World Arabic language day

18th December is regarded as the world day for the Arabic language that is one of the oldest, popular, Semitic languages in the world.

The language of Quran is the official or co-official language of 25 countries, mankind knew its literature and notify for more than 1,400 years, and is spoken by more than 400 million Arabs in addition to more than 130 million speak it as a second language, while the numbers are rising with the increasing number of students who want to learn it.

In 1948, the 3rd General Conference of UNESCO held in Beirut (Lebanon), declared that Arabic, in addition to English and French, will become the third working language of the governing bodies meeting in an Arabic-speaking country.

Some of the common Arabic words:

السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمْ - مَرْحَبًاHello - Peace       ʾAssalāmu ʿalaykum - marḥaban

وعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلام - مَرْحَبًا(To which the reply is): Hello - Peace        Wā ʿalaykumu s-salām - marḥaban

أَهْلاًWelcome    ʾAhlan        

مَعَ السّلامَةGoodbye     Maʿa s-salāma

!صَبَاحُ الخَيْرGood morning!     Sabaḥu l-ḫair

!مَساءُ الخَيْرGood evening!     Masāʾu l-ḫair

!تُصبِح على خَيْرGood night! (to a male)  Tusbiḥ ʿala ḫair

!تُصبِحينَ على خَيْرGood night! (to a female)        Tusbiḥi ʿala ḫair

كَيْفَ ٱلْحَال؟How are you?       Kayfa l-ḥāl

كيف حالُكَ؟How are you? (to a male)        Kayfa hāluka

كيف حالـُكِ؟How are you? (to a female)     Kayfa hāluki

وَأنـْتَ؟And you? (to a male)     Wa ʾanta

وَأنـْتِ؟And you? (to a female)  Wa ʾanti

!أراكَ فِيمَا بَعدSee you later! (to a male)        ʾArāka fima baʿd

!أراكِ فِيمَا بَعدSee you later! (to a female)     ʾArāki fima baʿd

مَا ٱسْمُك؟What's your name?        Mā smuk

…اسْمِيMy name is …      Ismi

.لا أتَحَدَّثُ الْعَرَبيّةI don't speak Arabic.      Lā ʾataḥaddaṯu l-ʿarabiyyah

.أتحدث الإنجليزيةI speak English.   Ataḥaddaṯu al-ingilīziyyah

.أتَحَدَّثُ قليلاً من الْعَرَبيّةI speak a little Arabic.    Ataḥaddaṯu qalilan min l-ʿarabiyyah.لا أعْرِفI don't know.         Lā ʾaʿrif

.لا أفْهَمI don't understand.         Lā ʾafham

نَعَمْYes   Naʿam

لاNo     Lā

مِنْ فَضْلِكPlease        Min faḍlik

شُكْرًاThanks       Šukran

!شـُكـْراً جَزيلاًThank you very much!   Šukran jazīlan

!عفواًYou're welcome!  ʿAfwan

.عَفْوًا - عُذْراًExcuse me. ʿAfwan - ʿuḏran

Written by Qortoba Institute

An Egyptian house of Arabic learning — teaching Arabic and the Qur'an to non-native speakers online, in Cairo and in Al-Madinah.