How good is your Arabic? Before you embark on your journey to learn this fascinating language, here are some practical tips to help you get started:
Speak it: You learn to speak by speaking. There is just no other way of doing it! Jump in there and go for it.
Make Mistakes: How do you learn to walk? By falling over many times. And to swim? By jumping in at the deep end and swallowing a lot of water. What about speaking Arabic in the Emirati dialect? By Saying a lot of things that may sound funny. You’ll learn more quickly by having a go at speaking rather than being silent.
Use it or Lose it: Study, read, listen, talk, write, drill, chant, sing. Listen to Emirati songs, watch Emirati movies, browse Emirati Magazines, newspapers and websites. Go to authentic Emirati Arabic speakers and try to speak with them in their local dialect as much as possible. Keep the conversation going!
Most Importantly, Enjoy the Journey !
Yes – haih/na:am
No – laa
Maybe – yimkin
Please – law samaHt
Thank you – shukran
You are welcome – el:afuw
I (let’s) hope so – atmanna
Excuse me – law samaHt
Come on – yalla
Let’s go – yalla nsiir
Do you speak English? – tetkallam Engelezi (m)/ tetkallamiin Engelezi (f)?
I do not speak Emirati Arabic – ma atkallam emirati
I speak a little… – atkallam shway
Do you understand? – tifham (m) tifhamiin (f)?
I don’t understand – maa afham
Can you repeat? – mumkiin t:iid?
Untill next week with more Arabic language tips !