Connectors — the glue words
| Word | Transliteration | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| و | wa | and | prefixes directly: ومحمد wa-muḥammad |
| أو | aw | or | — |
| لكن | lākin | but | — |
| أيضا | ayḍan | also | — |
| جدا | jiddan | very | — |
| هنا | hunā | here | — |
| هناك | hunāk | there | — |
| الآن | al-ān | now | — |
| بعد ذلك | baʿda dhālik | after that | — |
| مع / في / على / إلى / من | maʿa / fī / ʿalā / ilā / min | with / in / on / to / from | top-5 prepositions |
Everyday nouns — the starter set
| Word | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| ماء | māʾ | water |
| طعام | ṭaʿām | food |
| خبز | khubz | bread |
| قهوة | qahwa | coffee |
| شاي | shāy | tea |
| بيت | bayt | house |
| باب | bāb | door |
| طريق | ṭarīq | road / way |
| مدينة | madīna | city |
| بلد | balad | country |
| يوم | yawm | day |
| ليلة | layla | night |
| عمل | ʿamal | work |
| مال | māl | money |
| وقت | waqt | time |
| صديق | ṣadīq | friend (m.) |
Everyday adjectives
| Word | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| كبير | kabīr | big |
| صغير | ṣaghīr | small |
| جديد | jadīd | new |
| قديم | qadīm | old |
| جميل | jamīl | beautiful / nice |
| جيد | jayyid | good |
| سريع | sarīʿ | fast |
| بطيء | baṭīʾ | slow |
| قريب | qarīb | near |
| بعيد | baʿīd | far |
| سهل | sahl | easy |
| صعب | ṣaʿb | difficult |
Introducing yourself
| Phrase | Transliteration | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| اسمي… | ismī… | my name is… | — |
| أنا من… | anā min… | I am from… | — |
| أنا أعمل في… | anā aʿmalu fī… | I work in… | — |
| تشرفت بمعرفتك | tasharraftu bi-maʿrifatik | pleased to meet you | formal but common |
| أتعلم العربية | ataʿallam al-ʿarabiyya | I'm learning Arabic | useful everywhere |
| أتحدث قليلا من العربية | ataḥaddath qalīlan min al-ʿarabiyya | I speak a little Arabic | — |
Simple exchanges to memorize
| Arabic | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| أريد ماء، من فضلك | urīd māʾ, min faḍlak | I want water, please |
| أين أقرب فندق؟ | ayna aqrab funduq | where is the nearest hotel? |
| لا أفهم | lā afham | I don't understand |
| هل تتكلم الإنجليزية؟ | hal tatakallam al-inglīziyya | do you speak English? |
| أحتاج إلى مساعدة | aḥtāj ilā musāʿada | I need help |
| بكم هذا؟ | bi-kam hādhā | how much is this? |
Mini practice
Q1. و means:
- or
- and
- but
- in
Answer: and
Q2. قهوة is:
- tea
- water
- coffee
- bread
Answer: coffee
Q3. تشرفت بمعرفتك means:
- goodbye
- pleased to meet you
- excuse me
- how much?
Answer: pleased to meet you
Q4. لا أفهم means:
- I don't know
- I don't understand
- I don't want
- I don't speak
Answer: I don't understand
Q5. قريب and بعيد are:
- here and there
- now and then
- near and far
- big and small
Answer: near and far
