If you ever have the chance to visit one of the Arabic-speaking countries, chances are you’re going to have to ask for directions to all the beautiful sights to see, or, know how to get to your hotel. Or perhaps you’ll be standing on a street in Amman, Jordan waiting for a taxi, when all of sudden, a car pulls up next to you with...
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Have you ever awoke from a deep sleep and totally forgotten what month it was? It can happen to anybody, but not being exactly sure what month it is can happen in both your sleeping and waking life in the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East. You see, depending on where you are exactly in the Middle East, you may be met with a variety...
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One interesting aspect related to saying “goodbye” in the Arab world is that saying goodbye can take a very long time! For example, I was on a phone call with an Iraqi student of mine one day and the end of the conversation went something like this:Me: “Okay, taalibee (my student), I will talk to you later.” Student: “Okay, ustaazee (my teacher). Hello. Hello. Goodbye....
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Not to sound too Forest Gump-ish, but my momma always said you can get more bees with honey than you can with vinegar. Of course she meant that people are more likely to help you if you are sweet and polite rather than bitter and rude. This brings us to the topic of this post: making polite requests in Arabic. Just as English has some...
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While Arabs may not be known for romance as much as, say the French, it doesn’t mean they are without passion. In fact, if want to learn to read Arabic, you will find that Arabs have expressed their love through music, poetry, and literature since at least the 6th century and the rich history of the Arabic language is ripe with a wide variety of similes...
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