Meera's Arabic

Moderator:eskandar

User avatar
Meera
Posts:8782
Joined:2008-05-27, 22:01
Real Name:Meera
Gender:female
Location:Philadelphia
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Meera's Arabic

Postby Meera » 2009-11-26, 4:07

Hey Everyone! So I started to Learn Arabic again, I stopped it for a while but Im going to try to learn it again. So I have never started a personal language thread and Im going to do this for Arabic to keep me learning and to help me practice. So the only question I have right now is which is your favorite resource/book for Arabic?
अहिंसा/เจ
Learning: (hi) (ja) (ko) (fr)

User avatar
YaQoTa
Posts:7
Joined:2009-11-27, 15:11
Real Name:YaQoTa
Gender:female

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby YaQoTa » 2009-11-27, 17:38

Hi Meera,

I'm a native speaker, so I stopped having favorite Arabic books a long time ago, at the tender age of zero-something. Shame!

I hope to be able to assist you in your learning. Go ahead and post your questions.
ياقوتة

User avatar
Meera
Posts:8782
Joined:2008-05-27, 22:01
Real Name:Meera
Gender:female
Location:Philadelphia
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby Meera » 2009-11-28, 20:19

shukran! enti min wain?
अहिंसा/เจ
Learning: (hi) (ja) (ko) (fr)

trliber
Posts:57
Joined:2009-12-02, 7:15
Real Name:Thomas Lyman
Gender:male
Location:Denver
Country:KRSouth Korea (한국)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby trliber » 2009-12-02, 9:08

ahlan ila al-3arabe mira!

Hopefully Arabic can endear you to stay with it this go 'round :)

My favorite of the resources for Arabic that I have tried is called "Arabic Verbs & Essentials of Grammar" (The second edition). This shows how to handle any Arabic verb in a clear and very manageable format. I love it.


Here's a link to it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071498052/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0844246050&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0P8QSAJWJMG0VHK51S79

Another method I'm about to try for learning more adjectives and verbs is reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in Arabic. I just ordered it and it's shipping from Egypt, so I can't give any feedback but if anything else that should just be fun (and VERY time consuming!).
I welcome corrections in any language, even English (if you find any mistakes).

اهلا وسهلا. دائما بدور المساعدة مع العربي العامية وكمان الفصحى.

User avatar
Meera
Posts:8782
Joined:2008-05-27, 22:01
Real Name:Meera
Gender:female
Location:Philadelphia
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby Meera » 2009-12-02, 22:26

trliber wrote:ahlan ila al-3arabe mira!

Hopefully Arabic can endear you to stay with it this go 'round :)

My favorite of the resources for Arabic that I have tried is called "Arabic Verbs & Essentials of Grammar" (The second edition). This shows how to handle any Arabic verb in a clear and very manageable format. I love it.


Here's a link to it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071498052/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0844246050&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0P8QSAJWJMG0VHK51S79

Another method I'm about to try for learning more adjectives and verbs is reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in Arabic. I just ordered it and it's shipping from Egypt, so I can't give any feedback but if anything else that should just be fun (and VERY time consuming!).


mersi kteer ya trliber :)
अहिंसा/เจ
Learning: (hi) (ja) (ko) (fr)

User avatar
Meera
Posts:8782
Joined:2008-05-27, 22:01
Real Name:Meera
Gender:female
Location:Philadelphia
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby Meera » 2009-12-02, 22:28

also i have another question, if i was to learn the lebanese dialect could i understand and be understood to other arabs? mainly like egyptians and gulf arabic speakers?
अहिंसा/เจ
Learning: (hi) (ja) (ko) (fr)

eskandar
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:3093
Joined:2006-12-15, 8:27

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby eskandar » 2009-12-03, 0:52

Meera wrote:also i have another question, if i was to learn the lebanese dialect could i understand and be understood to other arabs? mainly like egyptians and gulf arabic speakers?

In terms of you understanding, it depends on how much exposure you have to Egyptian and Gulf Arabic. If you learn Lebanese Arabic well but don't interact with Egyptians or Gulf Arabs, or watch/listen to their media, you won't be able to understand them that much. Egyptian isn't too different, but Gulf can be pretty hard to understand if you haven't heard it before. In terms of you being understood, it all depends on how well the other people understand Lebanese Arabic. If they like to watch Levantine films and listen to Levantine music, they will probably understand you well enough, but otherwise the same problems apply - Egyptians will have an easier time understanding you than Gulf Arabs, but even an Egyptian who hasn't heard Levantine Arabic before might have a hard time understanding you. Again, it all depends on the person. In the U.S., when I speak to Arabs (in a combination of bad Egyptian and worse MSA, basically) I'm usually understood, but I have a Lebanese friend (who doesn't know MSA and isn't really familiar with Egyptian Arabic) who never seems to understand me unless I try to "Levant-ize" my Arabic.
Please correct my mistakes in any language.

User avatar
jaybee
Posts:674
Joined:2008-09-08, 23:49
Real Name:Jumana
Gender:female
Country:SASaudi Arabia (المملكة العربية)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby jaybee » 2009-12-03, 11:51

eskandar wrote:
Meera wrote:also i have another question, if i was to learn the lebanese dialect could i understand and be understood to other arabs? mainly like egyptians and gulf arabic speakers?

In terms of you understanding, it depends on how much exposure you have to Egyptian and Gulf Arabic. If you learn Lebanese Arabic well but don't interact with Egyptians or Gulf Arabs, or watch/listen to their media, you won't be able to understand them that much. Egyptian isn't too different, but Gulf can be pretty hard to understand if you haven't heard it before. In terms of you being understood, it all depends on how well the other people understand Lebanese Arabic. If they like to watch Levantine films and listen to Levantine music, they will probably understand you well enough, but otherwise the same problems apply - Egyptians will have an easier time understanding you than Gulf Arabs, but even an Egyptian who hasn't heard Levantine Arabic before might have a hard time understanding you. Again, it all depends on the person. In the U.S., when I speak to Arabs (in a combination of bad Egyptian and worse MSA, basically) I'm usually understood, but I have a Lebanese friend (who doesn't know MSA and isn't really familiar with Egyptian Arabic) who never seems to understand me unless I try to "Levant-ize" my Arabic.


It is all about exposure. It can be harder for you to understand other dialects, especially at first. But there's just too much similarities for you to not understand completely. Also, it's always easier to understand the dialects of those closer in location to the target dialect.
Most Arabs won't have a problem understanding different Arabic dialects especially those that have heavy media exposure (with the exclusion of Moroccan.) And if there's something that's not understood, it'd be some vocab here and there.
And like eskandar said, it all depends on the person. But the bottom line is, most likely, you won't have much trouble being understood.

User avatar
Meera
Posts:8782
Joined:2008-05-27, 22:01
Real Name:Meera
Gender:female
Location:Philadelphia
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby Meera » 2009-12-04, 1:52

Thank you both soo much :)
अहिंसा/เจ
Learning: (hi) (ja) (ko) (fr)

User avatar
Meera
Posts:8782
Joined:2008-05-27, 22:01
Real Name:Meera
Gender:female
Location:Philadelphia
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby Meera » 2009-12-16, 0:27

how do you say, "Im tired", "Im Busy" and "I want to go to sleep" in Lebanese?
अहिंसा/เจ
Learning: (hi) (ja) (ko) (fr)

User avatar
jaybee
Posts:674
Joined:2008-09-08, 23:49
Real Name:Jumana
Gender:female
Country:SASaudi Arabia (المملكة العربية)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby jaybee » 2009-12-31, 22:12

I believe this is how one would say them. Though I'll have to come back to confirm.

I'm tired: أنا تَعبَان/تَعبَانة. would work the same way without أنا

I'm busy: أنا مشغول/مَشغُلة same thing with or without أنا.

I want to go to sleep: بدِّي أَنام

User avatar
Meera
Posts:8782
Joined:2008-05-27, 22:01
Real Name:Meera
Gender:female
Location:Philadelphia
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby Meera » 2010-01-01, 6:16

jaybee wrote:I believe this is how one would say them. Though I'll have to come back to confirm.

I'm tired: أنا تَعبَان/تَعبَانة. would work the same way without أنا

I'm busy: أنا مشغول/مَشغُلة same thing with or without أنا.

I want to go to sleep: بدِّي أَنام


shukran
अहिंसा/เจ
Learning: (hi) (ja) (ko) (fr)

kman1
Posts:1028
Joined:2005-10-04, 0:16
Gender:male
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby kman1 » 2010-01-28, 23:57

excellent idea on your Arabic journal. I just hope you maintain it. I also want to exhort you to write in the Arabic script only. Using romanizations is only delaying the inevitable. Better to get used to writing it right from the start.

User avatar
Meera
Posts:8782
Joined:2008-05-27, 22:01
Real Name:Meera
Gender:female
Location:Philadelphia
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby Meera » 2010-02-22, 23:58

Hey guys! So in Uni we are learning fus7a and Egyptian Arabic. I like Lebanese better but since I have Egyptian for class it looks like I will be doing that one and fus7a. By the way I have a question, My Arabic teacher was saying that to really learn Arabic I should stay in an Arabic country for sometime. Which one would be the best one to go to? And the safest? I was thinking about Egypt, but my teacher said its not safe for a young girl to go there, is that true? Also she told me Lebanon is not safe either :( So which one do u guys think would be the best?
अहिंसा/เจ
Learning: (hi) (ja) (ko) (fr)

eskandar
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:3093
Joined:2006-12-15, 8:27

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby eskandar » 2010-02-23, 0:57

If you go and study at an organized program that arranges your stay, Egypt should be perfectly safe for you. The problem with Egypt is that so many people there speak English, so it's not an ideal place to learn Arabic - every time you try to speak with people on the street, they'll want to practice their Arabic with you. (Lebanon has the exact same problem, anyway). Similarly, most of the Gulf countries (especially Jordan) as well as Morocco have too many English speakers to make them good locations. Jordan has some very good Arabic programs, and it's quite safe there, but as I said, it's overrun with people who will want to practice their English with you. Yemen used to be a top destination for Arabic learning, since they have excellent Arabic education for foreigners and few people there speak English, but nowadays it's not so safe.

In my opinion, your best bet is Syria. It's very safe and stable, has high-quality Arabic education, and relatively low number of English-speakers. Most of my friends who have traveled abroad for Arabic education have recommended Syria, and I plan to study there myself in a year or two. As an added bonus, since you're interested in Lebanese Arabic, Syrian Arabic is nearly identical.

As an alternative, there are a few programs in the US that offer Arabic immersion. Middlebury is considered to be one of the best, if not the best. They have extremely high-quality Arabic instruction, and it's the next best thing to being in an Arab country, since students are strictly forbidden from speaking English there. They must try to speak Arabic at all times, even after classes end when eating meals or hanging out. However, it can be rather expensive.
Please correct my mistakes in any language.

User avatar
Meera
Posts:8782
Joined:2008-05-27, 22:01
Real Name:Meera
Gender:female
Location:Philadelphia
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby Meera » 2010-02-23, 1:07

Thanks Eskander! I never thought of Syria! It sounds the best bet. I was looking into Yemen but my parents wont let me go there because the recent things that have been going on. The gulf countries seem overly expensive anyway lol. By the way, Eskander which dialect do u study?
अहिंसा/เจ
Learning: (hi) (ja) (ko) (fr)

eskandar
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:3093
Joined:2006-12-15, 8:27

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby eskandar » 2010-02-23, 1:20

The only dialect I have some ability in is Egyptian, though I've learned bits of others (Moroccan, Levantine, and Iraqi). For the next few years I'll be studying classical Arabic (fuS7a) instead of any colloquial dialects.
Please correct my mistakes in any language.

kman1
Posts:1028
Joined:2005-10-04, 0:16
Gender:male
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby kman1 » 2010-02-23, 23:45

every time you try to speak with people on the street, they'll want to practice their Arabic with you.

Just starting speaking Pashto. You're fluent in Pashto, right? If they persist in English then feign you have no knowledge of English and you accordingly persist in Pashto or Arabic. I guarantee they will eventually switch to Arabic or simply walk away. :lol: Either way, I wouldn't let the fact there are too many English speakers in a country determine where I studied. Maybe I would if I was a monolingual English speaker but most of us here are fluent in at least one or two other languages so that's not a problem.

eskandar
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:3093
Joined:2006-12-15, 8:27

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby eskandar » 2010-02-23, 23:58

kman1 wrote:
every time you try to speak with people on the street, they'll want to practice their Arabic with you.

Just starting speaking Pashto. You're fluent in Pashto, right? If they persist in English then feign you have no knowledge of English and you accordingly persist in Pashto or Arabic. I guarantee they will eventually switch to Arabic or simply walk away. :lol: Either way, I wouldn't let the fact there are too many English speakers in a country determine where I studied. Maybe I would if I was a monolingual English speaker but most of us here are fluent in at least one or two other languages so that's not a problem.

This is actually what I did when in Morocco-- I told people I was visiting from Iran and only spoke Persian and Arabic, pretending not to understand when they spoke English, French, or Spanish to me. It's a good strategy to get people to speak Arabic with you on the street, but the problem is when you make friends, they'll inevitably find out you speak English (unless you lie to your friends, too!) and feel hurt if you don't practice it with them... That's why I really recommend going to a country with fewer English-speakers; better chance you'll make friends who you can speak to in Arabic all the time. (It also makes you practice more instead of getting lazy and falling back on English when you have difficulties). Still, if you're disciplined enough to make yourself speak Arabic all the time and hide the fact that you know English, you could have a lot of success in places like Egypt or Jordan.
Please correct my mistakes in any language.

User avatar
Meera
Posts:8782
Joined:2008-05-27, 22:01
Real Name:Meera
Gender:female
Location:Philadelphia
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Meera's Arabic

Postby Meera » 2010-02-24, 0:54

lol yeah i pretend i dont kno english if ppl annoy m. but i would feel bad for lying cuz they want to practice their english lol
अहिंसा/เจ
Learning: (hi) (ja) (ko) (fr)


Return to “Arabic (العربية)”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests