Arabic Language Vocabulary and Word Building Syllabus

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?

What are the Arabic words for "market," "shop/store," and "money"?

Market = sūq (سوق), Shop/store = maḥall (محل) or dukkān (دكان), Money = māl (مال) or nuqūd (نقود).

Name the Arabic words for "bread," "water," "meat," and "rice."

Bread = khubz (خبز), Water = māʾ (ماء), Meat = laḥm (لحم), Rice = aruzz (أرز).

How do you say "I am hungry" and "I am thirsty" in Arabic?

I am hungry = "Anā jāʾiʿ" (أنا جائع), I am thirsty = "Anā ʿaṭshān" (أنا عطشان).

What are the Arabic words for "kitchen," "plate," and "cup/glass"?

Kitchen = maṭbakh (مطبخ), Plate = ṭabaq (طبق) or ṣaḥn (صحن), Cup/glass = kūb (كوب) or kaʾs (كأس).

Give the Arabic words for "house," "room," and "door."

House = bayt (بيت) or manzil (منزل), Room = ghurfa (غرفة), Door = bāb (باب).

What are the Arabic words for "table," "chair," and "bed"?

Table = ṭāwila (طاولة), Chair = kursī (كرسي), Bed = sarīr (سرير).

How do you ask "Where is...?" in Arabic, and how do you say "right" and "left"?

"Ayna...?" (أين؟) = Where is...? Right = yamīn (يمين), Left = yasār (يسار) or shimāl (شمال).

Name the Arabic words for "street," "city," and "school" (as a place in the city).

Street = shāriʿ (شارع), City = madīna (مدينة), School = madrasa (مدرسة).

What are the Arabic words for "car," "bus," "train," and "airplane"?

Car = sayyāra (سيارة), Bus = ḥāfila (حافلة) or bāṣ (باص), Train = qiṭār (قطار), Airplane = ṭāʾira (طائرة).

How do you say "airport," "ticket," and "travel/trip" in Arabic?

Airport = maṭār (مطار), Ticket = taḏkira (تذكرة), Travel/trip = safar (سفر) or riḥla (رحلة).

Give the Arabic words for "weather," "sun," "rain," and "wind."

Weather = ṭaqs (طقس), Sun = shams (شمس), Rain = maṭar (مطر), Wind = rīḥ (ريح).

How do you say "The weather is hot" and "The weather is cold" in Arabic?

The weather is hot = "Aṭ-ṭaqs ḥārr" (الطقس حار), The weather is cold = "Aṭ-ṭaqs bārid" (الطقس بارد).

What are the Arabic words for "tree," "sea," "mountain," and "river"?

Tree = shajara (شجرة), Sea = baḥr (بحر), Mountain = jabal (جبل), River = nahr (نهر).

Name the Arabic words for the jobs "teacher," "engineer," and "doctor."

Teacher = muʿallim (معلم) / mudarris (مدرس), Engineer = muhandis (مهندس), Doctor = ṭabīb (طبيب).

What are the Arabic words for "work/job," "office," and "company"?

Work/job = ʿamal (عمل) or waẓīfa (وظيفة), Office = maktab (مكتب), Company = sharika (شركة).

Give the Arabic words for "student," "lesson," and "book."

Student = ṭālib (طالب), Lesson = dars (درس), Book = kitāb (كتاب).

What are the Arabic words for the school subjects "mathematics," "science," and "history"?

Mathematics = ar-riyāḍiyyāt (الرياضيات), Science = al-ʿulūm (العلوم), History = at-tārīkh (التاريخ).

Name the Arabic words for "computer," "telephone," and "internet."

Computer = ḥāsūb (حاسوب) or kambyūtar (كمبيوتر), Telephone = hātif (هاتف), Internet = al-intarnit (الإنترنت) / ash-shabaka (الشبكة).

What are the Arabic words for "television," "newspaper," and "news"?

Television = tilfāz (تلفاز), Newspaper = jarīda (جريدة) or ṣaḥīfa (صحيفة), News = akhbār (أخبار).

Give the Arabic words for "bank," "price," and "account."

Bank = maṣrif (مصرف) or bank (بنك), Price = thaman (ثمن) or siʿr (سعر), Account = ḥisāb (حساب).

What are the Arabic words for "economy," "trade/commerce," and "cheap/expensive"?

Economy = iqtiṣād (اقتصاد), Trade = tijāra (تجارة); Cheap = rakhīṣ (رخيص), Expensive = ghālī (غالي).

In Arabic morphology, what is a "root" (jiḏr), and how many letters do most roots have?

A root (جِذْر) is the core consonantal skeleton carrying a word's basic meaning. Most Arabic roots are triliteral (three consonants), e.g. k-t-b (ك-ت-ب) relating to writing.

Using the root k-t-b (ك-ت-ب), give the words for "he wrote," "book," "office," and "writer."

He wrote = kataba (كتب), Book = kitāb (كتاب), Office/desk = maktab (مكتب), Writer = kātib (كاتب). All share the k-t-b root with different patterns.

What is a "pattern" (wazn) in Arabic word building, and what are the placeholder letters used to represent it?

A pattern (وزن) is the template of vowels and affixes imposed on a root to form a word. The placeholder root fāʾ-ʿayn-lām (ف-ع-ل) is used, so patterns are written like faʿala, fāʿil, mafʿūl.

What does the pattern "fāʿil" (فاعل) produce, and give an example?

The fāʿil pattern forms the active participle (the doer). Example: from k-t-b it gives kātib (كاتب) = "writer"; from d-r-s it gives dāris (دارس) = "student/studier."

What word class does the prefix "ma-" (مَ) commonly form in Arabic, and give an example?

The prefix ma- (with the pattern mafʿal/mafʿil) commonly forms nouns of place. Example: k-t-b → maktab (مكتب) = office; d-r-s → madrasa (مدرسة) = school.

What does the definite article prefix "al-" (ال) do in Arabic, and what happens with "sun letters"?

"al-" (ال) makes a noun definite ("the"). Before "sun letters" (e.g. t, d, r, s, sh, n) the l assimilates in pronunciation: al-shams is read "ash-shams" (الشمس) though still written with ل.

In Arabic, what is the feminine-marker suffix added to many nouns and adjectives, and how is it pronounced?

The suffix is tāʾ marbūṭa (ة), the feminine ending. It is usually pronounced as a short "-a" (e.g. muʿallim → muʿallima معلمة = female teacher), and as "-at" when followed by another word in construct.

What does the nisba suffix "-iyy / -iyya" (ـِيّ) do in Arabic word building? Give an example.

The nisba suffix -iyy (m.) / -iyya (f.) turns a noun into a relational adjective meaning "belonging to / relating to." Example: miṣr (مصر, Egypt) → miṣriyy (مصري) = Egyptian.