Chapter 5.1: Vocabulary and Expressions

Vocabulary and Expressions 1

Watch the song about Ramadan and pick up phrases that have to do with celebrations.

ماذا تعرفون عن شهر رمضان؟

Learn the names of the months in the Georgian calendar الشهور الميلادية and the Islamic calendar الشهور القمرية.

The primary difference between the Gregorian calendar and the Islamic calendar is that the Gregorian calendar is based on the Earth’s orbit around the sun (solar calendar), while the Islamic calendar is based on lunar cycles, meaning each month begins with the sighting of a new moon, resulting in an Islamic year being roughly 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year. Gregorian calendar has fixed month lengths, while Islamic months are determined by sighting the new moon, meaning a month can be 29 or 30 days long. The Islamic calendar is crucial for determining religious holidays like Ramadan, which is based on lunar cycles. The Gregorian year is called السنة الميلادية and the Islamic calendar is called السنة القمرية or السنة الهجرية, derived from هجرة immigration, because it was established based on the year of migration of prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Madinah where he started the first Islamic community.

Vocabulary and Expressions 2

Read and listen to the following vocabulary and expressions.

Notes on Verbs

Learn the conjugations of the following verbs : دعا – يدعو and نوى – ينوي

These verbs share a similar pattern of conjugation as they morphologically belong to a category of verbs whose root ends with و or ي

Vocabulary Use With Prepositions

Prepositions are words that connect nouns to verbs or other nouns, adding additional context such as place, time, cause, or manner. Common Arabic prepositions include: في (in), على (on), من (from), إلى (to), عن (about), بـ (with/by), لـ (for), كـ (as), حتى (until). Prepositions play a crucial role in sentence structure, connecting verbs to their objects or complements. Many verbs require specific prepositions to complete their meaning. Misusing these prepositions can lead to misunderstandings or a change in meaning.

Refresh your knowledge of the use of prepositions with the following verbs:

1. Verbs with the Preposition “بـ” 
   • يؤمن بـ (believes in):
     • Example: المسلمون والمسيحيون واليهود يؤمنون بالله. Muslims, Christian and Jews believe in God.
   • يهتم بـ (cares about):
     • Example: تهتم الأم بأطفالها. The mother cares about her children.

2. Verbs with the Preposition “إلى” 
   • يذهب إلى (goes to):
     • Example: ذهب أحمد إلى المدرسة. Ahmed went to school.
   • يستمع إلى (listens to):
     • Example: يستمع الطلاب الكلمات الجديدة. The students listen to the new words.

3. Verbs with the Preposition “على” 
   • يعتمد على (depends on):
     • Example: يعتمد الولد على والده. The boy relies on his father.

4. Verbs with the Preposition “من” 
   • يتكوّن من (consists of):
     • Example: بيتي يتكون من ثلاث غرف وحمامين. My house consists of three rooms and two baths. 
   • يستفيد من (benefits from):
     • Example: يستفيد الطلاب من الاستماع إلى الأخبار. Students benefits from listening to news. 

5. Verbs with the Preposition “عن” 
   • يتكلم عن (talks about):
     • Example: تكلمت المعلمة عن أهمية التعليم. The teacher talked about the importance of education.
   • يبحث عن (searches for):
     • Example: يبحث الطالب عن كتاب جديد. The student is looking for a new book.

Some verbs in Arabic change their meaning based on the preposition that follows them. Look at the following examples:

• يخاف من (fears from):
  • Example: بنتي تخاف من الكلاب. My daughter fears from dogs.
• يخاف على (fears for):
  • Example: أخاف على الأولاد عندما يكونون وحدهم في البيت. I fear for the kids when they are home alone.
• يختلف عن (differs from):
  • Example: الطقس في كاليفورنيا يختلف عن الطقس في آلاسكا. The weather in California differs from the weather in Alaska
• يختلف مع (disagrees with):
  • Example: أختلف مع والدي كثيراً في موضوع سفري إلى الشرق الأوسط. I disagree with my father a lot regarding the issue of my travel to the Middle East.