here with the definite article, as indefinites of this type
have an irregular spelling (see Unit 18).

UN IT 1.5
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273
3 For polysllabic wo!ds which cannot coonn to the above
system, ArabIC uses I akthar more and Jil aqaliless followed
by an adverbial accusative (see below), ending in a marked or
unmarked -an.
superlatives
Superlatives are fonned in exactly the same way as comparatives,
but take different sentence structures. All of the examples below
are taken from the article above.
1 Superlative + 'ndefln,te singular noun (technically In the genltfve)
iiiyl JJi awwal imra'ah the first woman
first is regarded as a superlative.
2 Superlative + dnfte plural noun
.J-'I b"J1 i the most beautiful television personality
ajmal al-wujuuh at-tilifizyuuniiya
This equates with the English parallel the most beautiful of [the J
television personalities.
3 Deflnlte noun + dnlte superlative
Il:: l.:U I .::..l.S';" the biggest production companies
sharikaat al-intaaj al-kubraa
In the last example, the fIrst word sharikaat is defInite because it
is the fIrst tenn in a possessive: see Unit 6.
Note:
a) this is actually more of an intensive than a superlative, probably
better translated as the great production companies.
b) a few common adjectives have a feminine fonn when required
by agreement (here for a neuter plural). This is derived from the
three root letters and vowelled and spelled as in kubraa. This is the
least common of the three constructions, but is often encountered
in set phrases, e.g.:
L,J I JyWl ash-sharq al-awsaT The Middle East (masc.)
I '-:=aLb..-,H briiTaanyaa 1-:uDHmaa Great Bntain (fem.,
from  mighty).

274
ARAB IC
-
c) J.,i awwalfirst functions exactly as a superlative. When used
after the noun, as in construction 3 above, it takes the feminine
fonn Ishi uulaa, e.g. OY' J.,i or ,),J"iliO..;oJ1 [for] the first time.
Note that none of these comparatives or superlatives take the aUf
accusative marker.
2 The adverbial accusative
The adverbial accusative is often associated with the comparative
or superlative, and there are several examples in the article above,
We will look at adverbs themselves in more detail in Unit 16.
Use of the adverbial ac:c:usative
The adverbial accusative tells us to what respect or characteristic
the comparative refers. In English we might say:
He is better off than me in terms of/as regards possessions, but he
is worse off for money.
Modem colloquial English often uses the suffix -wise:
She has done less well career-wise, but her personal life is mOre
satisfying.
Formation
The adverbial accusative is always indefinite, and is fonned from
a noun or adjective with the ending -an (marked by an aUf on most
masculmes; unmarked in the feminine). This ending is usually
pronounced, even in infonnal spoken Arabic.
Therefore, you need only remember to put in the aUf when
required. Examples from the passage are:
4 "y\ .::.o.;si
lit. the greatest of the Hollywood stars in terms of beauty
(marked accusative jamaalan)
1)_.:raI,J .."i i UI
prominence greater in terms of strength and popularity
(unmarked quwwatan, marked intishaarao)

UN IT 15
--
275
'Ibis construction is frequently used with the two words akthar
more. most, and aqalliess to fonn comparatives and superlatives
where the adjective is too long or complex to use the direct
formation. In this case the equivalent noun of the adjective is used.
This takes experience, but here are two examples.
a) The adjective  mujtahid diligent, hard working has far too
many letters to fonn a direct comparative. The equivalent noun is
..II ijtihaad diligence. Adding the accusative ending, we get:
IJI ,;s:i akthar ijtihaadan more diligent Oit. more in terms of
diligence)
b) The adjective  mufIid beneficial comes from the noun 6.Jl1
ifaadah benefit:
6JUI J:il aqaJl ifaadatan less beneficial, of less benefit
Here the noun has a fetninine ending, so there is no alif
3 Conjunctions
Conjunctions join parts of sentences, explaining the relationship of
one part to another. Common examples are and expressing a direct
link, and or which expresses an alternative. Others express a more
complex link, for instance purpose, reason and so on.
These latter in Arabic fall into two distinct categories, depending
on the type of word which comes after them. Here are some
examples of the most commonly encountered conjunctions from
the interview above:
1 Conjunctions followed by verbs
wi an that. The verb following is usually in the present subjunctive
(see Verb Tables):
i;iJ-"1 J.,i  wi I she was able to be the first
(lit. she was able that she be...) woman...
- .. 4.w..J' . j ."'.. .11' .ts:
. - u  (.)Au
(lit. ... was of the supposed that
it be entrusted)
.. .should have been entrusted
to a famous singer

276
ARABIC
J Ii to, in order that. The verb following is always in the
subjunctive. (Note that this should be distinguished from the
identical word meaning to, for use with nouns, which is a
preposition, not a conjunction.)
I  o!.! (in order) to take part in the film
Other conjunctions in this category will be pointed out as we come
across them.
2 Conjunctions folloUJed by nouns or pronouns
These are technically in the accusative:
wi anna that
11.iA wi I ;jAJ and it is certain that this film...
(followed by a noun with the demonstrative pronoun)
w  li'anna because
I  l.f.:.J and because she is very beautiful
(followed by the suffix - i.e. accusative - pronoun)
wSJ .h wal aakinn a, laakinna but (no difference in meaning)
....j-""  J but the Hollywood producers...
(lit. producers of Hollywood) showing accusative masculine plural
noun with final nuun dropped (see Unit 14)
Note: Although not really a conjunction, the slightly emphatic
particle w! iooa also belongs to this category; see Unit 8)

Lo...IS.JI U1jJi awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
CaCaaCiiC*
Arabic example
maqaadiir .J1.i.a
quantities
Eng. sound-alike
magazine

IT15
277
This is another internal plural shape. This one derives from
singulars which have four consonants, with a long vowel between
the third and the fourth. The accent is always on the last syllable.
Presence of the feminine suffix. .ah makes no difference. This is
a pretty safe bet for any such word, but there are a few exceptions.
These plurals do not take the accusative marker. In the text for this
unit we have:
?L...I 'b1 usTuurah, asaaTiir* legend (the hamzah counts
as a radical)
Here are some other examples. Watch for the long vowels (any of
them) between the third and the fourth radicals:
" t: lliA miftaaH key ... u. mafaatiiH*
) miqdaar amount, quantity'" J:Pl.:i..o maqaadiir*
J.! mandiil handkerchief'" J.!.JL:...o manaadiil*
JJ Sunduuq box, chest'" J:!.Jl.l...=. Sanaawiq*
 :uSfuur sparrow, small bird'" L-£. :aSaafiir*
There are not many exceptions to this rule. Some adjectives take
the  -uun ending, and note the following nouns:
bL...i ,,ju...i ustaadb, asaatidhah professor
blo , tilmiidh, tlggmi dhah pupil (but also )t; talaamiidh)
 w U ma:luumaat thaqaafiyyah
(Cultural tips)
There are quite a few English words which derive ultimately from
Arabic, often via Spanish and hence French (the Arabs ruled most
of Spain for about 500 years). Magazine - originally in the military
sense - is one of them. It comes from W\"':;"'" makhaazin*, plural
of o:,p..... makhzan storehouse (a slightly different Word Shape
from that given above). Here are a few others:

278
ARAB
· both zero and cypher ultimately derive from  Sifr zero, the
concept of which the Arabs invented
· calibre derives from Li qaalib mould (for bullets, etc.);
· algorithm derives from the name of a famous Arab philosopher
V"'j)1 al.khawaarizmii;
· algebra is from another famous Arabic name 4J1 al-jaabir;
· chemise is from  qamiiS, mentioned in the Koran (7th
century AD);
· more subtle is arsenal from l:........J1 JI..I daar as-Sinaa:ah, and
admiral from HI -*,"i amiir al-baHr (with the last word
omitted).
w.a....,.u tamriioaat (Practice)
Exerdse 3
The adverts below all offer bargains to the shopper. Look at the ads
and answer the questions about each one on page 279. The key
vocabulary is on page 280.
a
b
,':'-'-" ",-11
'"

cPgJ-Cll d 1 n er l
,..,...,.. J'E""",i
I t!-; &1
........"""'i>-'....,,
LL.& Y . ,;,. f
O"':;....""","").o"',]Iow""'l'-
,..Jo'!OI'. -.-0.\. J.-)t,_
, ..::. ... .
fI
.. ,.

d
0" 1 'Jt
\
! l"'>  (:
...; : .:;'
!, jlt,\,,, :'!
! \. r':f:" '.,,' .,/ 
I '::"'iJ:::;F;'
UN IT 15
----
c
' ;.
j ;,,,.- ,.-'
.. '. . .
-: --
.:.t:tY. .::
'::..
..;.':- > fo '. 
>,': : ;.=...c
J!
, :;".,
. .'-
'*'
uLa:a'
.'
p J.<1:"j.s
e
 -' I
-. I JJI,......\t1 JI..-/I  t;........tr
. .. to:. · ...(' t ".<. -.
: &.;I  \  .... t r---
fi,.t*t> W . I.... .
,,: JJ 'L.I&,€''
:jj,_ 'IF.
}1T.\,;}" ".
WESTERN I I 
UNION "';j
 .
279
f
9-:'
L:',l. l) "/
.......--  /.
PRIVllEGEj11 4.iLAt .
fa{jooo :.."
p , ,', ,"' ,, ' \
, ., y :'_.. ., : ;"' .:! .i. .::_
.,'''' .
a What do you have to do to win a prize?
b i When does the offer end at the Co-op?
ii How long have they been serving their customers?
c What do you get free if you buy the oil?
d What are the two main prizes to be won
e What does Western Union promise you?
r How do you obtain the discount offered at Bou Khalil?

280

III
,J rilbaHa [5-1 aJ to win, gain, profit
Li fGaDiI favourable, good
 . :arD, :urUuD oHer, deal
u:aLa.,j ..,j zabuun, zabGa'in* customer, client
u4-- maiiaanan free, gratis
,s . naqd, nuquud cosh, money
i 'U makaan, amkinah place
 Hasm discount
,:,L ..a buT6aqah, -aat cord
j1 imtiy6az distinction, privilege
Exercise 4
You are thinking of buying a computer, and have narrowed the
choice down to two possibilities. Look at the two specifications
below.
4- Jof W .w:.L:. .
 ,. U.II ."IA"LJI JL:.a .
Li+t '\£ I JJ-J ."sl.:s ·
.:I 0' U M,sj-A .
J,s tH\ .
B-
A
4- Jof ' 0 .w:.L:. .
 " UJI j,JA"LJ1 JL:.a ·
Li+t,., I JJ-J ."sl,j ·
.:I £t M,s,. .
J11Jf- .
,J.J ,.,.\. ·

UNIT 15 281
;;.---
a Select appropriate adjectives from the box to fill in the gaps,
changing them to the comparative form.
u.. 4J.Ji .,....JlI,a ,
. ........... i't.J 4J ,.
. ........... ifil.:i 4J 1"
. .h..h"" ..:::'.>-!u....,...,.,i 4J t
::i1 ............"... 0
. ............"... '\
Jt..w sahil easy
 Hasan good
.J rakhiiS cheap
-JU" sarii: fast
 Saghiir small
.JHS kabiir big
g
4..:.W:a shaashah screen
,.,. muudiim modem
 "s1:S dhaakirah memory
y-!U .,i qarS thaabit hard disk
JI isti:maal use, usage
b Which computer does each of the specifications in part a above
refer to?

1
J 'A 4..,.J1 J "Q.
SafHat ar-riyaaDah
Sports page
In this unit you will learn:
. about sports and leisure activities
. about colours
. to describe how or when you have done something
" '.1'.tJ.:1.J' al...laylah s...sawdaa P The black night
Listen to the recording of this report of a football match between
Morocco and Tumsia. The vocabulary is given for you below, so
look through that carefully fIrst, and then attempt the exercises.
Exerc:ise 1
a For which side is it a black night?
i Morocco ii Tunisia
b Which round of the competition is it?
i the first ii the fourth iii the final
c Where did the match take place?
d How many spectators were there?
Listen to the recording again and answer these questions.
e How many goals did Mahmoud al- Turki score?
r Which side scored fIrst?
g Who scored at the end of the fIrst half?
Listen to the recording one more time.
h When was the last goal scored?
i What happened to Suleiman al-Fasi?
j Which team was he playing for?
Now read the report.

UN IT 16
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283
Exerdse 2 . .
Link the English phrases below with the Arabic expressIOns.
I . - M li.J1' )UI ,
a a black night for Moroccan  J  4..:!J c...J:!o+L ...
football ...L.;.+II I.)I
b al- Turki himself scored three
goals
c the Moroccan players raised
the white flag
d for the third time
e the referee awarded a corner
kick
r for getting his second yellow
card
:;::1  .,JI  v-"_>,.i...JI
- u...1.1..w L.. J., I "...::JI
 -
IjS.J .1 4.-.".:i .  I
_J.1UlJlod J Ji" I U--I
.1i LulLJl )UI 0 11 .1.! "
.k".:J1  ...I 1,.,.JII.,..uJ
I  I" JliIl
. \ - L:i M L
JI.1Ail.:j"",oLo bJ .:...
- .,.a,., YI :i " . . ..JI _.Ji u,.,..=..f .
AJ:"""" - \ir
Li.J1 t .J"i Lo .JI u-
I I r.,} ..fi.I1 ".lJ1
I I L.  UJUJI .
I.wl J)c." J U!i: J
.\.\ WI. I.,I... .-'1
V- u - Y'
.WI ,.II UI
I i,ill ,.b i.4J
.AJ.1.I1 u3 1 ..,.-;I J-.I j..AG
. ,::,I U"is l.-..  ";4=J1
.pl .fi1J ...1.1"...  r.,} r.wl
.UOU'I.,JAU11  .illL.jJl  ..,k"
J JU f;. o....i.Jl t Y rL...i"
..ȣ11 u3 1 "..:>JI .."..iJI..,s,j>J1
 ...i1.1Ai1..nU b.J.:>,." ",syJl"
- \ -0 I 1.IJ4J1
I ,., II 'I J-o..".i.ll F1"

..HI  Uo-"  J-> 
f;.JUo.  t...JI J . J.Ju.
. ..-I I WI.::.LI
..r->-' U"J
.:oUts" ..IJ4J1  4...llIl  .111
u3,,1 I :i-:-.:':"
:u.! WI .",..J.I "(
WI...II u1  1"
,.>i.J1 .fi1J ...1.1."...  i
 4J$ <-'I......,..:i.:..1 0
- J Jr--.
...il..u.i 4j b.b." I J:.- '\

284
ARAB!£.
,.
J4J .uL . layla, -aat, layaalin night
1,J.Jo'o"I .,J.Jo'o"Ii aswad-, fem_ sawdaa'* block
uL ,0.;S kurah, -Gat bolt also used as a shortened form of
.JiJ1 0.;S kurat al-qodam football
4",Jl.i..A .iT..,;.... maghribii, maghaaribah Moroccan
J.4Ii.:; ta'ohhala [S-V] to qualify (u1! ilaa fo
J"i . fariiq, firaq team
lf.=a nih6a'ii final (adj.)
uL .L...... musaabaqah, -oat competition
I.J"lJjS 'I,)"ILs ka's, ku'uus cup, trophy
dJLt.jJl az-zam6alik Zamalek (an area of Cairo)
,J'1i .......i.!i alf, aalaaf thousand
uJ- ,."a:w mutafGrrii, -uun spectator
,Jli q6ada [Mw-I) to lead
jJi fawz victory
J..:a......o. siliiala [5-11) to score, to register
6.J,.;'1o.J waHduh himself
,J1,JAi ..J,JA hodaf, ahdaaf goat target, aim
uU-J4a .0IJ4a muboaraah, mubaarayaat match (sport)
I intilhaa [ly-VlII] to come to an end, Finish
I iftalaHa [S-VlII) to commence, open
 tasiiil registration, scoring
..;Lo us- :an Tariiq by way of
uJo . '1 laa:ib, -uun player
.b..&J y£'1lua:ib wasT midfield player (football)
uL .o-,,:! Iasdiidah, -6at shot (football)
t=aIJ rGa'i: splendid, brilliant, marvellous
[Ju khaarii outside
u.a ..uw... minTaqah, manaaTiq* aree (football: penally aree)
t khada:a [5-1 a) to deceive

UN IT 16
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285
IJ"I .1.J"l.)La Haaris, Hum:.as guard (football: goolkeepe
t"""u tOasi: ninth
u:s . .A:- i natiiiah, natGa'ii* result, outcome
.,i ,i..-o.,i furSah, furaS chance, opportunity
,.\po'" waHiid sale, only, singular
Ii ,"..:. shawT, ashwaaT half (football), heat (athletics,
etc.), race
La :indamaa when
oJ,)Uot saddada [S-II] to aim (football: shoo
1?"'.Ji qawsii curved, bowed
J,aoJ d6khala [S-I u] to enter
0lS.) ,US.) rukn, arkaan corner
j4 marmaa goal, goalmouth
.:J .)oJi adraka [S-IV] to attain, achieve
JoJw ta:aadul balance, equality (football: draw, equal score)
I badaa [lw-I] to appear, seem, show
uL .I.) raayah, -aat flag, banner
W:.:-! .i abyaD*, fern. bayDaa'* white
1iI1 ath-thaani the second
  sayTara :alaa [Q-I] to dominate
 la:b play, game
  sayTarah domination
f'u taamm complete
u..".... sur:ah speed
.J:!-ia.1 akhiir last
t .1",i awda:a [Fw-IV] to place
, shabaka, shibaak net, netting
..;:,L ,.;.".. marrah, -aat time, occasion
LA  ba:d maa after (before a verb)
I iHtOsaba [S-VlII] to award, grant

286
ARAB!£.
I.S.:.. . H6kam, Hukk6am referee, umpire
..:;sL .4JS,J ralelah, -Gat kick
,J rilknii corner (adj.)
oJ';:' Tciracla [5-1 u] to banish, drive away (football: send offl
UJ. .eiloiA mucl6afi: , -uun defender
 nayl getting, receiving
..:;sL .4it.b.f buT6aqah, -Gat card
I .i 6Sfa, fem. Sana'. yellow
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) ..:al.J:i.:.1
. sawdaa' block, fem. For this and other basic colour
adjectives, see grammar notes below.
. saiiala scored. This and other words take on special meanings
in football contexts. Its usual meaning is to register, record.
. ahdaaf, pI. of hadaf goals scored. The word for the physicol
goal (posts and ne is marmaa which occurs later in the text.
. sayTara ... sayTarah taammah dominated ... completely.
See section on adverbs below.
. akhiir and aakhir both mean last, but they are used differently:
- akhiir is a normal adjective coming after the naun:
11 J..,dJ1 al-fasl al-akhiir the last section.
- aakhir is a noun meaning the last part of something and is
usually used as the first term of a possessive construction:
LA"':". aakhir-haa the last of them, Le. the goals.
. awda: ... al-kurah ash-shubbaak placed the boll in the net,
Arabic does not use the preposition in with this verb.
. ba:d maa aher. When ba:d, qabl before and certain other
words relating to time are follawed by a verb, it is necessary
to interpose this (meaningless) maa.
. li-nayl-uh getting, obtaining. nayl here is a verbal noun, and
the phrase can be paraphrased because of his getting for
getting. This type of construction is quite common in Arabic.

UNIT 16

287
 L'''J , ta:bilr8at ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
,.I.".-JI bJ4-J1 as-sayyaarah I-Hamraa' the red car
J.J)  qamiiS azraq a blue shirt
,.I bjAj zabrah Safraa' a yellow flower
 I I aJ.jabal al-akhDar the green mountain
tilJl I taraakiib al-Iughah (Structures)
1 Irregular adjectives
As you learned in Unit 3, most Arabic adjectives fonn their
feminine by adding b -ah to the masculine fonn.
There is an important set of adjectives which behave differently.
The most common of these refer to the basic colours, and some
physical disabilities.
These adjectives have three fonns:
a) masculine singular
b) feminine singular
c) plural for human beings
0) Masculine Singular
Identical in all respects to the comparative adjective (see Unit 15),'
and following the same rules regarding doubled and weak radicals.
Does not take the aUf accusative marker.
bJ Feminine Singular.
The fIrst radical takes an a-vowel, the second no vowel, and the
suffix .aa' ...L is added after the third radical.
Again this does not take the accusative marker.
cJ Plural Form
Used only when referring to several human beings. The first
radical takes U-, and the second no vowel.

288 ARABIC
-
This fonn does take the accusative marker when required.
English Masculine Feminine Plural
black .1"......i aswad ..1.1"... sawdaa' .1"""" suud
white i abyaD  bayDaa' uA:H biiD 2
red i aHmar .. Hamraa'  Humr
green iakhDar F IchaDraa'  khuDr
yellow iaSfar j;1."a....:. Safraa' ."a....:. Sufr
blue i azraq j;li,Jj zarqaa'  zurq
lome E.JS- i a:rai ..l?.JS- :ariaa' E.JS- :urj
blind i a:maa'  :amyaa'  amyaarf
1 root ends with ($_ (See rules for comparatives in Unit 15)
2 Arabic will not accepl the combination uy so the vowel changes to Ii.
3 An alternative form, usually used with this adjective
2 Other colours
The above rules apply only to what Arabic regards as the basic
colours. Other colours are fonned from nouns with the adjectival
ending IF -0 (see Unit 12) and behave nonnally:
Noun Adjective
JU;j! burtuqaal orange JU; orange
.J..! buon coffee beans  brown
 banafsaj violet  violet
,JJ..j ward roses Cf,JJ..j pink
Examples from the text are:
..I,J"... 4.4J a black night
j;1 I.)I the white flag
..I.".,a-JI Ul.btJ1 the yellow card
 I JJU:. Taariq al-aHmar (here used as a proper name)

UN IT 16
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289
3 Adverbs
Adverbs describe how, when or where the action of a verb is
perfonned. In both English and Arabic, there are two ways to form
them:
A.cc:usative marker
In English by adding the suffix -ly to the adjective: She sings
beautifully. The Arabic equivalent of this is to add the accusative
marker to an adjective, or sometimes a noun. This is written with
an aUf unless the word has the feminine ending, and is always
pronounced -aD. Such common words as very. always, never are
also fonned in this way.
So we have  shakhSiyyan personally, from shakhSii
personal, which is itself derived from shakhS person.
Here are some other common examples:
I
a) From adjectives:
I kathiiran frequently,
a lot, ohen
IjJU naadiran rarely
4-a".,. qariiban promptly, soon
lLa..,)"' sarii:an quickly
4-o-.J:! yawmiyyan daily
Ls shahriyyan monthly
'1 Ji awwalan firstly
(also the other ordinal numerals:)
4=atj thaaniyan secondly
UJU thaalithan third, etc.
Ii akhiiran lastly, at last
WI", daa'iman always
J rasmiyyan oHicially
b) From nouns:
o",l£ :aadatan usually
.4-.; fai'atan suddenly
U Sudfatan by chance,
fortuitously
I.J.? iiddan very
lJ.!i abadan never
wi aHyaanan sometimes
1,jjA fawran immediately
o mubaashandan
directly
 Tab:an naturally, of
course
Ll.:.. Haqqan really, truly. in
fact

290
ARABIC
Prepositional
The second way to fonn adverbs in English is to use a preposition
(usually with, in or by) plus a noun: I am writing this in haste.
The same applies to Arabic, the usual preposition being bi.:
 bi-DH-DHabT with exactness, exactly
In Arabic, as in English, both methods can be used, often with a
slight change in meaning - hastily/in haste. Lu-.>- sarii:an quickly
can also be expressed as J""'":! bi-sur:ah with speed.
Common examples of this type are:
... bi-buT'slowly
 biwjadd seriously
c:",....; bi-wuDuuH clearly
Verbal nouns
A common adverbial construction in Arabic is verb + its verbal
noun (accusative) + an adjective (also accusative) qualifying the
verbal noun. This will be familiar to readers of the King James
Bible where phrases like They rejoiced a great rejoicing are quite
frequent in the Old Testament (presumably because it was
translated from Hebrew, a sister Semitic language to Arabic). This
has exactly the same meaning as They rejoiced greatly.
There is one example in the text:
Lb;L. . I I.... . -:'I '-. ,
'.J"""'!:"".  ".... 
The Tunisians dominated the play completely (lit. a complete
domination)
uLo...lS.JI u1jJi awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
CaCCaCah
Arabic example
barbarah ;;...>-!
barbarism
Eng. sound-olike
Batbara

IT16
291
This is the verbal noun shape from QI-verbs (see Verb Tables). In
the football text we have:
b sayTarah domination
Here are a few more:
  Q-I'" 4,.; tarjamah translating. translation
 Q-I ... u...li faIsafah philosophising, philosophy
JjJj Q-I ... UjJj zalzalah quaking, earthquake
(also sometimes JljJj zilzaal)
 Q-I ... bjib talfazah televising. relevision
oL..:a..t tamriinaat (Practice)
Exercise 3
See if you can work out which of these sports corresponds to the
pictures on page 292:
IIV
:. "..\ A
..)ol
L.fi-J4 voyJl 
cl-JI  , ·
..J.>:!I ,
U",UJI  y
lbfi1"
r.wl bfi t
....i.1 0

4'\
..LJII "
ly;Jl J)"j.l1 'Y
II
 thali ice
JJI.Jj . zGwraq, zawaariq.... boat

a
r
. e& u 
g[tJ b
- - Js-
292
b

ARABIC

i
I
t
 ..:aLA".s.a.. ma:luumaat thaqaafiyyah (Cultural tips)
Some of the sports mentioned in the exercise are transliterations
into Arabic of English tenns. If these contain the letter g, which
Arabic does not have, various spellings arise. ...iJ golf is written
with a . Most Egyptians pronounce  as a hard g. and this
spelling IS fairly general. However, in  bowling we have a
spelling with the nearest Arabic sound t gh.
There are unfortunately no hard and fast rules. It seems to be down
to the whim of the writer/typesetter. In fact you often even see the
same word spelled in two different ways ( and t.) in the same
document. More rarely, J is used, as this is pronounced hard g in
the spoken dialects of many Arab countries, including nearly the
whole of the Arabian Peninsula.

UN IT 16
-
293
The other (main> letters which Arabic lacks, p and v are usually
transcribed as ..... b and ...i r respectively. Occasionally you will see
the adopted Persian letters ..... p and ..J v with three dots, but this

is not very common.
Foreign words in Arabic often have a liberal sprinkling of long
vowels, as their word shapes do not conform to the usual guidelines.
Exercise 4
Read the prospectus for this Women's Oub, and answer the questions.
Qt U
o .. 
, c ..
,Jlli.I.j d I o  C?l:J1  I
(.1:.n oIy..... ,. Jfi,l11 "JI L..iJL.L1  0-" .::.\..411)
t t:l L[w t IiU 4:
r. ... v - . - .
 tJ"J' .. .......................................... .;JI 
L J Y'V. · .............. (,,i Y' + (" I) lL 
I.. ..... .  -" I I - .
"':!J+i" tJ"J I \ ......................................... 
JIJJU
J.J o. ................-....... .( 'Y' u... .;si) .)I
J y. ............................ ( \ Y ) Ju.-JI
t.)UU t:I
* 4)1 ":,,,WI .
L:a.".... .
* 4.JJ:! I ·
*I.
*I.
l.:.4--0.::.lf"IYI *
..L.... \. tsc.WI  l.:..4- \ WI .:,... r1 JI"J.:. c !,S.Jt..Il
. -..

* jlJl u .
*4.,:i.i.
&i1 1 jS,.,.. ·
I.

294
ARA
g
a How much does annual membership cost?
b Up to how many children may accompany a mother free?
c Until what age are boys allowed to accompany their mothers?
d The club is open from:
i 9am ii lOam
e The club closes at:
i 9pm ii IOpm
f How much does montWy membership of the Library cost?
g Name three facilities which are free for members.
Exerdse 5
Five people are talking about how often they take part in sporting
activities. Listen to the recording and write down in the columns
below who likes to do what and how often. We've done the fust
one for you.
.:.W.4)1 &0  IJL.. :JI,;...
I r.wl i.fi i :,"=,I
4-a
I
football
uLp.,i
Ij.JLa
Ii
,.
,.
t
D
,.
(J'JL.. maarasa [S-IIIJ to practise, carry out, perform
Exerdse 6
Select an appropriate adverb from the box to fIll in the gaps in the
sentences. You may only use each adverb once.
. U . ........... ,,:-,4.11 I ,
. ............dl:a.A i .:..4u., J."..JI ull J ,.

UN IT 16
--
295
. ...,.......  ..wJ1 clI:s ulS: ,.
'J .............j rUJ .I ..; 4- \.:as t
. ...........vA1 .)l bLbJI b.l.t W It
. .1.I1"J1 · ........... II .} '-= '\
[ ii
o4i
",......,
j;..J'**
 4oto
II
I
II [f"L' n6a1m sIeep;ng, o.!eep
Exercise 7
You are shopping for clothes with some Arabic-speaking friends.
How would you say what they are looking for? Make up complete
sentences like this one:
funis - blue coat .J..>.ji..A......)1 -':! 

rl
tJh
.....iJ......o
.





a Ali - black shoes
b Sonia - yellow dress
c Saeed - green shirt
d Khalid - white socks
e Faridah - red trousers
r Hamed - brown belt
g Anisa - pink handbag

I w. wi
in shaa' AI..laah
If God wills
In this unit you will learn to:
. talk about what you hope to do
. make suggestions
g 1 OJI ,:.W;. U in shaa' AI-Iaah If God wills
Listen to the recording of a radio news item about the Arabic
language.
Exercise 1
Answer the following questions:
a What has the Egyptian company produced?
b What does Professor Ibrahim specialise in?
c Who are the cassettes intended for?
Listen to the recording again.
d What was the Arabic Language Academy discussing in 1925?
e What do they hope to achieve by producing the tapes?
fWho do they particularly hope will like them?
U)U  4.$:y.. i .bjAl.i.Il &0 I ".- w.. .wJ1
'u.J .I tilIl..,. I ,.\L1"i  :.i.: .:"'; u,y..i
 &0 .1".-.... I..H! ,j\.l... I u,y.. I .11,.\L! ..,. f+"i
tilIl -,,,i; ..,. w-. _.:... -: ' I.J bjAl.i.Il 4- ..,. ..;..I}I
.I..H! ,j\.l...i 4 J-" .I
.lfi.:;.. I

!!!'lIT 17
297
-r4- I r l ":",,JAiI u. \11 bolA jA ",i WI
.":",,JAiI :Su..... I
-rclJJS i .I WI jA:! ":,,,I  WI
14!1 iilJl  dl:a.A dJ", .4:ajA:!  :su.....1
0 ,1\ yo r k  '" .I l   .:..L
Ji '" .:..LI bolA  l:..:! I WI 
.I yl);;
 LWII",.1£.W Wi U.I bolA [t.:ul  l,j! rS", :wJ'
-r1 ":",,,1.... I'" :i -.:- . _1 1 I uk f,F!1 rJWI
......lJ;.J1 l....u.A l....w . i . -' li...b. u.. ,L. ..b.........;JL ,Ju..... I
.' r .' u  - ..J. .
..uJ1 ,.u, w!
.Ij!1 ,ju...1 4 .illlfir.. ..uJ1 ,. wl :wJ1
.I",k :s u..... I
Exercise 2
Match the English with the appropriate Arabic phrases.
a an Egyptlan company produced -r.illJS i ,
three educational cassettes I' Y
b participated in preparing the  
cassettes rl....u.A1  wi  ,.
c Are these cassettes for Arabs? 4JJ1 ,.L::., wi t
d don't they? 4j)U   i D
e we hope that it will attract the :i . A .1.. -: 4.1.."z.,i
interest (of) - -
f if God wills I.H! ,ju...i 4 .illlfir.. ,
g thank you, Professor Ibrahim -r":",,JAiI U. I bolA jA V
h you're welcome 4.1. \11 .j1.1.c.!  f"+""i A

298
ARABIC
II
..:sL . mudhii:ah, -aat (female) broadcaster
..:sli ...:s Sawt, a5w6at voice, sound
i 6ntaia [S-IV) to produce
4b"J;i ...".:. shariiT, ashn"ah tape, cossette
 tabsiiT simplification
$I.ji .i$U q6a:idah, qawaa:id* rule
I annaHw gremmar
i"'+"'"i 6s-hama [S-IV) contribute, toke port
.11$1 i:daad preparation
o.:uL.....i .uwi usliladh, asaatidhah professor
",:,1.1i ..1i adab, aad6ab literature, arts
tJJ. ' u.' - =.. ";.. mutakhGSSi5, -uun specialist
-J tadriis teaching
4-i ,i ain6bii, aiaanib foreign, foreigner
J,J£- :6rafa [5-1 i] to know
.dJ i a-l6ysa ka-dhGalik is it not (so)?
I al-fU5-Haa literary, classical (adj. used only with the
Arcbie language)
..:sL .4.a 5u:uubah, -6at difficulty
ra+i fGhima [5-1 a] to understand
'il illaa except
uJ- .....;ii6 muthaqqaf, -uun cultured, educated person
I 4.L1J1  maima: al-Iughah al-:6rabiyyah
the Arcbic Language Academy
uM w n6aqasha [5-111] to discuss
Ji 6Sc1ara [5-1V) to publish
 qaScl aim, goal, intent
II idhan so, therefore
$L..... s6a:ada [5-111] to help
4..LaJI al-:aammah the general public

UNIT 17
299
WI al-:aalam the world
us. kitilabah writing
 SaHiiH correct, true
 tamannaa [Ly-V] to hope, wish
":' ,,,,:,L:. shaabb, shabaab young person, youth
0 in if
w, shila'a [Ma-II to wish, will
4lJ1 AI-Iaah God, Allah
1-," :afwan don't mention it (reply to thanks)
d ol at: Lo ma:luumaat thaqaafiyyah
(Cultural tips)
Literary Arabic is rarely spoken outside the media, and everyday
communication is carried out in the many varieties of colloquial
Arabic. Although these are all basically Arabic, they differ widely
from area to area. As a consequence, Arabs have to learn the
grammatical rules of the literary language, called al-:arabiyyah
alfuS-Haa, or simply al-fuS-Haa, meaning literally the most
eloquent Arabic, at school.
Many of the rules, and much of the vocabulary, are different from
those of spoken Arabic, so the acquisition of good fuS-Haa Arabic
is not a simple matter. In addition, education and even literacy are
still by no means universal in many Arab countries. Hence the need
for the cassette programmes discussed in the radio programme.
Arabic also has problems coining words for new inventions, which
tend to originate in the West. English and other Western languages
usually borrow or concoct a word based on Latin and/or Greek. For
instance television is half Greek- and half Latin-based. While
many foreign words - such as tilifizyuun - have become
established in Modem Literary Arabic, there is the feeling among
the establishment that this is diluting the Arabic language. Arabic
is the language of the Koran, goes the argument, so should be able
to express anything.

300
ARABIC
The Arab Language Academies were therefore founded early in the
20th century. and took upon themselves the task of preserving
linguistic purity. One of the main processes, known as ta:riib
Arabisation. means extending the meaning of an existing Arabic
root, or creating new forms from it Some of these have been a totaJ
success, others partially successful, and others a virtually totaJ
failure. For example:
i:yu. Taa'irah aeroplane, from the verb to fly, (lit flying thing].
Lt. haatif telephone, has achieved partial success and co-exists
with the competing import  tilifuun.
cJ.pp tilitlzyuun has resisted all efforts to replace it with a word
of pure Arabic origin, as have many other European words relating
to modem technological achievements.
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) I
. "':II ..:. The Voice of the Arabs is a radio service
broadcasting from Cairo
. .:1J,jS i lit. /s it not like that? For laysa see Unit 8.
. us,J.J walaakinna. The suffix here is a connecting word and
is not translated.
. I See cultural notes above.
. Jd ... wlS When the past of kaana is followed by a
present verb (here yunaaqish) the meaning is past
continuous, translated was/were doing something_ The
subject usually comes between the two verbs. (see Unit 10)
.  ba:D some is actually a noun meaning a part (of
something). It always occurs as the first part of a possessive
construction, followed by a noun or a pronoun suffix.
. I.J wi an tusaa:iduu. an is followed by a subjunctive, here
marked by the dropping of the final nuun. See Verb Tables.
. wi in if See below.
. I :afwan. In English, thanks can be acknowledged in
various ways, such as Don't mention it. In all levels of Arabic,
it is virtually obligatory to use :afwan.

IT17
301
" 2 e u t1 a1-mashruu: naajiH
The project is successjul
A few months later there is further news of the project, which looks
like being a success.
Exercise 3
Listen to or read the article below, and answer the questions.
a In which country did the company start to market the tapes?
b Who gave them a good reception?
c How many of the tapes were sold?
Listen to the recording again.
d Where do they hope to sell the tapes next?
e What is the special feature of these tapes?
f Who produced a similar programme ten years ago?
WI 1-4 t;-'" I JI",... \II ,,) il.. \II t"-»' .;.JI .:..i..u..j
,,) ,)..\A1I.J 0l.A1  u..- 41l-1 .:...i.J · y. · · ,)4J1
J)I.A. .J .UJI.J .)I)'I.J II I J:..ljO 
.j">'1 -- .U......III....a.-=. - 'WI' ....'1
..,- .J .............- -  o-'-.n---
,.1",... .il.. \l1.4.f i..!.s1 JI",... \II J! Ji;J1 I ..,;iJ1 0.;li!1
w j I ,).)1....- .J .:a H:... .J I .:..I.Jj I ,)la... ,,)
114.f i..!.s1 WJI I":;   I J.J I 0,.,...11  .lA
,>:<j L --j  . I._II' >' :..1..11 'ts:'1 . .-11 -\WI. 
IJ"'>    .... 'J"""" u.J-> IJ IJU r.r.J- r ....
. .:.11 .:",11 I' I' \ .
''J""""  U..H':"
Exercise 4
Match the English phrases to the equivalent Arabic expressions.
a At the beginning of the current year 2000
b from pupils and teachers in various stages of education
c half of the projected quantity was sold in the past two months
d either at book exhibitions or in various bookshops
e the rules of the Arabic language are simplified
f Iraqi television had produced a programme
g more than ten years ago

302
ARABIC
UI I  WI ...>+::JI J)l:..   ,
I UlJI I  "
uly... , . 0.0 i  ,.
t-...l.:a -'i..\i -I._II' >';'I'I'LSt
.    'J"""" (.)..)-i...>--'"' U
Y · · · J4J1 ("WI 4.:1 (:" 0
A ..I Al l I} I u-OJu....o ,.; I,.,.... ,
I IJ-"  ,.; J.wI.J olo1 0.0 V
II
f-I tawzii: distribution
I bidaayah beginning
I/J4J1 al-iaarii the current
"f laaqaa (Ly-III) to meet with
uL .JI istiqbaal, -Gat reception
 Hasan good, beautiful, handsome
\i')U . tilmiidh, tal6amidhah/talaamiidh pupil
UJ- .I,)"JoJ,A mudarris, -uun teacher
 shattaa various
J.;:I.I,.,.a .4J.a.,.,.a marHalah, maraaHiI* stage, level
 ta:liim education
II ibtidaa'ii elementary
I/"'II i:daadii preparatory
I/.,,:aU thaanawii secondary
J khalaal during
WI al-maaDii the past
..Jl......::iUi .....s....::a,j niSf, anS6af half
..J must6hdaf aimed for
4S nawaa (Ly-I] to intend
uL .0,,1i f6trah, -aat period, time, spell
J.!i4 muqbil coming, next
Jjj:I nuzuul descent, descending
t=-I,.... sawaa'an equally, whether

!:I.t!.1T 17
303
Jl.AA , me.:raD, ma:e.ariD* exhibition, fair
 ,,,,,,,US kitilab, kutub book
';1.- , maktabah, -e.at library, book shop
 mukhtillif different, various
Jli q6ala [Mw-I] to soy
J.s 'J,).1,A4 maSdar, maS6adir* source
 bGssaTa [5-11] to simplify
uIJ wa-'in though, even though
I.,,£.i , gh6raD, aghrCiaD purpose, goal, end
al-mulaaHaDH6at (Notes) ..:..l...Li.:..1
. 1jJ'-?J1 al-iaari. Adjectives of this shape derive from 0 root
ending in one of the weak letters 1/ or .J, which is omitted in the
indefinite, which would here be J4- iaarin, the finol syllable
consisting of 0 vowel mark, usuolly omitted. This is a source of
confusion even to Arabs ond, since the words ore usuolly
pronounced with a final-ii, they hove been given in the definite.
.  shattaa various behoves in 0 similor woy as ba:D above.
.  bicat was sold. This is 0 passive verb. See Verb Tobie My.
. WI I ash-shahrayn al-maaDiyayn the past two
monfhs. This is a dual (see Unit 9). al-maaDii is the same sort
of adjective os al-iaarii obove.
. ...j) wi inna haadhihi.._ that this... Uniquely ofler the verb qaal
to say, that is expressed by inna instead of the expected anna.
.  tubassaT is simplified. A passive verb (Tobie 5-11).
. wIJ wa.'in even though. wa and + in (see below).
. i oil no wLS kaana ... qad antaia ... had produced. kaan
+ another perfect verb tronslates the English pluperfect tense.
As with the post continuous (see above) the subject comes
between the two verbs, the second of which is frequently
preceded with the post marker qad (see Unit 8).
. u-O."AJI  nafs al-gharaD the same purpose. When nafs
is followed by 0 definite noun, it translates os the same ...

304
ARABIC
" J :....:...J I ta:biiraat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
Saying what you will do if something happens
.ull ,. u! in shaa' AI-laah God willing
cl:i..A (" i. - ..::.l=..' I
  .u.
in ji'ta bayt-ii, akramta-ka
If you come to my house,
I'll treat you generously
Saying what you would do if things were different
.JjJ ii dJ-lo o::...p 'i  .,J
law kuot ghaniyan Ia-ishtarayt mujawbaraat kathiirah li-mwjatii
If I were rich, I'd buy lots of jewellery for my wife
-
m f""si 6krama [S-IV] honour, be hospitable/generous to
I ishtCiraa [Ly-VlII] buy
.;.IJA muiawharaat articles of jewellery
tilJl I ... taraakiib al-Iughah (Structures)
.... 
1 If sentences
Such sentences are technically known as conditionals because the
second half of the sentence depends on the fulftllment of a
condition imposed by the ftrst part. If you go, then I'll go too, Le.
I will only go on the condition that you go too.
The word then in such sentences is often optional, but in relation
to Arabic it is useful to include it and to name the two parts of the
sentences the if--part and the then-part.
The verbs in both parts of the conditional sentence are usually in
the past tense - even if the reference is clearly to the future. In the
phrase in shaa' AI-Iaah, uttered by Muslims whenever any
reference is made to a future event, the verb shaa'(a) is past tense.

IT 17
There are three words for if..,J law, w! in and l,j! idbaa.
305
law
law is used in Arabic if-sentences where it is thought impossible or
unlikely that the condition will be fulfilled - impossible including
the category of past events which have already rendered the
condition unfulfillable.
All law sentences require the word la- then to introduce the second
part.
"l.>i1 i .::.US "l
if I were the manager, I would employ you
(Impossible because I am not the manager and unlikely to
become the manager)
.111 1....., _Haf [5-lq 10 hke, employ
J..JP.1.)1 r:--  ulS"l
if my friend had heard the news, he would have told me
(He obviously didn't hear it. The use of kaana with the perfect of
the main verb is common to place the action fmnly in the past)
..
Ji . kh6bar, akhbaar item of news (plural news)
 s6mi:a [5-1 a] to hear
 kh6bbara [5-11] to tell, inform
 ! ,j LJ L...;JI .:1t J  rJ"l
Ifhe had not written m£ that letter, I would not have gone 10 his house
In negative conditions with law it is common to use lam with the
jussive in the first part, and maa with the past in the second (see
negatives, Unit 10).

306
ARABIC
idhaa/in
These two words are nowadays more or less interchangeable, and
are used when fulfillment of the condition is regarded as possible
or likely. Again the verbs are mostly in the past.
4-i QL 0l lfyou ask him, he will answer you

 JL.. so'ala [5-1 a] to ask
<..IL:l.i aiaaba [Mw-IV] to answer
. .
uU . uw...i . I
 _:J u
If we see her, we shall tell her
111
IS <lSiJ ria'aa, yaraa to see (irregulor verb: see tobles)
4-- ;;.1.11.,.11 uL.. i uL.. l,jl
If my sister travels, mother will travel with her

 ul,.:..1 <i ukht, akhawaat sister
)iL,.., saafara [5-111] to travel
 .:JSi  l,jl
If I get hungry, I'll eat something
!!l It.... i-a [--,] 10 become hungry
The then-part can be introduced by  fa- so. This is obligatory in
another type of conditional sentence, where the then-part is either.
a) an imperative verb:
i\j I u.J) l,jl If you want knowledge, read!

QNn17
307
IIfj) .
 ",IJI araacla [Mw.1VJ wont, wish for
t'Jok ,PJ£- :ilm, :uluum knowledge, science
or (b) an is/are sentence (without a verb):
",.sf cL:-:JU ..ill,j 1.,lU l,jl lfthey do that, then success is cerrain
iii Ja.A f6:ala [5.1 aJ to do, make
C4o=a nai6aH succesS
..
,,:,UJS.J1 U1jJi awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Pattern
iCCaaC
Arabic example
inkaar JI.S,j!
denial
Eng. sound-alike
in car
This is the verbal noun of S-IV and D-IV verbs. There is only one
example in the texts in this unit:
.JI.JLI i:daad preparation
However. there are several other Fonn IV verbs.
" Exercise 5
See if you can generate the verbal noun form from the following.
Answers in the Key or on the recording:
a i antaja to produce f .>P."i ajbara to compel, force
b J.J,.,.oi aSdara to publish g J..!.ii aqbala to approach
C t.fii akrama to treat hosprtably h i alhama to inspire
d ,..1....i aslama to accept the i i aghlaqa to close, lock
islamic religion
e J-) arsala to send j i afsada to spoil

308
ARABIC
d .:,Ii ,,:,LA ma:luumaat thaqaafiyyah
(Cultural tips)
Arab food is wholesome and delicious. It is excellent food to eat in
company, because such a variety of foods is put on the table that
there is something for everyone to enjoy.
As appetisers (oj.o mazzah), a selection of salads (.:.lW... salaaTaat)
and dips, stuffed vine leaves ( JJ.J waraq :inab), savoury
pastnes such as a.....P.-' sambuusak, fried meat and cracked wheat
rissoles ( kibbah) or grilled meatballs ( kuftah) is placed on
the table to be eaten with flat Arab bread  khubz).
The most popular dips are y  HummuS bi- T-TaHiina
(chick peas with sesame paste, garlic and lemon),  mutabbaJ
(aubergine puree with sesame paste). and  labnah (strained
yoghurt) with olives. U.w tabbuulah (cracked wheat salad with
chopped parsley, tomato and lemon juice) and J..,,:>.i fattuush (a
Lebanese mixed salad with sumac and toasted Arab bread
sprinkled on top) are favourite salads. as well as .:.
khuDriyyaat. from i akhDar green, meaning a simple dish of
raw vegetables.
The next course may be something grilled «(S mashwii), either
lamb kbabs, chicken (4" dajaaj) or fiSh ( samak), with
rice (nl aruzz)or potatoes (..,..t. baTaaTas).
Desserts (.::.\.,uh Halawiyyaat) might be an assortment of
Lebanese pastries (o,, baqlaawah), filled with nuts and soaked
in syrup, which most people buy only from specialist shops,
or sometimes a milky pudding, such as  muhallabiyyah or
 ri umm :alli, is offered.
ut.:u tamriinaat (Practice)
Exercise 6
Mohammed and Patimah are reading the menu of a Lebanese
restaurant, but they only have Dhs 100. They are trying to decide
what they can afford to order. Look at the menu and their projections
of what they would have to pay if they ordered various dishes.

UNIT 17 309
-
Kasbah Restaurant
 
Starters I
labneh 8 " 4
Hummus 8 " u-a-
Moutabbal 8 " J.:.::.o
Waraq Enab 12 \T J»
Sambousek 12 \T .d.,.. .

Kibbeh 15 \0 i..?
Salads u.wl
Tabbouleh 12 \T iI -

Fattoush 10 , . "p,p
Salad of the Season 8 " r"")1 Ual..
I tSJ1
GrUIs-
FISh 20 y. o!IL- )'1
Chicken 15 \0 [..\JI
Meat Kebabs 20 y. r1-y
Halloumi Cheese 18 ,,, .,.:... r;:"
* With rice or potatoes U,UaJI" j}i.1 t"
Sweets toLLl
Baklava 12 \T i,,
Mouhalabiyyeh 8 " 
Ice Cream 6 , ...f I
Creme Caramel 8 " .h-I.I ("...f
Drinks I
I Coffee 4 £. i""'" I
Tea 4 £. IzS'UJI
Orange juice 8 " JJ.ij,J'! 
Mineral water 4 £. .J.a.ll .  I
- -
a Link the suggestions on page 310 to the appropriate prices they
would pay. b Do they have enough money to pay?

310
ARABIC
L...... J ,) Y £. ,) a
r-aIJ,) A,) b
L...... \, ,) c
r-aJ,) \ . . u.- i w,) d
L...... J ,) \ 0 ,) e
L...... J ,) \ A ,) f
L...... J,) ,.. ,) g
.. .,:'II -.-'I'I'
U"""""" '.j v--' . w.
:U,J  JJ.1 LJ..U  l,j! '\'
I 4J11 UU  l,j!,-
.JJ I t-'"
It-'"u!t
1t,jlD
b""",J b,J LJ..U  01'
4JS J I 4JJ.a l,j! V
Exercise 7
Translate these conditional sentences into Arabic.
a If I were rich, I would buy a new car.
b If she had learned to type, she would earn a higher salary.
c If I had had the number, I would have telephoned him.
d If you (fem. sing.) had been more diligent in your studies, you
would have passed the exams.
e If they (masc.) had visited their mother yesterday, she would
have told them about her illness.
f If the officer hadn't stopped the thieves in the customs, they
would have got on the plane.
II
4£-4» TibGa:ah typing
 k6saba [5-1 i] earn, gain, win
OL .4.-IJ,) diraasah, ooQat study
 n6iaHa [5-1 a] succeed in ,,; something; pass (on exam)
..::..L '<JI imtiH6an, .6at exam
I.,..i ..".. maraD, amraaD illness, disease
..JiJ w6qqafa [Fw-II] stop, bring to a holt
,-J .!,)AIliSS, luSuuS thief
.!.I ..b.fw, DGabiT, DubbGaT officer
dJu..;.. .cl.J"'o? iumrvk, iam6arik customs, excise
J rakiba [5-1 a] ride, mount, get into (0 vehicle)

,
JSUA
min knll balad khabar
News from every country
In this unit you will learn:
. to talk about each, every. all and some
. to use some irregular nouns and adjectives
 1  miSr Egypt
Exercise 1
Read the passage and answer the questions.
a Who made a statement welcoming the UN resolution?
b What has been smuggled abroad?
c Which famous Egyptian pieces are in the British Museum?

)UJI  i.,p1 )\:ail
I) ji  u-i I JU'JI ob J ..>LI
 .Jf-O J uj 4J I J.,..ill t L-J4 .I t'" 4.o.,-J1
i o.w  ,or JI .!1UA ....! JU-, .LAb4 [J W1
J -' J..H.!IJ-li cJ.i,j LAi I  Y.J.>-O 
.u  JI I ,.; wl,.,.J1
Exercise 2
Now find the Arabic for the following expressions:
a the head of the department of Egyptian antiquities
b approximately 12 million
c the beard of the Sphynx
d the Rosetta Stone

312
ARABIC

DIll JCii .i othar, aathaar sing. track, trace, pI. 01$0
archaeological remains, antiquities
JUoJI al-khaarii abroad, the outside
 I.:>'i a:raba :an [S-IV] to state, express
 tarHiib welcome, welcoming (noun)
yL.. .} qaraar, -aat decision, resolution
..:"L- . iam:iyyah, -aat group, assembly, sociely
 :umuumii general
i .i ummah, umam nation
 muttGHad united
t. u...... samaaH permission
I.:>'-*" muharrab smuggled
.)1.)jWtl istirdaad getting back, reclaiming
 ,OJ:ai qiT:ah, qiTa: piece
I/i atharii archaeological
JJ..>"'*4 masrUuq stolen
.".iJ1 al-gharb the West
."...:.i osh-har* more/most famous
U)i,j .rji,j dhaqn, dhuquun (fern.) beard
J,jtJ1 .)-!i abuu I-hawl the Sphynx [lit. Fother of Terror]
Ji . Haiar, aHiaar stone
J rashiid Rosetta, a town in Egypt; Rashid (mon's nome)
.)J-?-'" mawjuud found, situated, existing
t.I::t..a-J"! briiTaanii British
u lundan London

T1B
313
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) t..Ii.::rr.1
. a:raba to express requires the preposition :an.
. tarHiib ond its verb raHHab to welcome require hi-.
. samaaH permission olso requires hi-.
. inna-h(u). The verb qaala to say uniquely is followed by
inna for thot. All other verbs use anna (see Unit 8).
. ash-har is the comporotive/superlotive of mash-huur. This is
an irregulor formotion, octually taken from another word. See
Unit 15.
. abuu I-howl the Sphynx. For the irregular noun abuu see
below.
. al-mawjuudaan. The adjective here IS in the dual as it refers
to two objects (the Sphinx's beard and the Rosetta Stone).
 2 , al-yaman The Yemen
Exercise 3
Read the passage and answer the questions
a What arrived in the port of Aden?
b Who was it carrying?
c What do the tourists hope to visit?
I
 c",Q c?9J91 L» 1. 0 .
. .,:<'j I u": LJj L..-  I.I i . $.  I.':":u'
U""  I.J4""-' _ _ _ _ u." (".I"'A U - 
 'i,j.A .).J" ',J.).J I .:.I ....ih;.... (jA WL.." L., t · ·
.4 .: l:a.J1 I woW,  d,...J1
Exercise 4
Find the Arabic for the English expressions.
a of various nationalities
b The tourists will visit some Yemeni towns.

314
ARABIC
III
I al-y6man Yemen
CI,tW .&L"..,. saa'iH, suwwaaH tourist
03- '..JJJi urUubii European
u :adan Aden
1,J4I1. milll6a', aI -mawCacmii (sometimes fem.) harbour. pori
JJ\'I !,)'Wi ams al-ilwwal the day before yesterday
 . safiinah, sUfun ship
r siyaaHii tourist (adj.), touristic
l.tJi almaanii German
 mukht6lif different, various
...)u taariikhii historical, historic
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) I
. miinaa' harbour. The pluro\ of this word is a defective noun
(see below).
. ams al-awwallit. yesterday the-first. Also occurs in the form
awwal ams, both meaning the day before yesterday.
. mukhtalif various when, os here, used as the first part of a
possessive construction. When used as an ordinary odjective,
it meons different.
. ba:D some. See below.
"
" 3 I amriikaa America
Exercise 5
Read the passage and answer the questions.
a Howald is the millionaire's prospective bride?
b How old is he?
c What aids does he need?
d How much does he love his fiancee?

!:!.NIT 1 B
315
)'AI
ui LJI tI';' lS "j" f.>.o ->"i &k i
..JI  1.1.\" .LA f.>.o I" :t....oWI ,;. oW G:"
I uL  r-""" . 4 I.: I'Q r- 44 "wl b)4.0 
r..r-"  JS IJA  I JU" .u V-  J'Q'.":.:..J
.....:JI .uL:;
. .
Exercise 6
Find the Arabic for the following English expressions.
a He will marry a girl.
b he said that he loves her
c with all his heart
.
 i a:lana [S-IV] to announce, state
* malyoonilyr millionaire
uL ,'1J wil6ayah, "'Gat administrative division of a country;
here state
G:jj:i tazawwaia [Mw-V] to marry
 t  -:. .;Ui fatGah, fatay6at girl, young woman
uL .JLil.:a.1 iHtifGal, -oat celebration
I/ mi'awii centennial, hundredth
L , munoDHDHim, -Oat regulator
uL ..L DGrhah, DarabGat a beat, blow
,.a . qalb, quluub heart
JLU tanaqqala [S-V] to be transported
"...I;S .,;S kursii, karaasii chair
L , :6ialah, -oat wheel
J-'lf bGadala [5-111] to return, reciprocate to someone

316
ARABIC
al-mulaaHaDHGat (Notes) .:a1
. al-maaDii the past. Defective adjective. See page 32.4.
. al-khaamisah wa-I-:ishriin the 25th. Note that in
compounds of tens and units, only the unit tokes the ordinal
form. For basic rules see Unit 11. The adjective applies to the
implied/understood feminine noun sanah year.
. iHtifaaI celebration and its verb require bi-.
. mi'awii hundredth. This is not a true ordinol number, rather
on adjective meaning centennial from 4:.... mi'ah - irregular
but most common spelling - or 4:aL. hundred.
. munaDHDHim(an) li-Darabaat al-qalb regulator for beats
of the heart, i.e. a pacemaker.
. min kuU qalb-uh with all his heart. For kull see grommar
section below.
. tubaadU-uh she reciprocates [to him]. Many of such Form III
verbs toke a direct object, where in English a preposition is
required. See Verb Tables.
.
" 4  J-!' abuu DHabii Abu Dhabi
Exercise 7
Read the passage, and answer the questions.
a Who is Fairuz?
b Why is she in Abu Dhabi?
i
,;.  o1 I .)-II r1 dJlo)'1 !..:J-"
. .Hi ,.} r.: i.: (j,jJILAl>..i 4J .JJ:il- .t-.l>.. o}--J
Exercise 8
Now find the Arabic for the following English expressions.
a She arrived in the Emirates today.
b She will visit her brother

IT18
317
II  i abuu DHabi Abu Dhabi
J waSala [Fw-I i] to arrive (! ilaa a
L. ,4-...)- muTribah, -aat (female) singer, musician
 fay..uU% Fairuz (femole nome); turquoise (gem)
.,:,1. ,j; )..I"j ziyaarah, -aat visit
J khalaal during
;;l/ul! 'C i akh, ikhwaan or ikhwah brother
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) ..::at...Li.::..1
. abuu DHabii. literally 'fother of gozelle'. For abuu see
grammor section below.
. waSaI to arrive requires the preposition ilaa.
. akhaa-haa her brother. See grommor section below.
II 5 dJjo:!  nyuu yuurk New York
Exercise 9
Read the passage. and answer the questions.
a What special day has UNESCO chosen to commemorate on
March 211
b Who is Ali al-Allaq1
c What is poetry greater than?
clJ 
.).J . 4-JLL lo,J:! IJ"'Jlo or \ (',J:! I  .:.oJl.:i.&..1
,jJ1 JI  vk II \.:;JI  ,I ,,:,,I rol1
,.us: ulo.>\1 w-o i I wi .u ..i.J.1.:>o 'J ta! w-o,;...» o..j! Ju
I" .:.olb..U1 L)lo 4.:.1. 4.:&. I w-o LLWI i"
.((J4J1 .J I J u.,;aJI.J

318
ARABIC
Exercise 10
find the Arabic for the following English expressions.
a Arab poets welcomed this. b Poetry is greater than all time.
c It fills the moments ... with the beauty of meaning.
II
ui aqaama [Mw-IV] to reside
.;aL , mun6DHDHamah, -aal organisation
 shi:r poetry
-! J raHHaba [5-11 ] to welcome (requires bi-)
,.I ,,,,s.w. shaa:ir, shu:araa'. poet
I",s. :iraaqii Iraqi
 ,u,.,;.. mu'min, -uun believing, a believer (in something)
u! iimaan belief, faith
.J-, . Hadd, Huduud limit, border
) .uloj zamaan, azminah time
t WI ittisaa: extent, compass
i .uts... makaan, amkinah place
 iamii:an all together
uJlo maali' filling, filler
-=..L.:u:..:.J I6HDHah, laHaDHaal moment
 . fasl, fuSuul section, season (of the year)
WJ.>i .UJi qam, qUrUun century
J'--1I. ma:naa, al-ma:aanii meaning
al-mulaaHaDHaat (Notes) I
. yawman :aalamiyyan as a world day. Adverbial accusative
of respect. See Unit 15.
. mu'min iimaanan. Adverbial accusative. See Unit 15.
.Iaa Huduud la-h(u) lit. no limits to it. Here the word laa is
used to negate a noun. For its other uses see Unit 10.
. ittisaa:an in extent and iamii:an all together are exomples of
the adverbial accusative. See also below.

ITI8
319
 ... .:. U, ta:biiraat ra'iisiyyah (Key phrases)
r.Jd JS: kull yaWID
 i" rl£. JS:
kuJl :aam wa-anta bi-khayr
 JS: IJA min kuU qalb-ii
U"w.J1  ba:D an-naas
every day
Happy BirthdaylEid. etc.
with all my heart
some of the people
U111 I.>i taraakiib al-Iughah (StruCtures)
1 Each. every and all
All these English words are expressed using the Arabic  kull, but
with different constructions according to the specific meaning
required.
each, every kuU + indefinite singular
all kuU + definite plural
def. plural + kull + suffix pronoun
Each, every
The construction used for both of these is the same:
Iwll followed by an indefinite singular noun (without the definite
article al-).
..)#.  JS: IJA from every country news
 .,::;.i" rLL JS: lit. every year and you in well-being
the Arabic congratulatory phrase used in connection with all
anniversaries, particularly birthdays.
,.  khayr 1_ oij wellbeing

320
ARABIC
4J
every problem has a solution
Oit. every problem for it a solution)
PI
JS ,mushkilah, mashaakil* problem
J.J.1a. , Hall, Huluul solution
All
a) kull followed by a noun with the definite article, usually plural.
This is a possessive construction and obeys the rules given in Unit 6.
I :U' - .....i:..u..J1 I('
. f".J-i lJ-U.o v-"
all [of] the mweums are closed on Friday
bl...i  fil.-,JI  wlS
all [of] the soldiers were carrying arms
pj
"slw£ 'I/ :askarii, :asaakir soldier
4.aJ",.,i 'C  silaaH, asliHah weapon, arm
d6. .:..\.411 
all [of] the girls are present
II I u HaaDir present, here
The noun can be replaced by a suffix pronoun:
.:1aS:  I",j&.j 
all of them (they all) took a piece of cake
pj I cl.t..S ka:k cake

IT18
321
b) A plural noun with the definite article, followed by kuU with a
suffix pronoun agreeing with the noun. This construction is slightly
more common. To make it clear, here are the same examples as
above in the new format. The meaning is exactly the same.
I f" :u 4.!S: .....i.",.UJI
the museums all-oj-them are closed on Friday
L.L.i   fil.-,JI wlS
the soldiers all-ol-them were carrying arms
.:.1,.,....:.6.  .:.I
the girls all-oj-them are present
When used with a singular noun or pronoun suffix, the translation
can be all or the whole, e.g. from the text:
 wlojJl all time, the whole oJ time
 I .:.JS:i She ate all the cake, the whole cake.
An alternative word for all is  jamii:, used either with a plural
in the same way as kuIl or, as we have in the text, with the
accusative marker as an adverb (see Unit 16):
t.a...........  I' kL..::iI,:<i
- . u-o '.J
and greater in compass than all places
Some
The word for some is  ba:D, a noun meaning a part oj
something. This is used in the same way as kull when it means all
as explained above.
 WII'.w1 .
-'4.) __u 
some of the historic Yemeni towns
I' .
- . ...J ,-;:,...JL 
some oj them are Arabs, and some English

322
ARAB.!£.
Summary
kuU is a noun meaning the whole, totality of something.
ba:D is a noun meaning a part of something. They are both
sometimes used independently:
. I . -,I :. - . 'I J u some said that she was mad
 ....... 
Wi K.
_ uA
with all his heart
]
II I 4-- . mainuun, maioaniin mod
2 Irregular nouns
There are two classes of irregular nouns and adjectives which must
be mentioned as the variations in their endings show up in print,
i.e. they do not consist entirely of unmarked vowel endings.
Remember that Literary Arabic recognises three cases of the
noun/adjective, depending on its function in the sentence:
Nominative, used for the subject of all sentences and the
compliment of verbless sentences; also for the complement of
inna-type sentences (see Unit 8)
Accusative, used for the object of verb sentences, the subject of
inna, the complement of kaana sentences ( Unit 8), and for many
adverbial expressions (Unit 16).
Genitive, used for the second part of possessive constructions (Le.
for the possessor) and after all prepositions. The genitive is
unmarked except in the nouns mentioned below.
Two common nouns behave differently when they form the first
part of a possessive phrase, either with another noun or a pronoun
suffIx:
royi .i ab, aabaa' father
bp.!\JI".:..! .t i akh, ikhwaan or ikhwah brother
These behave normally when they do not fonn the flfSt part of a
possessive:

ITI8
323
I,J ei.u he has one brother
In possessives they show the nominative case with a ,J, the
accusative with an I, and the genitive with a C;.
For example, take her brother/father, using the possessive suffix -baa.
Case
Nominative
Accusative
Genitive
her father
LA.J-!i abuu-haa
LAlfi abaa-haa
4-:!-!i abii-haa
her brother
LA"ai akhuu-haa
LAL.::..i akhaa-haa
Lf...:!..:..i akhii-haa
Here is an example from the article above:
ui 4J J,J during which she will visit her brother
(accusative, object of a verb)
Examples of the other two cases are:
b..& y;. ,,; f""".J-:!i  their father works in a big company
(nominative, subject of a verb)
I..i.u i . <'.
-. t"" 
we live with our father
(genitive after a preposition)
Notes
a) When the suffIx IF -ii my is added to these wos, the various
long vowel endings are omitted, and all cases are ",r-I ab-ii and i
akh-ii.
b) Technically, in formal Standard Arabic, the same varying forms
should be used before another noun, but this seems to be dropping
out of modem press Arabic, and the nominative -uu form is used
in all contexts. This is important, as abuu especially occurs in
many eersonal and place names. For instance, in the tet we have
u+t.,Jot1 e,} .i,! Abu D.,hahi, which should technically be -.r.1 abii after
the prepOSItIon e,} tn.
c) abuu is frequently used to express a possessor of something,

324
ARABIC
rather than a strictly biological father, e.g. J"tJ1 i possessor of
terror; that which holds terror, i.e. the Sphynx (see also below).
d) A common word ($,j .I,j ',J,j dhuu, dbaa, dbii possessor is only
used with a following noun, e.g. wi.::.. l,j )4..J u\S he was a miln of
importance (lit. possessor of importance)
Tip: You can avoid using abuu etc. in many situations by
substituting the regular noun JI,J waalid which also means father,
but this is not permissible in proper names. You can't do anything
about akb, though.
3 Defective nouns and adjectives
Another class of irregular words are the so-called defective nouns
and adjectives. The defect is that, in certain cases as explained
below, they lose their final letter, which is always ($. These are
perfectly regular in the definite, but the indefiniie works as
follows. using the word qaaDii judge as a model:
Definite all cases: UJI al-qaaDii
Indefinite Nominative ,-"","U qaaDin
Accusative: U qaaDiyaD
Genitive: u qaaDin
The class also includes adjectives such as L. .L. .LJI
al-maaDii, maaDin, maaDiyan past, former.
These words are a common source of error to Arabs when writing,
perhaps because in spoken Arabic, the final -ii is pronounced, and
native speakers feel instinctively that there is something missing or
unnatural if they drop it.
Important note: To save confusion, and because they look peculiar
in isolation in their truncated form, words of this class have been
given in the vocabularies and glossaries with the defmite article, e.g.:
i>L..:.:i .U11 al-qaaDii, quDaahjudge
LJI al-maaDii past (adj.)
Note that it can be the singular which is defective, as in the
examples above. Or the plural as in the following examples:

IT18
Ju..J1 . ma:naa, al-ma:aanii meaning
JlyJl. miinaa', aI-mawaanii harbour
Here are another couple of common defective adjectives:
...it- IF-Lo maa' Saafin pure water
JWI ,J.o..r.]1 as-sadd al-:aali the High Dam (in Egypt)
325
iii "' ..... maa, miyaah water
J'LAJI as-Saafii pure, clear
.)J,,).W ,,,).W sadd, suduud dam
WI al-: aalii high
..:a1 u1jJi awzaan al-kalimaat (Word shapes)
Exercise 11
The following is a revision exercise, covering the word shapes
given in all the previous units. You are given an Arabic root, along
with its basic meaning. Refer back to the relevant unit and create
the required word shape. The answers, along with their meanings,
are given in the key and on the recording.
g Unit 1 .)-C-,J to be one, unique
Unit 2 .)- J-'":-' being cold
Unit 3 .b-,":-,- being exact, accurate
Unit 4 ",:,,-t -J playing
Unit 5 J-.b-J breaking onesfast
Unit 6 t -,":-,-.b printing, typing
Unit 7 r-....-...i understanding
Unit 8 r- U"- J drawing
Unit 9 r-J-t knowing
Unit 10 r-J-t knowing
Unit 11 J--..J being preferable, good, excellent

326
ARAB!£.
Unit 12 J-I,,)"-J explaining, elucidating
Unit 13 J-.t.- u seeing, looking at
Unit 14 J-J;.-d uncovering, discovering
Unit 15 c:-.:.-..... opening
Unit 16 .b-'":-'-t -J being mixed up, in a mess
Unit 17 t -u-J convincing (someone of something)
u...."..u tamriinaat (Practice)
Exercise 12
Find the odd one out:
i - I,f""i -  - i ,
JL u. - j.!.J.o - "':-',):.... - ",:-,i "
I i -  i - L- -"li ,.
J - tJL...L - tJ"Lb - v-.fi t
L.o -  -  -  0
pj
..:"L .4Jl.wt ghassaalah, -aat washing machine
Exercise 13
Here is part of a Hotel Guide for Algiers. Look at the key to the
hotel facilities. and decide whether these statements referring to
the four hotels described below are true or false.
.r)Ui u-AJL,,-,,!.1I.).J UJ.s  I J  4J"i J'S:
.J.1WJI "
. ' :'.:L::I I.:.U  J,jWJI J'S: ,.
.dJ ....lily 4J J.1WJI  t
.J 0
. u.,JL-  J..iWJI  ,

UNI T 18
--
327
.4lS V
.rL-  ((o.;.1,;l1h> J.w ,;. ...i1  "
oW'"'!)LJ1  t... J.w J'S:';' '\
.LA ((I» J.w ,;. .....I J'S: ,.)  , ·
L;..;Jr ...! I.J
.'''- ..J.!S.a 
I ...J..aW:i L ..
1.J"o!. II1'II
..J"..,' ,) t""""" B
'::'I.J ...ii".. [!]
u....l<Jlli 4J I .::.li 
I.._ . .IL..:. D ..  r 11
Ur  c.J"o'oI W
U  j"L.o..or.  4?Ju, u4-< 4S.J'! 
U"i JS:  ..J:iLA  4.i"i JS:  Jo:!,)IJ 
4i,,£- JS:  uJ-' 1!!1 4.i"..,.  j"i ui> 
II I!!J'" ,8  J
!i1[!]
****
.1 1 l!Jf!!]'( o. EJ u4,).1 J
]Jra
****
'a lil't!][!]f!!]' vl5 I J ***

[!] :'. .,y '(05 0,;.1;111 J
*

328
ARABIC
III
 qabila [SI a] to accept
, ..: I...";. ' 1 ULb.f buTaaqat aMasliif credit cord
 takyiif air conditioning
 L- S6aluun taimiil beauty solon
uL ,L. khidmah, -Gat service
 tanDHiif cleaning
I.J"-! malaabis clothes
Exercise 14
Add the word all to the plural nouns (underlined) in the following
sentences, using kull with a suffix pronoun agreeing with the noun.
Example:
I  .J'i ."11  The children played in the garden.
I   .J 'i.J "11  All the children played in the garden.
..=.. I U"J.J ,
. wi &0 c I"....JI J...:..J ,.
.L....JI  .J.U F T'
..wl y ".JI J £
.}.h.,J1  I,p.i .. ";.1: 4 ..., 0
.J.)I  I .J '
1 The students studiedfor their examination.
2 The tourists arrived from Germany.
3 The shops open in the evening.
4 The employees welcomed the director's report
5 His sisters met him in at the airport.
6 I put the books on the shelf.

KEY TO THE
EXERCISES
Script and Pronundation Guide
t Volvo, Honda, Jeep, Toyota, Chrysler
Unit 1
t a  b f"Y-J1
21
3 a I b c:4- e ..t....... d..u:J1
4 a I C4- b dJL:.. '-¥ e I ..t....... d  f"Y-J1 e f'Y-J1 "
5 a clJL:.. b d"..uJ I e  y..,.i/'J.+-" y..,.i d rSJL:.. '-¥ e lfi:. .
6 Ie; 2b; 3a
7 Ie; 2b; 3a
8 a b  t..:;, e C4-J1 d f"IJA\t1 e ,,
9 Aladdin and the magic lamp
10 Sun: a, e, d, e, g; Moon: b, f
12 id; lib; ilie; ivc; va
13 \g; Ya; Tb; toc; oi; '\j; Vb; Ad; \e; . H
a Rabat; b Algiers or Algeria; c Cairo; d Riyadh; e Manamah; f Baghdad; g The
Middle East; h Saudi Arabia; i (The) Sudan; j Jordan
14 a coffee; b lemon; c small Coca Cola; d chocolate ice-cream; e the cinema;
fthebank
15 a as-sandwiitsh; b at-tilift1un; c al-bayt; d aT- TanuiaTun; e as-siinima;
f al-bfirah as-Saghiirah; g al-Mrgar al-kabiir; b ar-cladyo al-jadfid
161g;2d;3h;4c;5e;6b;7a;8f
17
t-I"JI I I 0 J...,1o  to..J.!.....? ..,..us: ,. .  Y ..J,!..I..JI w.....J1 ,
18
J-r- Vr-,)-,j '\ ,)-,)- o..,..-.rJ 1. ,)-t-..,.." J-,,-J,. Y.rt-U'" \
C:-C-U'" . \ r- r.!1 \ ...J-J,.-J A
I S-gh-r; 2 T-w-l; 3 b-:-d; 4 q-r-b; 5 j-d-d; 6 q-d-m; 7 j-m-I; 81-T-f; 9 k-r-m;
10 S-H-H

330
Unit 2
ARABI £
Dialogue 1 min ayna Antal Where ore you from?
Translatwn:
Suad Well. My name is Snarl. What's your name?
Michael My name is Michael.
Suad Welcome, Michael. Where are you from?
Micl1ael I am from Manchester, in England. And you?
Suad I am from Alexandria in Egypt.
Transliteration:
su:aad Hlisanan. ;ina fsm-ii su:iad. maa fsm-ak?
nniaykal ;ina fsm-ii maaykal
su:aad ahlan wa-sahlan yaa maaykal. min ayna anta?
maaykal ;ina min manshastar fii inglatirra. wa-;inti?
su:aad ;ina min al-iskandarfyyah fii miSr.
1 a Suad; b Michael
2 a Manchester; b Alexandria
3 aL. u.- t.:.i b .::.:.i"
DiaJogue 2 miST jamiilah Egypt is beautiful
Translation:
Egypt is very beautiful. Cairo is a big city, and it is very old. The Egyptian
Museum is in Tahrir Square close to the Nile Hotel. There is an excellent
restaurant in the Nile Hotel in Tahrir Square. And of course there are the
pyramids in Geezah.
Transliteration:
nuSr jamfilah jfddan. al-qaahirah madlinah kabfirah, wa-hfya qadfimah jfddan.
al-matHaf al-miSrii fii maydaan at-taHrf11' qarfib min runduq al-nfil. hunMka
maT:am mumb1az fii runduq al-nfil fii maydaan at-taHriir. wa- Tab:an huruiaka 1-
ahniam fi I-gfizah.
4 a that it is big, beautiful and very old; b in Tahrir Square; c an excellent
restaurant
Dialogue 3 raqm tilifUun.ak kam? What's you phone number?
Translation:
Zaki What's your phone number, Hamid?
Hamid My phone number is 6347211. And your phone number?
Zaki My phone number is 6215500. Marie, what's your phone number?
Marie My phone number is 6207589.

IC EY TO THE EXERCISES
-
331
Transliteration:
zMdi riqam tilif6on-ak kam, yaa Hliamid?
g&anUd riqam tilif60n-ii sittah thal6athah fuba:ah si\b:ah ithni\yn wAaHid
waaHld. wa-riqam tilif60n-ak i\nta?
Zaki riqam tilif60n-ii sittah ithni\yn wAaHid khi\msah khi\msah Sift Sift. yaa
maarii. riqam tilif60n-ik kam?
)II88I'ii riqam tilif6on-ii sittah it:llrni.yn Sift slib:ah kMmsah thami\anyah tfs:ah
5 a 6215500 b 6207589 c c:uAb c-i" d on J c-i.)
6 ,,-J-V'/r:..-J-uD!t -..J-0/J-,,-.:J/..J-';'-0/,<rJ /J--t
7 a I fi-li b I .,,4-)1 c J....,bJ1 .tI1 d I I e J.,i.::..J1.x1
8 a.!,! J¥fi-li b  ..)4-)1 c Ju1. .tI1 d  I e .HI
9 a  -'"' b  ..,.., c JoI.. -'"' d  -'"' e -'"'
10
'i y1 J,. 1. 'ii.p..-...i ..,..,i ,.. 'ivf ..".  ....IA y 'iJ"<"'-"  .:.:on \
\,.1$  J,. 0
11
""' 0 t.:....  1. rl"JoAl':/1  ,:",..,i .;.w]1 ,.. iJ ..,... y ..!,! ..)4-1 1 \
12 1 Tunis; 2 Lebanon; 3 Paris; 4 Scotland; 5 Abu Dhabi; 6 Italy
13 a Dubai; b Ras al-Khaimah; c Abu Dhabi
14 a973; b20; c 1; d974; e966; f39
Unit 3
Dialogue 1 a-ania suudAani? Are you Sudanese?
Translation:
Husaam Hello! Are you Egyptian?
Z8ki No, I'm Sudanese, from Khartoum. And you?
Hus8am I'm Egyptian, from Tania.
Z8ki Where is Tanta?
Hus8am Tanta is near Cairo.
TnmsliteratioD:
Hus6am rom-Hahan. 'a-i\nta mfSrii?
z8ki laa, Ma suudlianii min al-kharT6um. wa-i\nta?
Hus6am Ma mfSrii min Ti\nTaa
zQi Ayna TlinTaa?
Hus6am Ti\nTaa qarfibah miD al-qUhirah
1 a Sudanese; b Khartoum
2 a Egypt; b England; c Australia; d Lebanon; e France
TrQflslo.tion:
Suad I am Egyptian, and you, Mike?

332
ARABI£
Michaei I am English.
Kylie I am Australian.
Yuunis I am Lebanese. I am from Beirut.
Marle I am French.
Transliteration:
su:8ad ana miSriyyah, wa-&1ta yaa muyk?
nniayk ana inglfizii
kaaylii ana ustraaliyyah
yliunis ana lubnaanii. ana min bayruut
maarii ana faransfyyah
Dialogue 2 haJ tatakallam ingliizii? Do you speak English?
Translation:
Passenger Excuse me. Where are you from?
Julie I am from England. And you?
Passenger I am from Anunan. I am Jordanian.
Julie Do you speak English?
Passenger No, I am sorry, I don't speak English. I only speak Arabic.
Transliteration:
rRakib :an idhn-ik. min ayna anti?
juulii ana min ingiltMra. wa-anta?
riakib ana min :amm. ana t1rdunii
juulU hat tatak:illam ingliizii?
riakib laa, ma:a l-isaf, laa atalaUlam inglfizii. atak:illam :3rabi faqaT
3 a English; b Arabic
Translation:
Passenger You speak Arabic fluently!
Julie No, only a little
Transliteration
r8alrlb tatakaIlamfin aI-:arabfyyah bi-Tataaqah!
juulii laa, qaIfilah faqaT
4a!FJ,.b :;
S true
Dialogue 3 maa :amaJ-ak? What do you do?
Translo.tion:
Passenger What is your occupation?
Julie I am a student, at London University. And you?
Passenger [ am a doctor in Anunan.
Transliteration:
riakib maa :funal-ik?

KE Y TO THE EXERCISES
--
333
juulli ana T6.alibah fii jiami:at landan. wa-anta?
rAakib ana Tabfib fii :aII1IIWW
6 a student; b in Anunan
7 a ..:11-. L... b  I.:.i
Dialogue 4 hallandan madiinah kabfirah? Is London a big city?
Translation:
passenger Is London a big city?
Julie Yes it is a very big city. There are many big museums and bridges and
shops.
passenger Where is the university?
Julie It is in the middle of the town, near the British Museum.
Transliteration:
rUkib hallandan madiinah lcabfirah?
j6u1ii mi:am hiya madfinah kabfirah jfddan. hunMka mataaHif kabfirah kathfirah
wa-jusUDr wa-maHallaat
r6akib ayna l-jiami:ah?
juulli hiya fii wasT al-madfinah, qarfibah min al-matHaf al-briiTaanii
8 a museums! bridgesl shops; b the university
9 a Morocco; b Jordan; cOman; d Bahrain; e Kuwait
10 a4E; b7C; c6A; dZG; elB: f3D; gSF
11 a Salma; b Damascus, Syria c  4-- 1 d I 0lJ1 F
Translation:
....her name is Salma and she is Synan, from Damascus. She speaks Arabic,
English and French. She is a teacher.
Transliteration:
... fsm-haa saImaa wa-hiya suurlyyah min dimashq. tatak:illam al-Iughah al-
:arabfyyah wa l-ingliizfyyah wa I-faransfyyah. hiya mudMrisah.
12
..k1i 1-
!.o
...k1i d. )'I 0lJ1 . "\
.,:;L..."J U3 J L... v- I ,
.j"i I.:.i y
..,.Ju.. 1.:.i yo
Translation:
Martin Romano is American. He is a student. He speaks English, fluent Italian,
and a little Arabic.
TranslIteration:
rMartin ruumaanuu min arnriikaa. huwa T3alib. yatak:illam inglflZii, iiTaaIii bi-
Talfu1qah wa :arabi qalfilan.

334
13
ARABIC

. I-:-'. 1 '\ . 0 ....J"'i ..I 1.  '" . .I Y :u \
i  ..1a.I" A i ...I,t V WlO
14 a LJ,),o ..,... b ..,.Jlb y. c ..... y. d .>-1,),0 ..,... e 41lb ..,... f  ..,...
Unit 4
Dialogue 1 ayna l.mataaHif? Where are the museums?
Translation:
Hassan This is the map of Sharjah. This is the Old Town, and this is the fish
market.
Jim Where are the museums?
Hassan These are the museums here, and here. This is the Arts Museum, and
this is the Natural History Museum, on the Airport road.
Bridget That museum is far away.
Jim Yes, that's true. Look, the Fort Museum is here, in Tower (Burj) Street. It's
an excellent museum, and maybe afterwards we can go to the Old Town.
Bridget Good. We'll go to the Fort Museum.
1 a 'The Old Town; b It's too far; c The Fort Museum
2 a4; b2; c3; dI
Dialogue 2 yaqfil as-saa.:ah 10m? What time does it dose?
Translation:
Hassan Good morning. At what time does the museum close?
Attendant Good moming. It closes at one o'clock, and opens at four o'clock in
the afternoon.
Bridget What is the time now?
Hassan It's a quarter past ten.
Bridget Good. We have plenty of time.
Attendant Welcome, come in. This is a brochure of the museum.
Hassan Thank you
3 a Ipm; b 4pm; c 10:15 am; d a brochure
4 a4; bl; c6; d2; e5; f3
5 a Wednesday evenings; b Monday; c 8:30pm; d 9am; e Friday; f 5
Dialogue 4 bi-kam...? How much does it cost?
Translation:
Hassan Hello!
Female Attendant Hello!
Hassan How IIRICh is a ticket, please?

KEY TO THE EXERCISES
--
335
Fe.nale AtteDdant Adults are six dirhams, and children three dirhams.
JlaSS8II Three tickets at six dirhams please.
Fe)Jl8le Attendant Eighteen dirhams please. Thank you. Here are the tickets.
aassan Thank you.
6 a 6 Dhs; b 3Dbs; c 18 Dhs
7 &4; bl; c2; d3
8 a 1:30; b 6:55; c 10:15; d 5:00; e 9:00am
9 see tranSCript
10
II".J:! '\ :  0 ,).:>.. II"..Jot 1. \.,....i'" :.L...""" II""" T I".J:! \
11
.db '\ :.:U'" 0 :.l.. 1. :.:U"i ,. :.l.. Y :Il.. \
1Z 3/12/1952; 19/1111967; 11112000; 28/2/1990; 17/411836
13
.t.
'ir5 uL..J1  c:",...,J1 0
I'\
a 4 dinars; b 7 0' clock; c half past seven
14 see transcript
I..""""
'i .fiLJI Y
. V. fil tu) '"
Unit 5
Dialogue 1 haadhihi hiya zeiwjat-ii This is my wife
Translation:
Hamed Tom, come in, please.
Tom Thank you, Hamed.
Hamed This is my wife, Salma. Salma, this is Tom, from the office.
Tom Good everung, Salma, how are you?
Salma I'm well, praise God. Welcome. And how are yon?
Tom Praise God. This is a present for you. (He gives Salma some flowers)
SaIma Thank you Tom. Come in. Welcome. This is my father, and this is my
mother.... and this is our son Tamiim. Please, sit down.
Tom How old is Tamiim?
Salma He is 15 years old, and our daughter Farida is 21.
Hamed How old are your children, Tom?
Tom Our children are small - our son is 5, and our daughter is 3 years old
I a Salma; b 15; c 21; d younger
2; a I,.S,)JI" I b I c II d 'if""A r5 ,..::.:,i .:I} e -=01,,:.- '" La 
3 33 thalaathah wa-thalaathfin; 40 arba:iin; 44 mba:ah wa-arba:iin; 57 mib:ah

336
ARAB IC
--..
wa-khamsfm; 68 thamaanyah wa-sittfin; 76 sittah wa-sab:fin; 85 khamsah wa-
thamaaniin; 99 tfs:ah wa-tis:fin.
4 H n YA T'\ tT \"0 OA V'\ AA \'\
5 a Lantern Dhs.99; b Barbecue Dhs.89; c Relax chair Dhs.65; d Tow rope
Dhs.50; e Sleeping bag Dhs.42; f Ice chest Dhs.79; g Charcoal Dhs.25
6 a4; bl; c3; 116; e5; f2
7
I Y. ..r JA \" i..I\,! ,.?.\II" Y C-"  ,
,.?J4- i J 4-J1 ..1A  0 f"-J'4 i ..1A L
 U:.. i A y u.- ,... V I  l.1Ai '\
8 i a.\lt..:;. b f"-Y' C ",, ww...
ii a I b  c ..\11" d I
Iii a .ul..;..  b  c::"j c ,...
Unit 6
Dialogue 1 ayna wasaT al-madfinah, min faDl-ak?
Translation:
Andy Excuse me, where is the centre of town?
Man Straight ahead. Where are you going to?
Andy I'm going to the office of Ali al Mabrouk. Do you know it? Here is a map
of the town, (Andy produces a map of the town)
Man Yes, I know it. Let me think. Yes, it's here. (He shows Andy on the map)
After the big mosque, turn left at the traffic lights. This is King Hussein Street.
Go straight ahead for about 1 ()() metres.
Andy Yes, I understand.
Man The office of Ali al Mabrouk is on the right, beside the petrol station,
opposite the Plaza cinema.
Andy Qh, yes. Thank you. Is there a car park there?
Man Yes, there is a big car park behind the office of Ali al Mabrouk.
Andy Thank you very much.
Man You're welcome.
1 a !.:J:,,jl  b i; cleft; d 100m; e petrol station; fill
2 aV; bY; co; d\"; e'\; f\; gL
3 a hotel; b mosque; c fish market; d post office; e park; f old fort
4 a4; b5; c7; d2; e3; n; g6
5 see transcript
6 see ttanscript

IC E)' TO THE EXERCISES
--
337
7
'\ IJ i a I  to ,)I t-lc. \" .s.J1 .1-" Y I.Ji \
4J1 i;;Ju...
8
t ,.,-1)1 I.a \" . ."..,UJI 4....4- Y J- .)o!i t} \
..»i- J"..JI lS:,) ,\.1] .,..I  a t..-I" -i".\ 1 
, a .......I,p. b f'+"i. .,..) c """" d J e f'+"i. 
Unit 7
Dialogue 1 itkhU fahd My brother Fahd
Translation:
He travelled to Anunan in March, and worked in the Jordanian office of his
company. He stayed with my uncle. We wrote a letter to him every week. He
returned to Kuwait in September.
1 a FaIse b False cTrue
2 a3; bI; c2
Dialogue 2 maadhaa fa:att ams? What did you do yesterday?
Translation:
Zaki What did you do yesterday?
SoDya Yesterday I went to the house of Ahmed.
Zaki How did you go there?
Souya I went by taxi. He and his family live in Zamalek.
Zaki What did you do?
Souya I met his father and his mother and his sisters. His mother cooked lunch.
After lunch we drank Arabic coffee.
Zaki And did you like it?
SoDya Yes, it is delicious.
Zaki Did you return by taxi?
Souya No, I didn't come back by taxi. Ahmed gave me a lift home in his car.
3 a by taxi; b his family; c i; d ii; eAhmed's mother; f i; g iii; hat; b\; ca; dY;
e\"
4
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5 Ib; 2c; 3d; 4e; 5a
fi aA; b\"; c\; d'\; eV; fa; gY; ht
7 a I",.;it- b  c  d.:;J...." e wsi ,

338
ARABIC
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11 Translation:
Bill and Mary and the children travelled from London and arrived in Dubai in
March 1997. They stayed there for a week. They lived in a big flat near the sea,
and met many people from the Emirates. On Monday Bill played tennis, and
Mary went to the beach. On Tuesday they went to the house of their friend
Mansour, and his wife cooked Arabic food for them.
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Unit 8
1 kaana yaa maa kaan Once upon a time
Translation:
In the days of the Caliph Haron at-Rashid there was, in Baghdad, a poor porter
whose name was Hindbad. One day this Hindbad was carrying a heavy load to
the house of a merchant in the market. And that was in the summer, and the beat
of the sun was very strong. Hindbad became tired and thirsty. So he stopped in
the road at the gate of a magnificent palace to rest from his work:. He put his
burden on the ground and sat down. And while he was sitting like that. he heard
beautiful music emanating from inside the palace. And there was a servant
standing in front of the gate of the palace, so Hindbad asked him: Who is the
owner of this magnificent palace?
1 a ii; b to a merchant's house in the market; c he was tired and thirsty; d ii;
e Whose palace is this?
2 a o ; b'\; c\; d\"; eT; It.

y TO THE EXERCISES
339
2 as-sindibaad al-baHrii Sindbad the Sailor
Translation
And the servant said to him; Verily It is the palace of Sindbad the Sailor. And the
porter said: And who is he? And the servant was astonished and said; You are
living in Baghdad, and you have not heard of Sindbad the Sailor? Hindbad said;
No. The servant said: He is the one who has travelled the seven seas, and has
seen all the wonders of the world. And the porter became sad, and asked himself,
saying: Why is this Sindbad rich and I am not rich? And Sindhad heard this ftom
inside the palace and despatched another servant to the gate. This servant came
out of the palace gate and said to Hindbad: Come with me. So the porter
followed him inside the palace and he saw there a tall man, sitting in the midst
of a group of people, and this man was Sindbad. And the Sailor said to the
porter: GTeetings and welcome. And he seated him next to himself and offered
him many kinds of delicious food. And after that he told him about his amazing
voyages, and he had already ordered his servants to take Hindbad's load to the
merchant's house.
3 a because Hindbad hadn't heard of Sindbad the Sailor; b ii; c i; d Iii; e Ii;
f to deliver the load to the merchant
4 a'; bt; c'l'; d...; e\; fv; gT'; ho
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340
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ARABIC
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Unit 9
1 waDHaa'jf sMaghirah Situations vacant
1 a iiil b ic; iia; iiibl c 1 viii; 2iii; 3vii; 4i; 5x: 6v; 7iv; SiiI d i: vii, ix, x. vi, ii, iv;
d ii: vi; d ill: vii, ix, x, iv/ e 3 years experience in UAE food sales; good English;
valid convertable residence permit; aged 24-28 years; Emirates driving licence
2 c '; f Y; a\"; b t; do; e'
3 a ix; b vii; c iv; d ii; e vi; f iv; g x; h v
4 a\"; bt; c': dY
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y TO THE EXERCISES
Unit 10
1 roaadhaa ta:mal kull yawm? What do you do every day?
Transwtfun
Fawzia What do you eat in the morning?
Kamal I always eat fruit, and sometimes bread and cheese, and I dnnk coffee. I
nsually telephone my son. He lives in America.
Fawna And then what do you do?
Kamal I go to the office - my driver takes me at eight thUty, and I talk with him
in Ihe car about Ihe day's news.
Fawzia And then?
Kamal The secretary types letters for me while I read financial reports. This
takes two to three hours.
Fawna Do you use a computer?
Kamal Yes, of course. I learned the use of a computer at the College of Commerce.
Fawzia And what do you do in the afternoon?
Kamal In the afternoon I sit with the general manager and we discuss company
affairs, and I attend daily meetings wilh Ihe employees.
341
1 a fruit; b i; c i; d ii; e the general manager; f daily
2 b\; eY; aY'; d£.; CO
2 maadhaa ta:maI Iii awqaat al..faraagh? What do you do in your free time?
TTWlSlation:
All What do you do in your leisure time, Hisham?
Hlsbam I play golf, and I swim. When we lived in Amman I used to play tennis,
but I don't play now. I read a lot.
AU I read a lot too. I like modem poetry. Do you like poetry, Ruhiyyah?
Ruhiyyah No, I prefer novels. I watch television a lot, and I like Ihe Egyptian serials.
Ali I don't like them.
Hisham Me neilher. I really hate Ihem. I prefer cultural programmes, or sports,
but Ruhiyyah doesn't like sport.
Ruhiyyah But we both like the cinema. We are going to the cinema this
evening. Win you come with us, Ali?
3 a tennis; b reading a lot; c Ruhiyyah; d Go to the cinema; e i
4 a\; eT; dY'; b£.; CO
S Hameed, 3
6
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342
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events/sporting eventslhorse races/fIreworks; d above the famous Dubai creek
Unit 11
al-a:yaad al-islaamiyyah Islamic festivals
Literal translation:
Jack how-many festival wifh the-muslims?
Ahmad the-festivals the-important with-us [areJ two.
Fran and-what [areJ fhey-twO?
Alunad the-firsf he [isJ thejestival the-small and-nome-his [isJ festival {oI]
the-fast-breaking
Jack and in which month he?
Abmadfestival [ofl the-fast-breaking he [isJ in first day [ofl month [ofl
Shawal
Fran and what [isJ occasion-his?
Ahmad occasion-his [isJ that [the] month [of] Shawal he-follows {theJ month
[ofl Rmnadan the-holy, and.he [theJ month [ofl the-fasting with the-Muslims
Jack and what {isJ meaning [ofl thejasting with-you?
Ahmad the-fasting, his-meaning [isJ fhat the-people not they-eat and-not they.
drink in the-daytime. This he [isJ meaning of thejasting
Fran and what [isJ he the-festival the-other?
Ahmad he [isJ the1estival the-great or festival [ofl the-sacrifice
Jack and whaf [isJ occasion-his?
Ahmad occasion-his [isJ the-pilgrimage and he-begins in last day of [theJ days
[ofl the pilgrimage. And the-pilgrimage, meaning-his [isJ that the-people they-
travel to Mecca the-Holy and-they-visit the-Kaabah
Fran and how they-celebrate (Jor) this thejestival?

y TO THE EXERCISES
343
Abm8d fhey they-slaughter in-him [i.e. it] sacrifice (animals)
Jack and what (is] she the-sacrifice(animal)?
AbIPIld the sacrifice (animal) she (is a] sheep (which] they-slaughter-him and-
they-ear-him in (the] end [of] the-pilgrimage. And he (Le. it] (is a] custom with
fhe.muslims
Fran so festivals-your two only then?
AbIPIld no, in some {of] the-regions they celebrate (with) festival third
Jack and what (is] he?
AbIJWl he (is] birthday (of] fhe-prophet PBUH* in (the] month [of] Rabii the-
ftrs t
Fran yes, this [is] like (the] festival (of] the-birth with-us we the Christians
* Peace and Prayers be Upon Him (said after the name of the Prophet)
1 a two; b Ramadan; c eating and drinking in the daytime;
2 wi; bi; ci; d they sacrifice a sheep; e the Prophet's birthday
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344
ARABIC
Unit 12
SafHat al-mar'ah Woman's page
Literal translation:
Journalist (female) welcome
Leila wekome to-you
Journalistfirstly what (is] nationality-your?
Leila I (am) Lebanese from Beirut
Journalist and-age-your?
Leila age-my 28 year
Journalist how you-began in professwn (oj) showing the-fashions?
Leila since childhood-my. I-like showing fhe-Jashions because-they (are a) kind (of
the) kinds (oj) the-art. for-that I-entered into this field.
Journalist (?) you-studied fhe-aT1s?
Leila yes I-studied the-aT1s in the-universrty and-I-specialised in designing (oj)
the-Jashions
Journalist and-what you-aspire to-it in profession-your?
Leila ambition-my he (is the)founding (an) agency worId{wide)for-showing the-
fashions (which) it-includes (male-)models and (female-)models western and-Arab
Journalist and-thing other-thall. this?
Leila (the) designing (oj)fashions (which) they-carry (a) label infemational in-
name-my
JournaJist and-how you-keep slimness-your?
Leila l-follow (a) diet and-I-practise the-exercise fhe-light
Journalist and-beaury-your?
Leila indeed-II-prefer the-beauty the-natural, and-for-this (reason) I-leave hair
my to nature-its, and-not I-like puning (on) the-make-up except for-(the)-
requirements (oj) modelling only
Journalist thall.ks to-you
Leila thanks
1 a false; b true; c true; d false
2 a i; b ill; c have her own intemationallabel; d diet and light exercise; e natura]
beauty; f she only uses it for work
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KEY TO THE EXERCISES
Unit 13
345
lbiaslro. anta Ii sh-shaarlqah Smile, you're in Sharjah
literal translation:
Wifh fhis the-phrase fhe-welcoming which oveiflows with-all the-feelings [of}
fhe-friendship the-true she-greets [the-]Sharjah her-guests. And EmiraJe [of]
the-Sharjah she [is] one [of] emirates [of the] state [of] the-Emirates the-Arab
the-United which she-occupies [a] situation geographical prominent on fhe-Gulf
the-Arab. And-he [is a] situation [which] has-caused the-ShaTjah she-enjoys [i.e.
to enjoy] over [theJ eXlent [of] the-ages [a] role leading among [theJ countries
[of] the-Gulf the-Arab as [aJ centre [of the] most-important [ofJ centres [oj]
the-activity fhe-commercial.
And-he-is-estimated {the] number [of] fhe-inhabitants according-fo [theJ lafest
the-census which was-carried-out [in] yeaT 1995 at-about hal/million individual
that [is] in-density [whichJ is-estimated at-about 190 individual to-the-kilometre
fhe-square.
Sharjah is-considered [to beJ offhe-Emirates the-first on [theJ level [offheJ
region [ofJ the-Gulf which she-pursued [theJ mefhod [ofJ the-planning the-
scientific the-comprehensive in-what is-concemed with-projects [of] the-
development the-economic and-the-agricultural and-the-touristic and-the-social
and-fhe cultural efc.
And-Sharjah she-is-described by-that-she [isJ the-capital the-cultural for-[theJ
state [ofJ the-Emirates, and-there [is aJ department special [whichJ she-loo/cs-
after [theJ implementation [of} the-activities the-cultural in the-Emirafe, also
she-comprises the-EmiraJe [aJ munher [of] the-museums the-scientific and-the-
historical the-magnificent and [aJ staJionfrom [fheJ most-modem [ofJ sfations
[ofJ the-transmission the-televisual [whichJ she-broadcasts the-many of the-
programm£s the-cultural and-the-educational.
1 a Smile you are In ShaIjah; b on the Arabian Gulf; c commercial; d half a
million; e economid agricultural! touristid social/ cultural; f cultural;
g museums; h cultural and educational
2a\;dY; ft"; ht; boo g'\; cV; eA
3 definite:
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indefinite:
i.-:. \.... .)I.Jo""-!J.a; ij/m uJ1  ti."../.....r.il:t.",L;. .'pI.J
mIIu.I.b/...I

346
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fEY TO THE EXERCISES
Unit 14
Koshari
Literal translation:
1'he-Koshari
(the-amount shesuffices 6 persons)
TheQuontities
4 cups and-half rice. it-is-washed arul-it-is-strained
Cup [of] lentils black
Hal/cup [of] oil
Salt according-to the-desire
7 cups and-half [of] the-cup [of] water for-the-rice
10 cups {of] water for-boiling [of] the-macaroni
twO-CUps [of] macaroni
two spoons [oj] food (i.e. tablespoons) [of] oilfor-the-macaronl
6 onions cut into slices long
The-sauce
twO-spoons [ofl/ood [of] ghee
6 fruits [ofl tomato peeled and-chopped
[a] spoon small [of] pepper red hof milled
twO-spoons [of]food of paste [of] the-tomatoes
salf according-to the-desire
The- method
1- soak the-lentils in-the-water for-period [of] 6 hours and strain-it
2- fry fhe-onions in-the-oil then lift-them and-leave-them aside. Pour the-water
over-them and-leavethem until they-bOIl a-little, fhen add the-rice and-the-
lentils and-leave-them on fire gentle for-period [of] 40 minute.
3- boil fhe-macaroni in-the-water then add fhe-oil
4- fry fhe-tomatoes in-the-oil. then add the pepper and the paste [of] the-
loma/oes and the-salf,
5- during the-presenting (i.e. serving) place [the] mixture [of} the-rice arul-the-
lentils firstly. then [a] layer of the-macaroni then [a] layer of the-onions. and-
sprinkle over-it thesauce the-hot or present-it to [the] side [of] the-plate.
347
1 a 6; b four and a half times as much; c 6 hours; d 40 minutes; e onions; f
tomato sauce
2 c\; eT; d"'; at; bo
3 ic; iid; iiib; iva; ve
4 iC; iia; iiid; ivb
5 a iT fli \; b I Dirbam, 50 fils; c Fridays & holidays; d 4 hours; e 5 Dirhams; f .bi..o.1
6d\;hT;g"';bt;ao;c;eV;fA
7 a 8 dirhams; b selection of cheeses; c macaroni; d today only

348
ARABIC
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Unit 15
al-:arab Iii huuliiwuud Arabs in Hollywood
literal tronsLation:
Saima fhe-Arab [girl] who she-conquered Hollywood
In fhe-East we-regard-her [as the] ambassadress [of] the-beauty the-Arab who
she-was..a1Jle that she-be [the] first woman [who] she-penetrates [the] walls [of]
Hollywood and-she-imposes self-her on [the] top [of the] list [of the] sfars of]
fhe-cinema.
And-in the-West they-regard-her [as a] symbol of-[the]-magic [of] the-East by-
what she-bears-it offeatures oriental [the] extreme in the-beauIy which it-
equals the-magic and-for-this they-gave-her fhe-leads in [the] greatest [of]films-
their preferring-her to most [of the] stars [of] Hollywood beauty-wise and-so
Saima Hayek today she-competes [with] Sharon Stone and-Demi Moore and-
other-[than]-them-two of[the] stars [of] Hollywood.
And-Salma ai-Hayek. or [the] legend [of] the-Easf in the-West, the-born [in the]
year 1966 she [is the] daughter [of an] emigranf Lebanese residing in-Mexico
mother-her Spanish [of] the-origin and-if came-fogether the-beauty fhe-
Lebanese and-the-Spanish will-be the-fruit in [the] beauty [of] Salma at-Hayek.
And-because-she [is] beautiful very so-[past marker] spotted-her [the] eye [of]
the-producers and-she in the-fhirteenth [year] 0/ age-her and-she-was-chosen
at-that-time as-[the]-most-beautijUl [of] the-faces fhe-television, Then he--fOok-
her the-producer Tarantino fo-Los Angeles so-she-participates in the-film
Desperado at [the] side [of] Antonio Banderas and-she-gave to-the-film [a]
flavour special very [which] it-tlltracted to-her [the] interest [of the] companies
[of] the-production the-great and-soon they-offered fo-her the-roles the-many in-
fact indeed-she she took recenfly [a] part it-was 0/ the-asswned that it-be-
entrusted to-[a]-singer famous American but [the] producers [of] Hollywood
they-preferred Salma to-her and-[it is]-£if the-certain that this the-film it-will-
give fo-Salma eminem:e gremer power-wise and-popularity-wise.
1 a breach the walls of Hollywood; b her oriental features; c Sharon Stone and
Demi Moore; d 1966; e Spain: f 13; g Desperado; h Power and popularity
2 c\; eT; a"'; dt; bo

y TO THE EXERCISES
349
3 a spend more than 250 Dirhams; b i 8th April; ii more than 20 yeazs; c spaghetti;
d gold and cash; e your money will arrive in minutes; f use the Privilege card
48
.u,-.i U I.JD 4J t.
o L..u...1 Jf-i.fA 0
.).fA '\
bIB;2B;3A;4B;5A;6A
Unit 16
al-Iaylah s-sawdaa'
Literal translation:
Night blackfoHhe [foot]ba/lthe-Moroccan
Qualified the-team the-Tunisian for the-round the-final of (fhe )competition (of
the) Cup (of) the Arabs in night b1ackfor-the [foot]ballthe-Moroccan. And-on
(the) pitch of the-Zamalek in the-Cairo yesterday, and-before 42 thousand
spectafor led Mahmoud al-Turki the-team the-Tunisian to the-victory. And-
scored al-Turki {on] own-his three goals in the-match which ended 5-.1
And-opened the-team the-Tunisian the-scoring by way (of) its-centre Jaafar Abu
Adil with (a)shot splendid from outside the-area (which) deceived the-goalkeeper
the-Moroccan in fhe-minute the-ninth of-the-match. And-was (the)-result of the-
opporlWlity the-firstfor-the-feam the-Moroccan their-goal the-sole in (the) end
(oj) the-half the-first when shot Tariq al-Ahmar (a) ball curved (which) entered
(fhe) corner (of) the-goal fhe-Tunisian and gained the-equality.
But-it appeared that the-players the-Moroccan [past marker] raised the-j1ag the-
white in fhe-halfthe-second and-dominated the-Tunisians {on] the-play
domination complete. And-came the-goals with-speed, (the) last-(of)-them in
fhe-minute fhe-last of-the-match when placed the-captain the-Tunisian the-ball
[in] the-net fhe-Moroccan for-the-time the-third after awarded the.referee kick
corner and-sent-off the.defender the-Moroccan Suleiman al-Fasi for-hIs-getting
the-card the-yellow the-second.
i Uol:.. ..J .i'II.a \
tJ""'i f':!,)'" ..J T
oi .I,j ..J \"
I a i; b iii; c Cairo; d 42,000; e three; f Thnisia: g Thriq aI-Ahmar (Morocco);
h the last minute of the match; i he got a 2nd yellow card and was sent off;
j Morocco.
2 c\; dT; f\"; at.; eO; b'\
3 Ig; 2e; 3d; 41; 5a; 6j; 7h; 8f; 9c; IOk; lib; 12i
4 a Dhs. 2700; b 3; c tOyrs; d i; e ii; f Dhs. 260; g any three of: gym, aerobics,
library, switwning pool, ice-skating, cafe

350
ARABIC
5 see transcript
Never Rarely
1
2
3
4
5
fj
. .£.I":' rU" .I ,;. 4- l.:.S: t
'r::"
...,;.. woO-4)1 ..,Jl.yUJI .,j"a l-> 0
'cJ .131.".11 ..".\f-! 11..J'i"i 4 ,
Sometimes
tennis
Frequently Dally
golf
gym
swim
skating
swim. sail
sail
aerobics
. .w. .L:.---, ..,..4]1 I \
.dl.:..£ i u J"..JI ')l ,j T
.Y.1o,Q
J.J:!o l...+o G:"'I dU .:..lS: T
7
. r. .IL'.. II........  0
 u",--: lS".  r::
. r1j:>. ')l L.. r:: l.b..! "\
..JJ.J  .)! i r:: V
..I.J"... t..j::.. .)! vk r:: l.b..! \
. i.  II i..;,  .,.
...,,- I..J <.S'. -"... r::
.r  .)l '*'"'" r:: ,.
.. ......At.)!.13la. r::l.b..! t
Unit 17
in sbaa' AI-laab
Literal translation:
The broadcaster: Here (is) Voice (of) the-Ambsfrom Cairo. Produced (a)
company Egyptian three cassettes educatiorzalfor--simplification (of the) rules
(of) the-grammar in the-language the-Arabic. And [past marker] panicipafed in
preparafion (of) the-tapes the-Professor Ibrahim Mahmoudfrom Faculty (of)
the Ans in University (of) Cairo and-the-specialist in teaching (of) the-langUllge
the-Arabic. Welcome to Professor Ibrahim.
Professor Ibrahim Thanks.
B Firstly. [question marker] these the-cassettes for--the-Arabs or the-foreigners?
P For--the-Arabs
B But the-Arabs they-know the-language fhe-Arabic. [question marker]-is-nof
liIce-fhat?
P Naturally they-bww-her, but-[it] there (are) in the-language fhe-Arabic fhe--
literary difficulties (which) nof understands-them except the-cultured. And-even
in year 1925 was Academy (of) the-language the-Arabic he-discusses [i.e. was
discussing] some (of) these the-difficulties and-fhey-published fheir-resolutionS
the-scientific.
B And-your-aim fherefore In production (of) fhese the-fapes fhaf you-help the-

y TO THE EXERCISES
351
public in fhe-world the-Arab in the-writing the-correct and-the-style the-good?
P With-fhe-exactness [exactly]. and-in-way modem (which) we-hope that-if
attract interest (oj) the-youth, if God willed.
B 1/ God willed. Thanks to-you 0 Professor Ibrahim.
p You're welcome.
1 a 3 educational cassettes; b teaching Arabic; c for the Arabs; d the diffi(;ultie!o
of literary Arabic; e to help people write correctly and with a good style; f young
people
Z Id; 2h; 3e; 4f; Sa; 6g; 7c; 8b
aJ-mashruu: naajiH
Literal translation:
And-began the-company distribution (oj) the-tapes in fhe-markets fhe-Egyptian
with beginning (oj) fhe-year the-current 2000, and-found reception good from
the-pupils and-the-teachers in mriety (of) stages (oj) the-education the-
elementary and-the-preparatory and-the-secondary and-[past market] was-sold
during the-two-months the-past half (of) the-quantity the-projected.
And-intends the-company in fhe-period the-near the-future the-descent to the-
markets the-Arab with-these the-cassettes, whether in exhibitions (oj) the-books
or fhe-bookshops the-various. And-says sources (of) the-company thaf this she
(is) the-time fhe-first which is-simplified in-it rules (of) the-language the-Arabic
in-this fhe-form in the-world the-Arab, although was the-felevision the-Iraqi
[past marker] produced [i.e. had produced] before more fhan 10 years
programme for-same purpose.
3 a Egypt; b pupils and teachers; (; half of them; d to the Arab market, at book
exhibitions or bookshops; e it's the first time the rules of Arabi(; have been
simplified in this way; f Iraqi television
4 Ie; 2e; 3g; 4f; 5a; 6d; 7b
5 a tl:r.! intaaj production. producing
b },J...o! iSdaar publishing, publication
c I"lfi! ikraam hospitality
d I":)L,! islaam Islam
e JL... J! irsaal sending. broodcasring
f J4! ijbaar compelling, forcing, compulsIOn
g J4i! iqbaal approaching
h 1"4J! iJhaam inspiration
i J! ighlaaq locking, shulting
j W! ifsaad spoiling
6 a: If; 13; 3e; 4g; Sb; 6c; 7d
boo

352
7
.>-P-  r f'+Ai I,,}j I,,:.LS  0
.>*
. . -III J.....L.<..II .....u -,.' '\
V- <..,)A"......... "" , -3'
..yUJII*J I.,:. ..1I1
ARABIC
...J,j.i:Jo- .)..... .::o.P'JI.l...:.£.  \
 .::.:,lS 4U1 .,:;.LS  "
.uk' l.+;IJ
.'4 .:J-:;I  .-"'I  c:,LS,I '"
..!DL-IJ,) ..; 1,)I.;si   t
...:.L:iw.... 'JII ..; 
Unit 18
1 miSr Egypt
Literal translation:
Egypt
The-antiquities the-Egyptian in the..abroad
He-staled head [of the] departmenJ [of the] anfiquities the-Egyptian yestertkJy
about welcoming-his of-resolution [of] the-assembly the-general to-the-NaJions
the-United ro-the-allowing to-the-states which to-fhem antiquities smuggled in
fhe-abroadfor-reclaiming-them. And-he-said that-it there approximately 12
million piece archaeological Egyptian stolen in the-West most-fimwus-[of]--them
beard [of] Fa/her of Terror [Le. the Sphynx] and stone [of] Rosetta fhe-situated
in the-Museum the-British in London.
1 a the head of the Egyptian Antiquities Department; b antiquities; c the
sphynx's beard and the Rosetta stone
2
J.H.II i .:,i,j c
Jd
1)jI.I,)Ja
\YJI"""b
2 al-yaman Yemen
Literal translation:
the-Yemen
450 tourist European in Aden
Received port [of] Aden yesterday the-first [i.e. the day before yesterday] ship
touristic Gennan [which] she-carries more than 400 tourist[male] and-tourist
[female]jrom various [of] the-nationalities the-European. And-[future marker]-
visit these the-tourists some [of] the-towns the-Yemeni the-historical
3 a a Gennan tourist ship; b more than 400 tourists; c visit some of Yemen's
historical towns

KEY TO THE EXERCISES
4
353
I w.J.J1  t.1,,-!1..;.. b
.:.I  u... a
3 amriikaa America
Liferaltranslation:
America
Announced millionaire American from stale [of] California in the-week the-past
that he {future marker] marry [a] girl in the-Jifth and-the-twenty of life-her. And-
this after celebrating-his of -anniversary {of] birth-his the-hundredth by-days few.
And-he he-uses regulator for-beats {of] the-heart and-he- is transported on chair
with-wheels. And-he-said that-he he-loves-her from all [of] his-heart and-she
returns-him the-love
Sa 25; b lOO; c pacemaker, wheelchair; d with all his heart
6
u...c
.r;:a
.uIJUb
4 abuu DHabii Abu Dhabi
Liferal franslation:
Abu Dhabi
She-arrived to The-Emirates foday the-singer fhe-Lebanese the-famous Fairuz in
visit private, [future marker]- she-visits during-it brother-her who he-resides in
Abu Dhabi.
7 a Lebanese singer; b for a private visit
8
uu..i:ii- b
r1 .:.I.)l.. I .)1 .:J.,.." a
5 nyuu yuurk
literal translation:
New York
Chose organisation [of] the-UNESCO [the] day 2/ March [as a] day world-wide
for-the-poetry. And-welcomed the-poets fhe-Arab [with]-this. among-them the-
poet the-Iraqi Ali Jaafar al-Allaq who he-said that-he [was] "Believing beliefnof
limits to-it that the-poetry [is] bigger fhan the-time all-[of]-it, and-more extenf-
Wise fhan the-places totally. Indeed-it [is]filler [of] the-moments and-the-seasons
and-the-centuries with-beauty {of] the-meaning and meaning {of] the-beauty".

354
ARABIC
9 a World poetry day; b an Iraqi poet; c all time
10
I J -=..lb.1J1 L. I c
I-*, ..,..",-JI ..II .........,J a
.us: uL.j.l1 u.-*i'b
11
Umt 1: " waHiid unique
Umt 2: .J.)l.:! baarid cold
Umt 3: J. maDbuuT exact, accurate
Umt 4:  mal:ab playing field/court/pitch
Umt 5:  fuTuur breakfasf
Unit 6: 4..L4b Tibaa:ah printing, typing
Umt 7: ,..W tafaahum (mutual) understanding
Umt 8; fL..) rassaam artist
Unit 9: mu:aJlim F feacher, instructor, master
Unit 10: .. :ulamaa' scholars. religious leaders
Unit 11: ..P faDaa'll advantages, good points
Unit 12:  tafsiir explanation, inJerpretation
Unit 13:."Jo.l:.... views. sights
Umt 14: ...JI discovery. act of trying to discover
Umt 15: Cl..lli. miftaaH key
Umt 16: il.# lakhbaTah mix up. mess
Umt 17: t \..lit iqnaa: convincing, conviction
12
..,..no
cJL... i ,.
.)t.
..,...i\
..,..i'l"
13
12345678910F
14
.y-.J...!I.J-'  .,.J'..,...,....) t.
..)lb.J1 ..; O+K Ip.i I 0
....JI uk 4J!O I " ,
..::.)IJ r-+K I O".)J \
.4:>Wi u.-  Cl,,-)I J-" ,.
...L..JI ..; 4.IS: LS.J.II F ,.

LISTENING
TRANSCRIPTS
Vnlt 4
Exercise 9
(all preceded by as-s6a:ah...)
a tis:ah
b thalaatha wa-niSr
c ithna:sbar iUaa rub:
Exerclse 14
(all preceded by as-saa:ah...)
a sfttah wa-nuSS (DiSC) wa- khall'lsab
b thallll1isn yah wa-:asharah
c tIs:ah wa-DUSS (DiSC) Ola IdWnsah
d sab:ah
e arba:ah Ola rub:
Unit 5
Exercise 5
a tis:ah wa-tis:iln dirham
b tis:ah wa- thamasmiin dirham
c )cham_h wa-sittiin dirham
d khamsiin dirham
Unit 6
Exercise 5
!J-.!jo clLJl t.) r d
Ii e
d arba:ah wa-thuItb
e itbna:sbar wa-:asbarah
r itbnayn illa khsm_h
f khall'lsab wa-nuSS
g w6aHidah wa-rub:
h w6aHidah Ola kh8msah
thahiatbah wa-tbuItb
j :asharah wa-kh8msah
e ithnain wa-arba:iin dirham
f tis:ah wa-sab:iin dirham
g khsm.<;Ab wa-:isIuiin dirbam
I i a
U.I jS: i b
"wl.. ".,...:oJ1 jS: r c

356
Exercise 6
Unit 14
Exercise 7
Unit 16
Exercise 5
ARABI£
.:J......JI ,j"... ,Loi 'ul1 J uk a
I" .:J......JI ,j"...  'ul1 ..I"", b
411 J uk .:. I  ,Loi c
JO""l:J1  J4 tJ" I  d
,j.w,lI" .l)1 ,j"...  U.I  ..IJ.J e
!w,l., }..1....4 I,,I !f.,p.lJ1  ! I,tIW
_f""'AIJ.1 A -! lf,JJi.J1 F 1 F ..} 
.4Jl..L..!lJ L..:."i.J.a I  I"......
..,l1Jlf.,w1  Iy"p'- -f1 thWJ t:."fia,.. 4" It
...bli - . nt-La.. u....i
f..n"" 'oJ
Example:
.:;..W.4}I.J.a  I.jl,... JI,;...
I ,.wI .,fi t ",,:,I
.j:! 4  I,jLo
I.....AJ .......Jli '<I,I..:.l=.i .-.......Jt
 .  . U"-'-'.
.I;!A- 4 .:.:.t" y
4-o.Y- L.._JJI UJl ! ,ji
..1.>j 4 i....4-J1 JL4; J,4 T'
I j:iJ1 U"JLoi _j:&J1 i .l J .1L:. i....4-J1 U"JLot ,
.J..ol.a. 4 i....4-J1 U"J W J,4
II ,j},,:,JI.,A) l..:.4-:-- t " ,1..:.4-:--1 t ,
II ,j}"jJl.::4.J J,. ,"... 4 0
I 41 U"JLoi .Ii 

GLOSSARY OF
LANGUAGE TERMS
Accent See stress.
Adjectives Adjectives describe a person or thing, e.g. a huge building, I
am tired. In Arabic these have the same properties as nouns, and must
agree with them in number, gender and defIniteness.
Adverbs Adverbs describe how, when or where the action of a verb
occurs or has occuned. In English they usually end in -ly. e.g. quickly.
In Arabic they either end in -an or are phrases such as with speed, i.e.
quickly.
Agreement This tenn describing changes in one word caused by another
mainly applies to nouns and adjectives, and verbs, which must agree
with their subjects, e.g. feminine subject requires feminine verb.
Articles The words a or an (indefinite article), and the (definite article).
Arabic has no indefinite article, so to say a book you just say book. The
definite article 31- is attached or prefIxed to the following word.
Comparative Adjectives which compare two things. In English they
often end in -er or are preceded by the word more, e.g. brighter/more
intelligent.
Conjunctions Words which join parts of sentences, e.g. and, or, but.
Consonants The non-vowel letters, e.g. b, d, g, db, DR.
Demonstratives See pronouns.
Dnal A special fonn in Arabic to refer to two of anything, as opposed to
one (singular) and more than two (plural).
Elision Where part of a word - usually a vowel- is omitted to smooth
speech.
Gender Masculine or feminine. See nOUllS and adjectives.
Hidden t The feminine ending of a noun -00, which in certain contexts
changes to -at.

358
ARABIc
Imperative The form of a verb used when telling someone to do
something.
Interrogatives Question words. See also under pronouns.
Negatives These are words used to negate or deny something, e.g. no,
not. Arabic uses different words with nouns/adjectives and verbs.
Nouns A noun is the name of a person, thing, place or an abstract
concept, e.g. Hassan, boy, book, Dubai, economics. In Arabic a noun has
three important properties:
1. It is either masculine or feminine. There is no 'neuter', or it,
used in English to describe inanimate objects or abstracts. This is
called gender.
2.1l is either singular (one only), dual (two only) or plural(more
than two). English does not have a dual. This is called number.
3. It is either definite or indefinite. The noun refers either to an
unspecified person or thing or to a specific one. In English
indefinites are often preceded by a or an, but this is omitted in
Arabic. Defmites are often preceded by the, this, that etc., or his,
her. Names of people, places (words with capital letters in
English) are automatically definite, e.g. A1uned, Bahrain. The
concept of defmiteness is very important in Arabic as it affects
other words in the sentence. (Note that pronollns are always
definite.)
Number See nouns and adjectives.
Numbers The numbers or numerals divide into two sets, cardinal.
e.g. one, two, three and ordinal, e.g. first, second, third.
Object The object of a verb is the thing or perSOll which the action
of the verb affects. It contrasts with the subject, e.g. the dog
(subject) chased the cat (object).
Phrase A phrase is a part of a sentence, not necessarily making
sense 011 its own, but useful for describing features of a language,
e.g. the big house.
Plural More than one. See nouns and adjectives.
Possessive When something owns or possesses something else. In
English we either add s to the noun, e.g. Charlie's aunt, or use a
possessive pronoun, e.g. my father. or the word of, e.g. the manager
of the company.

Q:lOSSARY OF LANGUAGE TERMS
Prefix A short part of a word added to the beginning of a noun or
verb, e.g. English un-, dis- or pre-. In Arabic prefixes alter the
meaning of a verb.
Prepositions Usually short words relating a noun to its place in
space or time, e.g. in, on, with. In Arabic a few common
prepositions are prefixed to the following word.
Pronouns Pronouns are used as substitutes for nouns. The English
persona] pronoun he has three forms: subject he, object him, and
possessive his (in other pronouns such as you some of these forms
have fused together), e.g. He isn't at home (subject pronoun), We
saW him (object pronoun)and It is his house (possessive pronoun),
Subject pronouns have equivalent words in Arabic. Object pronouns
and possessive pronouns share the same form in Arabic, and are not
separate words, but endings or suffixes attached to their nouns.
Other types of pronoun are demonstratives, e.g. this, that, relatives,
e.g. who, which, that (in phrases like the one that lUke best) and
interrogatives who, what and which (used in questions like who goes
there ?).
Relatives See pronouns.
Sentence A sentence is a complete utterance making sense on its
own, e.g. Iw is in his room. In English these must contain a verb,
but sentences with is and are do not have a verb in Arabic. For
instance, the sentence above would be he in his room in Arabic.
Stem See verbs
Stress Also called accent. This is the part or syllable of a word
which is most emphasised, e.g. the first 0 in English photograph. In
the first few units of this book, stress has been marked with an
accent: a,u etc.
Subject The subject of a sentence is the person or thing which is
carrying out the action. It can be a noun, pronoun or a phrase as in:
Bill lives in Abu Dhabi, He works for the oil company, The best
picture will win the prize.
ufIlx An ending attached to a word which alters its meaning.
Superlatives Applied to adjectives when they express the highest
level of a quality. In English they end in -est or are preceded by
tnost, e.g. the brightestlmost intelligent boy. See also comparatives.
359

360
ARABIC
Tense See verbs.
Verbs A 'doing' word expressing an action, e.g. He reads the
newspaper eveI)' day. Its most important features are:
L Tense. This tells us when the action is/was petformed. In Arabic
there are only two tenses, present (I go, am going) and past (I
went. I have gone). The future (I shall go) is the same as the
present with a special prefix.
2. Inflections. This means that the prefix and/or suffix of the verb
changes according to who is doing the action. For instance, in
English most verbs in the present tense change, e.g. I go, they go,
but he/she/it goes. In Arabic there is a different verb part for each
person, singular and plural. The part of the verb which remains
constant in the middle of all the prefixes and suffixes is called the
stem. This is an important concept in learning Arabic, and may be
compared to the go- part of goes in the example above.
Note a) that the verb is/are is omitted in Arabic, and b) the
English verb to have is not a real verb in Arabic, but a
combination of a preposition and a pronoun.
Vowels The sounds equivalent to a, e, ;, 0, u or combinations of
them in English. Arabic has a, ;. u and their long equivalents 00, ii,
uu. See also consonants.
Word order In Arabic adjectives usually follow their nouns, e.g.
good man becomes man good. Possessive pronouns are also
suffixed to their nouns: my book becomes book-my.

VERB TABLES
e Arabic Verb
The Arabic verb is best considered from three distinct points of view:
grammatical, phonetic and stem-modification.
1 Grammatical
The grammatical variations of the verb are there for two main reasons:
a) to tell us who is carrying or has carried out the action. 1bis is important
as, unlike English, Arabic commonly omits the subject pronouns I, you,
he, etc. so the verb itself has to carry this infonnation;
b) to tell uS the timing of the action. i.e. when it takes (has takenlwill take
etc.) place.
Subject markers
The grammatical term for who is responsible for the actiou of a verb is
called person.
Like English, Arabic verbs have three persons:
. the person(s) spealdng (J, we), called the first person;
. the person(s) spoken to (you), called the second person;
. the person(s) spoken about (he, she, it, they) called the third person.
However. Arabic makes rmer distinctions in some cases:
. The second person has to indicate the sex of the person spoken to. 1bis
is called gender.
. The Arabic verb has a set of parts referring to two people known as the
dual. English only distinguishes between one and more than one.
Note: Traditionally the Arabic verb is tabled in the reverse order of
persons, i.e. starting with the third. lbis is because the third person he-part
is regarded as the simplest, most basic fonn of the verb. lbis convention
has been employed throughout this book.

362 ARABIC
Singular Dual Plural
third person he they two (m.) they (m.)
she * they two (f.) they (f.)
second person you (m.) you two (m. & f.) you (m.1
you (f.) you (f.)
(irst person I (m. & f.) we (m. & f.)
* Since Arcbic hcs no neuter gender, English it must be rendered he or she
cccording to the grcmmcticcl gender of the Arcbic noun.
Tense
The tense of a verb refers to when the action takes/took/will take place.
Arabic has only two true tenses, present and past.
Other grammatical characteristics
The present tense - but not the past - of the Arabic verb has three variants
called moods. The normal form of the present tense is called the
indicative, and the other two forms are the subjunctive and the jussive.
These are not so important in Modem Arabic, as often all three look
identical. However, in some types of verb the jussive especially shows
changes in spelling, and so all three have been included in the tables. The
subjunctive and the jl1ssive are mainly used with certain conjunctions.
These are dealt with in the main body of the book.
The imperative is a special form of the jussive, used in issuing commands.
This is not included in the tables, as its formation from the jussive is
explained in Unit 14.
Another distinction is that technically known as voice. Normal verbs
where the subject is responsible fOf the action are called active: He ate th£
cake. So-called passive verbs are those where the grammatical subject has
the action of the verb perfonned on it: The cake was eaten.
For technical reasons, passives are much less important in Arabic than in
English, but they have been included for the sake of completeness.
2 Phonetic
The Arabic verb is relatively regular. Virtually all verbs take the same
prefixes and suffixes, and those that vary do so in a minor way. There are,
for example, no sQwcalled irregular Of strong verbs as proliferate in
European languages, such as English go, went, has gone/is, was. has been.
and so on.

VERB TABLES
363
However, there are several phonetic factors which affect verbs:
a) The presence of one of the letters.j or <s as a root letter in any position.
These letters tend to be elided or smoothed out into vowels.
b) Verb roots where the third consonant is the same as the second, e.g.
d-l"', m-r-r, etc. This causes contracted verb fonns.
c) The letter.. hamzah causes some spelling difficulties when it occurs in
a root. However, these are learned by experience and observation and no
tables have been given.
Note: Verbs which do not have any of the above features have been
termed sound (abbreviation S) in this hook.
3 Stem modification
The tenses of the Arabic verb are fonned by attaching prefixes and
suffixes to the 'heart' or 'nucleus' of the verb, called the stem. An
approximate English parallel would be to take talk as the stem of that
verb. In language insb'\lction we can then say that, for instance, you add
the suffix -s for the he-form - he talks - and .ed to form the past tense -
talked.
A sIgnificant feature of the Arabic verb is stem modification, which means
that the stems themselves are modified in a finite number of ways to give
different meanings. The nearest we get to this in English is to fall and to
fell (a tree) i.e. cause it to fall, but in Arabic the phenomenon is very
widespread.
Every Arabic verb has the potential to modify its stem in nine different
ways, which, by Western (but not Arab) convention are referred to as
derived forms and indicated using the Roman numerals I-X, Fonn I being
the base fonn. It is doubtful if any verb possesses the total of ten derived
fonns, but it is essential to learn them all, as many basic everyday verbs
are up in the high numbers.
Table 1: Prefixes and Suffixes of the Verb
This table gives all the prefixes and suffIxes which, when applied to the
relevant present or past stem, give all the parts of the Arabic verb. It
should be studied in conjunction with the following notes.
The table in transliteration follows English order, from left to right.
Hyphen + letter = suffix (e.g. -at)
Letter + hyphen = prefix (e.g. ya-)

364 ARABIC
Past Present Subiunctivel
Jussiw
Singular
he STEM.... yea-STEM no wrilten change in
sound verbs except
for perts given
she STEM-at to-STEM
you (m.) STEM-ta to-STEM
you (f.) STEM-ti to--STEM-iina i
, STEM-tu a-STEM
Dual
they two (m.) STEM-aa ya-STEM-aani ya-STEM-aa
they two (f.) STEM.ataa to-STEM-aani to-S1'EM-aa
you two (m &  STEM-tumaa ta-STEMGani ta-sTEM-aa
Plural
they (m.) STEM-uu yo-STEM-uuna ya-STEM-uu
they (t) STEM-na ya-STEM-na
you (m.) STEM-tum to-STEM-uuna ta-S'lIM-uu
you (f.) STEM-tunna ta-sTEM-na
we STEM-naa na-STEM
Tip: Make a habit while learning these verb parts of noting which suffixes
begin with a vowel, and which with a consonant.
Here is an Arabic example, using the verb to write. In order to highlight
the prefixes and suffixes, lengthened ligatures (lines joining the letters)
have been used, and the vowelling of the past and present stems (....:.s: and
, . .< respectively) has been omitted. .

VERB TABLES
365
Singular
he
she
you 1m.)
you If.)
I
Dual
they two 1m.)
Past
-
....u.s:



-
. .


they two If.) 
-. .
you two 1m. & f.) , ., :":<
Plural
they 1m.)
they If.)
you 1m.)
you If.)
we
.
I

.. .

 . .


Present
-


-

I.J' ,1< .
.
I
-
9 ' :":< .;
- -
. , . .":< ,
9
' 1 . '":< ,
9
- . -
W ,1< .
. -

- . -

-. -

-

Subjunctivel
Jussive
no written change in
sound verbs except
for perts given
-

:":< .;
:"< 1
:":< .
.
b :"< .;
. -
b :"< ":
Tip: The Arabic version of the tip given above is to note which stems end
with a sukuun (no vowel sign) on the last consonant of the root and which
do not.

366
ARABIC
Notes
a) The above tables give all the prefixes and suffixes which, when applied
to the appropriate stems, give all the parts of any Arabic verb, with the
following minor exceptions:
. with derived stems II, m and N (see Table S) and all passive stems
(Table S) the pre1lXes of the present tense are vowelled with u, i.e.
· f ' .
f .......:i,----:!_
. in certain stems whose final radical is,J or cs certain of the endings are
slightly modified in pronunciation, but nof in writing. These changes
are of little importance in practice, but are dealt with in the appropriate
tables.
b) Certain short fmal short vowels are habitually omitted in speech:
. Past tense: fmal vowel of he, you masculine (but not feminine), and 1
in the singular. Any resulting ambiguity is usually cleared up by
context
. Present tense: .i of the dual fonns ending in .aani, and .a of the second
person singular feminine and the plural fonns ending in -uuna (but not
the -a of the feminine plural -03 ending).
c) Note carefully the (unpronounced) alif written after plural fonns ending
in .uu in both tenses. This is a spelling convention which applies only to
this verb suffix.
d) The moods. Where no written changes are indicated in the table, the
unsufflxed parts of the indicative originally ended in -0, those of the
subjunctive in -a, and the jussive with no vowel. These are unmarked in
Modem Arabic, and have thus been ignored in this book, only parts which
differ in spelling having been noted. You will note that verb parts ending
in -Dona and .aani lose their u in the subjunctive and jussive - see also
note c) above. The feminine plural .03 ending is not affected.
Verb Tables
Introduction
So that you can identify each verb and cross-reference it with the Verb
Tables, we have devised the following system, and tagged all the verbs in
the vocabularies and glossaries accordingly.
The verb entries are given as in the following example:
 kataba [5-1 u] to write
Reading from left to right these represent:

VERB TABLES
367
I  The he-form of the past tense in the Arabic script (see note page .
This also in most cases constitutes the past stem.
2 kataba This is the transliteration of the Arabic in I above, and provides
the vowel of the middle radical (especially relevant to FOnD 1 verbs).
3 (5-1 u) This identifies the verb type so that you can look it up in the
tables. This example is an S type. FOnD 1 [S-I). The following lower case
letter (here 0) is the vowel to be used in the present stem. It is only
necessary to give this vowel for FOnD I verbs as other types show no
variation.
4 to write The meaning.
Reminder: In virtually all Arabic verbs, it is only the stem that changes.
Once you have learned the prefixes and suffixes given in the table above,
you can apply them to all verbs. So, although there appear to be a lot of
tables, you only have to learn between two and four stem-parts for each
verb. Your task will therefore be much lighter if you spend some time now
mastering the prefixes and suffixes thoroughly.
Table S. Sound Verbs [S-I to S-X]
'Sound' in this context means 'without weakness'. The definition in
relation to the Arabic verb is simple: a sound verb is one which:
. does NOT have ,J or cs as any of its radicals (root consonants)
. does NOT have the same letter for its middle and last radical (such as
o!-o!- J, for example).
H a root does not display either of the above two features, it is sound (8),
Important note: Since it is impossible to find a verb which occurs in
all the derived fOnDS (IT-X), we have followed the convention of using
the root J-t -oJ f.:-I in the following table. Although not particularly
user-friendly because of the difficult middle consonant, this has the
advantage of being the system which the Arabs use. You will therefore be
able to seek advice from native speakers.
Verbs in these categories are marked in the glossaries S-I to S-X (but see
special notes on FOnDS 1 and IX below).
, The following table gives the past and present stems. To construct the
required verb part, simply add the suffixes and/or suffixes given in Table
1 above to the appropriate stem, observing the FOnD 1 vowellings where
necessary.

368 ARABIC
Active Pcut Stem Present Stem
5-1  
.- .-
5-11  
5-111 J.c.U U
- . . .
S-IV I 
." .--
S-Y JU; JU;
--
S-YI J.c.U:; u:;
- -- -.
S-YII ! 
- -- -.
S-YIII ! 
5-1X see notes below
5-X JUi...! 
Passive Past Stem Present Stem
,
5-1  
.' .-
5-11  
, -
5-111 ". J.c.U
.1 - .
S-IV I 
." .--
S-Y JU; JU;
"
S-YI  J.c.U:;
S.YII none
,. , .
S-YIII I 
S-IX see notes below
SOX I 
General notes
. The passive is given in full for the sake of completeness, but it is not
worth devoting a lot of time to learning it as it is much more restricted
in use than its English equivalent. Form VII does not have a passive,
and in some other forms it is rare.
. Form IX. For technical reasons, this comparatively rare fonn is given
below along with the Doubled Verb (Table D).

VERB TABLES
369
Form S-I
1bis is the only form which has more than one vowel pattern. In the
glossaries, the past stem vowelling can be obtained from the transliteration
(e.g. kataba), while the present stem vowelling is given after the verb
type (e.g. S-I 0). So the verb  j;; given in the table would be marked
S-I 3. As there is no reliable way to predict these vowel lings, they have to
be learned along with their verbs. The vowels in the passive of Fonn I,
however, do not change.
Farm S-II
This is formed by doubling the middle radical and vowelling according to
the table. It often has a causative meaning, e.g. fahima (I) to understand,
fahhama (ll) to make someolU! understand. explain. The present tense
prefIxes take a o-vowel (see above).
Form S-III
Formed by interposing an alif between the fIrst and middle radicals. Again
the present tense prefixes take a o-vowel.
Form S-IV
.
Fonned by preftxing I to the root in the petfect. This disappears in the
present. Like Form II, this often has a causative meaning.
Farm S-V
Formed by prefixing ta- and doubling the middle radical. (Note: the past
and present stems of Forms V and VI are identical All the other derived
forms above Form I alternate a middle radical vowel of a in the past with
i in the present.)
Form S-Vl
Fonned by prefIxing ta- and introducing an alif after the fmt radical.
Again both stems are identical.
Fann 5-VlI
Formed by prefixing ...:.1 in to the stem and following the vowel pattern
given. Like all other forn1s beginning with aIif this disappears in the present.
Fonn S-VlII
Fonned by prefixing alif and introducing ..:. after the fIrst radical. Some
assimilations occur in this form when certain letters occur as the fIrst
radical. These will be pointed out as they occur.
Fann S-IX
Because its formation involves the reduplication of the last raditcal, tIns
behaves like a doubled verb, and is therefore given in Table D.
Fann S-X .
Fonnec1 by prefixing ...:;,..,! ist- to the root. The aIif disappears in the present.

370
ARABIC
Summary
Study this table carefully, as it comprises the bones of the Arabic verb
system. Pay attention in particular to the vowel on the middle radical.
Remember that you have only two things to learn:
. the prefixes and suffixes given in Table 1;
. the variations in the stem vowel of Form I, i.e. that on the middle radical.
Table Q, Quadrlliteral Verbs [Q-I and Q-II]
'These are verbs which have four consonant roots instead of the usual three
consonants. TIley normally only exist in two derived fonns, called I and II
although they differ from the nonnal patterns for those categories (see below).
We use the root z-l-z-I which means to shake something in Form I, and to
be shaken in Form II.
Active Past Stem Present Stem
Q-I JjJj JjJj
......., ::;...,
Q-II JjJ Jj.I
Although conventionally known as Forms Q-I and Q-II, these actually
work like S-II and S-V verbs respectively. If you remember that the
sbaddah (doubling sign) used on these represents a letter without a vowel
followed by one with a vowel (in this case its twin, e.g. bb, kk, and so on)
you will see that the verbs above show the same sequence of unvowelled
letter followed by vowelled letter (in the case of our example, Iz). Q-I and
Q-II therefore form exact parallels to SII and SV. Ql, uniquely among
Form I verbs, shows no variations in vowelling.
Table D, Doubled Verbs [D-I to D-X]
Introduction
Doubled verbs are those whose middle and last root letters are the same
(d-I-I, m-r-r and the like). Because Form IX involves the doubling of this
radical, it is included here rather than in Table S.
All doubled verbs (including Form IX) have two stems for each tense
(past and present). It will help you to to understand this if you think along
the lines of suffixes which begin with a vowel as opposed to those which
begin with a consonant (prefixes don't matter). These two factors
determine the stems used.
To put it another way:
. Past tense. All parts except he, she, they lmasc.) in the past tense use
the normal stern (i.e. like the Sound verb, Table S)

VERB TABLES
371
. Present tense. All parts except the (comparatively rare) second and
third person feminine plural use the nonna! stem.
Apart from those verb parts mentioned above, a comracted stem is used,
contracted in this context meaning that the middle and final radicals are
reduced to one letter and written with the doubling sign shaddah. To
illustrate this type of verb, we use the root .1-.1-r md--d. Fonn I means
to extend, stretch. Not all the derived fonns given here exist, but the same
root is used throughout the table for the sake of unifonnity.
Note: Fonns D-TI and D- V behave like sound verbs as the middle radical
is doubled and therefore cannot contract.
NS = normal stem (i.e. as in Table 51
es = contracted stem
Active Past Stem Present Stem
INS .1,1.0 .1.1.6
-.
I es .1.6 .1.6
$ *-
II .1.1.6 .1.1.6
III NS .1.1Lo .1.1Lo
- .
III es .1Lo .1Lo
. .
IVNS .1.1.61 .1.1.6
- . -.
lVes ,1.01 .1.6
$. . $- -
V .1.1.1U .1.1.1U
VINS .1.1W .1.1W
 --
vies .1W .1W
VII NS .1.l.1U1 .1.l.1U
- .
vu es .l.IU 1 .1.oU
".
VIII NS .1-'0.0 1 .1-'0.0
_.
VIII es -'0.01 -'0.0
...111......
XNS .11 .1
... ....
xes I 

372
ARABIC
The passives are given only for forms that occur reasonably frequently.
Pa5sive Pa5tStem Present Stem
INS .1.1.0 .1.1.0
-
..
I es .1.0 .1.0
. I
IVNS .1.1.01 .1.1.0
IV es f .1.0
...
VIII NS .1.ii.o1 .1.Jl.o
."J. 
VIII es .Jl.o1 .Jl.o
XNS .1..w:a-1 .1..w:a-
-
.,. . 
xes ..w:a-I ..w:a-
Fonn S-IX
The comparatively rare Fonn S-IX is not a true doubled verb in terms of
root. However, as its construction involves doubling the last radical, it
behaves like a doubled verb and has been included here. In Modem
Arabic, it is only used with the special adjective roots given in Unit 16,
and has no passive. We shall use here iHmarra to become red, to blush.
Active Past Stem Present Stem
IXNS »"""'" ! J
- .
es ! 
Fonn D-l
Like nearly all Fonn I verbs, the doubled roots admit various vowellings.
These are given in the usual way, e.g. D-I u (the vowelling of the example
in Table D). However, in the past tense, the contracted stem always takes
an a-vowel, and the 'true' vowel only appears in the normal stem. In the
present, the vowel given goes on the second radical in the normal stem
and the ftrst radical in the contracted stem. Here, for example, are the
stems of the D-I a verb from the root DR-I-I:

VERB TABLES
373
Active
INS
Past Stem
Present Stem
-
Jlli
-,
J1;
-.
Jlli
-
J1;
CS
Fonns II and V
These behave like S verbs, as the doubling of the middle radical inhibits
any contraction.
Table Fw. Verbs with First Radical w [Fw-I to FwX)
We use the root w-S-I to arrive in Fonn I as the model for this type of
verb.
Active Past Stem Present Stem
-
J-" J-
- .
IV J-"I J:-"
- . .
VIII J..-:il J..-:i
Passive Past Stem Present Stem
, -
J:-" J-"
" -
IV J-"I J-"
,. - .
VIII J..-:il J..-:i
Forms not given are regular (Table S), or do not occur.
, Form I
The main feature of this is that the present stem loses its" altogether. Also,
the middle radical of Fonn I has varying vowels, indicated in the
vocabularies by the usual convention. The example verb in the table is Fw i.
Form W
The only slightly unusual feature here is that, in the present, the "
combines with the u-vowel of the prefix to fonn a long vowel uu. So, for
instance, yu- + wSil is pronounced yuuSil.
Form VI"
The" becomes assimilated to the following .:., giving ittaSala, yattaSil

374
ARABIC
Tip: 'Ibis is because Arabic will not allow the sequence iw. The same goes
for ui, so if you concoct a verb form - or any word for that matter -
containing such a sequence, it is going to be wrong (see also Table Fy).
Passive
Again, when the.j is preceded by u-vowel, the two combine mto a long uu.
Note: Doubled verbs beginning with .j do not drop the letter, but behave
like normal doubled verbs (see Table D).
Table Fy, Verbs with Fil'St Radical y [Fy-I to Fy-X)
Such verbs are not common. We use the example yabisa to be or become
dry.
Active Past Stem Present Stem
 
IV ,of ..j

Passive Past Stem Present Stem
'.,
IV I ..J
Forms not given are regular (fable S), or do not occur.
Form I
The I.j does not drop out in the present.
Form W
In the present of IV active and passive, the theoretical combination ui is
replaced by uu (see Table Fwabove).
Table Mw. Verbs with Middle Radical w [Mw-I to Mw-X)
Like the Doubled verb, these have two stems for each tense. In this case
it is better to call them Long Stem (LS) and Short Stem (SS). The rules for
their use are identical in principle to those applying to the Doubled Verb:
LS before a suffix beginning with a vowel, and SS before one beginning
with a consonant. Please see under Doubled Verb for a more detailed
explanation.
We use the root q-w-I to say in Form I.

VERB TABLES 375
Active Palit5tem PreHnt 5tem
. .
1L5 JU J.,j
, .
155 Ji Ji
. .
IVLS JUI 
.
IV 5S Jil J;i
..
VlILS JL:i:.1 JL:i:.
d d
VII 55 JL! JL
.
VIII LS J! J
,.
VIII 55 J:>.i! J:>.i
XLS JL:i:i...! 
.,. -,
X55 J.i:i...1 J;il-
Jusslve
In this type of verb, the jussive differs from the nonnal present tense and the
subjunctive. The prefixes and suffixes are given in Table 1 and Table S, but
note that in Mw verbs the short stem is used in all parts of the jussivc which
do,"9 have a suffix, e.g.  t yaqui, taqui he. you. etc. but  tl.,j
.I.,J yaquuluu, taquuiuu, taquulii they. you pI., you fern. sing.
Passive
In the passive, the vowelling of the stems is a follows:
PaHive Palit Stem Prelient Stem
ILS  JU
155 J;i Ji
I
IVU I JU
, ,
IV 55 Jil Ji
VII none
.
VIII L5 I Jw:i
., ,.
VIII S5 I J:>.i
,. . ".
XU I JL:i:i...
,. . ,,0
X55 Jil-I J.i:i...

376
ARABIC
DerfDed forms
As usual, the forms not mentioned are regular and behave like sound
verbs, the.j behaving like a consonant.
Table My. Verbs with Middle Radical y [My-I to MyX]
Apart from Form I, these behave in an identical way to Mw verbs in the
table above. We use the root S-y.r to become.
Active Past Stem Present Stem
-
ILS JL..... 
I SS  
Joss'I)e
See 'Thble Mw above. The same principle applies here.
...  '  , , ...
 . yaSir, taSir he, you, etc. but  .I .I
yaSiiruo, taSiiruu, taSiirii they, you pI., you fem. sing.
Poss've
Same as Table Mw above.
Derived forms
See Table Mw above. These verbs behave in the same way.
Table Ma
This is a slight misnomer, in that these verbs actually have either w or y
as the middle radical. However, as the present tense takes an a-vowel, the
code Ma has been used.
This is a small group of verbs, but it includes some very common ones.
We use the root n-w-m to sleep.
-
rl:.
r-:
Present Stem
l:.
r
f""
Active
ILS
ISS
Past Stem
Joss've
See Table Mw above. The same principle applies here.
_.I ...... ... -,
r; yanam, tanam he, you, etc. but l:.:i ,Iyl:.:i .Iyl:...! yanaamou,
uu, tanaamii they, you pI., you tem. sing.

VERB TABLES
377
Passive
See Thble Mw above.
Derived/arms
See Table Mw above. These verbs behave in the same way.
Table Lw-I. Verbs with Last Radical w
Notes
. This type of verb and those in the following tables do not lend
themselves easily to a reduction into a convenient number of stems, so
their conjugations are given in a fuller form and are best learned by
heart.
. The derived forms are the same for all types, so these are given
separately below.
We use the root nd-w to call, invite.
Active
Singular
he
she
you 1m.)
you It}
Plural
they 1m.)
they If.)
you (m.)
you .)
we
Past
Present
Subjunctive
as present
except pam
given
Juuive
as subi.
except parts
given
..,
I..G ,J
.:...s:. "oW
.:..".s:. ,J,W
:=,,,.s:. fU
. .n ...
.:.."..(a ".s:.1
; h,
I".s:. u,
; ..,
u,.s:. u,
, ..,
r:>,J..G u,,W
iii ,..... , ..,
u:>"..G u,,W
h_
L.".s:. ".s:.:.

h,
,W
,W
fU
i
..,
I,J
I,,'w
.s:.:.

378 ARABIC
Summary
There are many phonetic factors at work here which cause different sorts
of elisions and changes. To list all these would defeat the purpose so, as
has been suggested, it is better to learn these verbs by heart, spending
more time on the most commonly occurring parts.
Pa55ive Pa5t Present Subiunctive JUHive
as present as subi.
exceptpcrts except parts
given given
Singular
, . ,.. ,",
he f'  
she .:>:!.ii .w oW
you (m.) .:>:!.ii oW ,i;:i
. .....,
you (f.) .ii .w .w
f .".
.ii .iil
Plural
H '" . I.'
they (m.) I ".ii u,, I,,
they (t) .ii u,,
.. , . ....;1
you (m.) :-' u",w I".w
$ . . or .....,11
you (f.) f' oW
. '0'
we .ii .w 
.

VERB TABLES
379
Table Ly-I. Verbs with Last Radical y
This by far the most common of this type of verb. We shall use the root
r-m-y to throw, and again give the verb in full.
Active Past Present Subi unctive Ju55ive
as present as subj.
except parts except parts
given given
Singular
he fJ"'..) I£' r
she .;:...A..) I£'Y r y
you 1m.) ..) I£'Y r y
you If.) :':'A..) Y I£'Y
, ....  .. ..
..) 1£'..)1 r)
Plural
, .
they 1m.) Iy..)  IYJ:!
they It) ..) J:!
. .". ... , ..
you 1m.) ("40..)  Iyy
$ ,.... ."
you It) ..) 
we  I£'Y r y
- ..)
Aisslve
Identical to Lw type. See table above.
Table LaMI
Again a slight misnomer. These verbs actually have third radical w or y,
but the past has an i-vowel and the present an a-vowel on the tmddle
radical. We use the root l-q-y to meet with, find.

380
Active
Past
Present
ARABIC
Singular
he  
she '-'.:11 
, .,
you (m.) '-'.:11 
, ... .-....
you (f.) '-'.:-11 0.: 11 ":
> ' ..
, -'.:11 I
Plural
>-
they (m.) I"IJ 
- - . .-
they (f.)  
.. , , ......-
you (m.)  
 > oF ..........
you (f.) 0":.::1 0.: 11 ":
- .,
we l:.:iJ 
Passive
Identical to Lw type. See table above.
Table Lh-I
Subiunctive
as present
except parts
given

I ".L\,!
1,.tiJ:i
Juuive
as subj.
except ports
given
J.I:!
Jl:i
- 0,

Jji
Jb
The h this time stands for hybrid. A few verbs conjugate like r-m-y in the
past (Table Ly), and l-q-y in the present (Table La). We shall give merely a
few sample parts, using the root 8-:-y to hurry, make an effort aI something.
Active
Present
Past
Singular
he ..r- 
she  
Subiunctive
as present
except parts
given
Jus.We
as subj.
except ports
given

t...:i

VERB TABLES
381
Passive
As usual, the same as all the L-type verbs (see tables above).
L-type Verbs, Derived Forms [Lw/y/a. etc. II-X]
The derived forms are the same for all three types of verb with.j or tS as
the last radical. -
Although a table is given below, there is a short-cut to learning these
. Forms II, m, IV, VII, vm and X (there is no Form IX) conjugate like
r-m-y (Table Ly) in both tenses.
. V and VJ conjugate like rm-y (Table Ly) in the past, and l-q-y (Table
La) in the present.
The following table therefore only gives two parts (the he-form of the past
and the present). The rest of the parts can be found by referring to the two
tables mentioned above.
Again we use the root I-q-y, which exists in quite a number - but not all
- of the derived forms.
Active Past Stem Present Stem
.- . "
II  
,
III "1 -)L
-
- .. .,
IV I 
Ou "...
V  
VI )l:; - )I.:u
 .-
--.
VII ! 
--. -.
VIII ! 
...... . ..... ,
X ! 
continued...

382 ARABIC
Passive Past Stem Present Stem
- " $-'
II  
, ,
III - 

- .,
IV I 
 lIJ '* _J
V vi1:i 
.., ,.
VIII I 
... J ........... J
X I 
1be forms not given are either non-existent or extremely rare.
Some irregularities
The only really irregular verb in Arabic is  not to be, used for
negation. This is given in full in Unit 8. It only exists in one tense, which
is past in form, but present in meaning.
.-
The verb (SIJ to see conjugate)n the past like fJ"'J (Table Ly), but
has the irregular present form tSJ;! where the ham7.ah and its supporting
aUf  dr9pPCd. This tense is vowelled like the present of La verbs,
e.g.(Sy '(SJ;! yaraa, taraa, etc.
The verb (Sf has no impe!'ative, that of the alternative verb  to look,
see being used instead i).
Verbs with hamzah as one of their radicals are mainly regular, but are
sometimes difficult to spell. The rules for this are too complex to be
practically useful, and it is better to learn by experience.
There are a number of 'doubly weak' verbs, showing the characteristics of
two different types. These and certain other phonetic variations -
especially of Fonn VIll verbs - have been noted in the text.

ARABIC-ENGLISH
VOCABULARY
This glossary relates mainly to the texts in the units and the key vocabulary
boxes. It is arranged according to the order of the Arabic alphabet (see pages
10-11) as opposed to the root system used by most dictionaries. This should
enable you to find words more easily. The Arabic definite article (fhe JI) has
been included with words which always have it (e.g. I ad-dunyaa the
world), but left out where you are more likely to be looking for the word in its
non-definite form (e.g. Sharjah. Arabic oJt.:.J1 asb-shaariqah). Words which
do not take the accusative marker are marked with an asterisk (*).
I
i.t-6. ui aaIah Haasibah computer
';I.Il.!1 ibtidaa'ii elementary
I ibtasama [S-VIII] smile
..I.&tl ibn, abnaa'* son
.:. .I ibnab, banaat daughter
J.H.II r ahuu I-hawlthe Sphynx
 i aOOu DHabi Abu Dhabi
... abyaD*, fern. bayDaa'*
white
Jt..'f .,;1 alhar, aathaar sing. frack,
rmce. pI. also archaeological remains
 atharii archaeological
t l....:il ittisaa: extent, compass
.. athnaa'(a) during, while
,,:,,4r sjaaba [Mw-lV] to answer
..r1 ijtimaa:ii social
F1 ijtama:a [S-VIII] meet, come
together
r IUmaI* more/most beautiful
4t .r sjnabii, lUaanib foreign,
foreigner
 ...,.....r aHabba, yuHibb [D-lV]
like, love
..,.......,..1 iHtasaba [S-VIII] to award
":" I iHtafaia bi- [S-VIII] celebrate
I iHtalla [D-VIII] occupy
r aHdath newest, latest
0:.1 ... iHSaa', -ast count, census
J"""-r aHmar* red
.l/.:,I.tl akh, ikhwaan or
ikhwab brother
.:.Ir ..:.a.i ukht, akbawaat sister
JI ikhtaara [My-VIII] to choose
JI ikhtaraqa [S-VIII] to breach
.....i akbadba [SI ulto ILlke
i aakhar* (fern. pi ukbraa) other
pj aakhir end. last fHlM of something
r akbDar* green
r akbiir last
....II .....I adab, aadaab literature, arts
JI8ctraka [8-1V] to attain. achieve
l.:il idhaa if
I.:i fdhan so. therefore
tl.:il adbaa:a [My-IV] to broadcast
.:,.:ir udb(u)n (fern.) ear
I) araada [Mw-IV] want, wish for
i.o.oi arba:ab four
J.J) urduni Jordanian
iJ aruzz rice
J'-l irsaaltransmission, sending
J..) arsaIa [S-IV] send

384
ARABIC
) aI-arD (fem.) the ground,
the earth
J4--1 isbaanii Spanish
..,j:;\'-[ .:,,-"-1 ustaadb, asaatidhah
professor
u..1 ista'jara [S-X] to rent, be
a feNlTlt of
f'11 istikhdaam use, employmenf
f'1 istakbdama [8oX] to use, employ
.)I.II istirdaad denumding back,
reclaiming
t I istaTaa:a [Mw-X] to be able
JI isti:maaI use, usage
JI istaghraqa [SoX] take, use up.
occupy (of time)
I ,J4il-1 istiqbaal, -aat reception
I istaqbala [SoX] receive, meet
\.-I...I uffiJurah, asaiI'iir*
legend
l-i ....,,1.-1 usluub, asaallib* style,
method
J i asnada [S-IV] entrust to. vest in
r+-r as-bama [S-IV] contribute,
take part
..I ..."...1 aswad*, rem. sawdoo'*
black
.:.I..",l:.! isbaarab, -aat (traffic) signal
I isbtaraka [S-VITI] to
participate. take part
(Sp-I isbtaraa (Ly-VITI] buy
.,...:,.r ash-bar* more/most famous
...l....1 aSaaba hit, strike
I aSbaHa [801V] become
i aSdara [S-IV] fo publish
..I,.,A- .,.,A-I aSfar*, fem.. Safraa'*
yellow
J"..J .J.-r aSl, uSuul origin. basis
...jL.;.r aDaafa [My-IV] to add
..r a:aada [Mw-IV] to repeat. renew
I i:tabara [S-VDI] to consider,
regard
..1$1 i:daad preparation
(S..I$I i:daadii preparafory
 "'.J'"-i a:raba :an [S-IV] to stafe,
express
""jer a:zab* bachelor. single
..,w.1 a:Taa (Ly-IV] to give
uki a:lana [S-IV] to announce. state
.).<.1 a:loo highest; fhe highest poinf,
top
... ul afaaDa bi- [My-IV] flood,
oveiflow with
F1 iftataHa [S-VDI] to commence
open
f'ui aqaama [Mw-IV] fO reside; to
hold (an event, etc.)
(S..I iqtiSoodii eCQlWmic
I iktasbafa [S-VITI] discover
 akthar* more/most
f',.,s:i akrama [8-1V] Iwnour, be
Iwspitable/generous to
.]>1 aid things to ea!, food
,]>4..]>1 akala, ya'ku1 [S-I uJ ea!
.!,!SI akiid certain. definite
u'il a1-'aan now
 I aI-iskandariyyah
Alexandria
I ..,.JI d",L.1 al-imaaraat
al-:arabiyyah a1-muttaHidah
The United Arab Emirates
tlJA I a1-ahraam the pyramids
I al-Illin now
4=0,,]1 ad-dunya(a) (fern.) the world
rlWI a1-:aaIam the world
i,..WI al-:aammah the (general) public
...ji .....iIi aIf, aaIaaf tlwusand
...,-.-£11 al-fuS-Haa liferary, classical
(adj. used only with the Arabic
language)
! illaa excepf
..!JI AI-Iaah God, Allah
Jwi a1msmii German

ARABIC-ENGUSH VOCABUlARY
385
.....".o..JI al.magbrib sunset; Morocco
;'I.i.f nmmah, umam nation
tL.f 8ID8IUD in front of
..:J 'v1 bntiHaan, -aat exom
,j1 imtiyaaz distinction, privilege
..W ..I,...1 imra'ab, nisaa' (irregular
plural) woman
.......f ams yest€rday
J.., I .......r ams al-awwal the day
before yesterday
.:.,S..i amkana [8-1V] fo be possible
vl in if
, inba:atha [S.VII] emanate, be
sent OUf
(. U;,J intaaj production
i aotaja [8-IV] to produce
JI intishaar spread, CU"ency;
here popularity
I intabaja [8-VDI]follow, pursue
(a path, method, etc.)
..,tZ1 intahaa [Ly-VITI] to come to
an end, finish
Il ingiltarra (with g as in garden)
England
l ingllizi English
:,.. .,,:,WI iDsaan, naas human being;
pl. = people
..l:.:. inshaa' foundation, setting up
tL.:i.t1 ihtimaam attention, concern,
interest
" )Ur ahlan wa-sahlaD welcome
r-"f ahamm more/most impo11ant
"I aw or
t .J"f awda:a [Fw-IV] fo place
":,,, '<,FUJ.Ji uruubii European
J..,i awwalfirst
j awwa1anftrstly
/Sf ay thnt is
f ayy which
t....!! iimaan belief, faith
Uii ayna where

"':W...,..4 haab, abwaab gate, door
J.J4 baadaJa [8-UI] fo swap,
exchange with someone
t 4 baa:a [My-I] to sell
4-t bi-jaanib next to, beside
,..>"-! baHr, biBaar sea, large river
t bacia' [S-I a] begin
Lt badaa [Lw-I] to llppear, seem. show
i..!1 bidaayah beginning
(.Ii '(.J'! burj, abraaj fower
JH.I .JH. barjiil, baraajid
traditional wind tower
I 'J'! bamaamij, baraamij*
programme
J-'" brUTaanii British
 bassaTa [8-0] to simplify
J...o..1 baSal onions
.:J .yUo.., bUfaaqab, -aat card
I yUo.., buTaaqat at-tasIiiI
credit card
y bi-Talaaqahfluentiy
..:.  bUfuulaat leading roles
 ba:d after
L.  ba:d maa after (before a verb)
 ba:D some, po11 of somefhing
 ba:fidfar away, distant
..1 ba1 rather; here in fact, indeed
,,:,1/.J;;"',.1l, ba1ad, bilaad/buldaan
country
.. binaa' building, constmction
..:. ...:..i.! hint, banaat gir daughfer
u. banzfiD petrol
..:. '..:..H bayt, buyout house
. biirah beer
 bayna between, among
L.:..H bayDamaa while
..:.
..1 ...1u taabit, tawaabil spice
J4:' ."""l:; taajir, tujjaar merchant

386
ARABIC
I..:i taariikb history
.....l.:i taariikhii historical
I"l.:i taamm complete
JAG fa'ahbaIa [S-V] qualify (.,I. iIaa for)
... tabriid cooling
 tabsiiT simplification
 tabi:a follow
ii}, tijaarah trade. commerce
l$J tijaarii conunercial
 takhaSSaS [S-V] specialise
 takhTiiT planning
................. tadriis teaching
fil,j:; .iifi,j:; tadhkirab,tadhaakir* tick£t
.,; tarHiib welcome. welcoming
(noun)
,jj tarHiibii welcoming (adj.)
oS.,; taraka [S-I ulleave, let be
C",j! tazaww1\ia [Mw.V] to marry
 tasjiil registration, scoring
0I.i.J.!..... tasdiidah, .aat shot (football)
01 . tashkillah, -aut selection
 taSmiim design, designing
J..1.o;; ta:aadul balance, equality
(football: draw, equal score)
,:,y.... ta:baan tired
rW ta:allama [S-V] learn
 ta:1iim education
 ta:liimii educational
(. .......u:. tufaaHah, tufaaH apple
.).<. (:: tafarraja :a1a [S-V] watch,
look at
 tafaDDal Come in (to a man)
t';!.>i:; taqdibn presentation
J'.....1..:i:i  taqriir, taqaariir* report
F takallama [S-V] speak
 takyiif air conditioning
J"...,j£1:i tilifizyuunii televiswn (adj.),
televisual
"j:;/ . tilmiidb,
talaamidhahltalaamiidh pupil
..,! F homft' a [S-V] enjoy
 h,mnnaa [Ly-V] to hope, wish
..,...:; tanis tennis
. :;;1:..., tanDHiif cleaning
 tanftidh implementation,
execution
Ji:u tanaqqala [S-V] 10 be carried,
transpor1€d
.:.:; tanmiyah development
f::''':»> tawzii: distribution

 thaalith third (adj.)
 ilJ thaalithah :asbar thineenrh
Ij.io thaanawii secondary
.....W thaqaafii cultural
 thaqill heavy
i.:i:)U thalaathah three
 tbaJj ice
 thumma fhen
ii thamrahftuif
E.
.. ,..4- jaa'a, yajii' [My-I] ClH1l£
lJ 'J4- jaar, jiiraan neighbour
4-(JI) aI-Jaarii the cumnr
t 4- jaa:a [Mw-I] to become hungry
...,.J4- jaalis sitting, seared
t"'1,H> .t"'4- jaami:,jawaami:*
large mosque
d ........4- jaami:ah univemty
..,...I,H> ..,.:>4- jaanib, jawaanib* side
'*'4- jaaniban aside, 10 one side
 jubnah cheese
I jiddan very
.. jaddada [D-D] renew. restore
..I:! jadiid new
":,,.P.- jarraba [S-D] try OUI, taste
IS.?- jaraa [Ly-I] to run
...I .ii... jariidah, Jaraa'id*
newspaper
 . jisr, jusuur bridge

ARABIC-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
387
 ja:a1a [S-I a] cause. mak£ do
something; place, put
..,al jughraafii geographical
..,.J.;.. Jalaba [S-I il attract
 jalasa [501 i) sit, sit down
d ,4 jamaa:ah, -aat group.
gathering
J4 jamaal beaury
d ,jam:iyyah, -aat group.
assembly. society
J4 . jamal. jimaal camel
 jamii:an all together
 jamiil beawifuJ
-=-, , jinsiyyah, -aat nationality
u' 'u'u;, jaw:aan*, jaw:aa*
hungry
.....iJ guulf golf
..,.. jayb, juyuub pocket
 jayyid 0/ good quality
..jr,o.(JI) al-jiizah Geewh, a district
of Cairo
c:
J6. Haarr hot
.......IJ"'- ........J6. Haaris, Dumas guard
(football: goalkeeper)
t""u taasi: ninth
u.,. ."..;.6. HaaDir, -nUD present. here
..)L 6. HaafaDHa :a1aa [S-UI]
keep, preserve
d .4- Habbah, -aat grain. seed;
also used for counting units of
certain fruits and vegetables
uh Hattaa until. even
l'f""(JI} aI.Hajj the Pilgrimage
Ji '$."-'" Hajar, aHjaar stone
"J.I=o. '.1=0. Hadd, Hudnud limit, border
_ Hadiith modern. up-to-dale
';'1_ ,_ Hadiiqah, Hadaa'iq*
garden. park
4>.J1-"", Haraarah heat
.:.,..,j=.. Haziin sad
..,.- Hasb according to
t"""" Hasm discount
u-- Hasan beautiful. handsome,
good
I.:....."" Hasanan well, righl, O.K.
 'u.- HiSn, HuSnunforr,
fonress
 HaDara [501 uJ attend
f' 'Fo- Hakam, Hukkaam
referee, umpire
J.,6.. .J=.. Hall, HuJuuI solution
.,,)6.. Halaawah sweetness, beauJy
0.J .JL- HammaaI, -nOD porter
 Hammara [SoD] to brown. fry
JL-i .j...,.. HimI, aHmaalload, burden
4- Himyah diet
,."lI p Hawaalli about, approximately
c .
t l ..... 'f'.Ju' kbaadun, khuddaam
seflJa1I1
d .t..,,1A kbaadimah, -oat (female)
selVanJ
JL;.(JI} al-khaarij the outside, abroad
JIA khaarij outside
U""L;. khaaSS special; private
.........L;. khaami" fifth
J¥o. khabbar [S-D] to tell, in/onn
J4I-.i . khabar, akhbaar news
(sing.  an item of news)
 khubz bread
t..... khada:a [501 aJ fo deceive
d .t..,).!.. khidmah, -oat selVice
uUp. .....,J,P. kharu.uf, khurfaan sheep
Ip. .au...,=. khariiTah, kharaa'iT*
map
 kbafiif lighl (adj.)
J)l;.. khiIaaI during
........,sJ1 (.JI) al-khaliij al-:arabii
the Arabimr Gulf

388
ARABIC
 kbaIiIT mixture
1..&1.s. . khaHifah, khulafsa'*
Caliph, head of the Islamic state
 kbayr (state of) weU-being
oS
"':;1.1.1 ...,:;I.I daa'irBII. dawaa'ir*
(government) department
J;J.I daakhil inside, the inside of
something
J&..1 dakhaIa [S-I uJ to enter
-=>1 .t..I,JJ diraasah, -aat study
..... darasa [S-I uJ study
r-"I 'f"A,JJ dirham, daraahim*
dirham (unit of currency)
w ..1 daqiiqah, daqsa'iq*
minuf€
v#-1S..1 'ulS..I dukkaan, d..Ic....ldin *
&mall sJwp, stall
.;:0....1 dimashq* Damascus
 dahisha [S-1 aJ be surprised.
astonished
)J.lI.,J.J.I dawr, adwaar role, turn
J".I ,tI".. dawlab, duwal country. SUlte
..,1",.1 duwaJii or dawlii international
.j
il,j dhaakirah memory
 dhabaHa [S-I aJ slaughter
4,j .,j dhabiiHab, dhabaa'iII*
sacrificial animal
UJi,j ..:,.i:I dhaqn, dhuqUUD (fem.)
beard, chin
.ill.i d.haalik(a) that (masc.)
.i dhahaba, [S-I aJ go
,jJ1 aIladhii who, which, that
(fem. .,;II alIatii)
J
'.1)' J raa'iHah, rawaa'iH*
smell, scent, perfume
eJl; raa'i: splendid, brilliant,
marvellous
ISJ,! 'J ra'aa, yaraa to see (irregular
Type Ly-I verb: see Verb Tables)
-=>1 ....1,; raayah, -sat flag, banner
L..l> 'J ra'iis, ro'ama'* boss, chief
..J nbaIIa [S-I aJ to win, gain, profit
 rob: quarter
J;.J rijljOot (fem.)
J4-J '..P..J nUuI, rijaal man
"=' ':"'"J raHHaba [S-n I to welcome
(requires m.-)
d .t6. J riHIah, .aatjourney, voyage
.lJ radda [D-i uJ return something
to someone
1.4 darajah, -aat step, degree
f.b raslv>ba [D.I uJ sprinkle, spray
UU;.J rashaaqah shapeliness,
elegance
J rasbiid Rashid (man's name);
also Rosetta, a town in Egypt
......J raSada [S-I uJ observe, watch
"rJ ra:aa [Lh-I] tak£ care of, look after
I'J ragbbah, -sat desire, wishl
""""J .......J raft, rufuuf shelf
J rafa:a [S-I aJ to lift, raise
J rakiba [S-I aJ ride, mount, get
into (a vehicle)
I .US J rakIah, -aat kick
ulS.) .<.$oJ rukn, arlman corner
J ruknii comer (adj.)
J .j.oJ ramz, rumuuz code. symbol
I .I.1) rlwaayah, -aat novel, story
-=>L ......4., riyaaDah, -sat s]XJrt, exercise
J
).,:, ."':;Ij zaa'ir, zuwwaar visitor
Fmotocow
Jlj zaara [Mw-I] visit
':;l.."j .U"tj zabuun, zabaa'in*
customer, client

ARABIC--ENGUSH VOCABUlARY
389
..rl....:., ziraa:ii agricultural
......) ..:.,L.j zamaan. R7.minab time
.::.L 'n zawjah, -aat wife
J..,u:, ..i.v.j zawraq, zawaariq* boat
..4,jr '(S.) ziyy. azyaa'* clofhes,
fashion, style
.::.1 .. J\,G ziyaarah, -aat visit
..:.. zayt (edible) oil
IJ"
Cl,,- .&1..- saa'iH. suwwaaH tourist
Ul.../u..,.J'l... saa'iq. -uunfsaaqah
driver
ih-I.JI,;... su'aaJ. as'Dah question
.........l... saadis sixlh
$1.- saa:ada [S-ID] to help
.::.1 ,I..- saa:ah, -sat hour, time,
watch, cWck
.,.1..- saafara [S-ID] to travel
I..- saakin living, residing
.:., .I..- saakin, sukkaan
inJwbitarlt, resident
JL sa'ala [S-I a] to ask
r1l... saa6m safe. sound
4--- sibaaHah swimming
d .J4--- sibaaq, -sat race
C't'" sabaHa [S-I a] swim
....... sittah six
.p.- sajjala [S-II] to register, 10 score
J"- siHr magic
.......... ...... sadd, SUdllud dam
.I..... saddada [S-II] fo aim; (football)
shoot
L. .:.,IL J'" sur:aan maa quickly, before
long
 J'" sur:ah speed
......... ...I,!Aow sa:iid, su:adaa'* hoppy
.:.1.. saflirah, -aat (female)
ambassadvr
.:.,lw . safiinah. sufun ship
 sakaba [S-I u] to pour OUI
i.aL.r 'C)L.. sUaaH, asliHah weapon,
ann
31- salq (the action of) boiling something
cL.... samaaH pennission
t:- sami:a [S-I a] to hear, listen
.:L,.., samakfish (collective)
u- saman ghee. clnrified butter
.:.01,,:... . sanah, sanawaat year
..I"... sawaa'an equo.lly, whether
JI"...i 'JY' suur. aswaar wall
JI,,-I...;.,... suuq, aswaaq (usually fem.)
market
"- siyaaHii tourist (adj.), touristic
.).<. J4.. saYfara :a1aa [Q-I]
to dominate
;;; sayrarah domination
.:.. siinamaa, dinamaa t
(fem.) cinema
..
IJ"
.. shaa'a [Ma-I] to wish. wilt
V":" .t.Jl.:. shaari:. sbawaarl: *
street, road
uJI.:.(.JI) asb-sbaariqah Sharjah
I.:. sbaashab screen
';'1.:. shaaTi' shore, beach
..I .JCI.:. shaa:ir. sbu:araa'* poet
I.:. sbaamil comprehensive
.J»:.. ..:., sba'n, slm'uUD affair.
importanJ Inaner
..... ,":,,1.:. shaab. sbabaab
young person, yowh
odl? . sbabaka, shibaak
net, netting
.. shitaa'* wimer
 sbattaa various
J4-=-I.. sbajarah, asIUaar tree
...,..i ....,...a.:o. sbakbS, asbkbaaS
person
.J,t":" sbadiid strong, mighty
..... sbariba [S-I a] drink

390
(. sbaraHa [8-1] a explam
d .c;: sharikah, -ast company, fiT71l
c-31";' . shariiHah, sbaraa'iH*
slice
I...........;. sbariiT, ashn"Tah tape,
cassette
 sha:biifolk, popular
 sha:r hair
 shi:r poetry,
 .u:. sbaqqab, !dUqaqftat, apartment
JlS:.i . sbakl, asbkaal type, shape
Jw.. shamaallejt
..,-:. shams sun
 sbabiir famous
.I.J,,:;..i ,.I.. sbawT, ashwaaT heat, race;
football: haJ/
..t,;.I.....,:.. shay', ashyaa'* thing,
something
 shayyada [My-IT] erect, construct

..,..la.-i ,..,.-l.... SaaBib, as-Haab
owner, master; also sometimes friend
Jl.... Saadiq truthful. frue
";l....(JI) as-Saafii pure, clear
e:-Il.... SaaliH doing right
 u.,Jl.... SaalUUD tajmiil beauty
salon
.,:po- SaHn, SuHUUD dish
 SaHiiH CO"ect. right
..\.jr ..i! Sadiiq, aSdiqaa'* friend
,:,L ..... Su:uubah, -oat difficulty
 Sagbiir young (person),
small (thing)
,,1-....i.a Saff, Sufuuf class (school)
uk Saft'aa [Ly-IT] drain, strain
i-1... SaISah sauce
r-!-.J  4.l!1 ..;- SaUaa l-Laaahu
:B1ay-hi wa-salJam Prayers
and Peace be upon Him (said after
mentioning the name of the Prophet)
ARABIC
,:,I"...J .,;,,,- Saw!, aSwaat voice, sound
t',,- Sawmfast,ftlsting
d. Saydaliyyah, -aat pharmacy
...i.!- Say! summer

.I.. w. DaabiT, DubbaaT officer
J ..d jumruk,jamaarik*
customs, excise
ol.t. Darbah, Darabaat a blow. beat
.:.I. Dumurah, -aat necessity,
requirement
F Damma [D-I uJ include, comprise
 . Day!, Duyuuf guest
 Dayyiq narrow
13
.:.I ,i';U. Taa'irah. -aat aeroplane
/..,..'jJ,. ...,..Ju. Taalib, TuDaabl
TaJabab student
,:,4Ju.. 4\l.I.. Taalibah, -astfemale
student
i£4J,. Tibaa:ah typing
 Taba:a [S-I aJ print, type
 Tab:an naturally, of course
J4loi . Tabaq, aTbaaq plate, dish
.:.I . Tabaqah, -ast layer
..4L.I. Tabiib, aTibbaa'* doctor
 Tabiikh cooking, cuisine
 Tabii:ah rtQ1Ure
 Tabii:ii natural
oJ).. Tarada [S-I uJ to banish. drive
away (football: send off>
.;;.. ..;....,,1.. Tariiq, Turuq road, way
'y1).. .u..."I.. Tariiqah, Taraa'iq*
metlwd. way
rLJ.. Ta:aam ftxxl
JUl.r . Till, aTfaal child
iI"A). Tufuulah childhood
w. TamaaTIm* tomaloes
..}. c..!. TamaHa iJaa [S-I aJ aspire tv

ARABIC-ENGUSH VOCABULARY
391
 TumuuR aspiration, ambition
t.L.:J.. TanTaa Tan/a (town in Egypt)
J.....,I. Tawill tall (person), long (thing)
JO
".J.. DUuhr Mon
I ..I...:. :aadah, -aat custom. habit
JI...:. :aadlljust, upright
OJ 'oOJI...:. :aarlD,.gun (male) model
d .t..;, JI...:. :aariDah, -aat (female) model
';'1...:. :aasha [My-I] live, reside
r-I$- .L......I...:. :aaS, :awaaSim*
capital (city)
"""1...:. :aaIamii worldwide
';I...:.(JI) aI-: aalii high
1"1...:. :aamm general
I"Ir .,.1...:. :aam, a:waam year
JL...:. ,J.I...:. :aamil, :ummaaI workman
d '.J :abaarah, -aat phrase.
expression
d . :1\ialah. -aat wheel. bicycle
 ;ajiib womkiful
 , :ajiibah, :ajaa'ib*
(object of) wonder
Ir . :&dad, a:daad number
.......IL :ads lentils
u.J£ :adan Aden
..,-i1J" :iraaqii Iraqi
'-::'J" '..r :arabii Arabic. Arab
J" :arD showing. displaying
04",-"" 'o4JC :ar», :uruuD offer. deal
...iJC :arafa [S-I i] to know
......... :ariiD wide
.fi'--- , :askarii, :awddr* soldier
.. :iSbaa' lale evening (prayer time)
. :ashrab ten
u :aTsbaan fhirsty
I :afwanyou'rewelcome, don't
mention if (reply to thanks)
 :aqaba [8-1 u] come after. follow
I""k'rk :iIm, :uluum knowledge.
science
 :Dmii scientific
 :aSr mid-aftemoon
u'-- : RmmASID Amman (capital of
Jordan); :umaan Oman (Sultanate of)
 :umr life. age
JL...:.i ...J- :ama1, a:maa1 work, job,
business
..J- :amiIa [S-I a] do, work
1."""- :umuumii general
IJ" :an about, concerning
 :inda ai, with
 :indamaa when
U>-' 'ul :unwaao, :anaawiin*
address
.=,L ..'+ :iyaadah. -aat clinic
r."", :iid, a:yaadfestival
 I "'" :lid aI-aD-Baa Festival
of the Sacrifice
)4.J1 "'" :lid aI-millaad Christmas
 , :ayn, :uyuun (fem.) eye;
also spring (of water)
t
....lC. gbaayah extreme, most
":"$-(JI) aI-gbarb the West
OJ '..,yi:- gbarbii, -pun western
oOl.;.i .04';' gbaraD, aghraaD
purpose, goal, end
...i$- .u$- gburfah, gburaf room
.=,1 ,i1 gJ'I..""'....ISlh, -aat washing
machine
...J,..i. gbasala [8-1 i] wash
.)C. ghaIaa [Ly-I] to boil. come to
the boil
 ghanam sheep (collective)
..r , ghauii, agbniyaa'*
rich, rich person
J!i ghayr other than, apart from

392
ARABIC
,J
J-U faaDilfavourable, good
oI.Sl ,i.4SU faakihah, fawaakih*
fruif
r--U faahim understanding
.:. ,;b,i fataah. fatayaat girl,
young woman
d ,JI iHtifaal, -aat celebration
d . fatrah, -ast period, time, spell
 fajr dawn
 fakhm magnificenl
t..1 faraagh leisure
U"" ........ furSah, furaS chance.
opportunity
...,.. fanDa [801 i] impose
t . far:, foruo: branch
(of a tree, company, etc.)
J far:uunii pharaonic
,, .J......,; fariiq, firaq feam
W ,':'U-A fustaan, fasaatiin*
frock, dress
J,-.J . faSl, fuSuul section,
season (of the year)
,j....;..i faDDala [8-00 prefer
,;..£ fiTr breaking of a fast
 faDHii: shocking, awful
J:U fa:a1a [8-1 aJ to do, make
y.,u fi:1an really, actually, in facr
 faqaT only
.I."L . faqiir, fuqaraa'. poor,
poor person
 fulfuJ/filfil pepper
.:,.,,:.;. .Wi fann, funUUD an, craft,
technique
J.!w .J.w funduq, fanaadiq* hotel
 . faM, fuhuud leopard
 fahima [8-1 aJ to understand
 fawran immediafely
 fawz victory
J.,.i fawqa above, over
.....fiiin
 fayrum Fairuz (female name);
a turquoise (gem)
t:)lil. IiiIm, allaamfilm

d .WU qaa'imah, -aat list
.!U qaada [Mw-I] to lead
':'VI.,. ''':'JU qaarib, qawaarib*
(small) boat
.Jj:.1."i .;.Jj:.U qaa:idah, qawaa:id* rule
JU qaala [Mw-I] to say
..,..U(JI) al-qaahirah Cairo
.Hi qabila [S-I aJ to accept
 qabiiH ugly
t.Y qaddama [S-OO to presem, serve
f't.Y qadiim old, andenf (of things)
f.i.,. qara'a. yaqra' [8-1 aJ read
.:.I'J qaraar, -aat decision. resoluticn
u U""'" qarS thaabit hard disk
u.,. qirfah cim1anwn
UJ..>i .Wi qarn, quruun century
J£:. qunmful cloves
.........."i qariib near
tWI'r-i qism, aqsaam section,
division
...,.,....i. qiSSah, qiSaS story. fate
.....i qaSd aim, goal, intern
 ...-i qaSr, quSuur palace,
J .)...i qtifr, aqTaar region. area
cW .hJ..:i qiT:ah, qiTa: piece
":,,,u .,Ji qalb, quluub heart
t)U .ts.u qal:ah, qilaa: fort. fomess,
citadel
:4U qaliilan slightly, a linle
.:,I...-:i . qamiiS, qumSaan
shirt
..>+J qahara [80 aJ to conquer
.:J .;."i quwwah, -aatforce, power,
strength
..,...."i qawsii curved, bowed
""..4i qiyaadii leading

ARABIC-ENGUSH VOCABUlARY
393

.d ka- as, like,
.:;lS: kaa'in being, existing,
situaled
<J".»s '<J"ts: ka's, ku 'uus cup, trophy
lS: kaamil complete, whole
 kahlir big, old (of people)
..,...s: ...,..us: kitaab, kutub book
l..s kitaabab writing
 kutayyib booklet, brochure
ijI,K kathaafab density
 kathiir much, many
.:.I....fi kurah, -aat ball; also used
as a shortened form of I'.iill i.JS
kurat al-qadamfootball
..,.-I.fi ...,.-.fi kursii, karaasii chair
...fi kariha [S-I a] hate
I"'-fi kariim noble, generous
..,....s. kasaba [S-I i] earn, gain, win
...)l..S: kasIaan lazy
 kushari name 0/ an Egyptlan
lentil dish
(JI) al-ka:bah The Kaabah
(Holy Shrine in Mecca)
.:!.oS: ka:k cake
 kafaa [Ly-I] to suffice, be
sufficlem for
J!:: kull each, every, aIL
I''}I.S: kaIaam speech
.:,,1 . kuliiyyah, -aat college, faculty
 kam how many. how much
L..S: ka-maa just as. also
.:..I. kammiyyah, -aat amount
..,..!"S:r ...,..,fi kuub, akwaab glass, cup
<J"4Si , kiis, akyaas bag, sack
.l..L..i aHaaTa [Mw-IV] surround
 kayf(a) how
J
'J Iaa not, no
I'j'J laazim necessary
iJ.J . 'J Iaa:ib, -UUD player
';''J laaqaa [Ly-III] to meet with
... '.J Ii'anna because
d.:i..Io..J 1aHDHah, IaHaDHaat momenJ
1'-"'"' 'F IaHm, luHuum meat
cl1lIli--dhaalik because 0/ that,
for this reason
.lI1adhiidh delicious. tasty
....."...1...,...., nsS,luSuuS thief
 laTiif pleasant. nice
 Ia:b play, game
..,..W . Ia:b, al:aab playing, game
 Ia:iba [S-I a] play
t,W Ii-maadha(a) why
...,W landan London
J4J .I . lay1a, -aat, layaalin night
f'
..4,. ... maa, miyaab water
I"... ,;; maa'ida., mawaa'id table
I ..;.. mu'tamar, -aat conference
I.",...;... mu'akhkhiran recently
<J".) maarasa [S-UI] to practise,
carry out, peiform
is.) maarkah marque. label
........qJI) al-maaDii the past
r;4S maakyaaj make-up
uJ maaIi' filling. filler
.) maaliifinancial
OJ ......iJ,;.. mu'aUif, -uun author
iJ.J .&-.;... mu'min. -oun believing,
a believer (in something)
 mi'awti centennial, hundredth
.:"L....J40 ,;;1.)40 mubaaraab,
mobaarayaat match (sport)
J. mabSutif cotllented. happy
tJ40'F mablagh, mabaa1igb*
sum of money
".,.,u.. . matJar, maW\Jir*
trading place. shop, stall
....:lo muttaHad united

394
ARABIC
....h.u.. ......A...:i.o matHaf, mataaHif'l
museum
<»-. mutakhaSSiS,-oUD
specialist
Ju..I...;... mitr, amtaar metre
,.,jl.o mutazawwsU married
OJ . mutafarrij, -UUD spectator
 mutamayyiz distinctive,
prominenJ
..;;.. mataa when
u.,........&. muthaqqaf, -UUD cultured,
educated person
J1. mithllike
d ....14- majaaJ. -aatfield, sphere
oj activity
1.:.4- nuUiaananfree. gratis
4-. nuUnUUD, majaaniin*
mad
d muJawharaat articles 0/
jewellery
.:01 .u.-. maHaTIah, -oat station
.:0:16.0 .Ja,... maHaU, IJt:lllH:IIIII_ t
shop. store
...i!:la.. mukhtalif different. various,
 mukbaTIaT striped
UJ ..... mudaafi: , -UUD d.efendo
;;.... muddah (period of) time
.:u .U"J.... mudarris, -oun tearher
.I.J.... ....>!.... mudllr, mudaraa' 1TlQTII1ger
u.... ..... macllinah, mudun town,
city
..;u.. madbaaqflavoul
.:oL . mudbii:ah, -oat (female)
broadcaster
t-' murabba: square (adj.)
.:01 ..".. marrah. -aat time, occasion
l.p".. marHaban welcome
JaJ".. .i...b..".. marHaIah, maraaHil*
stage, level
vbl"...i.vb"" maraD, amraaD
illness, disease
....".. marmaa goal. goalnwuth
uI.t.-. musaabaqah, -aat
competition
OJ .J»-. mas'uul, -UUD official
t.-. 'c--" masbaH, masaabiH*
swimming pool
.:o. rnustdd'aa,
mustashfayaat hospital
....i mustabdaf aimed for
 mustawaa level, context
.:.I...-. masraHiyyah, -aat
play (theatrical)
J.u- masruuq stolen
d .J...!- musalsil, -aat serial. series
OJ .tl- muslim, -UUD Muslim
C."........ masmuuH permit1l!d
.:u . masiIHii, -uun Christian
".. muusiiqaa (fem.) music
. mushaahadah seeing, viewing
. t mashruu:, mashaarii:*
project
 masbgbuul busy
. m nmkilah, mSLo:hllllkU *
problem
 mashbuur famous
JL.- .J....... maSdar, maSaadir*
source
 miSr* Egypt
.:oL'J IWiI'aar,.aat airport
 IWiI'-HUUD grolUld, miUed
.:ol,i..';'" mUfribah, -sat (female)
singer, musician
 . IWiI':am, IWiI'aa:im*
restaurant
C:'" ma:a with, together wifh
 ma:juunpaste
vbJu... .vb.,.... ma:raD, ma:aariD*
exhibiJion, fair
i:. ma:karuunah macaroni
.jLo..JI . ma:naa, al-ma:aanii
meaning

ARABIC-ENGUSH VOCABUlARY
395
:t...Jli.. '<F magbribii,
maghaaribah Moroccan
wI. mugbanniyah,-aat
(female) singer
ll.. 'c:L>l.. miItaaH, mafaatiiH* key
 y..i... muftaraD assumed, supposed
...,.. mafruuDH necessary,
obligatory
t' mafruwn chopped, ground
J....<o..i. mufaDDii preferring
 muqbil coming, MXI
Jo!..u. .J.... miqdaar, maqaadiir*
quantity, measure
 muqashshar peeled, skinned
 muqaTTa: clwpped
 muqiim residing, resident
i 'ul.S... makaan, amkinah place
Lfi.J1  makkah i-mukarramah
Holy (City of) Mecca
"":;I.S... . maktab, makaatib* office
wi . maktabah, -aat library,
bookshop
yyS... maktuub written
t'yS.... maktuwn concealed
4Lo(JI) al-maksiik Mexico
y.., malaabis* clothes
)l. malaamiH* features
 miIH salt
)l. ..,...J.. mal:ab, maJaa:ih*
spons ground, pitch
y.., .u..L. mil:aqah, malaa:iq*
spoon, spoonful
.:Jy... , maIik. muluuk king
Jio"J.. malyoonayr millionaire
jb- mumtaaz excellent
iJ.J . mwnaththil, -UWl actor,
represenlalive
t":"'- mamnuu: forbidden
U.o man wlw?
 minfrom
wi .I..:... munaasabah, -aat occasion
UJ 'F mWltij, -IIun producer
 mundhu since
.;1..1..:... .Yl..:... minTaqah, maoaaTiq*
region, area (football: penalty area)
wi 'F- munaDHDllim, -aat
regulator
wi .t.J>:.... munaDHDIIamah. -aat
organisation
.w:.... munaqqaI' spotted
 munba:ith emanaIing
UJ ,'+-- muhaajir, -uun emigrant
...."... muharrab smuggled
t+" muhimm importanf
Uf-A' mihnah, mibanjob, trade,
profession
u., ....... muhandis, -oun engineer
..".. mawjuudfound, situated,
existing
t"""" lDUudiim mod£m
t-il".. .t-i".. mawqi:, mawaaqi:*
site, situation, place
...d".. ......u".. mawqif, mawaaqif*
stopping, parking place
..,iJI.1I".. mawUd an-nabii (festWal of)
The Prophet's Birthday
.."1,,.. mawluud born
,j1"..l1..4o miinaa', al-mawaanli
(sometimes fem.) harbour, pori
u
 naa'im sleeping, asleep
J naar (fem.)ftn-
...... naas people
....i:.. naashif dry
p naaDHara [8-1D] to equal,
compete with
 naa6: useful
J.i naaqasba [S-ID] discuss
t' naama [Ma-I] sleep
u:. . .::- .'. natiijah, natBa'ij*
result, outcome

396
ARABIC
c:4=> wUaaH success
 najaHa [S-I aJ succeed
(...... in something); pass (an exam)
..::.1 . Dl\imab, -aat star, (female)
film star
I an-naHw grammar
Ji,:. Duzuul descent, descending
..I....:. nisaa'* (pI.) women
t-.:; l1a_mab individual
(used in population counts only)
J.. nashaaT activity
...ji ......a-:. DiSC, anSaaf half,
U",,£>...,..1> oafs, DUfuus (fem.) self, soul
..."L ..Ii:. naqd, nuql1ud cash, money
 naqa:a [S-I a] fo soak, steep
 naql transport. transportation
.;y>. . namir, oumuur tiger
";1+- niliaa'ufina/ (adj.)
J'+' nahaar daytime, hours of daylight
'+' nihaayah end
tl' .t naw:, anwaa: kind, sort, type
 oawaa [l..y-I] to in/end
.1:> nay. getting, receiving
(J
Zs-,Lo. baadi' quiet. gentle
JLo. haal cardamom
"*" . hajiin, hujuu racing
camel
..JI....-I.....i....- badaf,. ahdaaf target,
aim, goal
l.!w '.......- hadiyah, hadaayaa* gift,
present
.oa lloa haadhalhaadhihi this
(masclfem. )
l:...a. hunaa here
.:!l:...a. hunaaka there, there ware
":"'(...11) ai-hind India
..I.,... hawaa' air
-=-1 .I".a bawaayab., -aat hobby
 hiya she, it
J
t-I.J waaN: roomy. spacious
...ii1.J waaqif standing. stationary
..11.J waalid father
i.>!1" waalidah mother
.;,1" wo-'in fhough, even though
d ,4.J wajabab., -aat meal
".J '.J wajh, wujuuhface,
(media) personality
.J waHiid sole, only, singular
-'.J wadd 10veJriendship
..I"" waraa'(a) behintl
J.....J waSI' middle, centre
(of town, ere.)
J-" waSala [Fw-I i] to arrive
J-" waSSai [S-D] connect, transport
" waD: putting
.J waDa:a [Fw.I a] to put. place
o....it..J waDHDHaf [8-D] to hire,
employ
..::.u) ..;.i" waqt, awqaat time
ti.J waqa:a [Fw-I a] fall
...ii" waqafa [Fw-I i] stop, stand
...ii.J waqqafa [Fw-D] stop,
bring to a halt
wi .Uts:" wakaalah, -aat agency
.J wo-laa and not, nor
uI. .J wilaayah, -aat administrative
division of a coW/try; SUlte
.. "i ,..1" wa1ad, awlaad boy
(pI. also children)
cfiJ" walaakin, ""h...ldnna but
1,$
-'o! yad (fem.) hand
,j.o,!(.JI) al-yaman Yemen
 yamiin right (hand)
/,4' '/,.JoI yawm, ayyaam day

ENGLISH-ARABIC
VOCABULARY
This is again based on the words in the Vocabulary Boxes which relate directly
to the texts.
about, approximately .)1",.. Hawaalii
about, concerning  :an
above, over J."A fawqa
Abu Dhabi  I abuu DHabi
accept .Hi qablla [S-I a]
according to ..,...- Hasb
activity .l..u.. nasbaaT
actor. represenl4tive OJ .Jto..
mwnaththU, .uun
add .JL...;.i aDaafa [My-IV]
address U>-Jl.:iL 'ul :unwaan,
:anaawiin*
Aden U#. :adan
aeroplane wi .,;u. Taa'irah, -aat
affair, important matter u.;,:. 'ut.:.
sha'n, mu'uun
after  ba:d (before nouns', L. 
ba:d maa (before verbs)
agency wi .tJls:" wakaalah, -aat
agricultural ,rl"":" ziraa:ii
aim, goal, in/ent  qaSd
aim, shoot .- saddada [S-D]
aimed for .J mustahdaf
air..1.,.a bawaa'
air conditioning  takyiif
airport wL 'Ju.... lWifaar, -aat
Alexandria "-ti I
al-iskandariyyah
all together  jamii:an
ambassador (femak) wl.
safiirah, -ast
Amman ut-. : ammaan
amount wI. kammiyyah, ..aat
announce, state ukl a:1ana [S.IV]
answer ,:,,4- T 1\i88ba [Mw-IV]
appear, seem, slww I",! badaa [Lw.1]
apple cu. .i.:...u. tufaaHah, tufaaH
Arabian Gu1/. the ........,sJ1 I
al-khallij al-:arabii
Arab, ArabU: ":'$- . iF..$- :arabii
archaeological tSPl atbarii
arrive J-" waSala [Fw-I i]
art. craft. technique  ,Vi 1aDD,
funuun
as, like.:.l ka-
aside. to one side \+.4- jaaniban
ask JL sa'ala [S-I a]
aspiration, ambition c.".Jo. TumuuH
aspire, have the ambition ,)! 
TamaHa iIaa [S.I a]
assembly. soci€ty wi .
jam:iyyah, .aat
assumed. supposed ub muftaraD
at. wifh  :inda
attain, achieve .:.IJ.l1 adraka [S.IV]
attend  llaDara [S.I u]
attention. concern. interest rL.:i..&1
ihtimaam
attract  jalaba [S-I i]
author OJ .....i!,;.- mu'aIIif, -DUD
award. grant...............1 iHtMaba (S-VITI]
bachelor. single ,:"jcl a:zab

398
ARABIC
bag, sock .....lpf ...."p kiis, akyaas
ba[(Qzce, equality J" ta:aadul
bal football ul .i..fi kurah, -aat
banish, drive away (football: send off)
.. Tarada [S-I u]
be able t u..:.....1 istafaa:a [Mw-X]
be carried, transported ,ji:u
tanaqqala [S-V]
be surprised. astonished ..
dahisha [S-1 a]
beard u.,i:' ..:,i:' dhaqn,
dhuqwm (fem.)
beautiful  jamfil
beautiful. hnndsome, good .;,..-. Hasan
beauty J jamaal
beauty salon  u.,.Il.... Saaluun
t;Umill
because of tMt, for this reason
.:.1J,jJ 6-dbaa1ik
because,:,"J 6'anna
become hungry t 4- jaa:a [Mw-I]
become C--f aSbaHa [S-IV]
beer i. bilrah
begin i"", bada' S-I a
beginning I"", bidaayah
behind ..I"" waraa'(a)
being, existing. situaJed .:;ls: kaa'in
belie/, faith ':'l iimaan
believing, a belrever (in something)
OJ 'oJ..';" mu'min,-oun
beside, next to.,.. bi-jaanib
between, among  bayna
big. old  kabiir
block ..I.."... ....,...f aswad*. fem.
sawdaa'*
boat.;)...:,..i.uj zawraq, zawaariq*,
""'JI."i ''''''JU qaarib, qawaarib*
boi come the boil ..,.li. ghaIaa [Ly-I]
boiling, the oction of boiling
something .jl... salq
book ...,...s: ...,..us: kitaab, kutub
born .."J".. mawluud
boss chief ..L..,;, ''-'''''''J ra'iis. ru'asaa'*
boy "JI...JJ waJad, awlaad
(pI. also children)
branch t .t far:, furuu:
breach I ikhtaraqa [S-VIII]
bread  khubz
breaking of a Jasf )....i 6Tr
bridge .-"""""jisr,jusuur
British ,;u.....j! briI'Taanii
broadcast tl:.i adhaa:a [My-IV]
broadcaster (female) .:"L ..i...
mudhii:ah, -aat
brochure  kutayyib
brofher i.ll ,:,1,,3.! .t f akh. ikhwaan
or ikhwah
brown, fry  Hammara [S-II]
building. construction .. binaa'
busy  masbghuuI
but J walaakin. walaakinna
buy I isbtaraa [Ly-VIII]
Cairo UJl al-qaahirah
cake &s: ka:k
Caliph ..Ul!.. . kballifah,
khulafaa'*
camel  . jamal. jimaaI,
camel (for racing) u...... , bHn.
bujun
capital (city) r-I .i..-lL :aaSimah,
:awaaSim*
card d .U bliI'aaqah, -oat
cardamom Ju. baaI
cash, money ..,,1:> ,,W naqd, lluquud
cause, make do somefhing  ja:a1a
[S-I al
celebrale ':" JAhI iHtafala bi- S- vm
celebration d .Juu....1 iHtifaal, -sat
centennial, hundredth  mi'awij
centre J....J wasar
century WJi -Wi qarn, quruun
certain, definite .>,!Sf akiJd

ENGUSH-ARABIC VOCABUlARY
399
chair ..,...I.fi ...,....fi kursii, karaasii
chance. opportunity U""..".A .t....
furSah, furaS
cheese  jubnab
child JUIoI. TIfl, aTfaal
childhood U Tufuulah
choose ).I ikhtaara [My.VID]
chopped  muqa'ITa:
chopped, ground I' mafruum
Christian iJ.J ' masiillli, -uon
Christmas .II  :iid aI-miilaad
cinema.:.. !l:iinamaa,
siinamaat (fern.)
cinnamon o qirfah
cleaning . .t. taoDHiif
clinic .:.L .;;;.I :iyaadah, -oat
clothes )L. malaabis*
cluva Ji:.  qurunfuI
code. symbol J .j.oJ ramz, rumuuz
college. faculty d.4l{ kul6yyab, -ast
come "0,F7. ...4 jaa'a, yajii' [My-I]
come after. follow..,.u :aqaba [S-I u]
commence, open I iftataHa
[S-VIll]
commercUil J tijaarii
company, firm. business d ,o.s
sharikah, -oat
compete with Ij ZHaHoma [S-llI]
competifion d .l-..
musaabaqah, -aat
complete 1'1;; taamm
complefe, whole J.lS: kaamiI
comprehensive J. shaamiI
cornpufer it-L... uf aaIah Haasibah
concealed I' maktuum
conference ,:,1 .......:,.. mu'tamar, -ast
connect, fransport J- ,J-", waSSala,
yuwaSSil [SoD]
conquer..*i qahara [S- al
consider, regard I i:tabara
[80 VIll]
contented, happy .I.. mabSmiT
contribute, take part /'f""1 as..hama
[S-IV]
cooking, cuisine  Tabiikh
cooling ... tabriid
comer (adj.) .;.sJ ruknii
comer ulS:) ,J.J rukn, arkaan
correct, right  SaIliiH
counf, census .:,I...l........:...t iHSaa'.-ast
country ul/.I'14, balad, biIaadl
buIdaan
country. state J..,.I,i.I.J.I dawlah, duwal
credit card  u\..l...j bdI'aaqat
tasIiif
cultural ..;rn thaqaafii,
cultured, educated person u..,.. .....u1.o
mutbaqqaf. -uun
cup, trophy uoUfi. ,..,..ls: ka's, ku'uus
current (adj.) ($.)4(JI) al-jaarii
curved, bowed  qawsii
custom, habit d .;;;.11.£ :aadah, -aat
customer, client ':;L.,j ./jy..) zabuun,
zabaa'in*
customs, excise J , jumruk,
jamaarlk*
dam .I."..... ...... sadd, suduud
Damascus ,j:...o.I dimashq*
daughter .:. .I ibnah, banaat
dawn  f;ur
day 1'4 i 'I'.J-! yawm, ayyaam
daytime, hours of daylight J nahaar
deceive t  khada:a [S-I a]
decision, resolution .:.I 'JI
qaraar. -ast
defender iJ.J ,I..... mudaafi: , -uun
delicious. tasty.JJ ladhiidb
demanding back, reclaiming .II.1Ji-1
istirdaad
density uUS: kathaafah
department (govemmem) I".. ,;;I.I
daa'irah, dawaa'ir*

400
ARABIC
descenl. descending J".:,:. ouzuul
design, designing  taSmiim
desire, wish .:.I '.J raghbah, -aat
development  tanmiyab
diet  Himyab
different. various  mukhtaIif
difficulty .:.oL .:l.".,..... Su:uubah, -aat
dirham r-a-I.J J .r-a-..r-' dirham,
daraahim*
discount f""""" llasm
discover I ikt&'ibafa [S-VllI]
discuss Joil..:a.! ..;oJl:. naaqasba,
yunaaqish [S-Ill]
dish , SaHo, SuHuun
distinction. privilege j1 imtiyaaz
distinctive. prominent 
mutmoayYiz
distribution  tawzii:
division of a country; stIlte .:.ol, "i"
wilaayah, -aat
do, make JU fa:aIa [S-I al
do, work J-.. .J....:. :amlla, ya:mal
[S-I a]
doctor ..4b1 . Tabiib, aTIbbaa'*
dominate uk.,4.. sayTara
:alaa [Q-I]
domination ..,4.. sayTarah
door. gate ..,..I,,) ......4 baab, ahwaab
drain. strain  Saffaa [l..y-II]
drink .........:. shariba [S-I a]
driver ill-I u..,.l- saa'iq,
-uunlsaaqah
dry l:. oaashif
during J)U. athnaa'(a) ..l:.:Ji khalaal,
each, every, all J> kuU
ear ,,:,.ii udb(u)o (fem.)
earn, gain. win  kasaba [S-I i]
eat J>4 .J>i akaia, ya'kul [S-I uJ
economic JI iqtiSaadii
education  ta:llim
educational  ta:1iimii
Egypr  mlSr*
elementary ";II ibtidaa.U
emanate. be sent out 1 inba:aIha
[S-VII]
emanating  muoba:ith
emigrant UJ ,-",,'+- mubaajir. -uun
end I.+a oIhaayab
end, last part of something pi aakhir
engineer W .U" muhaodis. -uun
Englarull! inglltarra
English, Englishman ! ingIiizi
enjoy  F tmoatta:a bi- [S-V]
enler J;I...1 dakhaIa [S-I ul
entrust, vest in J ..:....i asnada [S-IV]
equal. compete with.)i.l:. naaDHara
[S-Ill]
equally, whether ..I"... sawaa'an
erect. construct  shayyada [My-II]
European W ."-,-,,,1 unwbii
exam .:.01 .,,:,I imtiHaan, -aat
excellenl ju..... mumtaaz
except "i! iDaa
exhibition, fair "";'JL... ,..,.;.,p-o
ma:raD, ma:aarlD*
explain c.PO sharaHa [S-I a]
extenl. compass t WI ittisaa:
extreme. most u. gbaayab
eye; also spring (of water) .
:ayo, :uyuun (fern.)
face, (media) persorudity " ."
w1\ib, wujuuh
fall, happen ti" waqa:a [Fw-I a]
famous  sbahiir  mashhuur
far away. distant  ba:fid
fashion, style ..4.)1 'W ziyy, azyaa'.
fast. fasting f''''' sawm
father .sit. waa1id
favourable. good J..<.Li faaDil
features  malaamiH*
festival; anniversary .II.,I..LI:. :iid.
a:yaad

ENGUSH-ARABIC VOCABUlARY
401
field, 5phere if activity .;.1 .J4-
majaal, -aat
fifth ........u.. kha.amk
filling, filler uJL. maaIi'
film rI. 6ilm, aDaam
fimd (adj.) ..; nihaa'ii
jinanciLlI.}l.. maalii
.finish, COm£ fa an end "":;:'1 intahaa
[Ly-VIll]
fire "' naar (fern.)
first J"r awwal
firstly "i"i awwalan
fish (collective)  samak
!Wg, banner .;.1.4..!b raayah, -aat
!Wt, apartment ,ji:. .0:. sbaqqah,
sbiqaq
flavour J. madbaaq
flood overflow with.... ,-",",uT
afaaDa hi- [My-IV]
fluently U hi-Talaaqah
folk. pertaining to the people 
sba:bii
follow t+> tabi:a [S-I a]
follow, pursue (a path, method, etc.)
I intahaja [S-VIll]
food rw.. Ta:aam
food, things to eat ...ISi aid
foot .P..'" rijl (f.)
forbidden t mamnuu:
force, power, strength .;.1..".-
quwwah, -&at
foreign, foreigner .....4-I.1 ajnabii,
lIjaanib*
fort, fortress..:,.".......: '..:-0- HiSn,
HuSUUD; t  .W; qal:ah, qUaa:
found, situated, existing .."..
mawjuud
foundation, setting up ..I.:..:.! inshaa'
four u..J arba:ah
free, grotis 4-0 majjaaDaD
friend ..u.....i .""...... Sadiiq, IISdiqaa'*
frock. dress W ..;,U-i fustaao,
fasaatiin*
from.... min
fruit I".. .u rAgkihAh, rawaakih*
game, playing ....wl...,.-J la:b, al:aab
garden, J14rk ..;11.- .i.i.!:.....
Hadiiqah, Hadaa'iq*
Geezah (district of Cairo) .I
al-jiizah
general r :aamm, v""- :umuumii
geographkal I jughraafii
Gennan Jwl almaanii
getting, receiving ..I.!:o nayl
ghee. clarified buffer.;,.- saman
gift. prese1l14ts... ...... badiyah,
badaayaa*
girl, daughter.;. . bint, banaat
girl. young woman .;.4li ..Wo fataab,
fatayaat
give ...,w.1 a:Taa [Ly-IV]
glass. cup ....I"sl....."s kuub, akwaab
go......,j dhahaba, [S-I a]
goal, goalmouth ..... marmaa
God, Allah I Al-laah
golf...il guuJf
good  jayyid
grain. seed wi . Babbah, -&at
grammar I an-naHw
green T akhDar*
ground (sports). pitch.,.... ...,..,u.
mal:ab, malaa:ib*
ground va) arD (fern.)
ground, milled  nuif -Huon
group. gathering .;.I.
Jamaa:ah, -&at
guard (football: goalkeeper)
......1""" ......."'L... Haaris, HIII'I'88S
guest..... Dayf, Duyuuf
hair ".:.. sha:r
half .....1.-:.1.....i.6. niSf, anSaaf
hand -'!! yad (fern.)

402
ARABIC
happy, joyful..l . sa:iid,
su:adaa'*
harbour, port ,)I".JI ... miinaa',
aJ-mawaanii (sometimes fern.)
hard disk U .......;i qarS thaabit
hate a.fi kariha [S-I aJ
hear, listen e:- sami:a [801 a]
heart ..,.."li ...,.,n qaJb, quluub
heat (temperature) a)J"o Haraarab
heat, race (football: half) J..I,?I.J..,,:.
shaWl'. ashwaaT
heavy  thaqiil
help t- saa:ada [8oIll]
here l:..t. bunaa
high ,)WI aJ-: aa1ii
hire, employ.....il.>" waDlIDHafa [8oII]
historical..,:.-._):' taariikhii
history t-'....) taariikh
hit, strW ..,..'--f aSaaba [Mw-IV]
/wbby ..:.I .....1"... hawaayah, -aat
/wnour, be hospitable/generous r.fiT
akrama [8-1V]
/wpe. wish..,:..... tamanoaa [Ly-V]
/wspital o.
mustashfaa. must.ashfayaat
/wt.J6. Haarr
/wtel ";" ,J.w funduq, fanaacliq*
/wur. tim£, watch, clock..:.l ,l...
saa:ah, -aat
/wuse o ..:J,H bayt, buyout
/WW ...i...S: kayf(a)
/WW many. /WW much ts kam
human being; pI. == people ......1.:. 'uWI
insaan, naas
hungry ..r ..:,t.:. jaw:aan*,
jaw:aa*
ice  thaJj
if u! in, l.il idhaa,,,1law
illness, disease 1J"f 'J" maraD.
amraaD
immediately 1.,uJ fawran
implementation, execution l...i:.:;
tanfiidh
important t+" muhimm
impose  faraDa [Sol iJ
in.".; 6i
in front of rd amaam
include, comprise F Damma [D-I uJ
India ..:.,.)1 aJ-hind
individlW.I (used in population counts
only) L...:. nasamah
inhabitant. resident.:, .,j!L.
saakin, sukkaan
inside J=..'-' daakbil
intend IS-.i> nawaa [Ly-I]
international,)".. duwalii or dawlii
Iraqi ..,i1.JL :iraaqii
jewellery, articles of jewellery
..:.I muJawharaat
Jordanian J..) urduni
journey, voyage ol..J riHlah, -aat
just, upright J..t.:. :aadil
just as, also l...S: ka-maa
Kaabah, The I aJ-ka:bab
keep, preserve .I;.£6. HaafaDBa
:aIaa [8oIll]
key u.. 'Cl:.l.. miftaaH, mafaatiiH*
kick..:.l 'US;.J raklah, -aat
kind, sort, type t 1,,:.1 .t":' naw:, anwaa:
king "lo .o!!l. maIik. muluuk
know......JL :arafa [801 iJ
knowledge. science r"lro'rk :ibn,
:uluum
last ..&-1 akbiir
late evening (prayer time).. :ishaa'
layer wl. Tabaqah, -aat
lazy .:,)I....S kaslaan
lead ..U qaada [Mw-I]
leading ($" qiyaadii
leading roles w ':J  bUl'uulaat
learn F ta:aIIama [S-V]
leave, let be Ji taraka [Sol uJ

ENGUSH-ARABIC VOCABUlARY
403
left Jw. sbamaaI
legend l...I.1 mI'nurab.
asaaTlir*
leisure t' faraagb
lentils ......J,c. :ads
leopard .I""; . fahd, fubnud
level. context  mustawaa
library. book shop .:.I ,
maktabah, -aat
life. age  :nmr
lift. raise J rafa:a [S-I a]
light (adj.)  khafiif
like J1. mithl
like, love  ,..-T aHabba,
yuHibb [D-IV]
limit, border .I".Ia. '.Ia. Hadd, Huduud
list .:.I .WU qaa'imab, -aat
literary. classical (Arabic language)
I aI-fuS-Haa
literature, arts ,,:,IJ ',,:,.I( adab. aadaab
live, reside ';'k :aasha [My-I]
load, burden J .,j-1fimI,
albuaal
London .:,.Il11andan
long. tall J.>..,1. Tawiil
love. friendship .I" wadd
macaroni t.Jfia.o ma:karuunah
mad 4-, ilUUUUUD.
ilUUaaniin*
magic.J'"- siHr
magnificent  fakhm
make-up r:;4SL. maakyaaj
man J4-J '...!'?'J nUuI, rijaal
manager ....),1.0 '..101.1..0 mudiir. mudaraa'
map jWlft .u..ua. khariITah.
kharaa'IT*
market .j1"""T ..;"... suuq. aswaaq
(usually fem.)
marque, label iSJL... maarkah
married r:: mutazawwlQ
marry t tazawwiUa [Mw-V]
march (sport) 4J40 ..b40
mubaaraab, mUbaarayaat
meal , .4" wajabah, -aat
meaning JL...JI. ma:naa,
aI-ma:aanii
meal t'F IaHm, luHuum
meet. come together F' ijtama:a
[S-VIll]
meet with ...."J laaqaa [Ly-Ill]
memory .I,j dhaakirah
merchant J '$."u taajir, tujjaar
tnethnd. way I.)o .u. Tariiqah,
Taraa'iq*
metre Ju..i..;o.. mitr. amtaar
Mexico I aI-maksiik
mid-afternoon J""'" :aSr
middle .b..." wasaT
millionaire  malyoonayr
minute .j1U.. ... daqiiqah,
daqaa'iq*
mixlure  khaIh'T
model (male) .:", 'JI. :aariD, -UUD.
(female) d .L..;..)I. :aariDah,-aat
modem f"!.I..t-> muudiim
modern. up-to-date .Ia. Hadiith
moment .:.I .i.t....J IaHDHah.
IaHaDHaat
more, most pf akthar*
Moroccan -,li.. '<r magbribii,
mrib ah
mosque Qarge) I-* .t-"4- jaami:.
jawaami:*
mother .-"1" waalidab
much, many  kathiir
musewn .....L...u.. ......h:l.. matHaI,
mataaHif*
music ".. muusiiqaa (fem.)
Muslim.:", .r!- muslim, -UUD
narrow  Dayyiq
nation t .4..i ummah, umam
narwnality I. jinsiyyah, -aat

404
ARABIC
natural  Tabii:ii
naturally, if course  Tab:an
nature  Tabii:ah
near ....j qarlib
necessary rj'J laazim
necessary, obligarory oA,J.Jlo
mafnmDH
necessity, requirement u1..
Duruurah, -aat
neighbour.:., 'J4- jaar, jiiraan
net, netting  . sbabaka,
shibaak
new .>,!""" jadiid
newest, lalest r aBdath
news JI, khabac, akhbaar
newspaper I.P.' .. jariidah.
jaraa'id*
next, coming  muqbil
night J4J ..::.1 .i4!1ay1a, -aat. layaalin
ninth t""l:i taasi:
noble, generous -.fi kariim
noon J+!,;. DRuhr
nor '1" wa-Iaa
no, not '1 Iaa
novel, story uI ,I.JJ riwaayah, -aat
now.:.,\'1 aI-'aan, I aI-HOO
number II ... :adad, a:daad
observe, watch ......J raSada [801 u]
occasion d .I..:... munaasabab, -aat
occupy Jh.1 iHtaIla [D- VIII]
offer. deal oA.JJL 'oA$- :acD, :uruuD
office ..,.:; . maktab, makaatib
officer J..4w<o I....;, DaabiT, DubbaaT
official UJ ,J"j- mas'uuJ, -uun
oil (edible)....J zayt
old, ancient (of things) j"o!.>i qadiim
Oman (Sultanate of).:.,l...J:. :umaan
oniorn J-.! baSal
only.I...U faqaT
organisatWn d .t..J;.:....
munaDHDHamah, -aat
origin, basis J.-I.J-I aSI, uSuul
other p.1 aakhar* (fern. I ukhraa)
other than, apart from  ghayr
outside l::JL;. khaarij
owner, master, also sometimes friend
,,:,6.....1 '":,,,,'- SaaHib, as-Haab
palace  ..".-i qaSr, quSuur,
panicipate, take part o!I1 ishtaraka
[S-VIll]
past, the ..,...LJI aI-maaDii
paste  ma:juun
peeled, skinned  muqashshar
people U"\.:. naas
pepper Jill fulfullfilfil
period, time, spell d ..p fatrab, -aat
pennission C L.... samaaH
pennined C".-. masmuuH
person ..,..L;.:.i , shakhS,
ashkhaaS
pe trol. .. banziin
...........J-'!
pharcwnic J far:uunii
pharmacy d ."- SaydaJiyyah, -aat
phrase, expression d '.J
:abaarah, -aat
piece  .hb:i qiT:ah, qiTa:
Pilgrimage, the I ai-Hajj
place I ..:., rnakalm, amkinah
place t ..,,1 awda:a [Fw-IV]
planning  takbTiiT
plate, dish .;j , Tabaq, aTbaaq
pldy, game  Ia:b
play (theatrical) d ...>"'"
masraHiyyah, -aat
play..,..sJ la:iba [S-I a]
player UJ ,'J Iaa:ib, -uun
pleasant, nice  laTiif
pocket ":' ,jayb, juyuub
poet "1,,,,-,:, '$-u, shaa:ir, shu:araa'*
poetry  shi:r
poor, poQr person .I , faqiir,
fuqaraa'*

ENGUSH-ARABIC VOCABUlARY
405
poTter w .jl....... lIammaal , -uun
po55ible, to be ,fi.r amkana [S-IV]
pour out  sakaba [S-I uJ
practi5e, carry our, peiform ""',JL.
maarasa [S-ID]
prefer j...;.j faDDaia [S.D]
prtferring .j....;.i.. mufaDDiJ
preparatWn "1,,,1 i:daad
preparatory "II i:daadii
pre5ent, here UJ.J. .
HaaDir, -UUQ
prt!5ent, 5erve r,Jj qaddama [SolI]
pre5entation f'!.J.i:i taqdiim
print, type  Taba:a [S-I aJ
problem JSl.. , mushkilah,
mashaakiJ*
produce I antaja [S-IV]
producer W 'F muntij, -uun
production Ellil intaaj
profe55or \-I .:.u..1 ustaadh,
asaatidhah
programme I..H .I.:i..H barnaamij,
baraamij*
project t-'.J . t"';'" mashruu:,
masbaarii:*
public. the general LWI al-: aammah
publish J.......1 aSdara [S.IV]
pupil 'jj/":"''jj. tilmiidh,
taIaamidhahItaI*
pure, clear .....I.....JI as-8aaf"1i
purpose, goal ....,.;1$1.....,.;$ gbaraD,
agbraaD
put, place .J waDa:a [Fw-I aJ
putting .J waD:
pyramid5, the rt....\rl al.ahraam
qualify J.aU ta'ahhala [S-V]
(.)I ilaafor)
quantity, measure "u.. ',JI.u...
miqdaar, maqaadiir*
quarter t-'.J rub:
quemon:ul..r .J!,;... su'aal, as'iIah
quickly, before long L. ul..:J""
sur:aan maa
quiet, gentle &"L. baadi'
race I ,';4- sibaaq, -aat
read Lit .I qara'a, yaqra' [S-I aJ
really. actually, in fact  Ii:lan
receive, meet I istaqbala [S-X]
recently Ip.,;.. mu'akhkhiran
reception I .JI istiqbaal, .aat
redr aHmar*
referee, wnpire rlS.... . Hakam,
Hukkaam
region, area (football: penalty area)
.;Iol:.. .Ub:... minTaqah, mauaariq*
region, zone, area,JI..biI.)..i qUl'r,
aqTaar
register, score J..- sajjala [SoD]
registration, scoring  tasjiil
regulator d. munaDHDHim. -&at
renew. restore """" jaddada [D-D]
rent. be a tenant of -p'-G...I ista'jara
[S-X]
repeat, renew "I..:I a:aada [Mw-IV]
report J".Ju. 'J".Ji' taqriir, taqaariir*
reside; hold (an event, etc.) rui
aqaama (Mw-IV]
residing, living US\- saakin
re5iding, resident  muqiim
restaurant u.... . maT:am,
maTaa:im*
result, outcome lli , 1   :
natiijah, nataa'ij*
return something to someone .)I "J
radda ilaa [D-i ul
retum, reciprocate J"4 baadaIa [S-ID]
rice j) aruzz
rich, rich person -4:oir . ghanii,
aghniyaa'*
ride, nwunJ, get into (a vehicle)..p.J
rakiba [S-I aJ
right (hand)  yamlln

406
ARABIC
road, way.;,.,J.. ..;.. Tarliq, Turuq
role, turn ",1.,..1..u" dawr, adwaar
room .,,£. .il.,,£. gburfah, gburat
roomy. spacious t-I" waasi:
row, class (in school) ,,&- ,
SafI', Soluuf
rule I". ,.U qaa:idah, qawaa:id*
nm  jaraa (LYMI]
sacrificial animal 4 .4
dhabiiHah. dhabaa'iH*
sad v.-':"'" Haziin
sqfe, sound rJl- saaIim
salt r:J.o mini
sauce LJ- SalSah
say JU qaala [Mw-I]
sdenJific  :Umii
screen i.:,,1.;. !=h:lllsu:hAh
sea, large river "' '...J"'o! baHr,
biHaar
secondary iSYU tbaanawii
section, diVision rwi'r-i qism,
aqsaam
section. season (of the year) .
faSl,fuSuul
see  'J ra'aa, yaraa (irregular
Type Ly-I verb: see Vero Tables)
seeing, viewing ...I.Iu.... mus hAAhMa"
selection wi " ,<., tasbkiiJab, -aat
self; soul U""A:. ....,..a. oafs, nufuus
(fem.)
sell t 4 baa:a [My.1]
send j...) arsala [S-IV]
serial, series wi .J..J- musalsil, -aat
servanl rl 'r"li.. khaadim, khuddaam
(fern. .::d .t....li.. kluaBdimBh, -aat)
service wi .i..a. khidmah, -aat
shape. kind, type Ji . sbakI,
ashkaaI
shapeliness. elegance. slim figure UJ
rashaaqah
Sharjah U"",I ash-sbaariqah
she. it  blya
sheep uY,p. .»" kbaruuf, khurfaan;
(collective) r:.i ghanam
shelf "i '" 'J raft, rufuuf
ship uA.. . saftiDab, sufun
shirt ul..-:i , qamiiS, qumSaan
shocking, amazing  faDHii:
shop. swll ts:.. ..:,ts:.. dukkaaD.
dakaakiin*
shop, store w'1l.o..... .J- maHall,
maHallaat
shore. beach <Jol.;. shaaTi'
shot (football) wi ...>,!...... Iasdiidah, -aat
showing, displaying ...... :arD
side I'p'- .4- Jaanlb, Jawaanib*
signal wi ,.", Ishaarah, -aat
simplification  tabsiiT
simplify  bassaTa [8-11]
since.>:... mundhu
singer (female) wl.
mugbanniyah, -aat
singer, musician (female) wl.L.J-
m1iI'ribah, -aat
sister wlpl ,r ukbt, akbawaat
sit, sit down  jalasa [S-I i]
sile, situation, place I".. ."..
mawqi:, mawaaqi:*
sitting. seated uoJ4- jaalis
six  sittah
sixth U"..l- saadis
slaughter C"!,j dhabaHa [S-I a]
sleep rl.:. naama [Ma-I]
sleeping, asleep r11.:. naa'im
slice e..,:.. .j. shariiHah,
sbaraa'iH*
slightly, a linle  qaliilan
small. young  Sagbiir
smell. scent, perfimu' w .WI",
raa'iHah, rawaa'iH*
smile I ibtasama [S-VUI]
smuggled .....-*'" muharrab

ENGUSH-ARABIC VOCABUlARY
407
so. thuefore l,j! idhan
soak. steep tL naqa:a [S-I a]
social ..r1 ijtimaa:ii
soldier .;SL- , :askarii,
:asaakir* -
sole, only. singular " waHlid
solution J,,6.. ,J... Hall, Buluul
some. part of something uAL! ba:D
son "I..:....!r ,&/1 ibn, abnaa'*
source J.......... .J....... roaSdar,
maSaadir*
Spanish J4.01 isbaanii
speak F . takallama,
yatakallam [S-V]
special; private .......L;. kbaaSS
specialise  takhaSSaS [S-V]
specialist u.,.'
mutakhaSSiS, -uun
spectator  .[. mutafanij, -uun
speech r kalaam
speed UJ"" sur:ah
Sphynx, the J.MJI.Jof1 abuu I-bawl
spice J.tly ,J.tl.:i taabil, tawaabil
splendid, brilliant, marvellous b
raa'i:
spoon. spoonful  ,U..J...,
mU:aqab, maIaa:iq*
sport. exercise .:.L ,i...:.4.,
riyaaDah, -sat
spotted  munaqqaT
spread, currency JI infishaar
sprinkle, spray.;oJ rashsba [D-I uJ
square (adj.) t-' murabba:
stage. level J...I .4.b.. marHalah,
maraaHiI*
standing. stationary ....iil" waaqif
star, (female) film star .:.I.
n;ymab, -aat
state, express U£ ":"",,r a:raba
:80 [S-IV]
station .:.I ,u-.. maHaTIab, -eat
step, degree .:.I 'J" darajah, .aat
stolen J..o.-o masruuq
stone JJ . Hajar, alfjaar
stop, bring to a halt....i:i" waqqafa
[Fw-D]
stop. stand ....ii" waqafa [Fw-I i]
stopping, parking place ....iil".. ,....i:i"..
mawqif, mawaaqif*
story, tale  .i-:i qiSSah.
qiSaS
street, road Vi,? ,tJ shaari:,
sbawaari:*
striped J.I..a.. mukhaTIaT
strong. mighty  sbadfid
student /,,:,,"A ..,Jl.I.. TaaJib,
TuDaablfaJabah (fern. .:.4JUo . 
TaaJibah, -aat)
study, studying (noun).::.1 ,t..,IJ"
diraasah, -aat
study V'J" darasa [8-1 uJ
style. method l...I.":",,I-1 usluub,
asaaliib*
succeed in something; pass (an exam)
 najaHa [8-1 aJ
success c4=o najaaH
suffice, be sufficient for ..,is
kafaa [Ly-I]
sum (of money) tJ, mablagh,
mabaaligh*
summer Sayf
sWi  shams
sunset; Morocco ":,,ft-J1 aI-magbrib
surround J.6.J aHaaTa [Mw-IV]
sweetness .,,')6. lIaJaawah
.swim C'+'" sabaHa [S-I a]
swimming i..."- sibaaHah
.swimming pool C"lL.... 'c--" masbaH,
masaabiH*
table .>:;1".. ...>:;l.. maa'ida, mawaa'id*
take lo..J akbadha [S-I uJ
tak£ care oj. look qfter .r J ra:aa [Lb-I]

408
ARABIC
fake. use up. occupy (of time) I
istagbraqa [S-X]
tape. cassette u..,:.,i J.., sbariiT,
ashriTah
target. aim. goal ......1..1.11 ,........1.1 badal,
ahdaaf
teacher.:.J ........ mudarris, -uun
teaching ........ tadriis
team J..,.i .,j.....,. fariiq, f'i.raq
felevision (adj.), televisual ..;".....:"at
tiliftzyuunil
tell, in/onn JP. khabbar [S-D]
ten  :ashrah
tennis  tanis
thal is, i.e. (Sf ay
then  thuinma
there. there is/are I.:uo hunaaka
thief V"',,-J ....,..,J IiSS, luSuuS
thing, something .4:.1 .. shay',
ashyaa'*
third  Ihaalith
thirsty u\.:J.....:. :aTshaan
thirteenth  il.I thaaJithah :ashar
this .:..../llI. baadhalhaadhihi
(masc./fem.)
tlwugh, even tlwugh .:, wa.'in
thousand ......yl.....i!J all, aalaaf
three;U')U thalaathah
ticket fil.:.:> ,'i.,fi.:.:> tadhkirah,tadha
tiger J.YO> . namir, numuur
time t...) ..:,L. j zamaan, azminah
tim£ .:.l.i,,1 ..:.A" waqt, awqaat
tim£ (period of) 'i. muddah
time, occasion .:.1 .;; marrab, -sat
tired u ta:baan
tomatoes ,J-LJ. TamaaTim*
tourist L t,... .t- saa'iII, sowwaaH
tourist (adj.), touristic........4-- siyaaHH
tower IJ'/f .t:;.Y- burj, abraaj
town, city .:, . madiinah, mudun
track, trace Jl..'i ..;i athar, aathaar
trade. commerce 'i. J 4=i tijaarah
trade, profession Uf-a .i:.,... rnihn.llh,
mihan
trading place. slwp. stall u.. .
mat jar, mataajir*
transmission, sending Jt-). irsaal
transport, transportation  naql
travel "At- saafara [SPIll]
tree Ji .;; sbajarah, asbjaar
truthful, true ';.11...... Saadiq
try OUl, taste '=" jarraba [SoD]
typing, printing it:. LJ.. Tibaa:ah
ugly  qabiiH
understand  fahima [S-I a]
understanding r-au faahim
united  muttaHad
United Arab Emirates
;;I I.::.bL.YI aI-imaaraat
aI-:arabiyyah aI-muttaHidah
university 4 jaami:ah
until, even  Hattaa
upright, Iwnest cJl...... SaaJiH
use. employ r1 istakbdama
[SoX]
use, employment rl1 isbkhdaam
use. usage Jl-:i....1 isti:maaI
useful  naafl:
various  shattaa
very I jlddan
victory j,J.j fawz
visit )j zaara [Mw-I]
visit .:.1 .'i.J4j ziyaarab, -aat
visitor JI"j .';Ij zaa'ir, zuwwaar
voice, sound .:.1"....1 ..:.,,- Saw(,
aSwaat
wall JI,...I 'J.J'" suur, aswaar
want, wish/or .II) araada
[Mw-IV]
wash J-' gbasala [S-I i]
washing machine d .i..!1-.£.
gt...""....lah, -aat

ENGUSH-ARABIC VOCABULARY
409
walCh, look at  A .
tafarraja:aIa [S-V]
water ..4.0 ,..L. maa, miyaah
weapon. a171l i.aJ...I ,()I.... silaaH,
asliHah
welcome 4a- marHaban;
'J4.-" ')1...1 ahIan wa..sahlan
welcome ":' "=,,,"J raHHaba bi. [S-O]
welcome, welcoming (noun) ":'P.i>
tarHlib
welcoming (adj.).i> tarHiibii
well, right. O,K. l.:....:.. Hanan
well-being (state of)  khayr
West. the ,,=,I aI-gharb
western OJ ...,. gbarbti, -uun
wheel. bicycle .:.I, :ajalab,-aat
when.;u mataa (in questions); L.k
:indamaa
where I ayna
which  ayy
while  baynamaa
white .. ,i abyaD". fem.
bayDaa'"
who? &0 man
why 1,jL.J li-maadha(a)
wide vi>->.$ :ariID
wife .::.L '.i> zawjab, -aat
win, gain, profit  rabaHa [S-I a]
wind tower I..H '..H barjill.
baraajiil
winter.. sbitaa'"
wish, will..l:. shaa'a [Ma-I]
with, together with  ma:a
woman ..W ,.r1 imra'ab, nkaa'
(irregular plural)
wonder, wondnful thing  .
:ajiibah, :ajaa'ib*
wondnful  :ajiib
work, job. business J,,-r , :amal,
a:maal
workman J"- ,J.o :aamiI,
:ummaal
world, the l;.1 ad-dunya(a) (fern.),
,",WI aI-:aalam
worldwide ..,., :aaIamii
writing l.:iS kitaabah
wrinen ":' maktuub
year .::.I".... ,t.., sanab, saoawaat;
tl"..,.r .t :aam, a:waam
yellow ..I.,.... ....-J aSfar*, fern. Safraa'"
Yemen' aI-yaman
yesterday ...,-1 81m
young person, youth ,,:,4:- ',,:,l:.
sbaab, shabaab

GRAMMAR INDEX
The numbers refer to the unit.
Accusalive marlcel- 8
Each. fi'ery + all 18
Adjectives from noWlS 12
Adjectiv
Colours + irregu]ar adjectives 16.18
Comparatives 15
Superlatives 15
Adverbial accusative 15
Adverbs
+ accusative marker 8
fmMoonm 16
Agreement, noun and adjectives I, 3
Asking the price 4
ba:D, + possessive construction 17
Conditional sentences 17
Conjunctions 15
Days of the week 4
Definite and indefinite i5lare sentences 2
Definite words and phrases I
Demonstratives 4, 6. 9
Directions; left. right 6
Duals 9
Family 5
Feminine -ah ending 3
Gender; masculine and feminine 3
Greetings I, 11
Hidden-t 5,6
How are }'Ou? 5
Indefinite words and phrases I
inna and anna + accusative nwIcet 8
Introducing people 5
Is and are sentences 2
kam +sing. noon (+ ace. marker) 11
kull each. every + all 18
Iaysa, aSbaHa + accusative marker 8
Means of transport 7
Months II
NatiooW 3
Nationali adjeCtives 2
Negatives 410
Nouns
dual + possessive
irregu]ar
masculine plural + possessive
plural: fonnation
Numbers
cardinal
ordinal
Object + accusative marker
One of something
Places in town
Possessives
Pseudo
Prepositions + pronoun suffixes
Pronouns
Questions
Radical bamzah
Relative pronouns
Sun letters
Tbematic sentences
TIme
Verbs
furore tense
imperative
imperative: irregular
imperative: negative
jussive
kaana wa5iwere
passive
past continuons tense
past tense. noun subject
past tense, pronoun sul:!ject
pluperfect tense
present tense
stems
subjunctive
there ;51 there are
to have
types: present stem
Word order
14
18
14
9
2,4, 5
11.13
8
3
6
6
6. 14
10
2,5.7
2,11
7
13
I
11
4,7
10
14
14
14
10
8
13
10
7
7
8
10
7
10
2
11
10
6,7.8

."
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