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Media Arabic Booster 10/24
This month (10/24) in Media Arabic Booster: The situation in Lebanon and an article discussing why Saudi Arabia is reluctant to join the BRICs.
As a journalist, I read Arabic newspapers daily, especially the opinion section. Every month, I want to share with you on Arabic for Nerds what I find interesting from a linguistic perspective and which vocabulary might be worth learning. I call it the Media Arabic Booster.
Media Arabic Booster: 10/24 Show
A close look at a headline
al-Hadath TV: to identify
Let’s focus on the ticker:
الشرطة الأسرائيلية: تم التعرف على جثة السنوار
Israeli police: Sinwar’s body has been identified
The tricky phrase here is تَمَّ التَّعَرُّفُ which we will now analyze.
- With تَمَّ, we can create a passive meaning without using the passive voice. The I-verb تَمَّ – يَتِمُّ means to be finished; to become a fact. If you add a verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) after it, you paraphrase the passive, although constructions with تَمَّ do emphasize the result more than the process. We’ve covered that already in previous Media Arabic Booster editions. You can also find more information about that in my books Arabic for Nerds 1 and 2.
- Now, what about تَعَرُّف? This is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the V-verb يَتَعَرَّفُ – تَعَرَّفَ عَلَى which denotes to get to know; to recognize, to become acquainted. However, depending on the context, it can also express to identify.
- In our example, تَعَرُّف is best translated with identification. For example: facial recognition can be translated as التَّعَرُّفُ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ. The word identifiable can be expressed by يُمْكِنُ التَّعَرُّفُ عَلَيْهِ.
BACKGROUND: Are the MBC channels (Al-Arabiya) too pro-Israeli?
Even at demonstrations in Berlin, Germany, I have seen pictures of people holding a poster with Al-Arabiya and Israel both crossed out in red.
- Al-Arabiya and al-Arabiya al-Hadath are part of the MBC Group, financed by Saudi Arabian money.
- Recently, MBC News Director Musaed al-Thubaiti (مساعد الثبيتي) resigned, following a report titled “The Millenium of Deliverance from Terrorists“, which called the Palestinian Hamas leaders “terrorists.”
- This sparked calls for a boycott of the MBC group, leading Waleed al-Ibrahim (وليد آل الإبراهيم), the group’s owner, to request the director’s resignation shortly after the report was published.
- The day after the report aired, the General Authority of Media Regulation in Saudi Arabia (الهيئة العامة لتنظيم الإعلام في السعودية) stated that officials from a television channel are under investigation for violating the Kingdom’s media rules. They added that they are closely monitoring media compliance and will enforce regulations firmly against any violations.
The newspaper al-Arabi al-Jadid (العربي الجديد) reported on the 29th of October 2024 that the General Authority of Media Regulation in Saudi Arabia decided to change its strategy and that MBC’s channels will change their editorial policy due to strong criticism of Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath channels for their coverage of the Gaza war and the situation in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Hamas (حركة المقاومة الإسلامية) has released several statements criticizing the MBC network and Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath channels for showing bias towards the Israeli perspective during the ongoing violence in Gaza.
al-Masry al-Youm: to undermine
On Tuesday, 22nd October 2024, the Egyptian daily newspaper al-Masry al-Youm (المصري اليوم) reported on the situation in Lebanon. The headline is quite short, but to the point.
Let’s focus on the headline:
تقويض سيادة لبنان
Undermining (destroying) Lebanon’s sovereignty
Here, we see a common problem when translating from Arabic into English: the ambiguity of words.
The noun ٌتَقْوِيض is the verbal noun of the II-verb قَوَّضَ – يُقَوِّضُ which means to destroy; to demolish; to tear down. The verbal noun ٌتَقْوِيض, however, is also used in the sense of undermining, subversion especially in political contexts, where ٌتَقْوِيض conveys a systematic erosion of power rather than outright destruction.
Translation of an article
Let’s look at parts of a longer newspaper article in Arabic. We will translate each sentence carefully. The highlighted words are in the vocabulary list below.
Al-Khaleej Online: “Despite the presence of the UAE, why did Saudi Arabia hesitate to join the BRICS?”
On October 27, 2024, the following article was published by the electronic Al-Khaleej Online (الخليج أونلاين) daily newspaper.
Al-Khaleej Online is a limited company based in the UK, founded on June 15, 2014. It has correspondents in Gulf and Arab countries and is published in Arabic.
Let’s now take a closer look at a few complete paragraphs.
Section 1
كثرت التأويلات في تفسير غياب ولي العهد السعودي عن قمة مجموعة “بريكس بلس” المنعقدة في 22-24 أكتوبر في قازان الروسية، حيث كان هو الغائب الوحيد من بين بقية قادة الدول العشر الأعضاء داخل هذا التكتل، في حين شارك الرئيس الإماراتي لأول مرة.
والقمة تُعد أكبر تجمُّع لزعماء العالم في روسيا منذ عقود، وتُعقد في وقت تخوض فيه حرباً مع أوكرانيا المدعومة من الغرب، في حين يشهد الشرق الأوسط صراعاً كبيراً منذ بدء العدوان الإسرائيلي على غزة في الـ7 من أكتوبر 2023.
ومع مشاركة الإمارات في القمة تأكد انضمامها إلى هذا التكتل، فيما يبدو أن السعودية لم تتخذ قرارها النهائي، وسط تساؤلات حول سبب دخول أبوظبي بدون تردد وتحفظت الرياض؟
Many interpretations were provided to explain the absence of the Saudi crown prince from the BRICS Plus summit held between October 22 and 24 in the Russian city of Kazan where the crown prince was the only absentee among the rest of the bloc’s 10 leaders, while (knowing that) the UAE president participated for the first time.
The summit is (represents) the largest gathering of world leaders in Russia in (since) decades and was held at a time when Russia is fighting a war against the Western-backed Ukraine, while the Middle East has been witnessing a major conflict since the start of the Israeli aggression/assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
With (As) the UAE’s participation in the summit, it was confirmed that it will join the bloc, while Saudi Arabia doesn’t seem to have made up its mind amid questions as to why Abu Dhabi joined without hesitation while Al-Riyadh still has reservations (was reluctant).
BACKGROUND: What is BRICS?
The BRICS economic block, originally an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, and China, was first coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to describe rapidly growing economies. The first official BRIC summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on June 16, 2009.
South Africa joined the group in 2010, leading to the acronym being updated to BRICS.
As of January 1, 2024, BRICS has expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates, with Saudi Arabia invited to join pending confirmation.
The block aims to foster economic cooperation and political coordination among its members, positioning itself as a counterbalance to Western-dominated global institutions.
Section 2
غياب ولي العهد السعودي، الأمير محمد بن سلمان، عن قمة “بريكس” أثار تساؤلات حول حقيقة انضمام السعودية رسمياً إلى التكتل…وأعلن الكرملين أنه قدم دعوة رسمية للسعودية للمشاركة في قمة “بريكس” بدورتها الـ16… وأجاب الرئيس الروسي، فلاديمير بوتين، عن سؤال بشأن نظرته حول انضمام السعودية إلى تجمُّع “بريكس”، قائلاً إنه يأمل “أن تستمر العلاقات بين روسيا والمملكة العربية السعودية”.
The absence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman from the BRICS summit raised questions about whether Saudi Arabia would officially join the bloc (lit.: the reality of Saudi Arabia’s official joining)… The Kremlin announced that it had sent (had extended) an official invitation to Saudi Arabia to participate in the 16th BRICS summit… Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to a question about his view on (regarding) Saudi Arabia joining the BRICS group, saying that he hopes that “relations between Russia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue”…
Section 3
وكانت تقارير روسية قد أشارت إلى أن تمثيل السعودية في القمة “لن يكون على المستوى المأمول“، مشيرة إلى أن المملكة “تتجنب اتخاذ خطوات قد تثير توتراً في العلاقات مع الغرب، خاصة مع الولايات المتحدة، فالمملكة تريد البريكس مع الحفاظ على علاقتها بالغرب”.
يرى الباحث في علم الاجتماع السياسي د. عبد الكريم غانم، أن موقف المملكة المتحفظ من الانضمام إلى مجموعة بريكس “نابعٌ من سعيها للتحرر من القطبية التقليدية والاستقطابات الجديدة”.
Russian reports indicated that the Saudi Arabia’s representation at the summit “will not be at the hoped-for (desired) level”, noting (adding) that the Kingdom “is avoiding taking (any) steps that might cause tension in relations with the West, especially with the United States. The Kingdom wants BRICS while also maintaining its relationship with the West…”
Dr. Abdul Karim Ghanem, a researcher in political sociality, believes that the Kingdom’s reserved stance on joining BRICS “stems from its quest to break free (liberate itself) from traditional polarity and new polarizations”.
Section 4
ويشير إلى أن المملكة “تفضل إمساك العصا من المنتصف“، موضحاً بقوله: “تقاربها مع روسيا لا يرقى إلى مستوى علاقاتها الاستراتيجية مع الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية”.
ويؤكد لـ”الخليج أونلاين”، أن ذلك يأتي “في ظل توجهات المملكة لتعزيز العلاقات الدفاعية والأمنية مع الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، ومنها التعاون في البرنامج النووي السلمي، وتعزيز التعاون في مجال الذكاء الاصطناعي“.
He points out (added/noted) that the Kingdom “prefers to hold the stick from the middle”, explaining by saying that “the Saudi rapprochement with Russia doesn’t rise to the level of its strategic relationship with the United States…”
He confirmed (further told) Al-Khaleej Online that this comes “in light of the Kingdom’s endeavor to enhance defense and security relations with the United States of America, including cooperation in the peaceful nuclear program, and enhancing cooperation in the field of Artificial Intelligence.”
Section 5
وأضاف: “كما أن روسيا التي هي في حالة حرب طويلة مع أوكرانيا، لا تستطيع الفوز برضى السعودية؛ لكونها الحليف العسكري لإيران، وربما لأذرعها في المنطقة، إذ يبدو أن موسكو متورطة في تسليح جماعة الحوثي الموالية لإيران بالصواريخ الفرط صوتية وغيرها من صفقات الأسلحة، بما يشكّله ذلك من تهديد لأمن المملكة”.
He added (further said): “Russia, which is in a long state of war with Ukraine, cannot win Saudi Arabia’s favor, as it is the military ally of Iran, and possibly, its proxies in the region, as Moscow seems to be involved in arming the pro-Iranian Houthi group with hypersonic missiles and other arms deals, which poses a threat to the security of the Kingdom.”
Vocabulary list
If you are unfamiliar with the verb system used in the Hans Wehr dictionary (Roman numerals, I-X), click here for a short and simplified overview.
Part 1: Analysis of a headline
| ARABIC | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| تَعَرُّفٌ | recognition; realization; identification; acquaintance. This is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the V-verb يَتَعَرَّفُ – تَعَرَّفَ عَلَى which denotes to get to know; to recognize, to become acquainted. However, depending on the context, it can also express to identify. For example: facial recognition (التَّعَرُّفُ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ); identifiable (يُمْكِنُ التَّعَرُّفُ عَلَيْهِ) |
| جُثّةٌ | corpse; body. For example: autopsy (تَشْريحُ جُثّةٍ); the word comes from the II-verb شَرَّحَ which means to dissect. Remark: morgue is مَشْرَحةٌ (pl: مَشارِحُ) in Arabic. |
| ٌتَقْوِيض | destruction; devastation; undermining, subversion. It is the verbal noun of the II-verb قَوَّضَ – يُقَوِّضُ which means to destroy; to demolish; to tear down. The verbal noun ٌتَقْوِيض, however, is also used in the sense of undermining, subversion especially in political contexts, where ٌتَقْوِيض conveys a systematic erosion of power rather than outright destruction. |
| سِيادةٌ | sovereignty, dominance; rule. For example: a sovereign state (دَوْلَةٌ ذاتُ سِيادَةٍ). It can also denote Excellency in respectful titles of address. For example: His Excellency the minister (سِيادة الوَزيرِ). You can also just add a pronoun – سِيادَتُكَ – which can be translated as a very respectful and polite form of you (lit.: Your Excellency). The word سِيادةٌ is one of the many infinitive noun (مصدر) forms of the I-verb سادَ – يَسُودُ which literally means: to rule; to be master. See Media Arabic Booster 01-24; 04-24 and 07-24. |
Part 2: Translation of an article
Headline and article section 1
| ARABIC | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| يَتَحَفَّظُ – تَحَفَّظَ عَنْ | to be reserved (in); to have reservations about; to be careful (of). It is a V-verb. The verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) is تَحَفُّظ denotes restraint, but also conservatism. For example: to distance oneself from something (تَحَفَّظَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ). Watch out: The preposition matters! With عَلَى, the meaning changes dramatically. For example: to stick to something (تَحَفَّظَ على شَيْءٍ) |
| يَكْثُرُ – كَثُرَ | to be many; to become many. I-verb. Arabic often uses a verb (to be many) where English would use an adjective – which is important for a good translation. |
| تَأْوِيلٌ pl: تَأْوِيلاتٌ | interpretation; explanation. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the II-verb يُؤَوِّلُ – أَوَّلَ which means to explain; to interpret. For example: There are no facts, only interpretations (لَا تُوجَدُ حَقَائِقُ وَإِنَّمَا هُنَاكَ فَقَطْ تَأْوِيلَاتٍ). By looking at the core meaning of the root (ء-و-ل), which is to go back, the word تَأْوِيلٌ can be understood as returning to the origin. |
| تَفْسِيرٌ pl: تَفاسِيرُ | interpretation; explanation; also exegesis (Qur’an). It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the II-verb فَسَّرَ – يُفَسِّرُ which means to explain; to interpret; to comment. For example: a clear explanation (تَفْسِيرٌ واضِحٌ). Looking at the core meaning of the root (ف-س-ر), here the idea of explanation is more of: to uncover the covered. So, interpretation is uncovering the intended meaning. |
| غِيابٌ | absence; non-attendance. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the I-verb غابَ – يَغيبُ which means to be absent. See Media Arabic Booster 07-24. |
| وَليٌّ pl: أَوْلِياءُ | near, nearby; that is next; next of kin; owner; guardian; follower/friend; one trusted and confided in. In politics, you often encounter it in: crown prince (وَليُّ الْعَهْدِ). Note: With the definite article, الْوَلِيُّ, it is one of the names of Allah meaning: the Patron. |
| عَهْدٌ | knowledge; period, era, epoch; also: treaty; pact; or: government; regime. For example: crown prince (وَليُّ الْعَهْدِ). In Christianity: the Old Testament (الْعَهْدُ الْقَدِيمُ) |
| مُنْعَقِدٌ | being held. It is the active participle (اِسْمُ الْفاعِلِ) of the VII-verb يَنْعَقِدُ – انْعَقَدَ which means to be held; also: to be tied. For example: the meeting is in progress (الْاِجْتِماعُ مُنْعَقِدٌ); the meeting was held (اِنْعَقَدَ الْاِجْتِماعُ). |
| قائِدٌ pl: ٌقادة or قَوّادٌ or قاداتٌ | leader; driver; army commander/general. It is the active participle (اِسْمُ الْفاعِلِ) of the I-verb قادَ – يَقودُ (root: ق-و-د) which means to lead; also: to drive. For example: party leaders (قادةُ الْحِزْبِ); commander-in-chief (قائِدٌ أَعْلَى or قائِدٌ عامٌّ). See Media Arabic Booster 02-24 and 08-24. |
| ARABIC | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| عُضْوٌ pl: أَعْضاءٌ | member; organ/limb. For example: list of members (قائِمةُ الْأَعْضاءِ or لائِحةُ الْأَعْضاءِ); leading member (عُضْوٌ قِيادِيٌّ) |
| تَكَتُّلٌ | bloc; formation of a bloc. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the V-verb تَكَتَّلَ – يَتَكَتَّلُ which means to agglomerate; to clot. For example: economic bloc (تَكَتُّلٌ اِقْتِصادِيٌّ). A similar word is كُتْلةٌ (pl: كُتَلٌ) which means chunk; cube; bloc; but also: parliamentary group, etc. |
| قِمّةٌ | summit, conference. Also: peak; top. For example: Arab summit (قِمَّةٌ عَرَبِيَّةٌ); mountain peak (قِمَّةُ جَبَلٍ); G-8 summit (قِمَّةُ مَجْمُوعَةِ الثَّمانِيَةِ); G-20 summit (قِمَّةُ الدُّوَلِ الْغَنِيَّةِ or قِمَّةُ الدُّوَلِ الْعِشْرِينَ). |
| تَجَمُّعٌ | meeting; gathering; assembly; complex. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the V-verb تَجَمَّعَ – يَتَجَمَّعُ which means to gather; to aggregate. For example: a family gathering (تَجَمُّعٌ عائِلِيٌّ) |
| زَعِيمٌ pl: زُعَماءُ | leader. It is the quasi-participle (صِفَةٌ مُشَبَّهَةٌ) of the I-verb زَعَمَ – يَزْعُمُ (verbal noun: زَعامَةٌ) which means to lead. For example: union leader (زَعِيمٌ نِقابِيٌّ). Watch out: Although the vowels are often confused and mostly only زَعَمَ is used, sometimes you will read that زَعُمَ – يَزْعُمُ (with “u” in the past in the middle root letter) means to be leader/head/chair, while زَعَمَ actively means to command. |
| عَقَدَ – يَعْقِدُ | to hold; to arrange. I-verb. For example: to hold a meeting (عَقَدَ مُؤْتَمَرًا). Usually, you use the passive voice (المَبْنِيُّ لِلمَجْهُولِ); so you use: عُقِدَ – يُعْقَدُ. Or you use the active form of the VII-verb انْعَقَدَ – يَنْعَقِدُ which also means to be held. |
| خاضَ – يَخُوضُ | to plunge/dive into; to become absorbed in (فِي). I-verb; the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) is خَوْضٌ. For example: to take up a matter (خاضَ فِي مَسْأَلةٍ); to join a battle (خاضَ الْمَعْرَكةَ); to run in the elections (خاضَ الْانْتِخاباتِ); to wage war (خاضَ حَرْبًا); to dive into the water (خاضَ الْماءَ or خاضَ فِي الْماءِ). |
| ARABIC | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| مَدْعُومٌ | supported; subsidized. It is the passive participle (اِسْمُ الْمَفْعُولِ) of the I-verb دَعَمَ – يَدْعَمُ which means to support. For example: not supported (غَيْر مَدْعومٍ). See also Media Arabic Booster 07-24. |
| اِنْضِمامٌ إِلَى | entry; joining. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the VII-verb اِنْضَمَّ – يَنْضَمُّ which means to join; to join forces; to unite. |
| نِهائيٌّ | final; definitive; ultimate. It is the Nisba adjective (نِسْبةٌ) of the noun نِهايةٌ which means end; ending. For example: final decision (الْقَرارُ النِّهائِيُّ) |
| وَسْطَ | amid; in the middle of; among. Note: This is used as an adverb (ظَرْفٌ), which explains the “a” at the end. |
| تَساؤُلٌ pl: تَساؤُلاتٌ | question; self-questioning. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the VI-verb تَساءَلَ – تَساءَلُ which means to ask oneself; to ask one another; to question. |
| تَرَدَّدَ – يَتَرَدَّدُ فِي | to hesitate, to be reluctant to (فِي); to circulate. V-verb (ر-د-د). For example: rumors are circulating (تَتَرَدَّدُ الشّائِعاتُ); don’t hesitate! (لا تَتَرَدَّدْ) |
Article Section 2
| ARABIC | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| أَمِيرٌ pl: أُمَراءُ | prince; Emir; commander. For example: The Emir of Qatar (أَمِيرُ دَوْلَةِ قَطَرَ); admiral – lit: “commander of the sea” (أَمِيرُ البَحْرِ); His Royal Highness the Prince (صاحِبُ السُمُوِّ المَلَكِيِّ الأَمِيرُ). |
| أَثارَ – يُثيرُ | to stir up; to cause; to arouse; to provoke. IV-verb; root: ث-و-ر. For example: to provoke a reaction (أَثارَ رَدَّ فِعْلٍ) |
| دَوْرةٌ | cycle; rotation; turning; tour; round |
| أَجابَ – يُجيبُ | to answer; to reply. IV-verb; root: ج-و-ب. For example: to reply to a question (أَجابَ عَلَى سُؤالٍ) |
| نَظْرةٌ pl: نَظَراتٌ | view; standpoint; look. For example: personal view (نَظْرةٌ شَخْصِيّةٌ) |
| أَمَلَ – يَأْمُلُ | to hope. I-verb. How do you express to hope for? You can use a direct object (حَرْفُ الْجَرِ) or a preposition. Direct object (مَفْعُولٌ بِهِ): أَمَلَ شَيْئًا. With the preposition في, e.g.: أَمَلَ فِي شَيْءٍ. Also, the preposition بِ is sometimes used, e.g.: أَمَلَ بِشَيْءٍ |
Article Section 3
| ARABIC | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| تَقْرِيرٌ pl: تَقاريرُ | report; news report/coverage; account. Also: establishment; settlement. It is the infinitive noun (مَصْدَر) of the II-verb قَرَّرَ – يُقَرِّرُ which can denote many actions: to decide; to resolve; to determine; also: to settle; to appoint/assign; to confirm; to report/to tell; to make a statement. See Media Arabic Booster 05-24 |
| تَمْثِيلٌ | representation; also: performance. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the II-verb مَثَّلَ – يُمَثِّلُ which means to act; to perform. |
| مَأْمُولٌ | hoped for; desired. It is the passive participle (اِسْمُ الْمَفْعُولِ) of the I-verb أَمَلَ – يَأْمُلُ which means to hope. For example: the desired level (الْمُسْتَوَى الْمَأْمُولُ); let’s hope that (مِنْ الْمَأْمولِ أَنْ) |
| تَجَنَّبَ – يَتَجَنَّبُ | to avoid; to keep away. V-verb. You use a direct object (مَفْعُولٌ بِهِ). For example: to avoid something (تَجَنَّبَ شَيْئًا) |
| قَدْ | already; yet (with past tense); maybe; might (with present tense). For example: he had already said (كانَ قَدْ قالَ إِنَّ). He might come (قَدْ يَأْتِي). |
| تَوَتُّر pl: تَوَتُّراتٌ | tension. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the V-verb تَوَتَّرَ – يَتَوَتَّرُ which means to be strained. See Media Arabic Booster 04-24. |
| الْوِلاياتُ الْمُتَّحِدَةُ | The United States. The word وِلاية means (federal) state. مُتَّحِدٌ denotes united and is the active participle of the VIII-verb اِتَّحَدَ – يَتَّحِدُ which means to be one or form a unity; to be united. |
| حِفاظٌ عَلَى | preservation; conservation; maintenance. It is one of the verbal noun forms (مَصْدَرٌ) of the I-verb حَفِظَ – يَحْفَظُ. The standard verbal noun حِفْظٌ encompasses the meaning of preservation or protection in a general sense. حِفاظٌ, on the other hand, can be a bit more specific, often used in contexts relating to guards or keepers. For example: nature conservation (الْحِفاظُ عَلَى الطَّبِيعَةِ) |
| ARABIC | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| مُتَحَفِّظٌ | restrained; reserved. It is the active participle (اِسْمُ الْفاعِلِ) of the V-verb تَحَفَّظَ – يَتَحَفَّظُ which – with the preposition عَنْ – means to be reserved (in); to exercise restraint (in) and with the preposition على, it means to maintain; to stick to something. For example: a restrained action (رَدُّ فِعْلٍ مُتَحَفِّظٌ) |
| نَبَعَ – يَنْبَعُ | to originate; to come from. The verbal nouns (مَصْدَرٌ) are نَبْعٌ or نُبُوعٌ or نَبَعانٌ. For example: the importance of this topic comes from (تَنْبُعُ أَهَمِّيَّةُ هٰذا الْمَوْضُوعِ مِنْ). |
| سَعْيٌ إِلَى | effort; endeavor. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the I-verb سَعَى – يَسْعَى إِلَى which means to strive; to seek/endeavor. |
| تَحَرُّرٌ | liberation; emancipation. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the V-verb تَحَرَّرَ – يَتَحَرَّرُ which means to be freed; to get rid. For example: economic liberation (تَحَرَّرٌ اِقْتِصادِيٌّ) |
| قُطْبِيٌّ | polar. It is the Nisba adjective (نِسْبةٌ) of the noun قُطْبٌ which means pole. For example: polar region (مِنْطَقةٌ قُطْبِيّةٌ) |
| تَقْلِيدِيٌّ | traditional. It is the Nisba adjective (نِسْبةٌ) of the noun تَقْلِيدٌ which means tradition; convention. For example: conventional weapons (أَسْلِحةٌ تَقْلِيدِّيةٌ) |
| اِسْتِقْطابٌ | polarization; also: attraction. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the X-verb اِسْتَقْطَبَ – يَسْتَقْطِبُ which means to attract; to polarize. For example: sectarian polarization (اِسْتِقْطابٌ طائِفِيٌّ) |
Article Section 4
| ARABIC | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| إِمْساكٌ | holding. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the IV-verb أَمْسَكَ – يُمْسِكُ which means to hold; to grasp. |
| عَصًا | stick; rod. Note: It is a feminine word! |
| مُنْتَصَفٌ | middle; center; half-way. It is the passive participle (اِسْمُ المَفْعُولِ) of the VIII-verb انْتَصَفَ – يَنْتَصِفُ which means to reach the middle. For example: in the middle of the night (فِي مُنْتَصَفِ اللَّيْلِ); in the mid-80s (فِي مُنْتَصَفِ الثَّمانِيناتِ) |
| مُوَضِّحٌ | explaining; making clear. It is the active participle (اِسْمُ الْفاعِلِ) of the II-verb وَضَّحَ – يُوَضِّحُ which means to make clear. |
| تَقارُبٌ | rapprochement. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the VI-verb تَقارَبَ – يَتَقارَبُ which means to approach each other. |
| رَقَّى – يُرَقِّي | to advance; to promote. II-verb. The verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) is تَرْقِِيةٌ. |
| دِفاعِيٌّ | defensive. It is the Nisba adjective (نِسْبةٌ) of the noun دِفاعٌ which means defense. For example: defense policy (سِياسةٌ دِفاعِيّةٌ) |
| تَعاوُنٌ | cooperation. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the VI-verb تَعاوَنَ – يَتَعاوَنُ (root: ع-و-ن) which means to work together; to collaborate. If you want to express with whom you work together, use the preposition مَعَ. See Media Arabic Booster 02-24. |
| نَوَوِيٌّ | nuclear; atomic. It is the Nisba adjective (نِسْبةٌ) of the noun نَواة which means nucleus; seed; kernel. For example: nuclear weapons (أَسْلِحَةٌ نَوَوِيَّةٌ) |
| سِلْمِيٌّ | peaceful. It is the Nisba adjective (نِسْبةٌ) of the noun سِلْمٌ which means peace. |
| مَجالٌ pl: مَجالاتٌ | field; area; domain. For example: in many fields (فِي مَجالاتٍ عِدّةٍ) |
| ذَكاءٌ اِصْطِناعِيٌّ | artificial intelligence. Remark: اصْطِناعيّ means artificial, man-made and is the Nisba adjective (نِسْبةٌ) of the verbal noun which means اِصْطِناعٌ manufacturing. |
Article Section 5
| ARABIC | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| فَوْزٌ بِ | victory. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the I-verb فازَ – يَفُوزُ بِ which means to win. |
| رِضًى | satisfaction; contentment. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the I-verb رَضِيَ – يَرْضَى which means to be satisfied/content with (used with direct object or the prepositions بِ or فِي – or even عِنْ as in the phrase may “Allah be pleased with him” – رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ) |
| حَلِيفٌ pl: حُلَفاءُ | ally. For example: a political ally (حَلِيفٌ سِياسِيٌّ) |
| رُبَّما | perhaps; maybe; possibly |
| ذِراعٌ pl: ذُرْعان or pl: أَذْرُعٌ | arm; also: division, branch. For example: the armed division (الذِّراعُ الْعَسْكَرِيُّ); a broken arm (ذِراعٌ مَكْسُورَةٌ). |
| إذْ | as; since; because (حَيْثُ). But also: then, suddenly (للمُفاجَأةِ) |
| مُتَوَرِّطٌ | involved; embroiled. It is the active participle (اِسْمُ الْفاعِلِ) of the V-verb تَوَرَّطَ – يَتَوَرَّطُ which means to become involved in (فِي) |
| ARABIC | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| تَسْلِيحٌ | armament. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the II-verb سَلَّحَ – يُسَلِّحُ which means to arm. |
| مُوالٍ | loyal, faithful; follower/following. It is the active participle (اِسْمُ الْفاعِلِ) of the III-verb وَالَى – يُوالِي which means to support; to be an adherent. |
| صارُوخٌ pl: صَوارِيخُ | rocket; missile. For example: to launch rocket at an enemy (إِطْلاقُ الصَّوارِيخِ عَلَى الْعَدُوِّ) |
| فَرْطٌ | surplus; excess; excess, over-, hyper-. For example: hypersonic weapon (سِلاح فَرْط صَوْتِيّ) |
| صَوْتِيٌّ | sonic. It is the Nisba adjective (نِسْبةٌ) of the noun صَوْتٌ which means sound. For example: supersonic (فَوْقَ صَوْتيٍّ) |
| صَفْقةٌ pl: صَفَقاتٌ | deal; transaction |
| تَهْديدٌ pl: تَهْدِيداتٌ | threat. It is the verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the II-verb هَدَّدَ – يُهَدِّدُ which means to threat. For example: security threat (تَهْدِيدٌ لِلأَمْنِ) |
For +members: Vocab Quiz 10/24
You can practice the vocabulary presented in this article with this interactive quiz.
Media Arabic Booster 12/24
This month (12/24) in Media Arabic Booster: The fall of Bashar al-Assad and an article discussing the link between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood
Media Arabic Booster 11/24
This month (11/24) in Media Arabic Booster: What do the Houthis get out of attacking ships in the Red Sea? And an interesting headline following the election of Donald Trump as the new US president.
Media Arabic Booster 10/24
This month (10/24) in Media Arabic Booster: The situation in Lebanon and an article discussing why Saudi Arabia is reluctant to join the BRICs.
Great initiative! I’m looking forward to learning new vocabulary and linguistic insights through the Media Arabic Booster