Arabic- Making Small Talk on the Job Arabic Beginner Lesson- 41 – Learn Arabic Free Online
Arabic- Making Small Talk on the Job Arabic Beginner Lesson- 41 – Learn Arabic Free Online
You can generally find out a lot about a person based on his or her mihna
(meeh-nah; job). A lot of people identify themselves with their occupations,
so being able to make small talk about jobs is essential.
Professions in Arabic always have a gender distinction. If you want to ask
someone about his or her profession, you have two options:
maa mihnatuka? (maah meeh-nah-too-kah; What is your job?; literally
“What do you do?”) (M)
maa mihnatuki? (maah meeh-nah-too-kee; What is your job?; literally
“What do you do?”) (F)
‘ayna ta’mal? (eh-yeh-nah tah-mal; Where do you work?) (M)
‘ayna ta’maliina? (eh-yeh-nah tah-mah-lee-nah; Where do you work?) (F)
Table 4-2 contains some important words relating to different occupations.
Table 4-2 Professions
Arabic Pronunciation Translation
maSrafii mah-srah-fee banker (M)
SaHafii sah-hah-fee journalist (M)
kaatib kah-teeb writer (M)
68 Part II: Arabic in Action
Arabic Pronunciation Translation
mumathil moo-mah-theel actor (M)
muhandis moo-han-dees architect (M)
Tabiib tah-beeb doctor (M)
fannaan fah-nan artist (M)
mughannii moo-gah-nee singer (M)
mutarjim moo-tar-jeem translator (M)
mumarriD moo-mah-reed nurse (M)
muHaamii moo-hah-mee lawyer (M)
Tabbaakh tah-bah-kh cook (M)
taajir tah-jeer merchant (M)
muHaasib moo-hah-seeb accountant (M)
simsaar seem-sahr broker (M)
Hallaaq hah-lahk barber (M)
fallaaH fah-lah farmer (M)
raaqiS rah-kees dancer (M)
shurTii shoor-tee police officer (M)
‘iTfaa’ii eet-fah-ee fireman
rajul ‘a’maal rah-jool ah-maal businessman
Table 4-2 gives the masculine forms of professions. You’ll be pleased to know
that converting the masculine forms of professions into the feminine forms
involves simply adding a fatHa to the end of the masculine profession. For
example, to say “translator” in the feminine, you add a fatHa to muTarjim to
get muTarjima (moo-tar-jee-mah; translator) (F).