Arabic Language Vocabulary and Word Building Syllabus

Vocabulary and Word Building syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Vocabulary and Word Building in Arabic Language, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Everyday Survival Vocabulary

   4 topics

   • Greetings and polite expressions
   • Numbers, time, and dates
   • Days, months, and seasons
   • Colours and basic adjectives
2. 2

   People and Daily Life

   4 topics

   • Family and relationships
   • The body and health
   • Clothing and shopping
   • Food, drink, and the kitchen
3. 3

   Home, City, and Travel

   4 topics

   • House and furniture
   • Directions and places in the city
   • Transport and travel
   • Weather and nature
4. 4

   Work, Study, and Society

   4 topics

   • Jobs and the workplace
   • Education and school subjects
   • Technology and media
   • Money, banking, and economy
5. 5

   Word Formation Strategies

   3 topics

   • Roots and Patterns
   • Common prefixes and suffixes
   • Loanwords and arabicised terms
6. 6

   Idioms and Collocations

   3 topics

   • Common idiomatic expressions
   • Proverbs (amthal)
   • Verb-preposition collocations

Vocabulary and Word Building flashcards for Arabic Language

21 of 50 cards from the Vocabulary and Word Building deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In Arabic, what is the standard reply to the greeting "As-salāmu ʿalaykum" (السلام عليكم), and what does it mean?

   "Wa ʿalaykumu s-salām" (وعليكم السلام) — "And upon you be peace." It returns the greeting with an equal or better response.

2. How do you say "Thank you" and "You're welcome" in Arabic?

   Thank you = "Shukran" (شكراً). You're welcome = "ʿAfwan" (عفواً) or "al-ʿafw" (العفو).

3. What are the Arabic greetings for "Good morning" and its typical reply?

   Good morning = "Ṣabāḥ al-khayr" (صباح الخير, lit. "morning of goodness"). Reply = "Ṣabāḥ an-nūr" (صباح النور, "morning of light").

4. How do you politely say "Please" and "Excuse me / Pardon" in Arabic?

   Please = "Min faḍlik" (من فضلك) or "raǧāʾan" (رجاءً). Excuse me = "ʿAn iẕnik" (عن إذنك) or "al-maʿẕira" (المعذرة).

5. List the Arabic cardinal numbers 1 through 5.

   1 = wāḥid (واحد), 2 = ithnān (اثنان), 3 = thalātha (ثلاثة), 4 = arbaʿa (أربعة), 5 = khamsa (خمسة).

6. List the Arabic cardinal numbers 6 through 10.

   6 = sitta (ستة), 7 = sabʿa (سبعة), 8 = thamāniya (ثمانية), 9 = tisʿa (تسعة), 10 = ʿashara (عشرة).

7. How do you ask "What time is it?" in Arabic, and how do you say "It is three o'clock"?

   "Kam as-sāʿa?" (كم الساعة؟) = What time is it? "As-sāʿa ath-thālitha" (الساعة الثالثة) = It is three o'clock.

8. What is the Arabic word for "day," "week," "month," and "year"?

   Day = yawm (يوم), week = usbūʿ (أسبوع), month = shahr (شهر), year = sana (سنة) or ʿām (عام).

9. Name the seven days of the week in Arabic, starting with Sunday.

   Sunday = al-aḥad (الأحد), Monday = al-ithnayn (الاثنين), Tuesday = ath-thulāthāʾ (الثلاثاء), Wednesday = al-arbiʿāʾ (الأربعاء), Thursday = al-khamīs (الخميس), Friday = al-jumuʿa (الجمعة), Saturday = as-sabt (السبت).

10. What are the four seasons in Arabic?

    Spring = ar-rabīʿ (الربيع), Summer = aṣ-ṣayf (الصيف), Autumn/Fall = al-kharīf (الخريف), Winter = ash-shitāʾ (الشتاء).

11. Name the Arabic words for the colours red, blue, green, and yellow (masculine form).

    Red = aḥmar (أحمر), Blue = azraq (أزرق), Green = akhḍar (أخضر), Yellow = aṣfar (أصفر).

12. How do you say "black" and "white" in Arabic, and what pattern do these colour adjectives share?

    Black = aswad (أسود), White = abyaḍ (أبيض). Basic colours follow the aFʿaL pattern (أَفْعَل) in the masculine, e.g. aḥmar, azraq.

13. Give the Arabic adjectives for the pairs "big/small" and "new/old".

    Big = kabīr (كبير), Small = ṣaghīr (صغير); New = jadīd (جديد), Old = qadīm (قديم).

14. What are the Arabic words for "father," "mother," "brother," and "sister"?

    Father = ab (أب), Mother = umm (أم), Brother = akh (أخ), Sister = ukht (أخت).

15. How do you say "son," "daughter," and "family" in Arabic?

    Son = ibn (ابن), Daughter = bint (بنت), Family = ʿāʾila (عائلة) or usra (أسرة).

16. What are the Arabic words for "grandfather," "grandmother," and "husband/wife"?

    Grandfather = jadd (جد), Grandmother = jadda (جدة), Husband = zawj (زوج), Wife = zawja (زوجة).

17. Name the Arabic words for "head," "hand," "eye," and "heart."

    Head = raʾs (رأس), Hand = yad (يد), Eye = ʿayn (عين), Heart = qalb (قلب).

18. How do you say "I am sick," "doctor," and "hospital" in Arabic?

    I am sick = "Anā marīḍ" (أنا مريض), Doctor = ṭabīb (طبيب), Hospital = mustashfā (مستشفى).

19. What are the Arabic words for "pain/ache," "medicine," and "health"?

    Pain = alam (ألم) or wajaʿ (وجع), Medicine = dawāʾ (دواء), Health = ṣiḥḥa (صحة).

20. Give the Arabic words for "clothes," "shirt," and "shoes."

    Clothes = malābis (ملابس) or thiyāb (ثياب), Shirt = qamīṣ (قميص), Shoes = ḥiḏāʾ (حذاء).

21. How do you ask "How much is this?" in Arabic when shopping?

    "Bikam hāḏā?" (بكم هذا؟) = How much is this? Also "Kam thamanuhu?" (كم ثمنه؟) = What is its price?

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