chapter 9
This source offers guidance on navigating transportation and asking for directions in Arabic. It covers various modes of transit, including airplanes, taxis, buses, and trains, explaining how to make reservations, purchase tickets, and handle procedures at the airport like registration, immigration, and customs. The text also provides essential vocabulary and phrases related to travel, such as words for luggage, passport, seats, and ticket types. Furthermore, it details how to formulate and understand questions about location, including common prepositions and command forms for giving directions.
Asking for and Understanding Directions
To ask for and understand directions, or ‘ittijaahaat [اتجاهات] (ee-tee-jah-hat), in Arabic, you need to be familiar with specific questions, answer structures, courtesy phrases, and command forms.
Asking "Where" Questions
The best way to get directions is by asking questions that start with ‘ayna [أين] (eh-yeh-nah; where). The structure for these questions is relatively straightforward: 'ayna [أين] followed by the subject.
Here are some examples of common 'ayna [أين] questions:
‘ayna al-funduq? [أين الفندق؟] (eh-yeh-nah al-foon-dook; Where is the hotel?)
‘ayna al-haatif? [أين الهاتف؟] (eh-yeh-nah al-haa-teef; Where is the phone?)
‘ayna al-mirHaaD? [أين المرحاض؟] (eh-yeh-nah al-meer-haad; Where is the bathroom?)
When asking these questions, you must define the subject by adding the definite article prefix al- [الـ] to the noun. For example, funduq [فندق] means "hotel," so "the hotel" is al-funduq [الفندق]. Asking "Where is the hotel?" is ‘ayna al-funduq? [أين الفندق؟], not ‘ayna funduq? [أين فندق؟].
Answering "Where" Questions
Answers to ‘ayna [أين] questions often follow a structure of subject, preposition, object. Familiarity with common prepositions is essential to establish the relationship between the subject (what or who you're looking for) and the object (the location).
Here are examples of ‘ayna [أين] questions and their corresponding replies, demonstrating the structure and use of prepositions:
‘ayna al-mustashfaa? [أين المستشفى؟] (eh-yeh-nah al-moos-tash-faah; Where is the hospital?)
al-mustashfaa fii al-madiina [المستشفى في المدينة]. (al-moos-tash-faah fee al-mah-dee-nah; The hospital is in the city.)
‘ayna al-maT’am? [أين المطعم؟] (eh-yeh-nah al-mah-tam; Where is the restaurant?)
al-maT’am qariib min al-funduq [المطعم قريب من الفندق]. (al-mah-tam qah-reeb meen al-foon-dook; The restaurant is close to the hotel.)
‘ayna al-kitaab? [أين الكتاب؟] (eh-yeh-nah al-kee-taab; Where is the book?)
al-kitaab taHta aT-Taawila [الكتاب تحت الطاولة]. (al-kee-taab tah-tah at-tah-wee-lah; The book is underneath the table.)
The subject in the reply to an ‘ayna [أين] question must also be defined using the definite article prefix al- [الـ] or by including a predefined object.
Common prepositions include:
‘alaa [على] (ah-laah; on)
fii [في] (fee; in)
‘ilaa [إلى] (ee-laah; to)
qariib min [قريب من] (qah-reeb meen; close to)
ba’id min [بعيد من] (bah-eed meen; far from)
bijaanib [بجانب] (bee-jaah-neeb; next to)
fawqa [فوق] (faw-qah; on top of)
taHta [تحت] (tah-tah; underneath/below)
‘amaama [أمام] (ah-maah-mah; in front of)
waraa’a [وراء] (wah-raah-ah; behind)
yamiin min [يمين من] (yah-meen meen; right of)
yasiir min [يسير من] (yah-seer meen; left of)
Asking with Courtesy
It's important to be polite when asking for directions. You should start by saying a greeting like as-salaamu ‘alaykum [السلام عليكم] (ah-sah-lah-moo ah-lay-koom; hello) or ‘ahlan wa sahlan [أهلاً وسهلاً] (ah-hel-an wah sah-hel-an; hi), and then ask permission to ask a question.
A courteous way to start the exchange is:
‘afwan. hal yumkin ‘an ‘as’alaka su’aal? [عَفواً. هل يمكن أن أسألك سؤال؟] (ahf-wan. hal yoom-keen an ass-ah-lah-kah soo-aah-l; Excuse me. May I ask you a question?)
Once the person agrees, you can then ask for directions.
Dealing with Difficulty in Understanding
If the ссыл
System: the person giving directions speaks too fast or you can't understand them, you can use phrases to ask them to slow down or repeat themselves.
Useful phrases include:
‘afwan [عَفواً] (ahf-wan; excuse me/pardon me)
‘ismaH lii [اسمح لي] (ees-maah lee; excuse me)
laa ‘afham [لا أفهم] (laa ah-fham; I don’t understand)
takallam bi baT’in min faDlik [تكلم ببطء من فضلك] (tah-kah-lahm bee bat-een meen fahd-leek; speak slowly please)
hal yumkin ‘an ta’id min faDlik? [هل يمكن أن تعيد من فضلك؟] (hal yoom-keen an tah-eed meen fahd-leek; Could you repeat please?)
‘a’id min faDlik [أعد من فضلك] (ah-eed meen fahd-leek; Repeat please)
maadhaa qult? [ماذا قلت؟] (maah-zaah koo-let; What did you say?)
Here is a conversation demonstrating these phrases:
John: ‘afwan. hal yumkin ‘an ‘as’alaka su’aal? [عَفواً. هل يمكن أن أسألك سؤال؟] (ahf-wan. hal yoom-keen an ass-ah-lah-kah soo-aah-l? Excuse me. May I ask you a question?)
Maria: na’am [نعم] (nah-ahm. Yes.)
John: ‘ayna al-madrasa? [أين المدرسة؟] (eh-yeh-nah al-mah-drah-sah? Where is the school?)
Maria: maa ‘ismu al-madrasa? [ما اسم المدرسة؟] (maah ees-muh al-mah-drah-sah? What’s the name of the school?)
John: al-madrasa al-amriikiiyya [المدرسة الأمريكية]. (al-mah-drah-sah al-am-ree-kee-yah. The American school.)
Maria: al-madrasa ba’iida min hunaa [المدرسة بعيدة من هنا]. (al-mah-drah-sah bah-ee-dah meen hoo-naah. The school is far from here.)
John: laa ‘afham. hal yumkin ‘an ta’id min faDlik? [لا أفهم. هل يمكن أن تعيد من فضلك؟] (laa ah-fham. hal yoom-keen an tah-eed meen fahd-leek? I don’t understand. Could you repeat please?)
Maria: al-madrasa laysat qariiba min hunaa. yajib ‘an ta’khudh al-haafila ‘ilaa waSat al-madiina [المدرسة ليست قريبة من هنا. يجب أن تأخذ الحافلة إلى وسط المدينة]. (al-mah-drah-sah lay-saht qah-ree-bah meen hoo-naah. yah-jeeb an tah-khoo-dh al-haa-fee-lah ee-laah wah-saht al-mah-dee-nah. The school is not close to here. You must take the bus to the center of the city.)
John: fahamt! Shukran jaziilan [فهمت! شكراً جزيلاً]. (fah-ha-met! shook-ran jah-zee-lan. I understand! Thank you very much.)
Maria: ‘afwan [عَفواً]. (ahf-wan. You’re welcome.)
Using Command Forms
When someone directs you to a location, they often use command forms. Command forms can differ based on whether you are speaking to a man (Masculine Command) or a woman (Feminine Command).
Here are some common command forms:
‘a’id [أعد] (ah-eed; repeat) - Masculine / ‘a’idii [أعدي] (ah-eed-ee; repeat) - Feminine
‘idhhab [اذهب] (eez-hab; go) - Masculine / ‘idhhabii [اذهبي] (eez-hab-ee; go) - Feminine
khudh [خذ] (khooz; take) - Masculine / khudhii [خذي] (khooz-ee; take) - Feminine
Tuf [طف] (toof; turn) - Masculine / Tufii [طفي] (toof-ee; turn) - Feminine
qif [قف] (keef; stop) - Masculine / qifii [قفي] (keef-ee; stop) - Feminine
Note that ‘imshii [امشي] (eem-shee; walk) is a special command form that is gender-neutral.
Here's a conversation showing how command forms are used:
Susan: ‘afwan. hal yumkin ‘an ‘as’alaka su’aal? [عَفواً. هل يمكن أن أسألك سؤال؟] (ahf-wan. hal yoom-keen an ass-ah-lah-kah soo-aah-l? Excuse me. May I ask you a question?)
Rita: Taba’an [طبعاً]. (tah-bah-an. Of course.)
Susan: ‘ayna funduq al-jawhara? [أين فندق الجوهرة؟] (eh-yeh-nah foon-dook al-jaw-ha-rah? Where is the Jawhara Hotel?)
Rita: ‘aDHunnu ‘anna haadhaa al-funduq fii waSat al-madiina [أظن أن هذا الفندق في وسط المدينة]. (ah-zuh-nuh an-nah hah-zah al-foon-dook fee wah-sat al-mah-dee-nah. I believe that this hotel is in the center of the city.)
Susan: na’am. kayfa ‘adhhabu hunaaka? [نعم. كيف أذهب هناك؟] (nah-ahm. kay-fah az-hah-boo hoo-naah-kah? Yes. How do I get there?)
Rita: Taba’an. ‘idhhabii ‘ilaa shaari’ Hassan thumma Tufii ‘ilaa al-yamiin [طبعاً. اذهبي إلى شارع حسان ثم طفي إلى اليمين]. (tah-bah-an. eez-hab-ee ee-laah shah-reeh hah-san thoo-mah toof-ee ee-laah al-yah-meen. Certainly. Go to Avenue Hassan, then turn right.)
Susan: kwayyis [كويس]. (kwah-yees. Okay.)
Rita: thumma ‘imshii ‘ilaa al-maktaba wa qifii. al-funduq ‘amaama al-maktaba. Al-funduq fii ash-shamaal [ثم امشي إلى المكتبة وقفي. الفندق أمام المكتبة. الفندق في الشمال]. (thoo-maah eem-shee ee-laah al-mak-tah-bah wah keef-ee. al-foon-dook ah-maah-mah al-mak-tah-bah. al-foon-dook fee as-shah-maal. Then walk toward the library and stop. The hotel is in front of the library. The hotel is facing north.)
Susan: shukran li musaa’adatuki [شكراً لمساعدتكِ]. (shook-ran lee moo-saa-ah-dah-too-kee. Thank you for your help.)
| **English** | **Standard Arabic** | **Transliteration** |
|-----------------------|----------------------|------------------------------|
| 1. **Brain** | دماغ | *Dimāgh* |
| 2. **Heart** | قلب | *Qalb* |
| 3. **Lungs** | رئتين | *Riʾatayn* |
| 4. **Bone** | عظم | *ʿAẓm* |
| 5. **Muscle** | عضلة | *ʿAḍala* |
| 6. **Library** | مكتبة | *Maktaba* |
| 7. **University** | جامعة | *Jāmiʿa* |
| 8. **Homework** | واجب منزلي | *Wājib manzilī* |
| 9. **Exam** | امتحان | *Imtiḥān* |
| 10. **Graduation** | تخرج | *Takharruj* |
| 11. **Diploma** | شهادة | *Shahāda* |
| 12. **Experiment** | تجربة | *Tajriba* |
| 13. **Airplane** | طائرة | *Ṭāʾira* |
| 14. **Subway** | مترو أنفاق | *Mitrū anfāq* |
| 15. **Bicycle** | دراجة | *Darāja* |
| 16. **Helicopter** | هليكوبتر | *Hīlikūbtir* |
| 17. **Ship** | سفينة | *Safīna* |
| 18. **Cloudy** | غائم | *Ghāʾim* |
| 19. **Storm** | عاصفة | *ʿĀṣifa* |
| 20. **Humidity** | رطوبة | *Raṭūba* |
| 21. **Fog** | ضباب | *Ḍabāb* |
| 22. **Joy** | فرح | *Faraḥ* |
| 23. **Excitement** | حماس | *Ḥamās* |
| 24. **Boredom** | ملل | *Malal* |
| 25. **Curiosity** | فضول | *Fuḍūl* |
| 26. **Trust** | ثقة | *Thiqa* |
| 27. **Respect** | احترام | *Iḥtirām* |
| 28. **Kindness** | لطف | *Luṭf* |
| 29. **Honesty** | صدق | *Ṣidq* |
| 30. **Bravery** | شجاعة | *Shajāʿa* |
* English: Hello.
Arabic: أهلاً وسهلاً.
Transliteration: 'Ahlan wa sahlan.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Ahlan [Welcome] wa [and] sahlan [ease/well-being].)
* English: How are you? (to a male)
Arabic: كيف حالك؟
Transliteration: Kayfa haluka?
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Kayfa [How] haluka [your condition/state]?)
* English: I am fine, thank you.
Arabic: أنا بخير، شكراً.
Transliteration: 'Ana bi-khayr, shukran.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Ana [I] bi-khayr [in-good-state], shukran [thank-you].)
* English: What is your name? (to a male)
Arabic: ما اسمك؟
Transliteration: Ma ismuka?
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Ma [What] ismuka [your name]?)
* English: My name is Ahmed.
Arabic: اسمي أحمد.
Transliteration: Ismee 'Ahmad.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Ismee [My name] 'Ahmad [Ahmed].)
* English: Good morning.
Arabic: صباح الخير.
Transliteration: Sabaah al-khayr.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Sabaah [Morning] al-khayr [the good/ الخير].)
* English: Good evening.
Arabic: مساء الخير.
Transliteration: Masaa' al-khayr.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Masaa' [Evening] al-khayr [the good/ الخير].)
* English: Please.
Arabic: من فضلك.
Transliteration: Min fadhlika.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Min [From] fadhlika [your favor].)
* English: Thank you very much.
Arabic: شكراً جزيلاً.
Transliteration: Shukran jazeelan.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Shukran [Thank-you] jazeelan [very much].)
* English: You're welcome.
Arabic: على الرحب والسعة.
Transliteration: 'Alaa al-rahbi wa al-sa'ah.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Alaa [Upon] al-rahbi [the spaciousness/welcoming] wa [and] al-sa'ah [the capacity/willingness].)
* English: Yes.
Arabic: نعم.
Transliteration: Na'am.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Na'am [Yes].)
* English: No.
Arabic: لا.
Transliteration: Laa.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Laa [No].)
* English: I don't understand.
Arabic: لا أفهم.
Transliteration: Laa 'afham.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Laa [Not] 'afham [I understand].)
* English: Do you speak English? (to a male)
Arabic: هل تتكلم الإنجليزية؟
Transliteration: Hal tatakallamu al-ingleezeeyah?
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Hal [Question particle] tatakallamu [you speak] al-ingleezeeyah [the English]?)
* English: I speak a little Arabic.
Arabic: أتكلم قليلاً من العربية.
Transliteration: 'Atakallamu qaleelan min al-'arabiyyah.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Atakallamu [I speak] qaleelan [a little] min [from] al-'arabiyyah [the Arabic].)
* English: Where is the bathroom?
Arabic: أين الحمام؟
Transliteration: 'Ayna al-hammaam?
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Ayna [Where] al-hammaam [the bathroom]?)
* English: How much does this cost?
Arabic: كم هذا؟
Transliteration: Kam haadhaa?
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Kam [How much] haadhaa [this]?)
* English: I am hungry. (male)
Arabic: أنا جائع.
Transliteration: 'Ana jaa'i'.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Ana [I] jaa'i' [hungry].)
* English: I am thirsty. (female)
Arabic: أنا عطشانة.
Transliteration: 'Ana 'atshaanah.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Ana [I] 'atshaanah [thirsty].)
* English: Good luck!
Arabic: حظاً سعيداً!
Transliteration: Hadhdhan sa'eedan!
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Hadhdhan [Luck] sa'eedan [happy/fortunate]!)
* English: What time is it?
Arabic: كم الساعة الآن؟
Transliteration: Kam al-saa'ah al-'aan?
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Kam [How much/What] al-saa'ah [the hour/time] al-'aan [the now]?)
* English: See you later.
Arabic: أراك لاحقاً.
Transliteration: 'Araaka laahiqan.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Araaka [I see you] laahiqan [later].)
* English: Have a nice day.
Arabic: يوم سعيد.
Transliteration: Yawmun sa'eed.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Yawmun [A day] sa'eed [happy].)
* English: I love you.
Arabic: أحبك.
Transliteration: 'Uhibbuka.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Uhibbuka [I love you].)
* English: This is beautiful.
Arabic: هذا جميل.
Transliteration: Haadhaa jameel.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Haadhaa [This] jameel [beautiful].)
* English: Can you help me?
Arabic: هل يمكنك مساعدتي؟
Transliteration: Hal yumkinuka musaa'adati?
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Hal [Question particle] yumkinuka [is it possible for you] musaa'adati [my helping]?)
* English: I need help.
Arabic: أحتاج مساعدة.
Transliteration: 'Ahtaaju musaa'adah.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Ahtaaju [I need] musaa'adah [help].)
* English: Where are you from? (to a male)
Arabic: من أين أنت؟
Transliteration: Min 'ayna 'anta?
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): (Min [From] 'ayna [where] 'anta [you]?)
* English: I am from South Africa.
Arabic: أنا من جنوب أفريقيا.
Transliteration: 'Ana min janoob 'afreeqiyaa.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Ana [I] min [from] janoob [south] 'afreeqiyaa [Africa].)
* English: Goodbye.
Arabic: إلى اللقاء.
Transliteration: 'Ilaa al-liqaa'.
Arabic Transliteration (word-for-word): ('Ilaa [To] al-liqaa' [the meeting/encounter].)
Practice the phrases you learned so far or any new phrases, you can use the AI chatbot or translator provided/تدرب على العبارات التي تعلمتها حتى الآن أو أي عبارات جديدة، يمكنك استخدام روبوت الدردشة أو المترجم المتوفر