Arabic · Reference
Frames & Phrasebook
The compressed essence of Units 1–8: every fixed phrase, every sentence frame, the agreement rules, and the numbers in all their forms. Print it; it fits on four pages.
1. Fixed phrases
| situation | Arabic | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| greet | السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُم | peace be upon you |
| reply | وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلام | and upon you be peace |
| welcome someone | أَهْلاً وَسَهْلاً | welcome |
| part | مَعَ السَّلامَة | goodbye (go in safety) |
| "how are you" answer | بِخَيْرٍ، وَالحَمْدُ لله | fine, praise be to God |
| admire | ما شاءَ الله | mā shāʾ Allāh |
| after naming the Prophet | صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ | peace & blessings upon him |
| rally | هَيّا بِنا | let's go |
| call someone | يا والِدي | O my father (يا + any name/title) |
| shopkeeper's opener | أَيَّ خِدْمَةٍ؟ | how can I help? (lit. which service?) |
| ask politely | … مِنْ فَضْلِكَ | … please |
| hand over / invite in | تَفَضَّلْ | please, go ahead, here you are |
| admit someone | اُدْخُلْ | come in |
| thank / decline more | شُكْراً | thank you (also "no, thanks") |
| we've got… | لَدَيْنا … | we have … |
| ask to see | أُريدُ مُشاهَدَةَ … | I'd like to see … (the flat, the furniture) |
| anything else? | هَلْ تُريدُ شَيْئاً آخَرَ؟ | do you want anything else? |
| the day off / a work day | هَذا يَوْمُ العُطْلَةِ · هَذا يَوْمُ العَمَلِ | this is the holiday · this is a working day |
| add "too" | … أَيْضاً | … also (sentence-final) |
| Friday prayer | أُصَلّي الجُمُعَةَ في المَسْجِدِ الكَبيرِ | I pray Friday prayer in the big mosque |
| ask politely (to a woman) | … مِنْ فَضْلِكِ | … please |
| reply to thanks | عَفْواً | you're welcome |
| order some of something | بَعْضَ السَّمَكِ مِنْ فَضْلِكِ | some fish, please |
| state a preference | لا، أُفَضِّلُ القَهْوَةَ | no, I prefer coffee |
| coffee, how | القَهْوَةَ بِالحَليبِ | coffee with milk |
| say you're hungry | أَنا جَوْعانُ جِدّاً | I'm very hungry |
| the meal is served | الغَداءُ عَلى المائِدَةِ | lunch is on the table |
| tell someone to stop / sit | لا تَأْكُلْ · اِجْلِسْ | don't eat · sit down |
| ask the reason | لِماذا؟ | why? |
| answer the reason | لِلصَّلاةِ في المَسْجِدِ الحَرامِ | for the prayer in the Sacred Mosque |
| after any plan | … إِنْ شاءَ اللهُ | … God willing |
| thank for advice | جَزاكَ اللهُ خَيْراً | may God reward you |
| approve an idea | هَذِهِ فِكْرَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ | that's a good idea |
| concede and apologise | هَذا صَحيحٌ. آسِفٌ. | that's true. Sorry. |
| hold someone up | اِنْتَظِرْ، أَنا ذاهِبٌ مَعَكَ | wait, I'm coming with you |
| say you can't | لا أَسْتَطيعُ | I can't |
| rally (Unit 6 line) | هَذا أَذانُ العَصْرِ. هَيّا بِنا إِلى المَسْجِدِ | that's the ʿaṣr adhān. Let's go to the mosque |
2. Question frames
| ask about | frame | answer frame |
|---|---|---|
| name | ما اسْمُكَ / اسْمُكِ؟ | اِسْمي … |
| state | كَيْفَ حالُكَ / حالُكِ؟ | بِخَيْرٍ، وَالحَمْدُ لله |
| origin | مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ / أَنْتِ؟ | أَنا مِنْ … |
| yes/no | هَلْ أَنْتَ …؟ / هَلْ تَسْكُنُ في …؟ | نَعَمْ، … / لا، … |
| person | مَنْ هَذا / هَذِهِ؟ | هَذا / هَذِهِ … |
| place | أَيْنَ …؟ | … في الـ… |
| where you live | أَيْنَ تَسْكُنُ؟ | أَسْكُنُ في بَيْتٍ / شَقَّةٍ / حَيِّ … |
| a label number | ما رَقْمُ شَقَّتِكَ؟ | ٥ (خَمْسَة) |
| what (before a verb) | ماذا تُريدُ لِـ…؟ | أُريدُ …ًا |
| how many | كَمْ غُرْفَةً في …؟ | في … خَمْسُ غُرَفٍ |
| which | في أَيِّ دَوْرٍ …؟ | … في الدَّوْرِ الخامِسِ |
| when | مَتى تَسْتَيْقِظُ / تَذْهَبُ …؟ | عِنْدَ الفَجْرِ · بَعْدَ الصَّلاةِ · السّاعَةَ السّابِعَةَ · مُبَكِّراً |
| what do you do (m. / f.) | ماذا تَفْعَلُ / تَفْعَلينَ …؟ | أَقْرَأُ القُرْآنَ · أُشاهِدُ التِّلْفازَ |
| what will you do (m. / f.) | ماذا سَتَفْعَلُ / سَتَفْعَلينَ؟ | سَأَكْنُسُ … · سَأَغْسِلُ … |
| how (by what) | هَلْ تَذْهَبُ بِالسَّيّارَةِ؟ | لا، أَذْهَبُ بِالحافِلَةِ |
| where you pray | أَيْنَ تُصَلّي الفَجْرَ / الجُمُعَةَ / الصَّلَواتِ الخَمْسَ؟ | أُصَلّي … في المَسْجِدِ (الكَبيرِ) · في مَسْجِدِ بِلالٍ · في البَيْتِ |
| where to | إِلى أَيْنَ أَنْتَ مُسافِرٌ؟ | أَنا مُسافِرٌ إِلى مَكَّةَ / المَدينَةِ |
| why (with a describing word) | لِماذا أَنْتَ مُسافِرٌ إِلى …؟ | لِلصَّلاةِ في … |
| how you'll travel | كَيْفَ سَتُسافِرُ إِلى …؟ | أَرْكَبُ الطّائِرَةَ |
| a state | هَلْ أَنْتَ مَريضٌ؟ / أَنْتِ مَريضَةٌ؟ | لا، أَنا بِخَيْرٍ |
3. The agreement machine
| role | masculine | feminine | rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| you | أَنْتَ | أَنْتِ | final vowel: a / i |
| your … | ـكَ (اسْمُكَ) | ـكِ (اسْمُكِ) | same vowel switch |
| he / she | هُوَ | هِيَ | — |
| this | هَذا | هَذِهِ | match the person/thing |
| predicate | طالِبٌ، مِصْرِيٌّ | طالِبَةٌ، مِصْرِيَّةٌ | add ة |
| adjective after a noun | بَيْتٌ جَميلٌ | شَقَّةٌ جَميلَة | follows the noun; add ة |
| ranking word | الدَّوْرُ الخامِسُ | الغُرْفَةُ الخامِسَة | same slot as an adjective; add ة (1st: الأُولى) |
| verb (present) he / she | يَقْرَأُ | تَقْرَأُ | prefix: يـ he · تـ she |
| verb (present) I / you (m.) | أَسْكُنُ، أُريدُ | تَسْكُنُ، تُريدُ | prefix: أـ I · تـ you (m.) — تـ also = she |
| verb (present) you (m.) / you (f.) | تَفْعَلُ، تَكْنُسُ، تُشاهِدُ | تَفْعَلينَ، تَكْنُسينَ، تُشاهِدينَ | to a woman add ـينَ |
| verb (future) | سَأَكْنُسُ، سَتَفْعَلُ | سَتَفْعَلينَ | سَـ in front = will; the rest unchanged |
| adjective after a noun with الـ | المَسْجِدُ الكَبيرُ | (الغُرْفَةُ الكَبيرَة) | الـ on both; after في both end -i (في المَسْجِدِ الكَبيرِ) |
| clock hour | — | السّاعَةُ السّابِعَة | السّاعَة is a she-noun: ranking word with ة |
| “I am travelling / going” (a describing word, no verb) | أَنا / أَنْتَ / هُوَ مُسافِرٌ · ذاهِبٌ | أَنْتِ / هِيَ مُسافِرَةٌ | same slot as طالِب / طالِبَة; add ة |
| command from the he-form | يَسْتَيْقِظُ ← اِسْتَيْقِظْ · يَضَعُ ← ضَعْ · يَأْكُلُ ← كُلْ | (to a woman, later) | strip يَـ, cut the ending, alif in front if two silent letters meet; the book gives the masculine only |
| the five prayers | — | الصَّلَواتُ الخَمْسُ | a definite noun takes its number after it, with الـ; still the opposite gender |
| verb (past) he / she | بَدَأَ، غَسَلَ، كَتَبَ | بَدَأَتْ | the past marks the person with an ending, not a front letter (Unit 7) |
| “will be” + what you are | سَأَكونُ / سَيَكونُ مُدَرِّساً | سَأَكونُ / سَتَكونُ مُدَرِّسَةً | كانَ puts what follows in the ـاً / ـةً ending (Unit 7) |
| the job after a verb | أَعْمَلُ طَبيباً · سَأَعْمَلُ صَيْدَلِيّاً | أَعْمَلُ طَبيبَةً | any verb in front: the job ends ـاً / ـةً; with no verb it is ـٌ (أَنا طَبيبٌ) (Unit 8) |
| “have” with لِـ | لَكَ (you) · لَهُ (he) | لَكِ (you) · لَها (she) | لِـ turns to لَـ before an ending; only لي (I) keeps the i (Unit 8) |
| verb (past) I | دَرَسْتُ | ـْتُ = I; one verb so far, دَرَسَ (Unit 8 p.207) | |
4. Possession suffixes so far
| suffix | example | meaning | watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ـي | والِدي، جَدِّي، أُسْرَتي | my … | ة opens to ت before a suffix: صَديقَة ← صَديقَتي · عَمَّة ← عَمَّتُهُ · شَقَّة ← شَقَّتِكَ |
| ـهُ | والِدُهُ، عَمُّهُ، ابْنَتُهُ | his … | |
| ـكَ / ـكِ | اسْمُكَ، شَقَّتِكَ، بَيْتِكَ، مِهْنَتُكَ | your … | |
| ـها | عَمَلُها، لَها | her … (Unit 8) |
The rest of the suffix set (our/their…) comes later in the course. لَدَيْنا "we have" carries ـنا (us) inside a fixed phrase; Unit 6 adds ـكَ to two placing words, مَعَكَ and بِجانِبِكَ; Unit 8 puts the whole row on لِـ to say “have” (لي، لَكَ، لَكِ، لَهُ، لَها) and prints لَدَيَّ, “I have”.
5. Sentence shapes so far
| shape | example | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| point + describe | هَذا أَخي. هُوَ مُدَرِّسٌ. | This is my brother. He is a teacher. |
| point + name + describe | هَذا والِدي عَدْنان وَهُوَ مُهَنْدِسٌ. | This is my father ʿAdnān, and he is an engineer. |
| person + في + place + verb | سَعِيدٌ في الغُرْفَةِ يَقْرَأُ القُرْآنَ. | Saʿīd is in the room reading the Qur'an. |
| this is THE one | هَذا هُوَ المِعْطَفُ. | Here it is — the coat. |
| I live in … | أَسْكُنُ في شَقَّةٍ في حَيِّ الجامِعَةِ. | I live in a flat in the University district. |
| I want + thing (ـًا) | أُريدُ سَريرًا وَسِتارَةً. | I want a bed and a curtain. |
| noun + adjective | لَدَيْنا شَقَّةٌ جَميلَة. | We have a nice flat. |
| count (3–10) | في الشَّقَّةِ خَمْسُ غُرَفٍ. | In the flat there are five rooms. |
| rank | الشَّقَّةُ في الدَّوْرِ الخامِسِ. | The flat is on the fifth floor. |
| for + room | ماذا تُريدُ لِغُرْفَةِ النَّوْمِ؟ لِلمَطْبَخِ؟ | What do you want for the bedroom? for the kitchen? (لِ + الـ = لِلـ) |
| when + time word | أَسْتَيْقِظُ عِنْدَ الفَجْرِ. لا أَنامُ بَعْدَ الصَّلاةِ. | I wake up at dawn. I don't sleep after the prayer. (عِنْدَ at · بَعْدَ after · لا + verb = don't) |
| when, no preposition | أَذْهَبُ السّاعَةَ السّابِعَةَ. أَسْتَيْقِظُ يَوْمَ العُطْلَةِ مُبَكِّراً. | I go at seven. I wake up early on the day off. (the time word ends -a = at / on) |
| will | سَأَكْنُسُ غُرْفَةَ الجُلوسِ. | I'll sweep the living room. (سَـ + verb) |
| to … by … | أَذْهَبُ إِلى المَدْرَسَةِ بِالحافِلَةِ. | I go to school by bus. (إِلى to · بِـ by) |
| noun + adjective, both الـ | أُصَلّي في المَسْجِدِ الكَبيرِ أَيْضاً. | I pray in the big mosque too. |
| eat / drink at a meal | ماذا تَأْكُلُ في الغَداءِ؟ آكُلُ الأَرُزَّ وَالخُبْزَ. | What do you eat at lunch? I eat rice and bread. (في + a meal) |
| order from a category | ماذا تَطْلُبينَ مِنَ الطَّعامِ؟ بَعْضَ السَّمَكِ. | What will you have to eat? Some fish. (مِنْ → مِنَ before الـ) |
| talk about a third person | قاسِمٌ يَأْكُلُ ثَلاثَ وَجَباتٍ. زَيْنَبُ تَأْكُلُ الدَّجاجَ. | Qasim eats three meals. Zaynab eats chicken. (يَـ he · تَـ she) |
| order / forbid | اِجْلِسْ. لا تَأْكُلِ الطَّعامَ. | Sit down. Don't eat the food. (bare stem · لا + cut ending) |
| list with no verb | سَمَكٌ وَلَحْمٌ وَدَجاجٌ وَأَرُزٌّ! | Fish and meat and chicken and rice! (bare nouns, each -un, is a whole sentence) |
| how much you weigh | ما وَزْنُكَ؟ ٦٠ كيلاً. | What do you weigh? 60 kilos. |
| which prayer, where | أُصَلّي الظُّهْرَ في مَسْجِدِ بِلالٍ. | I pray ẓuhr in Bilal's mosque. (prayer -a · place -i · a mosque named after a person) |
| travelling / going to | أَنا مُسافِرٌ إِلى مَكَّةَ. أَنا ذاهِبٌ إِلى المَسْجِدِ. | I'm travelling to Mecca. I'm going to the mosque. (no verb; مَكَّةَ refuses its -i) |
| the reason, in one word | لِماذا؟ لِلصَّلاةِ في المَسْجِدِ النَّبَوِيِّ. | Why? For the prayer in the Prophet's Mosque. (لِـ = in order to) |
| command | اِسْتَيْقِظْ مُبَكِّراً. ضَعِ المُنَبِّهَ بِجانِبِكَ. اِنْتَظِرْ. | Wake up early. Put the alarm beside you. Wait. |
| X is better | الصَّلاةُ في المَسْجِدِ أَفْضَلُ. | Prayer in the mosque is better. (no “than”; أَفْضَلُ never takes tanwīn) |
| a state, and its denial | هَلْ أَنْتَ مَريضٌ؟ لا، أَنا بِخَيْرٍ. أَنْتَ كَسْلانُ. | Are you ill? No, I'm fine. You're lazy. |
| with you | أَنا ذاهِبٌ مَعَكَ. | I'm coming with you. (مَعَ + ـكَ) |
| what somebody did | بَدَأَتِ الحِصَّةُ، وجاءَ المُعَلِّمُ. | The class started and the teacher came. (past: the ending carries the person) |
| what you will be | سَأَكونُ طَبيبَةً، إِنْ شاءَ اللهُ. | I'll be a doctor, God willing. (سَـ + كانَ; what follows ends -an) |
| where you study | في أَيِّ كُلِّيَّةٍ تَدْرُسينَ؟ أَدْرُسُ في كُلِّيَّةِ الطِّبِّ. | Which faculty do you study at? I study at the faculty of medicine. |
| far and near | المَدْرَسَةُ بَعيدَةٌ عَنِ البَيْتِ. البَيْتُ قَريبٌ مِنَ الجامِعَةِ. | The school is far from the house. The house is near the university. |
| the school week | الدِّراسَةُ خَمْسَةُ أَيّامٍ في الأُسْبوعِ. | School is five days a week. (a he-noun, so خَمْسَة keeps its ة) |
| what you do, where | ماذا تَعْمَلُ؟ أَعْمَلُ طَبيباً في المُسْتَشْفى. | What do you do? I work as a doctor in the hospital. (the job ends -an after the verb) |
| your profession | ما مِهْنَتُكِ؟ أَنا مُدَرِّسَةٌ. | What is your profession? I'm a teacher. (the noun way to ask) |
| subject, faculty, job | أَدْرُسُ الصَّيْدَلَةَ في كُلِّيَّةِ الصَّيْدَلَةِ، سَأَعْمَلُ صَيْدَلِيّاً. | I study pharmacy at the faculty of pharmacy; I'll work as a pharmacist. |
| how many hours | كَمْ ساعَةً تَعْمَلُ في اليَوْمِ؟ أَعْمَلُ ثَمانِيَ ساعاتٍ. | How many hours do you work a day? Eight hours. (a she-noun: no ة; eight keeps its ي) |
| have | هَلْ لَكِ أَطْفالٌ؟ نَعَمْ، لي خَمْسَةُ أَطْفالٍ. | Do you have children? Yes, I have five children. (a he-noun: the ة stays) |
| like | هَلْ تُحِبُّ عَمَلَكَ؟ نَعَمْ، أُحِبُّ عَمَلي. | Do you like your work? Yes, I like my work. (to a woman: تُحِبّينَ عَمَلَكِ) |
| teach | في أَيِّ مَرْحَلَةٍ تُدَرِّسينَ؟ أُدَرِّسُ في المَرْحَلَةِ المُتَوَسِّطَةِ. | Which stage do you teach in? The intermediate stage. (teach = study with a doubled ر) |
| what I studied | دَرَسْتُ الطِّبَّ، وأَعْمَلُ الآنَ طَبيباً. | I studied medicine, and now I work as a doctor. (ـْتُ = I, Unit 8's one I-past) |
5a. One verb, three shapes (Unit 7)
The book drills these seven across all three columns (Unit 7 p.174). The past is the base form, the one a dictionary lists; the present adds a front letter; the command comes off the present.
| he did | he does | do it! | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| غَسَلَ | يَغْسِلُ | اِغْسِلْ | wash |
| شَرِبَ | يَشْرَبُ | اِشْرَبْ | drink |
| قَرَأَ | يَقْرَأُ | اِقْرَأْ | read |
| كَنَسَ | يَكْنُسُ | اُكْنُسْ | sweep |
| شاهَدَ | يُشاهِدُ | شاهِدْ | watch |
| سَمِعَ | يَسْمَعُ | اِسْمَعْ | hear |
| كَتَبَ | يَكْتُبُ | اُكْتُبْ | write |
Other past forms the book prints: بَدَأَ / بَدَأَتْ began · جاءَ came · ذَهَبَ went · دارَ took place · دَرَسَ studied · نَظَرَ looked · اِنْتَهى ended · كانَ was. The middle vowel is -a in most and -i in some (شَرِبَ، سَمِعَ); learn it with the verb. The he- and she-forms are on class pages, and one I-form: دَرَسْتُ, I studied (Unit 8 p.207). No other verb, and no other person, yet.
5b. What the marks are called (Unit 7)
| mark | name | with tanwīn | name |
|---|---|---|---|
| ـَ | فَتْحَة | ـً | تَنْوينُ النَّصْبِ |
| ـُ | ضَمَّة | ـٌ | تَنْوينُ الرَّفْعِ |
| ـِ | كَسْرَة | ـٍ | تَنْوينُ الجَرِّ |
The fourth mark has no doubled partner: ـْ is سُكون, and it means no vowel at all (مَنْ · هَلْ · عَنْ).
النَّصْب is the ending on what a verb acts on (أَقْرَأُ كِتاباً), on what you ask for (ماءً مِنْ فَضْلِكِ), on a bare time word (مُبَكِّراً، السّاعَةَ السّابِعَةَ) and after سَأَكونُ. الجَرّ is the ending after any placing word (في بَيْتٍ، عَنِ البَيْتِ). Book 1 names them and goes no further.
5c. The joining vowel before الـ
Two silent letters may not meet, so a vowel appears to carry a word into الـ. Same rule every time; only the vowel differs.
| alone | before الـ | vowel | where |
|---|---|---|---|
| مِنْ | مِنَ الطَّعامِ | -a | Unit 5 p.2, drill 7 — مِنْ is the exception |
| أَوْ | أَوِ العِنَبَ | -i | Unit 5 p.2 — the usual choice |
| عَلَيْكُمْ | وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلامُ | -u | Unit 1 — a ـكُمْ ending takes -u |
| لا تَأْكُلْ | لا تَأْكُلِ الطَّعامَ | -i | Unit 5 p.3, drill 4 |
| ضَعْ | ضَعِ المُنَبِّهَ | -i | Unit 6 p.1 (the book prints ضَع with the ع bare) |
| كُلْ | كُلِ الطَّعامَ | -i | Unit 6 drill 5's كُلْ before Unit 5's الطَّعامَ |
| عَنْ | بَعيدٌ عَنِ البَيْتِ | -i | Unit 7 p.168, frame 5 |
| بَدَأَتْ | بَدَأَتِ الحِصَّةُ | -i | Unit 7 p.164; a past verb takes it too |
| هَلْ | هَلِ الشَّقَّةُ بَعيدَةٌ؟ | -i | Unit 7 p.184 |
6. Confusion pairs
| pair | difference |
|---|---|
| مَنْ / مِنْ | man = who? · min = from — same letters, the vowel decides |
| أَنْتَ / أَنْتِ | anta to a man · anti to a woman |
| سَعْد / سَعِيد / سَعِيدَة | Saʿd · Saʿīd · Saʿīda — the book's deliberately near-twin names |
| مُدَرِّسَة / مَدْرَسَة | female teacher · school — unvowelled spelling is identical |
| حَمّام / حَمام | bathroom (double m) · pigeon |
| تَسْكُنُ | you (m.) live and she lives — one word, context decides |
| ما / ماذا | what? before a noun (ما اسْمُكَ) · what? before a verb (ماذا تُريدُ) |
| خَمْسَة / خَمْسُ / الخامِس / الخَميس | five (counting) · five (before a she-noun) · the fifth · Thursday |
| حَيّ | neighbourhood (حَيُّ المَطارِ) — the same spelling is also "alive" |
| دَوْر | floor, storey (الدَّوْرُ الخامِسُ) — also "role, turn" |
| آخَر / آخِر | other (شَيْئاً آخَرَ) · last |
| عِنْدَ / بَعْدَ | at the time of (عِنْدَ الفَجْرِ) · after (بَعْدَ الصَّلاةِ) |
| السّاعَةُ / السّاعَةَ | "the hour is …" (-u) · "at … o'clock" (-a, no preposition) |
| الجُمْعَة / الجُمُعَة | Friday, the day (Unit 3's strip) · the Friday prayer (Unit 4's vowelling) — one word, two readings |
| تَفْعَلُ / تَفْعَلينَ | you (m.) do · you (f.) do — the ـينَ ending |
| ثانِيَة | second (السّاعَةُ الثّانِيَة, two o'clock) — on its own also "a second" of time |
| الفَطور / الفَجْر | breakfast (root ف-ط-ر) · dawn (root ف-ج-ر) — near-identical at speed |
| تَأْكُلُ | you (m.) eat and she eats — like تَسْكُنُ; to a woman it is تَأْكُلينَ |
| لا تَأْكُلُ / لا تَأْكُلْ | "you don't eat" (statement, -u) · "don't eat!" (order, ending cut) |
| أُفَضِّلُ / أَفْضَلُ | I prefer (verb, Unit 5) · better, best (adjective, Unit 6) — the same consonants, both now on class pages |
| العَشاء / العِشاء | dinner (Unit 5) · the night prayer (Unit 6) — one spelling, two vowels; Unit 6's exercise 2 prints both |
| الغَداء / الغِذاء | lunch · nourishment, nutrition |
| السَّلَطَة / السُّلْطَة | salad · power, authority |
| بِـ = by / with | بِالحافِلَةِ by bus (the means) · بِالحَليبِ with milk (the companion) |
| جَوْعانُ · آخَرَ · زَيْنَبَ · كَسْلانُ · أَفْضَلُ · مَكَّةَ · عُثْمانَ | words that never take tanwīn — a bare -u or -a where you expect -un / -in; two shapes to hear coming, فَعْلان and أَفْعَل, plus names |
| أَسْمَعُ / اِسْتَمِعْ | I hear (it reaches me) · listen! (on purpose) — one root, two verbs |
| الظُّهْر / الظَّهْر | noon, the noon prayer · the back — one vowel apart |
| ضَعْ / يَضَعُ / يَنْتَظِرْ | put! · he puts · a he-form with its ending cut is not a command (the paper's planted error: اِنْتَظِرْ is) |
| أَذْهَبُ / يَذْهَبُ / ذاهِبٌ / ذَهَبَ | I go · he goes · going · went (the he-past; first seen in a Unit 6 exercise, taught from Unit 7) |
| مُسافِر / سَتُسافِرُ | travelling (a describing word) · you will travel (the verb) |
| غَسَلَ / يَغْسِلُ / اِغْسِلْ | he washed · he washes · wash! In writing the three differ by vowel marks alone, which is what Unit 7 p.182 drills |
| بَدَأَ / بَدَأَتْ | he began · she began: in the past the person is the ending, not a front letter |
| مُدَرِّسٌ / سَيَكونُ مُدَرِّساً | he is a teacher · he will be a teacher; the ending is the whole difference |
| بَعيدٌ عَنْ / قَريبٌ مِنْ | far takes عَنْ · near takes مِنْ, and they are not interchangeable |
| الصَّباح / المَساء / اللَّيْل | morning · evening · night-time; and صَباحاً / ظُهْراً / عَصْراً after a clock hour |
| دَرْس / دِراسَة / مُدَرِّس / مَدْرَسَة | a lesson · study · a teacher · a school: one root, four shapes the course now owns |
| أَدْرُسُ / أُدَرِّسُ | I study · I teach: the first vowel and a doubled ر are the whole difference (Unit 8) |
| دَرَسَتْ / دَرَسْتُ | she studied · I studied: the same letters, the vowels split them |
| صَيْدَلَة / صَيْدَلِيّ · هَنْدَسَة / مُهَنْدِس | the subject · the person who practises it (Unit 8 p.208) |
| طَيّار / طائِرَة | pilot · aeroplane, one root (Unit 8 p.208) |
| ساعَة | a clock (هَذِهِ ساعَةٌ) · an hour of time (ثَمانِيَ ساعاتٍ) · o'clock (السّاعَةُ الخامِسَةُ) |
| لِلمَطْبَخِ / لَكَ / لي | لِـ before a noun keeps its i · before an ending it is لَـ · except لي |
| ماذا تَعْمَلُ؟ / ما مِهْنَتُكَ؟ | what do you do? (the verb) · what is your profession? (the noun): one question, two ways |
7. Numbers · every form
| digit | counting | before a she-noun | before a he-noun | ranking (m. / f.) | o'clock | weekday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ١ | واحِد | (noun first: غُرْفَةٌ واحِدَةٌ) | (noun first: طِفْلٌ واحِدٌ) | الأَوَّل / الأُولى | السّاعَةُ الواحِدَة | الأَحَد |
| ٢ | اِثْنان | (dual ending, later) | الثّاني / الثّانِيَة | السّاعَةُ الثّانِيَة | الإِثْنَيْن | |
| ٣ | ثَلاثَة | ثَلاثُ غُرَفٍ | ثَلاثَةُ أَطْفالٍ | الثّالِث / الثّالِثَة | السّاعَةُ الثّالِثَة | الثُّلاثاء |
| ٤ | أَرْبَعَة | أَرْبَعُ غُرَفٍ | أَرْبَعَةُ أَطْفالٍ | الرّابِع / الرّابِعَة | السّاعَةُ الرّابِعَة | الأَرْبِعاء |
| ٥ | خَمْسَة | خَمْسُ غُرَفٍ | خَمْسَةُ أَطْفالٍ | الخامِس / الخامِسَة | السّاعَةُ الخامِسَة | الخَميس |
| ٦ | سِتَّة | سِتَّ ساعاتٍ | سِتَّةُ أَطْفالٍ | السّادِس / السّادِسَة | السّاعَةُ السّادِسَة | |
| ٧ | سَبْعَة | سَبْعَ ساعاتٍ | سَبْعَةُ أَطْفالٍ | السّابِع / السّابِعَة | السّاعَةُ السّابِعَة | |
| ٨ | ثَمانِيَة | ثَمانِيَ ساعاتٍ | ثَمانِيَةُ أَطْفالٍ | الثّامِن / الثّامِنَة | السّاعَةُ الثّامِنَة | |
| ٩ | تِسْعَة | تِسْعُ … | تِسْعَةُ أَطْفالٍ | التّاسِع / التّاسِعَة | السّاعَةُ التّاسِعَة | |
| ١٠ | عَشَرَة | عَشْرُ … | عَشَرَةُ … | العاشِر / العاشِرَة | السّاعَةُ العاشِرَة | |
| ١١ | الحادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ (f.) | السّاعَةُ الحادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ | ||||
| ١٢ | الثّانِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ (f.) | السّاعَةُ الثّانِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ |
Rules: 3–10 take the opposite gender of the counted noun (drop the ة before a she-noun, keep it before a he-noun: ثَلاثَةُ أَوْلادٍ) and the noun goes plural. Ranking words follow the noun, both with الـ, and agree normally. The counted word's ending depends only on the band in front of it: كَمْ + singular ـًا (كَمْ وَجْبَةً؟) · 3–10 + plural ـٍ (ثَلاثَ وَجَباتٍ) · 11–99 + singular ـًا (٦٠ كيلاً) · 100 + singular ـٍ (١٠٠ كيلٍ). The number's own ending is a separate matter — it takes whatever its job in the sentence calls for (خَمْسُ غُرَفٍ but آكُلُ ثَلاثَ وَجَباتٍ). Week names count from Sunday: الأَحَد (1) … الخَميس (5); السَّبْت = rest, الجُمْعَة = gathering. A clock hour is السّاعَة + the she-ranking word; "at seven" is السّاعَةَ السّابِعَةَ with no preposition (the -a does it). A definite noun takes its number after it, with الـ, still in the opposite gender: الصَّلَواتُ الخَمْسُ, the five prayers (Unit 6). Unit 7 supplies the masculine half of the polarity rule at last (خَمْسَةُ أَيّامٍ، ثَلاثَةُ أَشْهُرٍ beside سِتَّ حِصَصٍ) and prints the ranking words to ten in both genders. Unit 8 runs both halves across the range (ساعات without the ة, أَطْفال with it, frames 6 and 8 on p.201), gives eight its own shape before a she-noun (ثَمانِيَ، the ي stays), prints طِفْلٌ واحِدٌ (one after its noun), and finishes the clock: eleven and twelve are two words each, both ending -a in every slot (p.197). Still beyond the book: تِسْعُ / عَشْرُ before a she-noun, عَشَرَةُ before a he-noun, “two” with a noun, the masculine 11th and 12th, and the number-words سِتّونَ / مِائَة (Unit 5 prints the figures ٦٠ / ١٠٠, not the words). Full walk-through in the numbers chapter.
Sourced from the class textbook Units 1–8 (photos and the book PDF in your library); readings verified against Wiktionary; the number rules from Wikipedia's Arabic grammar § Numerals. Drill these live in Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3 and Lesson 4.