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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!

Arabic For Dummies, 3rd Edition

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 ???? 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





????? ??? 316





?????! 316





????? ??? 317





?? ??? ???? 317





?????! 318





???? ???? 318





?????? 318





????? 319





???? 319





????? ???? 319





Chapter 21: Ten Great Arabic Proverbs 321





??????? ??? ?????? 321





???? ???? ????? ?? ????? 322





?????? ????? ?? ????? ??? ????? 322





?? ????? ?? ????? 322





??????? ?? ????? ????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? 322





??? ????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ?????? 323





????? ??? ???????: ????? ????? ??? ???? 323





????? ????? ?????? ????? 323





?? ??? ?? ????? ???? ?? ?????? 323





???? ???? ????? ???? ????? 324





Part 5: Appendixes 325





Appendix A: Mini-Dictionaries 327





Appendix B: Verb Tables 341





Appendix C: Answer Key 355





Index 361