Lesson One - Learning Iraqi Arabic

Ryan, an American in Iraq, approaches Karim, an Iraqi, on a street in Baghdad.

Ryan:  MarHaba, ustaath.                                       Hello, sir.

راين: مَرحَبا أُستاذ.

Karim:  Ahlan wa sahlan.  Shlohnak.                     Hello.  How are you?

کریم: أهلاً وسَهلاً ، شلونَك

Ryan:  Zehn.  Al Hamdulillah.  Aani ismi Ryan. Good.  Praise be to God.  My name is Ryan.

راين: زین ، الحَمدلله‌ ، آني إسمي راين.

Karim:  Tsharrafna.  Aani ismi Karim.                 Nice to meet you.  My name is Karim.

کریم: تشَرَفنا ، آني إسمي کریم.

Ryan:  Wili ishsharraf, Sayyid Karim.                    The honor is mine, Mr. Karim.

As salaamu ‘alaykum.                                   Peace be upon you.

راين: وإلي الشَرَف سَیِد کریم ، السَّلامُ عَلَیکُم.

Karim:  Wa ‘alaykum assalaam.                              And upon you be peace.

Inta min wehn?  Inta ‘Iraqi?                    Where are you from?  Are you an

Iraqi?

کریم: وعَلَیکُم السَّلام ، إنتَ‌ مِن وين ؟ إنتَ‌ عِراقي؟

Ryan:   La, aani mu ‘Iraqi.  Aani Amriiki,            No, I am not an Iraqi.  I am an

min madiinat ATlanTa, wilayat                 American from the city of

Georgia, fil Wilayat il MutaHida.              Atlanta, State of Georgia, in the

Inta min wehn?  Min hnaa?                        United States. Where are you                                                                                                  from?  From here?

راين: لا ، آني مو عِراقي ، آني أمریکي مِن مَدینَة أطلانطا ، وِلایة جورجیا ، في الولایات المتحدة

إنتَ‌ مِن وین ؟ مِن هنا  ؟

Karim:  Na’am, aani min hnaa, min                       Yes, from here, from Baghdad,

Baghdad.  Aani wilaadat il  ‘Iraq.             I was born in Iraq.

کریم: نَعَم ، آني مِن هنا . مِن بَغداد، آني وِلادَة العِراق .

Vocabulary

Iraqi عربي English

marHaba مَرحَبا hello

ustaath أستاذ sir, professor

ahlan wa sahlan أهلاً وسَهلاً hello, welcome

Shlohnak? شلونَك                  How are you?

zehn زین                      good

al Hamdulillah الحَمدُلله‌                    praise be to God

aani                     ‌ آني                       I

ismi إسمي                   my name

Tsharrafna. تشَرفنا Nice to meet you (you honor us).

Wili ishsharraf. وإلي الشَرَف                                And nice to meet you (and the                                                                                             honor is ours).

sayyid سَیِّد                   sir, mister

w و and

assalaam السَّلام                   peace

‘alaykum عَلَیکُم upon you

As salaamu ‘alaykum. السَّلامُ عَلَیکُم Peace be upon you.

wa و                    and

Wa ‘alaykum assalaam وعَلَیکُم السَّلام      And upon you be peace.

inta إنتَ‌                  you

min مِن                   from

wehn وین where

‘Iraqi عِراقي Iraqi(s) (masculine, feminine,

‘Iraqiyya عِراقِيِّة singular; masculine, feminine

‘Iraqiyyeen عِراقِیین plural; hereafter abbreviated as

‘Iraqiyyaat عِراقِیات msg, fsg, mpl, fpl)

la لا no

mu مو not

Amriiki أمریکي American (masculine, feminine,

Amriikiyya أمریکِیِّة                plural, hereafter abbreviated as

Amriikaan أمریکان m, f, fpl)

madiina مَدینة                  city

madiinat ATlanTa مَدینَة أطلانطا                 city of Atlanta

wilayat وِلایَة                 State

wilayat Georgia وِلایَة جورجیا               State of Georgia

il Wilayat il MutaHida الوِلایات المُتَحِدة             United States

Amriika أمریکا America

hnaa هنا here

na’am نَعَم yes

aani wilaadat آني وِلادَة I was born

il ‘Iraq العِراق                 Iraq- country name are preceded

by the definite article “il” which

is “the”.

il/al إلـ /الـ                   the – both spellings are common

(“al” Hamdulillah, but “il” Iraq)

For more on Learning Iraqi Arabic contact Lee & Grant International at:

E-mail:                        [email protected]

Telephone:                 (770) 394-3367 (U.S.)

Website:                     www.leeandgrantinternational.com

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