A Guide to Arabic - 10 facts about the Arabic language
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Arabic is the official language of the 22 countries which form the Arab League: Its the native language of over 200m people residing in this geographical region, which stretches from Southwest Asia to Northwest Africa and is also known as the Arab World. Arabic is also the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims around the world, as its the language in which the 塈堭堞, Qur'an, the Holy Book of Islam, was revealed.
The "formal" Arabic language, known as Classical Arabic or 塈媯堶, Fus-ha, is the language in which the Quran is written and is considered to be the base of the syntactic and grammatical norms of the Arabic language. This Classical form of Arabic remains widely used by religious scholars and is taught in schools around the world. However, it is considered today more of a written language than a spoken one.
Modern Standard Arabic, or MSA, is similar but easier than Classical Arabic. It's understood across the Arab world and used by television presenters and politicians, for example, as well as to teach Arabic as a foreign language. You'll also find it in newspapers and works of modern Arabic literature.
In terms of "spoken" Arabic, there are many different dialects. An Arabic speaker from Iraq, for example, can find it almost impossible to understand a local Algerian, and vice versa - even though both individuals are speaking a particular form of Arabic dialect. However, both will be able to communicate in Modern Standard Arabic.
Arabic has contributed numerous words to the English language like 泭媟 [koton], cotton, 泭堻堭 [succar], sugar,
泭媞堬塈 [ghazal], gazelle, 泭堳塈堭堜 [qithara], guitar,
泭塈堶 啊硃梭釵棗棗h棗棗梭敕, alcohol, 泭媯堶堭塈堙 啊莽硃堯娶硃a敕, sahara,
泭堭塈媟 [qeerat], carat, and 泭 [laymoon], lemon.
The Arabic language uses the same punctuation marks as English, as well as the same Western rules of punctuation, but watch out as some of the symbols are inverted, such as the comma (), or reversed, for instance, the question mark (孮). This has no impact on the intonation, though.
The pronounciation of some Arabic letters, like the
泭堮 [kh] as 泭堮堮 [khawkh], prune,
泭媢 啊硃a敕 as in 泭媢塈 啊硃a紳滄硃紳敕, address,
泭堶 啊堯硃e敕 as in 泭堶塈埵媟 啊堯硃e喧敕, wall,
泭 [qa] as in 泭塈 [qanoun], law, and
泭媞 [gh] as in 泭媞堜 [ghayma], cloud, may take some time to master as they are produced right at the very back of the throat.
In Arabic word order, the verb comes first, so to say "the boy eats the apple" you actually say "eat the boy the apple":
泭塈 塈堹 塈堛塈堶堜 [akala al walado attofaha]. Adjectives come after the noun, rather than before as in English:
泭塈堻塈堭堜 塈堶堭塈堙 [assayara alhamraa], literally the car red.
The Arabic language is written right to left and the front of an Arabic book is what would be considered the back by speakers of most western languages.
泭
堮媟 堶堭堭 媢 堶媟 堮塈堛 塈 堮
[Kheit hareer a'alaa heet khalti imm khalil.]
A silk thread runs through my Aunt Imm Khalils Wall.
泭
奡奡塈 奡 奡奡 奡奡 奡 奡奡塈 塈 奡奡 奡奡 塈 塈 奡奡 奡奡塈
[Mishmishna mish mishmishkom w mishmishkom mish mishmishna, lamma mashmash mishmishkon, ma kan mashmash mishmishna.]
Our apricots are not the same as your apricots, and your apricots are not the same as our apricots. When your apricots were ripe, our apricots were not ripe yet
Arabic jokes usually revolve around social issues, such as nagging wives, nosy in-laws, stingy neighbours, etc. Political jokes are also very common following big political events, such as elections. A famous target of jokes throughout the Middle East is the President, King, Prince or Sheikh of the country who doesnt want to leave office, even though hes becoming too old to rule. One of the jokes goes:
泭
塈塈 堭堻: 堶堛堹媢 塈奡媢堥孮
堭堹 塈堭堻: 塈! 塈奡媢堥 堭塈堶 孮
[Aaloo lel rayyes: mosh hatwaddaa eshaab?
Radd el rayess: Allah! Howwa el shaab rayeh feen?]
They asked the President: arent you going to bid farewell to the people?
The President replied: God! I didnt know the people were going away!
Arabic is a Semitic language and therefore shares similarities with other Semitic languages, such as Aramaic and Hebrew.
In terms of writing, several languages use the Arabic alphabet, such as Persian/Farsi, Urdu, Pashto and Kurdish. Arabic learners would be able to read words or sentences written in any of those languages, but not necessarily understand what theyre reading!
Despite the many differences in pronunciation between English and Arabic words, be wary of some false friends, i.e. terms that are pronounced practically the same in both languages, but refer to totally different things.
If you were to enquire about when an events taking place, for example, dont be shocked if youre given information about the location of the event rather than its timing: the English word when sounds exactly like the Arabic word 泭 [wein] which means where.
If your name is Anna, 泭堧塈 [ana], this means I in Arabic, so, if you introduce yourself by saying Im Anna, 泭堧塈 堞塈 [ana Anna], this would translate as I am I in Arabic.
Regarding social etiquette, especially if youre a woman, you may find yourself in a place where the local dress code is very conservative (headscarves and 泭媢堥塈堙堜 [abaya] a robe-like dress).
You should also avoid any public display of affection towards your partner, as this is also considered impolite or even illegal in some very conservative countries such as Saudi Arabia.
Arabs are renowned for their hospitality and eagerness to honour their guests, which can sometimes put westerners in awkward situations. If you admire an item, your host may feel obligated to give it to you and youre obliged to accept his offer, since its considered impolite to refuse a gift. Be aware that your host might think of you as impolite and ill-mannered if he thought that youve used his sense of hospitality against him and cornered him into giving you that cherished item! So express your admiration, but in a moderate way.
泭堨 奡塈堙 塈 [Insha'Allah]
This very famous term, meaning God willing is the equivalent of the word hopefully in English. e.g. InshaAllah I will get a promotion. Although the saying has a religious connotation and appears often in the verses of the Quran, its also used by Arabic speakers in non-religious contexts.
泭塈 奡塈堙 塈 啊紼硃莽堯硃A梭梭硃堯敕
Another form of God willing. This expression is usually said after giving a compliment, in the same way that you say bless or knock on wood in English. It shows that someone is not envious of someone elses fortune, and that God is the reason for that good fortune, e.g. Your eyes are beautiful, MashaAllah.
Some famous and common Arabic words of wisdom.
泭
媢塈奡堭 塈 塈堭堥媢 塈 堨塈 媯塈堭 堧 堭堶 媢
[Man aasharal qawna arbaeena yawman, imma sara minhum aw rahala aanhum.]
Dwell among people for 40 days. You will either become one of them or flee them.
泭
堹 塈堶堹堜 塈 堛媯
[Yadon waheeda la tusaffek.]
You cannot clap with one hand. Meaning: people should cooperate to get things done.
泭
塈堛塈堥 堭堧 媢塈
[Al kitabu yuqraa min inwanihi.]
The meaning of a book can be judged from its title. Meaning: what you see is what you get (and not "you cant judge a book by its cover", which is the opposite metaphor in English).
The Arabic language is believed to have started among nomadic tribes in the Arabian Peninsula, long before the birth of Islam. However, this ancient Semitic language remained predominantly spoken and had no major written records until the 7th century AD, when it started to develop into a written form.
However, some historians consider the texts known as the Hasaean inscriptions, which date back to the 8th century BC, to be the first Arabic scripts ever recorded. Those texts were written in what is known as the Epigraphic South Arabian Musnad. It was used for writing the Yemeni Old South Arabic languages and eventually developed into a pre-classical form of Arabic alphabet, the Nabataean.
When meeting someone for the first time, use the greeting
泭塈堻塈 媢 [assalamu aalaikum], peace be upon you.
When asking for something, you start or end your request with the expression 泭 媔 [min Fadlak], which is a polite form of saying please.
When introducing someone, you say 泭塈堻傭堹 [assayed], Mr.,
or 泭塈堻傭堹堜 [assayida], Ms., before their name.
Kissing is a no-no, unless the person draws you towards them and kisses you first. Play it safe, when greeting someone, by offering to shake the other persons hand.
Finally, your new acquaintance may put their hand on their chest instead of shaking your hand, as some religious people dont like any physical contact, especially with the opposite sex.
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