I have worn many hats throughout my professional career. My very first job as a teenager was working as طاه – taahi (cook) at a famous fast food restaurant. Later, I was a مشغل الراديو – mushghil arraadyu (radio operator), حارس أمن – haaris ‘amn ( security guard),  خطاط – ‘Khatat (sign painter), and even worked for a while in بناء الطرق – binaa’ atturuq (road construction) painting the lines on the road.


After studying English Communications at university, I was a  مدير المبيعات – mudeer almabee’aat (sales manager) until I moved to Amman and became an معلم لغة انجليزية  – mu’alim lugha injleeziyah (English teacher). Amman has also afforded me other opportunities for employment including working as an الممثل – almumathil (actor), محرر – muharir (editor), and finally, my dream job as a كاتب – kaatib (writer). If the old saying is true about a job defining who a person is, then I guess I’m many people – a veritable “jack-of-all-trades” or roughly translated from English to Arabic as جاك متعدد المهن – jak muta’adid almihan (Jack-Multi-Professions).


However, before I moved to the Middle East and started to learn Arabic, I had no idea how to speak Arabic and explain my past employment history when looking for a job. So you don’t make the same mistake, today’s post is going to be about what you do for a living.

Here is a list of some Arabic vocabulary for professions:


EnglishArabicTransliteration
Profession in Arabic مهنة mihnah
Worker in Arabicعامل
عاملة		‘aamil (m)
‘aamilah (f)
Employee in Arabicموظف
موظفة		mowazaf (m)
mowazafah (f)
Colleague in Arabicزميل
زميلة		zameel (m)
zameelah (f)
Retiree in Arabic متقاعد عن العمل
متقاعدة عن العمل		 mutaqaa’id a’n il-‘amal (m) mutaqaai’dah a’n il-‘amal (f)
Unemployed in Arabic عاطل
عاطلة		‘aatil (m)
‘aatilah (f)
Jobseeker in Arabicباحث عن عمل
باحثة عن عمل		baahith a’n ‘amal (m)
baahithah a’n ‘amal (f)
Doctor in Arabicطبيب
طبيبة		tabeeb (m)
tabeebah (f)
Journalist in Arabicصحفي
صحفية		sahafi (m)
sahafiyah (f)
Engineer in Arabic مهندس
مهندسة		muhandis (m)
muhandisah (f)
Boss in Arabicرئيس العمل
رئيسة العمل 		ra’ees al’amal (m)
ra’eesat al’amal (f)
Director in Arabicمدير
مديرة		mudeer (m)
mudeerah (f)
Manager in Arabic مدير, مديرة mudeer (m), mudeerah (f)
Secretary in Arabic سكرتير, سكرتيرة sikrteer (m), sikrteerah (f)
Driver in Arabic سائق, سائقة saai’q (m), saai’qah (f)
Farmer in Arabic مزارع, مزارعة
فلاح, فلاحة 		muzaari’ (m), muzaari’ah (f)
falaah (m), falaahah (f)
Baker in Arabic خباز, خبازة khabbaz (m), khabbazah (f)
Salesman in Arabicموظف مبيعات
موظفة مبيعات 		muwazaf mabe’aat (m)
muzafat mabe’aat (f)
Nurse in Arabicممرض
ممرضة		mumarrid (m)
mumarridah (f)
Policeman in Arabicشرطي
شرطية		shurti (m)
shurtiyah (f)
Chef in Arabic طاه
طاهية		taahi (m)
taahiyah (f)
Teacher in Arabicمعلم
معلمة		 mua’llim (m)
mua’llimah (f)


Is your profession not on the list? Drop us a line at kaleela.com and we’ll add it to our next one.

If you liked this article and would like to start learning Arabic, why not head over to our website and download the Kaleela Arabic learning app and learn to speak Arabic today?

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