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Congratulations on reaching the final lesson! You have learned all 28 Arabic letters, the diacritic system, and how letters connect. This lesson provides extensive reading practice with real-world Arabic text and outlines your next steps for continuing to learn Arabic.
Arabic signs are everywhere in the Arab world. Here are common signs you might encounter:
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning | Where You See It |
|---|---|---|---|
| مَدخَل | madkhal | Entrance | Buildings, car parks |
| مَخرَج | makhraj | Exit | Buildings, motorways |
| مَمنوع | mamnuuʿ | Forbidden / Prohibited | Public areas |
| خَطَر | khatar | Danger | Construction sites |
| مَفتوح | maftuuh | Open | Shops, restaurants |
| مُغلَق | mughlaq | Closed | Shops, restaurants |
| رِجال | rijaal | Men | Toilets |
| نِساء | nisaa' | Women | Toilets |
| مَوقِف | mawqif | Car park / Stop | Parking areas |
| صَيدَلِية | saydaliyya | Pharmacy | Medical areas |
Arabic names have beautiful meanings. Practise reading these common names:
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| مُحَمَّد | Muhammad | praised |
| أَحمَد | Ahmad | most praised |
| عَلي | Ali | exalted |
| عُمَر | Umar | life / long-lived |
| خالِد | Khalid | eternal |
| يوسُف | Yusuf | God increases (Joseph) |
| إِبراهيم | Ibrahim | father of many (Abraham) |
| حَسَن | Hasan | good / beautiful |
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| فاطِمة | Fatima | she who abstains |
| عائِشة | Aisha | alive / living |
| مَريَم | Maryam | Mary |
| نور | Noor | light |
| زَينَب | Zaynab | fragrant flower |
| لَيلى | Layla | night |
| سارة | Sara | princess |
| أَمينة | Amina | trustworthy |
Practise reading and saying these essential Arabic phrases:
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| السَّلامُ عَلَيكُم | as-salaamu ʿalaykum | Peace be upon you (greeting) |
| وَعَلَيكُمُ السَّلام | wa-ʿalaykumu s-salaam | And upon you peace (response) |
| صَباحُ الخَير | sabahu l-khayr | Good morning |
| صَباحُ النور | sabaahu n-nuur | Good morning (response) |
| مَساءُ الخَير | masaa'u l-khayr | Good evening |
| كَيفَ حالُك | kayfa haaluk | How are you? |
| بِخَير، شُكرًا | bi-khayr, shukran | Fine, thank you |
| مِن فَضلِك | min fadlik | Please |
| عَفوًا | ʿafwan | Excuse me / You're welcome |
| مَع السَّلامة | maʿa s-salaama | Goodbye |
| إِلى اللِقاء | ila l-liqaa' | Until we meet again |
| تَشَرَّفنا | tasharrafnaa | Pleased to meet you |
Arabic uses two numeral systems. The "Arabic numerals" used in the West (1, 2, 3...) actually originated from Arabic, but the Arab world uses Eastern Arabic numerals:
| Western | Eastern Arabic | Arabic Name |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | ٠ | صِفر (sifr) |
| 1 | ١ | واحِد (waahid) |
| 2 | ٢ | اِثنان (ithnaan) |
| 3 | ٣ | ثَلاثة (thalaatha) |
| 4 | ٤ | أَربَعة (arbaʿa) |
| 5 | ٥ | خَمسة (khamsa) |
| 6 | ٦ | سِتَّة (sitta) |
| 7 | ٧ | سَبعة (sabʿa) |
| 8 | ٨ | ثَمانِية (thamaaniya) |
| 9 | ٩ | تِسعة (tisʿa) |
| 10 | ١٠ | عَشَرة (ʿashara) |
Tip: Remember that numbers in Arabic are written left to right, even though the text around them is right to left. So ١٢٣ is read as 123.
Arabic script is one of the world's great calligraphic traditions. Here are the major styles you will encounter:
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