chapter 6
This excerpt from an Arabic language guide focuses on shopping vocabulary and phrases. It introduces various types of stores (dakaakiin), including specialty shops and larger department stores (dukkaan kabiir), and common questions asked by store clerks (khaadim/khaadima ad-dukkaan). The text then covers how to ask for assistance (musaa’ada) and navigate within stores using directions (tawjiihaat) and demonstrative words like "this" and "that." Finally, it provides vocabulary and grammatical structures for comparing merchandise using comparative and superlative adjectives, and lists essential clothing (malaabis) items, their sizes (al-Hajem), and common colors (‘alwaan), explaining gender agreement for colors.
Notes
Going to the Store
When you want to buy something, you go to the dukkaan [دكان] (doo-kan; store). Depending on what you need, you can choose from various types of dakaakiin [دكاكين] (dah-kah-keen; stores). Some specialty stores mentioned include:
makhbaza [مخبزة] (mak-bah-zah; bakery)
maktaba [مكتبة] (mak-tah-bah; bookstore/library)
dukkaan al-malaabis [دكان الملابس] (doo-kan al-mah-lah-bees; clothing store)
dukkaan al-iliktroniyaat [دكان الإلكترونيات] (doo-kan al-ee-leek-troo-nee-yat; electronics store)
dukkaan al-Halawiyyaat [دكان الحلويات] (doo-kan al-hah-lah-wee-yat; pastry shop)
dukkaan al-baqqaal [دكان البقال] (doo-kan al-bah-kal; grocery store)
dukkaan as-samak [دكان السمك] (doo-kan ah-sah-mak; fish store)
jawharii [جوهري] (jaw-hah-ree; jeweler)
Other dakaakiin [دكاكين] provide services. Examples include:
maktab as-siyaaHa [مكتب السياحة] (mak-tab ah-see-yah-hah; travel agency)
Hallaaq [حلاق] (hah-lak; barber/hairdresser)
dukkaan al-jamal [دكان الجمال] (doo-kan al-jah-mal; beauty parlor)
If you need to shop for a wide variety of items, your destination would be the dukkaan kabiir [دكان كبير] (doo-kan kah-beer; department store/mall), where you can find almost anything.
Browsing the Merchandise
Sometimes you just want to browse. A store clerk, either a male khaadim ad-dukkaan [خادم الدكان] (kah-deem ah-doo-kan) or a female khaadima ad-dukkaan [خادمة الدكان] (kah-dee-mah ah-doo-kan), might ask if you need help. Here are some phrases they might use:
hal yumkin ‘an ‘usaa’iduka? [هل يمكن أن أساعدك؟] (hal yoom-keen an oo-sah-ee-doo-kah?; May I help you?) (M)
hal yumkin ‘an ‘usaa’iduki? [هل يمكن أن أساعدكِ؟] (hal yoom-keen an oo-sah-ee-doo-kee?; May I help you?) (F)
hal turiidu shay’ khaaS? [هل تريد شيء خاص؟] (hal too-ree-doo shay kas?; Are you looking for anything in particular?) (M)
hal turiidiina shay’ khaaS? [هل تريدين شيء خاص؟] (hal too-ree-dee-nah shay kas?; Are you looking for anything in particular?) (F)
If you need musaa’ada [مساعدة] (moo-sah-ah-dah; help/assistance), you can respond by saying na’am [نعم] (nah-am; yes). If you prefer to continue browsing, you can say laa shukran [لا شكراً] (lah shook-ran; no thank you).
Getting Around the Store
If you need tawjiihaat [توجيهات] (taw-jee-hat; directions) within the store, you can go to the maktab al-’i’laamaat [مكتب الإعلامات] (mak-tab al-eeh-lah-mat; information desk) to get your ‘as’ila [أسئلة] (ass-ee-lah; questions) answered. Here are some example questions you can use:
hal yumkin ‘an tusaa’idunii? [هل يمكن أن تساعدني؟] (hal yoom-keen an too-sah-ee-doo-nee; Is it possible for you to help me?)
‘ayna aT-Tabiq al-’awwal? [أين الطبق الأول؟] (ay-nah ah-tah-beek al-ah-wal; Where is the first floor?)
‘ayna al-miS’ad? [أين المصعد؟] (ay-nah al-mees-ad; Where is the elevator?)
hal hunaaka miS’ad ‘ilaa aT-Tabaq al-khaamis? [هل هناك مصعد إلى الطبق الخامس؟] (hal hoo-nah-kah mees-ad ee-lah ah-tah-bak al-kah-mees? Is there an elevator to the fifth floor?)
‘ayna maHall al-malaabis? [أين محل الملابس؟] (ay-nah mah-hal al-mah-lah-bees; Where is the section for clothes?)
fii ‘ay Tabaq al-jawharii? [في أي طبق الجوهري؟] (fee ay tah-baq al-jaw-hah-ree; On which floor is the jeweler located?)
hal hunaaka makhbaza fii ad-dukkaan al-kabiir? [هل هناك مخبزة في الدكان الكبير؟] (hal hoo-nah-kah mak-bah-zah fee ah-doo-kan al-kah-beer; Is there a bakery in the mall?)
Some useful words related to store navigation include:
yabHathu [يبحث] (yab-hah-thoo; searching)
maHall [محل] (mah-hal; section)
Tabiq [طبق] (tah-beek; floor)
miS’ad [مصعد] (mees-ad; elevator)
yamiin [يمين] (yah-meen; right)
yaSaar [يسار] (yah-sar; left)
daakhil [داخل] (dah-keel; inside)
khaarij [خارج] (kah-reej; outside)
There are also terms for "your right" and "your left" depending on gender:
yamiinuki [يمينكِ] (yah-mee-noo-kee; your right (F))
yamiinuka [يمينكَ] (yah-mee-noo-kah; your right (M))
yaSaaruki [يساركِ] (yah-sah-roo-kee; your left (F))
yaSaaruka [يساركَ] (yah-sah-roo-kah; your left (M))
Asking for a Particular Item
When asking for a specific item, you'll likely use demonstrative words like "this" or "that". These specify particular items. Here are common Arabic demonstratives:
haadhaa [هذا] (hah-zah; this (MS))
haadhihi [هذه] (hah-zee-hee; this (FS))
dhaalika [ذلك] (zah-lee-kah; that (MS))
Tilka [تلك] (teel-kah; that (FS))
haa’ulaa’ii [هؤلاء] (hah-oo-lah-ee; these (gender neutral))
‘ulaa’ika [أولئك] (oo-lah-ee-kah; those (gender neutral))
In a sentence, the demonstrative word is always placed before the object being pointed to (often a noun). The noun must also be defined using the definite article prefix al-.
Here is an example conversation illustrating demonstratives:
Omar: hal ‘indakum jakiiTaat? [هل عندكم جاكيتات؟] (hal een-dah-koom jah-kee-tat? Do you have jackets?)
Salesperson: na’am. ‘indanaa ‘anwaa’ kathiira min aj-jakiiTaat. ‘an ‘ay naw’ tabHathu? [نعم. عندنا أنواع كثيرة من الجاكيتات. عن أي نوع تبحث؟] (nah-am. een-dah-nah an-wah kah-thee-rah meen ah-jah-kee-tat. an ay nah-weh tab-hah-thoo? Yes. We have many different kinds of jackets. Which kind are you looking for?)
Omar: ‘uriidu jakiiTa bi aj-jald [أريد جاكيت بجلد]. (oo-ree-doo jah-kee-tah bee ah-jah-led. I want a leather jacket.)
Salesperson: Tayyib. ‘itba’nii min faDlik [طيب. اتبعني من فضلك]. (tah-yeeb. eet-bah-nee meen fad-leek. Okay. Follow me please.)
Salesperson: ‘ulaa’ika kul aj-jakiiTaat ‘indanaa [أولئك كل الجاكيتات عندنا]. (oo-lah-ee-kah kool ah-jah-kee-tat een-dah-nah. Those are all the jackets we have.)
Omar: ‘uHibbu haa’ulaa’ii aj-jakiiTaat [أحب هؤلاء الجاكيتات]. (oo-hee-boo hah-oo-lah-ee ah-jah-kee-tat. I like these jackets.)
Salesperson: ‘anaa muwaafiq. ‘innahaa jamiila jiddan [أنا موافق. إنها جميلة جداً]. (ah-nah moo-wah-feek. ee-nah-hah jah-mee-lah jee-dan. I agree. They are very beautiful.)
Omar: ‘uriidu ‘an ‘ujarrib haadhihi [أريد أن أجرب هذه]. (oo-ree-doo an oo-jah-reeb hah-zee-hee. I would like to try on this one.)
Salesperson: fawran. hal turiidu lawn khaaS? [فوراً. هل تريد لون خاص؟] (faw-ran. hal too-ree-doo lah-wen kass? Right away. Are you looking for any particular color?)
Omar: ‘uriidu dhaalika al-lawn [أريد ذلك اللون]. (oo-ree-doo zah-lee-kah ah-lah-wen. I want that color.)
Some relevant vocabulary from this section includes:
naw’ [نوع] (nah-weh; type/kind)
yatba’u [يتبع] (yat-bah-oo; following)
‘itba’ [اتبع] (eet-bah; follow (imperative))
‘itba’nii [اتبعني] (eet-bah-nee; follow me)
muwaafiq [موافق] (moo-wah-feek; agree)
jamiil [جميل] (jah-meel; beautiful (M))
jamiila [جميلة] (jah-mee-lah; beautiful (F))
‘ujarrib [أجرب] (oo-jah-reeb; to try (I/me))
lawn [لون] (lah-wen; color)
khaaS [خاص] (kass; particular (M))
khaaSSa [خاصة] (kah-sah; particular (F))
Comparing Merchandise
To compare two or more items, you use adjectives and their comparative forms. Here are some common adjectives and their translations:
Kabiir [كبير] (kah-beer; big)
Saghiir [صغير] (sah-gheer; small)
Hasan [حسن] (hah-san; good)
suu’ [سوء] (sooh; bad)
rakhiiS [رخيص] (rah-kees; cheap)
ghalii [غالي] (ghah-lee; expensive)
sarii’ [سريع] (sah-reeh; fast)
baTii’ [بطيء] (bah-teeh; slow)
thaqiil [ثقيل] (tah-keel; heavy)
khafiif [خفيف] (kah-feef; light)
jamiil [جميل] (jah-meel; pretty)
bashii’ [بشع] (bah-sheeh; ugly)
ba’iid [بعيد] (bah-eed; far)
qariib [قريب] (qah-reeb; near)
jadiid [جديد] (jah-deed; new)
qadiim [قديم] (qah-deem; old)
Here are the comparative forms of these adjectives and their translations:
‘akbar [أكبر] (ak-bar; bigger)
‘aSghar [أصغر] (ass-ghar; smaller)
‘aHsan [أحسن] (ah-san; better)
‘aswa’ [أسوأ] (as-wah; worse)
‘arkhas [أرخص] (ar-kas; cheaper)
‘aghlaa [أغلى] (ag-lah; more expensive)
‘asra’ [أسرع] (ass-rah; faster)
‘abTa’ [أبطأ] (ab-tah; slower)
‘athqal [أثقل] (at-kal; heavier)
‘akhfaa [أخفى] (ak-fah; lighter)
‘ajmal [أجمل] (aj-mal; prettier)
‘absha’ [أبشع] (ab-shah; uglier)
‘ab’ad [أبعد] (ab-ad; farther)
‘aqrab [أقرب] (ak-rab; nearer)
‘ajadd [أجد] (ah-jad; newer)
‘aqdam [أقدم] (ak-dam; older)
Comparative sentences follow the pattern: noun + adjective comparative form + preposition min [من] (meen; than) + second noun. It is essential to include the preposition min [من] immediately after the comparative adjective. Both nouns being compared must be defined by attaching the definite article prefix al-.
Here are some common examples of comparative sentences:
al-bint ‘akbar min al-walad [البنت أكبر من الولد]. (al-bee-net ak-bar meen al-wah-lad; The girl is bigger than the boy.)
at-tilifizyuun ‘aghlaa min al-midyaa’ [التلفزيون أغلى من المذياع]. (ah-tee-lee-fee-zee-yoon ag-lah meen al-meed-yah; The television is more expensive than the radio.)
as-sayyaara ‘asra’ min as-shaaHina [السيارة أسرع من الشاحنة]. (ah-sah-yah-rah as-rah meen ah-shah-hee-nah; The car is faster than the bus.)
aj-jakiiTa ‘arkhas min al-qamiis [الجاكيت أرخص من القميص]. (ah-jah-kee-tah ar-kas meen al-qah-mees; The jacket is cheaper than the shirt.)
You can also add demonstratives to be more specific. Examples include:
haadhihi al-bint ‘akbar min dhaalika al-walad [هذه البنت أكبر من ذلك الولد]. (hah-zee-hee al-bee-net ak-bar meen zah-lee-kah al-wah-lad; This girl is bigger than that boy.)
haadhihi as-sayyaaraat ‘asra’ min ‘tilka as-shaahinaat [هذه السيارات أسرع من تلك الشاحنات]. (hah-zee-hee ah-sah-yah-rat as-rah meen teel-kah ah-shah-hee-nat; These cars are faster than those buses.)
tilka al-‘imra’a ‘ajmal min dhaalika ar-rajul [تلك الإمرأة أجمل من ذلك الرجل]. (teel-kah al-eem-rah-ah aj-mal meen zah-lee-kah ah-rah-jool; That woman is prettier than that man.)
haadhaa al-walad ‘akbar min ‘ulaa’ika al-banaat [هذا الولد أكبر من أولئك البنات]. (hah-zah al-wah-lad ak-bar meen oo-lah-ee-kah al-bah-nat; This boy is bigger than those girls.)
The adjective comparative form remains constant regardless of whether the nouns are singular or plural, or masculine or feminine.
Picking Out the Best Item
To say something is the "best," "fastest," "cheapest," etc., you use a superlative. In Arabic, the superlative form of an adjective is the same as its comparative form. The only difference is that comparatives use the preposition min [من] (than), while superlatives do not include any preposition. For example, to say, "This is the biggest house," you say haadhaa ‘akbar manzil [هذا أكبر منزل] (hah-zah ak-bar man-zeel).
The biggest differences between superlatives and comparatives are:
The superlative adjective always comes before the noun.
When expressing a superlative using this structure, the noun is always undefined.
Here are some examples of superlative sentences using this structure:
haadhihi ‘ajmal bint [هذه أجمل بنت]. (hah-zee-hee aj-mal bee-net; This is the prettiest girl.)
dhaalika ‘ab’ad dukkaan [ذلك أبعد دكان]. (zah-lee-kah ab-ad doo-kan; That is the farthest store.)
Alternatively, you can construct a superlative sentence by switching the word order to demonstrative + defined noun + superlative adjective. If you use this order, be sure to define the noun (using 'al-'). Examples using this structure:
haadhihi al-bint ‘ajmal [هذه البنت أجمل]. (hah-zee-hee al-bee-net aj-mal; This girl is the prettiest.)
dhaalika ad-dukkaan ‘ab’ad [ذلك الدكان أبعد]. (zah-lee-kah ah-doo-kan ab-ad; That store is the farthest.)
Here is a conversation example using comparatives and superlatives when shopping for the best option:
Salesman: SabaaH an-nuur wa marHaba ‘ilaa ad-dukkaan al-iliktroniyaat [صباح النور ومرحباً إلى الدكان الإلكترونيات]. (Sah-bah ah-noor wah mar-hah-bah ee-lah ah-doo-kan al-ee-leek-troo-nee-yat. Good morning and welcome to the electronics store.)
Adam: shukran. ‘anaa ‘abHathu ‘an muSawwira [شكراً. أنا أبحث عن مصوّرة]. (shook-ran. ah-nah ab-hah-thoo an moo-sah-wee-rah. Thank you. I am looking for a camera.)
Salesman: hal tabHathu ‘an naw’ mu’ayyin? [هل تبحث عن نوع معيّن؟] (hal tab-hah-thoo an nah-weh moo-ah-yeen? Are you looking for a particular model?)
Adam: ‘abHath ‘an ‘aHsan muSawwira [أبحث عن أحسن مصوّرة]. (ab-hath an ah-san moo-sah-wee-rah. I’m looking for the best camera.)
Salesman: Tayyib. ‘indanaa haadhaa an-naw’ bi alwaan mutaghayyira [طيب. عندنا هذا النوع بألوان متغيّرة]. (Tah-yeeb. een-dah-nah hah-zah ah-nah-weh bee al-wan moo-tah-ghah-yee-rah. Okay. We have this model with different colors.)
Adam: hal ‘indakum naw’ ‘aakhar? [هل عندكم نوع آخر؟] (hal een-dah-koom nah-weh ah-kar? Do you have another model?)
Salesman: na’am. haadhaa an-naw’ ath-thaanii mashhuur ma’a az-zabaa’in [نعم. هذا النوع الثاني مشهور مع الزبائن]. (nah-am. hah-zah ah-nah-weh ah-thah-nee mash-hoor mah-ah ah-zah-bah-een. Yes. This second model is popular with customers.)
Adam: ‘ay naw’ ‘aHsan? [أي نوع أحسن؟] (ay nah-weh ah-san? Which is the best model?)
Salesman: an-naw’ ath-thaanii ‘aHsan min an-naw’ al-awwal [النوع الثاني أحسن من النوع الأول]. (ah-nah-weh ah-thah-nee ah-san meen ah-nah-weh al-ah-wal. The second model is better than the first model.)
Adam: ‘uriidu ‘an ‘ashtarii an-naw’ ath-thaanii min faDlik [أريد أن أشتري النوع الثاني من فضلك]. (oo-ree-doo an ash-tah-ree ah-nah-weh ah-thah-nee meen fad-leek. I’d like to buy the second model please.)
Salesman: ‘ikhtiyaar mumtaaz! [اختيار ممتاز!] (eek-tee-yar moom-taz! Excellent selection!)
Additional vocabulary from this section includes:
mu’ayyin [معيّن] (moo-ah-yeen; particular (M))
mu’ayyina [معيّنة] (moo-ah-yee-nah; particular (F))
mutaghayyir [متغيّر] (moo-tah-ghah-yeer; different (M))
mutaghayyira [متغيّرة] (moo-tah-ghah-yee-rah; different (F))
zabaa’in [زبائن] (zah-bah-een; customers)
‘ikhtiyaar [اختيار] (eek-tee-yar; selection (M))
‘ikthiyaara [اختيارة] (eek-tee-yah-rah; selection (F))
Shopping for Clothes
One essential item to shop for is malaabis [ملابس] (mah-lah-bees; clothes). Here are some basic articles of clothing and accessories:
sirwaal [سروال] (seer-wal; pants (S))
saraawiil [سراويل] (sah-rah-weel; pants (P))
qamiis [قميص] (qah-mees; shirt)
‘aqmisa [أقمصة] (ak-mee-sah; shirts)
mi’Taf [معطف] (meeh-taf; coat)
ma’aaTif [معاطف] (mah-ah-teef; coats)
kaswa [كسوة] (kass-wah; dress)
‘aksiwa [أكسوة] (ak-see-wah; dresses)
jallaaba [جلابة] (jah-lah-bah; Arab dress)
jallaabaat [جلابات] (jah-lah-bat; Arab dresses)
Hizaam [حزام] (hee-zam; belt)
‘aHzima [أحزمة] (ah-zee-mah; belts)
qubba’a [قبعة] (koo-bah-ah; hat)
qubba’aat [قبعات] (koo-bah-at; hats)
jawrab [جورب] (jaw-rab; sock)
jawaarib [جوارب] (jah-wah-reeb; socks)
Hidaa’ [حذاء] (hee-dah; shoe)
‘aHdiya [أحذية] (ah-dee-yah; shoes)
khaatim [خاتم] (kah-teem; ring)
saa’a [ساعة] (sah-ah; watch)
An important consideration is al-Hajem [الحجم] (al-hah-jem; size). The four standard clothes sizes are:
Saghiir [صغير] (sah-gheer; small) (American size [Men’s]: 34–36; American size [Women’s]: 6–8)
waSat [وسط] (wah-sat; medium) (American size [Men’s]: 38–40; American size [Women’s]: 10–12)
kabiir [كبير] (kah-beer; large) (American size [Men’s]: 42–44; American size [Women’s]: 14–16)
zaa’id kabiir [زائد كبير] (zah-eed kah-beer; extra large) (American size [Men’s]: 46 and above; American size [Women’s]: 18–20)
Another key aspect is lawn [لون] (lah-wen; color). Colors (‘alwaan [ألوان] (al-wan)) are adjectives that describe nouns, so a color must agree with the noun's gender. You can often tell if a noun is feminine because it ends with a fatHa [فتحة], or the "ah" sound, in about 80 percent of cases. For other nouns, you may need to look up the word in a qaamuus [قاموس] (qah-moos; dictionary) to determine its gender.
Here are the masculine and feminine forms of some common colors:
White: ‘abyaD [أبيض] (ab-yad) (M), bayDaa’ [بيضاء] (bay-dah) (F)
Black: ‘aswad [أسود] (ass-wad) (M), sawdaa’ [سوداء] (saw-dah) (F)
Red: ‘aHmar [أحمر] (ah-mar) (M), Hamraa’ [حمراء] (ham-rah) (F)
Green: ‘akhDar [أخضر] (ak-dar) (M), khaDraa’ [خضراء] (kad-rah) (F)
Blue: ‘azraq [أزرق] (az-rak) (M), zarqaa’ [زرقاء] (zar-qah) (F)
Yellow: ‘aSfar [أصفر] (ass-far) (M), Safraa’ [صفراء] (saf-rah) (F)
| # | English | Arabic | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Computer | حاسوب | Ḥāsūb |
| 2. | Internet | إنترنت | Internet |
| 3. | Love | حب | Ḥubb |
| 4. | Peace | سلام | Salām |
| 5. | Doctor | طبيب | Ṭabīb |
| 6. | Engineer | مهندس | Muhandis |
| 7. | Teacher | معلم | Muʿallim |
| 8. | Student | طالب | Ṭālib |
| 9. | Shirt | قميص | Qamīṣ |
| 10. | Shoes | أحذية | Aḥdhiya |
| 11. | Tree | شجرة | Shajara |
| 12. | Flower | زهرة | Zahra |
| 13. | Cloud | سحابة | Saḥāba |
| 14. | Wind | رياح | Rīāḥ |
| 15. | Music | موسيقى | Mūsīqā |
| 16. | Art | فن | Fann |
| 17. | Time | وقت | Waqt |
| 18. | Money | مال | Māl |
| 19. | Health | صحة | Ṣiḥḥa |
| 20. | Knowledge | معرفة | Maʿrifa |
| 21. | Problem | مشكلة | Mushkila |
| 22. | Solution | حل | Ḥall |
| 23. | Hospital | مستشفى | Mustashfá |
| 24. | Airport | مطار | Maṭār |
| 25. | Road | طريق | Ṭarīq |
| 26. | Bridge | جسر | Jisr |
| 27. | Light | ضوء | Ḍawʾ |
| 28. | Dark | ظلام | Ẓalām |
| 29. | City | مدينة | Madīna |
| 30. | Village | قرية | Qarya |
English: I need to buy some groceries.
Arabic: أحتاج أن أشتري بعض البقالة.
Transliteration: Ahtaju an ashtariya ba'da al-baqala.
Word-by-word: Ahtaju [I need] an [that/to] ashtariya [I buy] ba'da [some (part of)] al-baqala [the groceries (genitive)].
English: She likes to listen to podcasts.
Arabic: تحب أن تستمع إلى المدونات الصوتية.
Transliteration: Tuhibbu an tastami'a ila al-mudawwanat as-sawtiyya.
Word-by-word: Tuhibbu [she likes/loves] an [that/to] tastami'a [she listens] ila [to] al-mudawwanat [the blogs/podcasts (plural genitive)] as-sawtiyya [the audio (feminine plural)].
English: He is planning a trip for next month.
Arabic: هو يخطط لرحلة للشهر القادم.
Transliteration: Huwa yukhattitu li-rihlatin li-ash-shahri al-qadim.
Word-by-word: Huwa [he] yukhattitu [he plans] li-rihlatin [for a trip (feminine genitive)] li-ash-shahri [for the month (genitive)] al-qadim [the next (masculine)].
English: They are very dedicated to their work and their team.
Arabic: هم ملتزمون جداً بعملهم وفريقهم.
Transliteration: Hum multazimuna jiddan bi-'amalihim wa fareeqihim.
Word-by-word: Hum [they (masculine plural)] multazimuna [committed/dedicated (plural)] jiddan [very] bi-'amalihim [with their work] wa [and] fareeqihim [their team].
تدرب على العبارات التي تعلمتها حتى الآن أو أي عبارات جديدة، يمكنك استخدام روبوت الدردشة أو المترجم المتوفر