Browsing Category
Translation & Expression
53 posts
Arabic can be frustrating – when you know all words but don’t understand the expression. You need the historical or cultural background or the grammar to get the meaning.
20 questions for: Brian Powell (#16)
Episode #16 of my series "9273 roots": 20 questions for the man who works for one of the best translation companies for Arabic: Brian Powell
Arabic songs with English subtitles on YouTube
To all people who like Arabic dialects: There is a youtube channel called MohCoolMan which is, in fact, a great tool for learners of Arabic: It provides Arabic songs with English translation.
لَبَّيْكَ (labbaika) – What does it mean?
Labbaika (Labbayka) is said during the pilgrimage/Hajj before the pilgrims enter Mecca. It means: Here I am! At your service! But what kind of word is labbaika?
How a wrong vowel in the Quran may produce blasphemy
The correct vowel endings damma, kasra, fatha in Arabic can be a headache. If you are careless, you could turn verse 9:3 of the Qur'an into blasphemy (kufr).
“Should have” and “will not have done” in Egyptian Arabic
The expressions "should have" and "will have done" in Egyptian Arabic are quite tricky. Let's see some solutions.
Almased – A good reason why Germans should start learning Arabic
Recently, I met a guy telling me that he is trying to lose some weight. I asked him about his diet and he answered: "al-Mazeed".
How do you say both in Arabic?
In Arabic, there is a special way to express the English word both.
How do you write emails and formal letters in Arabic? (part 2)
Writing formal letters and emails in Arabic is not difficult: Sentences and expressions for the last parts of a letter.
How do you write emails and formal letters in Arabic? (part 1)
Writing formal letters and emails in Arabic is not difficult: Sentences and expressions for the most important ingredients of a letter: the salutation (المخاطبة) and opening sentences.
The tricky word ما in Egyptian Arabic
The word ما is one of the most difficult words in Egyptian Arabic (and by the way, in Standard Arabic as well). Oftentimes, it is misunderstood.