Arabic for Dummies

Start reading and speaking Arabic

Arabic For Dummies helps readers start speaking Modern Standard Arabic in no time. Whether you’re a student, traveler, or work in business or government, you’ll find this title to be packed with practical lessons, cultural facts, and handy references.

Inside, you’ll find guidance on basic grammar, as well as the necessary vocabulary to make introductions and greetings, use proper etiquette, make small talk, make transportation arrangements, order food and beverages, ask directions, deal with money, shop, access recreation, and handle an emergency.

• Features new and revised content
• Offers a revamped, user-friendly design to both pedagogy and organization
• Includes expanded coverage of grammar, verb conjugations, and pronunciations
• Get free access to conversational audio tracks online

If you want to start speaking Arabic, this go-to book is packed with practical instruction, cultural facts, and handy references you won’t want to be without!

Amine Bouchentouf is a native Arabic speaker from Morocco. He helped launch a year-round Arabic department at Middlebury College in Vermont, expanding upon the pre-existing, well-regarded Arabic Summer Program. He also designs, structures, and teaches beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses through the ABC Language Exchange Program in New York.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 4

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Getting Started with Arabic 5

Chapter 1: The Arabic You Already Know 7

Taking Stock of What’s Familiar 7

Discovering the Arabic Alphabet 9

All about vowels 9

All about consonants 12

Speaking Arabic like a Native 14

Chapter 2: Taking a Closer Look at the Arabic Alphabet 15

Getting a Grasp on أبجد 16

Figuring Out the Transcription 16

Getting Better Acquainted with the Script 17

Chapter 3: Tackling Basic Arabic Grammar 27

Introducing Nouns, Adjectives, and Articles 28

Getting a grip on nouns 28

Identifying adjectives 29

Discovering definite and indefinite articles 33

Understanding the interaction between nouns and adjectives 35

Creating Simple, Verb-Free Sentences 37

To be or not to be: Sentences without verbs 37

Building sentences with common prepositions 39

Using demonstratives and forming sentences 41

Forming “to be” sentences using personal pronouns 43

Creating negative “to be” sentences 44

“To be” in the past tense 46

Working with Verbs 47

Digging up the past tense 47

Examining the present tense 51

Peeking into the future tense 54

Examining irregular verb forms 55

Chapter 4: Getting Started with Basic Expressions 59

Greeting People Appropriately 59

Saying hello 60

Bidding goodbye 61

Asking how someone is 61

Responding that you’re doing well 62

Making Introductions 64

Asking “What’s your name?” 64

Responding with the possessive “My name is . . . ” 64

Saying “It’s a pleasure to meet you!” 64

Talking about Countries and Nationalities 65

Asking “Where are you from?” 66

Saying “I am from . . . ” 66

Shooting the Breeze: Talking about the Weather 68

Chapter 5: Getting Your Numbers, Dates, and Measurements Straight 73

Talking Numbers 74

Referring to Days and Months 76

Size Matters: Measuring in Arabic 79

Chapter 6: At the Office and Around the House 81

Managing the Office Environment 81

Interacting with your colleagues 83

Giving orders 87

Supplying your office 88

Life at Home 91

Part 2: Arabic in Action 97

Chapter 7: Getting to Know You: Making Small Talk 99

Asking Key Questions 100

Talking about Yourself and Your Family 102

Making Small Talk on the Job 106

Staying in Touch by Phone and Email 108

Chapter 8: Asking Directions and Finding Your Way 111

Focusing on the “Where” 111

Asking “where” questions 112

Answering “where” questions 112

Getting Direction about Directions 114

Asking for directions 114

Could you repeat that? 116

Using command forms 118

Discovering Ordinal Numbers 120

Chapter 9: Taking Care of Business and Telecommunicating 123

Making a Call: Phone Basics 124

Beginning a phone conversation 124

Asking to speak to someone 125

Planning while on the Phone 127

Making social plans 127

Making business appointments 129

Leaving a Message 131

Dealing with voice mail 131

Leaving a message with a person 132

Sending and Getting Emails 133

Sending an email in Arabic 134

Sending an email in English 134

Following proper etiquette 135

Chapter 10: This Is Delicious! Eating In and Dining Out 137

Consuming Food: All about Mealtime 137

Starting the day off with breakfast 138

Eating lunch 143

Supping at dinner 148

Enjoying a Meal at Home 149

Dining Out 149

Perusing the menu 150

Placing your order 152

Finishing your meal and paying the bill 154

Chapter 11: Going Shopping 157

Going to the Store 157

Browsing the merchandise 158

Getting around the store 159

Getting to know the verb “to search” 161

Asking for a Particular Item 163

Comparing Merchandise 166

Comparing two or more items 167

Picking out the best item 169

More than a Few Words about Buying and Selling 171

Shopping for Clothes 174

Chapter 12: Hitting the Town 179

Telling Time in Arabic 179

Specifying the time of day 181

Specifying minutes 182

Visiting Museums 187

Going to the Movies 193

Touring Religious Sites 197

A few rules to keep in mind 197

The Hajj 198

Chapter 13: Enjoying Yourself: Recreation, Music, and the Outdoors 201

Starting Out with the Doing Verb 201

Sporting an Athletic Side 204

Going to the Beach 208

Playing Musical Instruments 210

Talking about Hobbies 211

Part 3: Arabic on the Go 215

Chapter 14: Planning a Trip 217

Choosing Your Destination 217

Picking the Right Time for Your Trip 224

Tackling Packing 227

Preparing Your Travel Documents 228

Using a Travel Agency 232

Chapter 15: Dealing with Money in a Foreign Land 235

Going to the Bank 235

Opening a bank account 236

Making deposits and withdrawals 244

Using the ATM 244

Exchanging Currency 245

Getting to know the currencies around the world 246

Making exchanges 247

Chapter 16: Getting Around: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles 251

Traveling by Plane 251

Making reservations 252

Getting some legwork out of the verb “to travel” 255

Registering at the airport 256

Boarding the plane 259

A brief departure on the verb “to arrive” 260

Going through immigration and customs 261

Getting Around on Land 266

Hailing a taxi 266

Taking a bus 268

Boarding a train 270

Chapter 17: Finding a Place to Stay 273

Choosing the Right Accommodations 274

Discussing minor room details 277

Getting to know direct object pronouns 279

Making a Reservation 281

Figuring out the price 281

Indicating the length of your stay 284

Subjecting you to subjunctive verbs 286

Checking In to the Hotel 289

Checking Out of the Hotel 291

Chapter 18: Handling Emergencies 295

Shouting Out for Help 295

A little help with the verb “to help” 297

Lending a hand 298

Getting Medical Help 300

Locating the appropriate doctor 300

Talking about your body 300

Explaining your symptoms 302

Getting treatment 303

Acquiring Legal Help 304

Part 4: The Part of Tens 307

Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Pick Up Arabic Quickly 309

Watch Arabic Television 309

Use the Dictionary 310

Read Arabic Newspapers 310

Surf the Internet 311

Streaming Services 311

Listen to Arabic Music 311

Sing Arabic Songs 312

Make Arabic-Speaking Friends 312

Watch Arabic Movies 312

Eat at a Middle Eastern Restaurant 313

Chapter 20: Ten Favorite Arabic Expressions 315

مرحبا بكم 316

ممتاز! 316

الحمد لله 317

إن شاء الله 317

مبروك! 318

بإذن الله 318

بالصحة 318

تحيات 319

مبلغ 319

تبارك الله 319

Chapter 21: Ten Great Arabic Proverbs 321

الأمثال نور الكلام 321

اعمل خيرا وألقه في البحر 322

اطلبوا العلم من المهد إلى اللحد 322

يد واحدة لا تصفّق 322

الحرباء لا يغادر شجرته حتى يكون يؤكدا على شجرة أخرى 322

خطأ معروف أحسن من حقيقة غير معروفة 323

السرّ مثل الحمامة: عندما يغادر يدي يطير 323

العقل للنظر والقلب للسمع 323

كل يوم من حياتك صفحة من تاريخك 323

اللي فاتك بليلة فاتك بحيلة 324

Part 5: Appendixes 325

Appendix A: Mini-Dictionaries 327

Appendix B: Verb Tables 341

Appendix C: Answer Key 355

Index 361

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