Unit 1 — from your whiteboards & workbook · Beginner
الوِحْدَةُ الأُولَى
Self-Introduction Dialogue
الحِوَارFrom whiteboard 5 — memorise this whole exchange
💡 Notice the verb swap: تَدْرُسُ = you study · أَدْرُسُ = I study. The first letter changes with the doer.
Questionكَمْ عُمْرُكَ؟kam ‘umruka?How old are you?
Answerعُمْرِي 22 عَامًا.‘umrii ithnaan wa-‘ishruun ‘aamanI am 22 years old.
Questionمَاذَا تَدْرُسُ؟maadhaa tadrusu?What do you study?
Answerأَدْرُسُ اللُّغَةَ العَرَبِيَّةَ.adrusu al-lughata-l-‘arabiyyaI study Arabic.
Questionلِمَاذَا تَدْرُسُ اللُّغَةَ العَرَبِيَّةَ؟limaadhaa tadrusu al-lughata-l-‘arabiyya?Why do you study Arabic?
Answerلِأَفْهَمَ القُرْآنَ وَالسُّنَّةَ.li-afhama-l-qur’aana wa-s-sunnaSo that I understand the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
Questionأَيْنَ تَدْرُسُ اللُّغَةَ العَرَبِيَّةَ؟ayna tadrusu al-lughata-l-‘arabiyya?Where do you study Arabic?
Answerأَدْرُسُ فِي مَعْهَدِ طَابَا.adrusu fii ma‘hadi TaabaaI study at Taba Institute.
Lesson 11 — In the Room
الدَّرْسُ 11: في الحُجْرَةLevel 2 · furniture & the house
حُجْرَة
Hujra
room
ج حُجُرَات · = غُرْفَة
سَرِير
sariir
bed
ج سُرُر / أَسِرَّة
فِرَاش
firaash
bedding, mattress
ج فُرُش
مُكَيِّف
mukayyif
air conditioner
ج مُكَيِّفَات
هَاتِف
haatif
telephone
ج هَوَاتِف
مَقْعَد
maq‘ad
seat
دُرْج
durj
drawer
وَاسِعَة
waasi‘a
spacious
= كَبِيرَة
× ضَيِّقَة (narrow)
مُرِيحَة
muriiHa
comfortable
= جَيِّدَة
× مُتْعِبَة (tiring)
حَانَ
Haana
(the time) came near
= قَرُبَ
× بَعُدَ (grew far)
ذَهَاب
dhahaab
going
× رُجُوع (returning)
مَطْعَم
maT‘am
restaurant
ج مَطَاعِم · مَكَانٌ يَأْكُلُ فيه النَّاس
أَدَب
adab
manners, courtesy
Sentences: تَفَضَّلْ يا مُعَلِّمِي الدَّفْتَر (Here you go, teacher — the notebook) · أَجْلِسُ عَلَى الكُرْسِيّ (I sit on the chair) · حُجْرَتِي وَاسِعَة (My room is spacious) · أَنَامُ عَلَى السَّرِير (I sleep on the bed) · الهَاتِفُ عَلَى المَكْتَب (The phone is on the desk) · حَانَ وَقْتُ الصَّلَاة / النَّوْم / الذَّهَاب (It’s time for prayer / sleep / going) · آكُلُ في المَطْعَم (I eat at the restaurant).
Present Tense by Pronoun
تَصْرِيفُ الفِعْلexample: “to study” دَرَسَ
The prefix (and sometimes suffix) changes with the doer. Learn this one verb and every present-tense verb follows the same pattern.
Pronoun
Arabic
Present verb
Meaning
I
أَنَا
أَدْرُسُ
I study
we
نَحْنُ
نَدْرُسُ
we study
you (m)
أَنْتَ
تَدْرُسُ
you study
you (f)
أَنْتِ
تَدْرُسِينَ
you study
he
هُوَ
يَدْرُسُ
he studies
she
هِيَ
تَدْرُسُ
she studies
From the board: عَرَفَ الصَّحَابَةُ الإِسْلَامَ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ (The Companions learned Islam from the Prophet ﷺ) · نَدْرُسُ العَرَبِيَّةَ لِنَفْهَمَ القُرْآن (We study Arabic to understand the Qur’an).
People & Professions
النَّاسُ وَالمِهَن
طَبِيب
Tabiib
doctor
مُدَرِّس
mudarris
teacher (instructor)
مُعَلِّم
mu‘allim
teacher
طَالِب
Taalib
student (male)
بَقَّال
baqqaal
grocer
= يَعْمَلُ في الدُّكَّان
بَائِع
baa’i‘
seller
× مُشْتَرٍ (buyer)
مُشْتَرٍ
mushtarin
buyer
بِنْت
bint
girl
ج بَنَات
بَكْر
Bakr
Bakr (a name)
مِهْنَة
mihna
profession, job
= عَمَل
ج مِهَن
Places & Buildings
الأَمَاكِن
مَكْتَبَة
maktaba
library
ج مَكْتَبَات
مَعْهَد
ma‘had
institute
بِقَالَة
biqaala
grocery store
= دُكَّان
دُكَّان
dukkaan
shop
حُجْرَة
Hujra
room
= غُرْفَة
ج حُجُرَات
غُرْفَة
ghurfa
room
بَاب
baab
door
ج أَبْوَاب
Food & Drink
الطَّعَامُ وَالشَّرَاب
سَمَك
samak
fish
غَدَاء
ghadaa’
lunch
= طَعَامٌ بَعْدَ الظُّهْر
تِين
tiin
figs
زَيْتُون
zaytuun
olives
بُنّ
bunn
coffee (beans)
سُكَّر
sukkar
sugar
مَاء
maa’
water
حَبّ / حُبُوب
Habb / Hubuub
pills, tablets
= أَقْرَاصُ الدَّوَاء
School & Everyday Objects
أَدَوَاتُ المَدْرَسَة
قَلَم
qalam
pen
كِتَاب
kitaab
book
حَقِيبَة
Haqiiba
bag
مَكْتَب
maktab
desk
كُرْسِيّ
kursiyy
chair
مِلْعَقَة
mil‘aqa
spoon
دَرْس
dars
lesson
ج دُرُوس
رِسَالَة
risaala
letter, message
ج رَسَائِل
حَدِيث
Hadiith
hadith, saying
ج أَحَادِيث
صَحِيفَة
SaHiifa
newspaper
ج صُحُف
قُرْآن
qur’aan
Qur’an
رِيَال
riyaal
riyal (money)
ج رِيَالَات
دَفْتَر
daftar
notebook
ج دَفَاتِر
كُرَّاسَة
kurraasa
exercise book
فَصْل
faSl
classroom
ج فُصُول
رَفّ
raff
shelf
ج رُفُوف
سَبُّورَة
sabbuura
whiteboard
عَصِير
‘aSiir
juice
مُفِيد
mufiid
useful
نَظِيف
naZiif
clean
× مُتَّسِخ (dirty)
Time & Prayers
الوَقْت
وَقْت
waqt
time
ج أَوْقَات
اليَوْم
al-yawm
today / the day
الفَجْر
al-fajr
Fajr (dawn prayer)
الظُّهْر
az-Zuhr
Dhuhr (noon)
المَغْرِب
al-maghrib
Maghrib (sunset)
قَرِيب
qariib
near, close
Example sentences from the board: وَقْتُ المَغْرِبِ قَرِيب (Maghrib time is near) · حَانَ وَقْتُ الغَدَاء (lunchtime has come) · أَقْرَأُ القُرْآنَ بَعْدَ الفَجْر (I read the Qur’an after Fajr).
Verb Table
مَاضٍ · مُضَارِع · أَمْرpast → present → command
Past (مَاضٍ)
Present (مُضَارِع)
Command (أَمْر)
Meaning
قَرَأَ
يَقْرَأُ
اِقْرَأْ
to read
كَتَبَ
يَكْتُبُ
اُكْتُبْ
to write
أَكَلَ
يَأْكُلُ
كُلْ
to eat
دَخَلَ
يَدْخُلُ
اُدْخُلْ
to enter
أَرْسَلَ
يُرْسِلُ
أَرْسِلْ
to send
قَابَلَ
يُقَابِلُ
قَابِلْ
to meet
اِشْتَرَى
يَشْتَرِي
اِشْتَرِ
to buy
سَلَّمَ
يُسَلِّمُ
سَلِّمْ
to greet (say salām)
تَفَضَّلَ
يَتَفَضَّلُ
تَفَضَّلْ
please / go ahead
جَلَسَ
يَجْلِسُ
اِجْلِسْ
to sit
ذَهَبَ
يَذْهَبُ
اِذْهَبْ
to go
دَرَسَ
يَدْرُسُ
اُدْرُسْ
to study
أَعْطَى
يُعْطِي
أَعْطِ
to give
عَرَفَ
يَعْرِفُ
اِعْرِفْ
to know
دَرَّسَ
يُدَرِّسُ
دَرِّسْ
to teach
فَتَحَ
يَفْتَحُ
اِفْتَحْ
to open
شَرِبَ
يَشْرَبُ
اِشْرَبْ
to drink
رَسَمَ
يَرْسُمُ
اُرْسُمْ
to draw
حَانَ
يَحِينُ
حِنْ
to draw near (time)
Opposites & Adjectives
الأَضْدَاد
جَمِيل × خَبِيث
jamiil × khabiith
beautiful × wicked/foul
جَلَسَ × وَقَفَ
jalasa × waqafa
sat × stood
أَعْطَى × أَخَذَ
a‘Taa × akhadha
gave × took
مُشْتَرٍ × بَائِع
mushtarin × baa’i‘
buyer × seller
قَرِيب
qariib
near, close
جَدِيد
jadiid
new
Letter Focus & Example Sentences
الحُرُوفfrom the workbook pages
ب
اِسْمِي بَكْر.My name is Bakr.
مِهْنَتِي طَبِيب.My profession is doctor.
أَنَا طَالِب.I am a student.
فِي حَقِيبَتِي قَلَمٌ وَكِتَاب.In my bag are a pen and a book.
إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَقَّال.Ibrahim is a grocer.
هَذِهِ البِنْتُ طَالِبَة.This girl is a student.
فِي البِقَالَةِ بُنٌّ وَسُكَّر.In the grocery are coffee and sugar.
دَخَلَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ مِنْ بَابِ الحُجْرَة.Ibrahim entered through the room door.
ت
تَكْتُبُ زَيْنَبُ الدَّرْس.Zainab writes the lesson.
هَذِهِ مَكْتَبَةُ المَعْهَد.This is the institute library.
حَانَ وَقْتُ الغَدَاء.Lunchtime has come.
عِنْدِي ثَلَاثَةُ رِيَالَات.I have three riyals.
قَرَأْتُ تِسْعَةَ دُرُوس.I read nine lessons.
هَلْ أَنْتَ تُرْكِيّ؟Are you Turkish?
كَتَبَتْ فَاطِمَةُ الرِّسَالَة.Fatima wrote the letter.
أَكَلْتُ تِينًا · اِشْتَرَيْتُ زَيْتُونًا.I ate figs · I bought olives.
م
دَخَلْتُ مَكْتَبَةَ المَعْهَد.I entered the institute library.
أَكَلْتُ السَّمَك.I ate the fish.
القَلَمُ فِي الحَقِيبَة.The pen is in the bag.
هَذِهِ صُحُفُ اليَوْم.These are today’s newspapers.
الحَقِيبَةُ عَلَى مَكْتَبِي.The bag is on my desk.
أَنَا مُدَرِّسٌ جَدِيد.I am a new teacher.
سَلِّمْ عَلَى وَالِدِك.Give greetings to your father.
مَاذَا تُرِيد؟ · هَذِهِ حُجْرَةٌ جَمِيلَة.What do you want? · This is a beautiful room.
ر
الصُّحُفُ عَلَى رَفِّ المَكْتَبَة.The papers are on the library shelf.
يَشْرَبُ خَالِدٌ العَصِير.Khalid drinks the juice.
رَسَمَ يُوسُفُ عَلَى السَّبُّورَة.Yusuf drew on the board.
كَتَبَتْ فَاطِمَةُ رِسَالَة.Fatima wrote a letter.
الكُتُبُ عَلَى رُفُوفِ المَكْتَبَة.The books are on the library shelves.
الكُرَّاسَةُ فِي الحَقِيبَة.The notebook is in the bag.
فِي الحُجْرَةِ سَرِيرٌ وَمَقْعَد.In the room are a bed and a seat.
هَلْ هَذَا دُرْجُك؟Is this your drawer?
ف
فُصُولُ المَعْهَدِ وَاسِعَة.The institute’s classrooms are spacious.
أُرِيدُ صَحِيفَةَ المَدِينَة.I want the city newspaper.
بِالحُجْرَةِ هَاتِفٌ وَمُكَيِّف.In the room are a phone and an AC.
فَتَحْتُ البَاب.I opened the door.
الفِرَاشُ نَظِيف.The bedding is clean.
أَنَا أَعْرِفُ إِبْرَاهِيم.I know Ibrahim.
فِي حَقِيبَتِي ثَلَاثَةُ دَفَاتِر.In my bag are three notebooks.
هَذَا دَرْسٌ مُفِيد.This is a useful lesson.
Sound Contrast: ب vs ف
مُقَابَلَة صَوْتِيَّةsame word, one sound apart — train your ear