David F. DiMeo

Article / Updated 04-11-2017

When traveling in Arabic-speaking countries, you'll find that the words and phrases you use most frequently will be the common Arabic greetings. These Arabic words and phrases will quickly become second nature to you because you use them day in and day out with everyone you come across. Saying hello and good-bye Polite greetings are just as important in Arabic-speaking countries as they are in America. In fact when greeting a group of people, it is best to greet each person in the group individually to ensure that everyone gets a proper greeting. Some of the most common ways to greet someone in Arabic are ahlan (hello) marHaban (hello; greetings) ahlan wa sahlan (welcome) Keep in mind that because of the conservative nature in many Arabic-speaking countries it is considered rude for men and women to greet each other in public. In addition to the initial greetings, there are a number of Arabic greetings that have a specific traditional response. Greeting Pronunciation Traditional Response Pronunciation Peace be upon you. (formal/group) as-salaam 'alaykum Upon you be peace wa 'alaykum salaam Good morning SabaaH al-khayr Morning of light SabaaH an-nuur Good evening Masaa' al-khayr Evening of light Masaa' an-nuur When meeting someone for the first time or greeting someone in a formal situation, it is common for members of the same sex to exchange handshake. However, if they're close friends or family, the standard greeting is a handshake and a kiss on each cheek. Always shake hands with your right hand. The left hand is considered unclean. Farewells can vary depending on where you're visiting, but two common ways to say goodbye to someone are ma'a as-salaama (goodbye) and ila-liqaa' (until we meet again). Asking and responding to "How are you?" How are you? How's it going? How many times a day do we hear or say these brief greetings at the beginning of our conversations? So many times, in fact, that we rarely even think about the response, we often respond with a standard "fine" or "good" regardless of who we are actually feeling. The same is true in Arabic. The question "kayf Haalak?" (How are you?) usually calls for a formulaic response — "Fine, praise God" (bi-khayr, al-Hamdu lillah) — rather than an actual description of your current condition. However, if you have a real need or are speaking to a friend, you can give a more realistic response. You can use "anaa . . ." (I am . . . ) followed by one of these conditions: sa'iid/sa'iida (happy [M/F]) .(Arabic adjectives have masculine and feminine forms. So, if you need to change these adjectives to feminine, just add an a.) Haziin/Haziina (sad) ta'baan/ta'baana (tired) ghaDbaan/ghaDbaa (angry) 'aTshaan/'aTshaa (thirsty) jaw'aan/jaw'aa (hungry) bardaan/bardaana (cold) Harraan/Harraa (hot) mashghuul/mashghuula (busy) mariiD/mariiDa (sick) muta'akhkhir/muta'akhkhira (late)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Traveling internationally can be expensive, so it's crucial to have a good understanding of money and banking phrases in Arabic before traveling to the Middle East. Whether you're just visiting or you're planning to live in an Arabic-speaking country for a while, the best way to ensure that you get the most for your money is to be familiar with these common financial terms. bank (bank) maktab Sarraaf (currency exchange office) si'r aS-Sarf (exchange rate) Sarraaf (cashier) shiik siyaaHii (traveler's check) biTaaqat i'timaan (credit card) Hisaab (account) Hisaab jaarin (checking account) Hisaab tawfiir (savings account) fuluus, nuquud (cash) shiik (check) iiSaal (receipt) In actual practice, the English term "credit card" or the name of the credit card (for example, Visa, American Express) is more commonly recognized than using the Arabic term biTaaqat i'timaan. Each country has its own monetary system, and there are several forms of currency that are used throughout the Middle East. Economically, it is almost always best to exchange your American dollars for the local currency. In fact, exchanging money is the most common banking need for travelers. The following phrases will give you a guideline to follow when exchanging your dollars or forming your own questions about other banking needs while in an Arabic-speaking country. maa huwa si'r aS-Sarf? (What is the exchange rate?) uriid duulaaraat, min faDlik. (I would like dollars, please.) uriid an aftaH Hisaab. (I would like to open an account.) bikam haadhaa fii-duulaaraat? (How much is that in dollars?)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

How do you ask basic questions in Arabic? Well, Arabic interrogative words mean the same as they do for English: who, what, when, where, why, and how. By knowing basic Arabic interrogatives, you'll be able to express your questions, even without an extensive vocabulary. For example, say you're visiting a street market and find a jacket you want to buy. You could ask the vendor "bi-kam al- qubba'a?" ("How much is this jacket?"). But if you don't know enough vocabulary, you could simply point to the jacket and say "bikam?" and the seller will understand. man? (Who?) maa? (What? [without a verb]) maadhaa? (What [with a verb]) mataa? (When?) ayna? (Where?) limaadhaa? (Why?) kayfa? (How?) kam? (How many?) bikam (How much?) ayy/ayya? (Which?) hal hunaaka (Is there?) (Are there?) In addition to the question words above, you can put a hal in front of the sentence to create a question in Arabic that would elicit a yes (na'am) or no (laa) response. Here's a look at some different ways to put all these question words to practice in some useful phrases. bi-kam al-biTaaqa? (How much is the ticket?) ayna-l-baab? (Where is the gate?) kayf Haalak? (How are you?) maa ismuka? (What is your name?) maa waDHiifatuka? (What is your profession?) ayna al-mustashfaa? (Where is the hospital?) mataa taSil aT-Taa'ira? (When does the plane arrive?) hal hunaaka markaz bariid qariib min hunaa? (Is there a post office nearby?)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

One of the best ways to explore another country is to go shopping. Whether you're shopping for clothes, food, or souvenirs, you can use the following phrases in any Arabic-speaking country to help you find just the right thing. There are some fabulous deals to be found in the Middle East. In most Arabic-speaking countries, there are street markets (called souqs) where you can buy anything from fruits and vegetables to antiques and collectibles. If you need more specific grocery items, you want to visit a Baqqaal (grocery store). Bargaining in these marketplaces is one of the great cultural activities in the Arab world and one of the best opportunities for a visitor to practice speaking. Good-natured haggling is expected in the street markets (but not in fixed-price stores). Expect the salesperson to start at twice the expected price or higher. The following words can be used in a variety of shopping situations. baa'i' (salesperson) thaman, si'r (price) ghaalii (expensive) rakhiiS (cheap) maqbuul (acceptable) ghayr maqbuul (unacceptable) tanziilaat (sale [discount]) sajjaada (rug) nuHaas (brass) Sunduuq (box) ibriiq (coffee urn) finjaan (cup) 'iTr (perfume) Hariir (silk) jild (leather) The following phrases will be useful no matter what kind of shopping you plan on doing. bikam? (How much?) haadhaa ghaalii. (That is expensive.) haadhaa thaman jayyid. (That is a good price.) uriid haadhaa. (I want this (one).) uriid an ashtarii . . . (I want to buy . . .) uriid an adfa' bishiik. (I want to pay by check.) hal yumkinnii an ashtarii . . . hunaa? (May I buy . . . here?) hal anta tabii' . . . ? (Do you sell . . . ?) uriid shay'an arkhaS, min faDlik. (I want something less expensive, please.) ufaDDil haadhaa. (I prefer this [one].) haadhaa si'r maqbuul. (That price is acceptable.) sa'dfa' . . . (I will pay . . .) laa uriid an adfa' akthar min . . . (I don't want to pay more than . . .)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

When making plans, appointments, and travel arrangements in Arabic-speaking countries, you need to be able to state dates and other calendar terms in Arabic. Understanding the days of the week, the months of the year, and how to tell time in Arabic can help you to avoid confusion. Calendar terms In Arabic, the week always starts on Sunday and the names of the days of the week are based (mostly) on numbers. yawm al-aHad (Sunday) yawm al-ithnayn (Monday) yawm ath-thulaathaa' (Tuesday) yawm al-arbi'aa' (Wednesday) yawm al-khamiis (Thursday) yawm al-jum'a (Friday) yawm as-sabt (Saturday) When using the names of the days in conversation, the word yawm (day) is often dropped. Other terms used to describe days in more general terms include al-yawm (today) ams (yesterday) ghadan (tomorrow) taariikh (date) The Arab world uses three different systems for the names of the months. The two most common ones are one based on the French months (used commonly in North Africa) and one that is used in the Fertile Crescent area (Syria, Iraq, and Jordan). North African Fertile Crescent English yanaayir kaanuun ath-thaanii January fabraayir shubaaT February maaris aadhaar March abriil niisaan April maayuu ayyaar May yuuniyuu Haziiraan June yuuliyuu tammuuz July aghusTus aab August sibtambir ayluul September uktuubir tishriin al-awwal October nuufimbir tishriin ath-thaanii November diisambir kaanuun al-awwal December The last system is based on the Islamic calendar, which is a lunar calendar and doesn't correspond to the months used in our calendar. Telling time The time of day can be described in general terms or specific times. The following words can be used to describe the general time of day. SabaaH (morning) DHuhr (noon) ba'd-aDH-DHuhr (afternoon) masaa' (evening) layl (nighttime) nahaar (daytime) When you want to know a specific time of day, you can ask as-saa'a kam? (What time is it?). Remember that time expressions use ordinal (first, second, and so on) numbers rather than cardinal numbers (one, two, and so on), such as the following: as-saa'a al-waaHida (one o'clock) as-saa'a ath-thaaniya (two o'clock) as-saa'a ath-thaalitha (three o'clock) as-saa'a ar-raabi'a (four o'clock) as-saa'a al-khaamisa (five o'clock) as-saa'a as-saadisa (six o'clock) as-saa'a as-saabi'a (seven o'clock) as-saa'a ath-thaamina (eight o'clock) as-saa'a at-taasi'a (nine o'clock) as-saa'a al-'aashira (ten o'clock) as-saa'a al-Haadiya 'ashra (eleven o'clock) as-saa'a ath-thaaniya 'ashra (twelve o'clock) When expressing time between the hours, use the following terms to break things down. saa'a (hour/time/clock/watch) daqiiqa (minute) thaaniya (second) nuSf (half) rub' (quarter) thulth (third [20 minutes]) To give a specific time, you would state the hour and then add the minutes, quarters, etc. to the end of the phrase, as in the following examples. as-saa'a ar-raabi'a illaa rub' (quarter 'til four) as-saa'a al-waaHida wa nuSf fii-SabaaH (1:30 a.m.) as-saa'a as-saabi'a wa rub'fii-l-masaa' (7:15 p.m.)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Know how to ask for help in Arabic before you have an actual emergency. By learning a few simple Arabic words and phrases for emergencies, you can save valuable time in a crisis. The simplest way to ask for assistance is to say saa'adinii!, which means Help me! Of course, different situations require different kinds of help. For example, if you're experiencing a legal emergency of some kind, you want to ask for the police (shurTa), a police officer (shurTii), or the police station (markaz ash-shurTa). If you're experiencing a serious legal emergency you might also want to say "Where is the American Embassy?" (ayna as-sifaara al-amriikiiya?). Most emergencies that happen in foreign countries, however, are medical. The most efficient way to get the help you need is to know how to ask for the right kind of help and to be able to explain what's wrong. Getting the right kind of help usually depends on getting to the right person. You can use the following vocabulary words help you get to the right person for the situation. To ask for a doctor say Tabiib. To ask for a dentist say Tabiib al-isnaan. To ask for a hospital say mustashfaa. To ask for a pharmacist say SayDalii. In most Arab countries, pharmacists often have medical training and can recommend and provide suitable medicines for common ailments, so people often go directly to the pharmacist for common problems, instead of a doctor. To ask for a nurse say mumarriD (M), mumarriDa (F). Once you are able to talk to the right person, you can use the following words to explain what's wrong. Sudaa' (headache) Huruuq ash-shams (sunburn) zukaam (a cold) alam (pain) iltihaab (inflammation) al-is-haal (diarrhea) mariiD (sick) The following phrases might come in handy when you need medical help in an Arabic-speaking country. anaa mariiD. (I am sick.) 'indii zukaam. (I have a cold.) ayna al-mustashfaa? (Where is the hospital?) hal hunaaka Tabiib hunaa? (Is there a doctor here?) anaa biHaaja ilaa Tabiib. (I need a doctor.) anaa biHaaja ilaa dawaa' li . . . (I need medicine for . . .) hal 'indakum dawaa' li . . . ? (Do you have a medicine for . . . ?) ayna aqrab SayDaliya? (Where is the nearest pharmacy?)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Using Arabic for numbers and counting can be a bit tricky if you need to work extensively with numbers, such as in mathematics and accounting. Arabic number can be confusing because the rules change depending on how the numbers are being used. To make things easier, take a look look at just the most common usage — without worrying about the more advanced rules for case and gender. Even native speakers often default to a simplified form for numbers, except in the most formal situations. The numbers you'll use the most often are those between 1 and 20. 1 to 20 waaHid 1 Ithnaan 2 Thalaatha 3 arba'a 4 Khamsa 5 Sitta 6 sab'a 7 Thamaaniya 8 tis'a 9 'ashara 10 aHad 'ashar 11 ithnaa 'ashar 12 thalaathat 'ashar 13 arba'at 'ashar 14 khamsat 'ashar 15 sittat 'ashar 16 sab'at 'ashar 17 thamaaniyat 'ashar 18 tis'at 'ashar 19 'ishriin 20 The numbers from 21 to 99 are formed by saying the ones digit first, then wa (and) followed by the tens digit. For example, waHid wa 'ashriin (21 [literally: one and twenty]). 21 to 99 waHid wa 'ishriin 21 ithnaan wa 'ishriin 22 thalaathiin 30 waHid wa thalaathiin 31 ithnaan wa thalaathiin 32 arba'iin 40 khamsiin 50 sittiin 60 sab'iin 70 thamaaniin 80 tis'iin 90 You should read Arabic numbers in the same order as English numbers, from the largest to smallest place, except for the ones digit, which comes before the tens. So 1964 would be read “one thousand, nine hundred, four, and sixty” or alf tis'a mi'a arba' wa sittiin. 100 and higher mi'a 100 mi'a wa waHid 101 mi'a wa 'ashara 110 mi'a wa khamsa wa khamsiin 155 mi'ataan 200 thalaath mi'a 300 arba' mi'a 400 khamsu mi'a 500 sitta mi'a 600 sab'a mi'a 700 thamaanii mi'a 800 tis'a mi'a 900 alf 1,000

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Learning the proper way to make introductions in Arabic can help you get off to the right start. The Arabic language tends to be a bit more formal than American English. Consequently, introductions in Arabic follow more of a pattern than they sometimes do in the United States. Don't worry, it’s not complicated — just good manners. Introducing yourself First impressions are important — they can start a friendship and set the tone for your entire meeting. Start with a greeting. The simplest greeting is ahlan (hello) or marHaban (hello; greetings). However, because of the conservative nature in many Arabic-speaking countries it is considered rude for men and women to greet each other in public. Introduce yourself. The most common way to introduce yourself is to say ismii Name (My name is Name). Ask their name. Ask the other person their name by saying maa ismuka/maa ismuki? [M/F] (What is your name? [literally: What is your noble name?]). After they tell you their name you should respond. After they tell you their name, it is customary to acknowledge the introduction by saying tasharrafnaa (Pleased to meet you). Where are you from? To tell someone where you are from you can say anaa min place name (I am from place name) or anaa … (I am . . .) in then list your nationality. For example, if you're from the United States, you can say anaa amriikii/ amriikiya (I am American? [M/F]). To ask where the other person is from, you can say anta min ayna?/ayna (Where are you from? [M/F])? anaa min lundun. (I am from London.) huwa min kalifuurniia. (He is from California.) ayna taskun?/ayna taskuniin? (Where do you live? [M/F]) askun fii . . . (I live in [at] . . .) askun fii shaari' mayn. (I live on Main Street.) askun fii bustun. (I live in Boston.) If you want to talk about where you or your Arab counterpart lives on the other hand, you would use aksun (I live . . .) and taskun (you live.) Introducing a friend or spouse The second most common type of introduction is to introduce someone else, such as your spouse, child, or friend: ismuhu ahmad. (His name is Ahmad.) ismuhaa layla. (Her name is Layla.) maa ismuhuu? (What is his name?) maa ismuhaa? (What is her name?) The pattern for expressing your nationality is the same as for expressing conditions. Simply use the pronoun followed by the nationality. anaa amriikii. (I am American. [M]) anaa amriikiya. (I am American. [F]) hiya biriiTaaniya. (She is British.) About nationalities Most nationalities in Arabic are formed by adding ii to the end of the country name for masculine constructions and iya for feminine ones. If the name of the country starts with al- (the), then al- is dropped when the word for the nationality is made. Here are some examples. al-wilaayaat al-muttaHida (The United States) amriikaa (America) amriikii/amriikiya (American [M/F]) maSr (Egypt) maSrii/maSriya (Egyptian) suuriyaa (Syria) suurii/suuriya (Syrian) lubnaan (Lebanon) lubnaanii/lubnaaniya (Lebanese) as-sa'uudiia (Saudi Arabia) sa'uudii/sa'uudiya (Saudi) al-kuwayt (Kuwait) kuwaytii/kuwaytiya (Kuwaiti) 'umaan (Oman) 'umaanii/’umaaniya (Omani) filasTiin (Palestine) filasTiinii/filasTiiniya (Palestinian) al-urdunn (Jordan) urdunnii/urdunniya (Jordanian) faransaa (France) faransii/faransiya (French) biriiTaaniyaa (Britain) biriiTaanii/biriiTaaniya (British)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Making small talk in Arabic is just the same as in English. Touch on familiar topics like jobs, sports, children — just say it in Arabic! Small talk describes the brief conversations that you have with people you don't know well. Small talk is where friendships are made. If you know how to make small talk in Arabic you'll be able to "break the ice" and get to know some of the people you meet during your trip. Small talk generally consists of greetings and introductions and descriptions of personal information and interests. If you are able to hold your own in each of these areas, you'll be able to handle most small talk situations. Greetings and Introductions Although people in Arabic-speaking countries are often more formal than those in the United States, you don't need to wait around to be introduced to someone. Take the initiative to walk up to someone and say hello (ahlan) or (marHaban). As you'd expect, it is considered polite to greet people you meet, whether you know them well or not. In fact when a greeting a group of people, it is most polite to greet each person in the group individually. However, because of the conservative nature in many Arabic-speaking countries it is considered rude for men and women to greet each other in public. The next thing to do is make introductions. The following phrases are all you need to get a conversation started. ismii . . . (My name is . . .) ismuhu ahmad. (His name is Ahmad.) ismuhaa layla. (Her name is Layla.) maa ismuka? (What is your name? [masculine] [literally: “What is your noble name?”]) maa ismuki? (What is your name? [feminine]) In Arabic, as in English, the question “How are you?” (kayf Haalak?) usually comes up after a greeting. If someone asks you how you’re doing, you should respond with the formulaic response "Fine, praise God" (bi-khayr, al-Hamdu lillah) rather than a detailed inventory of your condition. People in the Middle East tend to stand closer to each other during conversations than Westerners are used to. Try to resist the temptation to step back to increase your personal space. It is considered rude. Personal information After the necessary introductions, making small talk is really just a question of talking about yourself and asking the other person questions about themselves. The following phrases will come in handy when you're chitchatting with someone new. anaa min. . . (I am from . . .) anta min ayna?/anti min ayna? (Where are you from? [M/F]) maa waDHiifatuka? (What is your profession?) ayna taskun?/ayna taskuniin? (Where do you live? [M/F]) anaa Taalib fii jaami'a . . . (I’m a student in [university].) Personal Interests Many friendships are forged on the bond of common interests. To talk about your hobbies or interests you can insert any of the following nouns into the sentences uHibb . . . (I like . . . ) or ul'ab . . . (I play . . . ). kurat al-qadam (soccer) kurat al-qadam alamriikiya (football [American]) kurat al-maDrib (tennis) al-baysbuul (baseball) as-sibaaHa (swimming) al-jarii (running) at-tajdhiif (rowing) riyaaDa (sport) al-muusiiqaa (music) qiithaar (guitar) biyaanuu (piano) film, aflaam (movie[s]) masraH (plays, theater) al-qiraa’a (reading) ar-raqS (dancing) Terms for an entire category or an abstract concept, like "swimming" or "music" require a definite article in Arabic, unlike English. Literally, you say in Arabic "I like the swimming" (uHibb as-sibaaHa). You can use the following phrases to give you some guidelines to when making small talk in Arabic. uHibb an ushaahid kurat al-qadam. (I like to watch soccer.) nuHibb an nal'ab kurat al-maDrib. (We like to play tennis.) yuHibb al-qiraa’a. (He likes reading.) maadhaa tuHibb an tal'ab? (What do you like to play?)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Speaking Arabic at work and school doesn't have to be complicated. Whether you're looking for a job in an Arabic-speaking country or just need to talk with your coworkers or classmates there, you'll need to know some key words and phrases to help ease your way. Using Arabic at work The following are some common words that you'll hear at work on a daily basis. ijtimaa' (meeting) mu'tamar (conference) maktab (office) waDHiifa (job) kull yawm (every day) kull usbuu' (every week) qalam (pen) qalam ar-raSaaS (pencil) kursii (chair) kumbuutur, Haasuub (computer) makaatib (desks) daftar (notepad) haatif (telephone) Some common job-related phrases include: adhhab ilaa-l-ijtimaa' (I am going to the meeting.) maa waDHiifatuka? (What is your profession?) maadhaa ta'mal? (What do you work [at]?) You can answer this question by saying anaa . . .) (I am a . . .) and then add the noun for your profession, such as anaa mudarris (I am a teacher). The following words describe many common jobs. Just add an -a to the following words to change it to feminine. muwaDHDHaf (white-collar worker) shurTii (police officer) muHaamin/muHaamiya (lawyer) SiHaafii (journalist) jundii (soldier) najjaar (carpenter) kahrabaa'ii (electrician) saa'iq (driver) Hammaal (porter) musaa'id (assistant) muHaasib (accountant) mudiir (chief, director) kaatib (writer) bawaab (doorman) The doorman (bawaab) plays an important role in running an apartment building and is, therefore, an important person to know. Using Arabic at school The following are some common words that might come in handy if you're studying abroad in an Arabic-speaking country. madrasa (school) madrasa thaanawiya (high school) kulliya (college) jaami'a (university) Taalib (student) mudarris (teacher) ustaadh (professor) Saff (class) ghurfat Saff (classroom) imtiHaan (test) al-'uluum (sciences) al-'uluum as-siyaasiya (political science) al-handasa (engineering) at-taariikh (history) al-adab (literature) Some common school-related phrases include: anaa Taalib fii jaami'a . . . (I am a student in . . . [university].) adrus at-taariikh. (I study history.) huwa ustaadhii. (He is my professor.) 'indii imtiHaan. (I have a test.) hiya fii Saffii. (She is in my class.) uHibb al-handasa. (I like engineering.)