Love is an important concept for Arabs, so it should come as no surprise that there are many different ways to express love in Arabic, all with slightly different meanings. The strong culture of poetry and songs revolving around love developed because in the Arab world marriages were generally arranged, … Continue reading →

This blog has been nominated as a candidate for the Top Language Learning blog in the Language Lovers 2012 competition. If you’ve found the material on my blog helpful, I’d appreciate it immensely if you’d head over to the competition page and vote for ArabicGenie. (You don’t need to register … Continue reading →

Gestern lief auf dem englischen Sender Channel 4 eine Sendung namens “Hidden Talent”, in der 100 zufällig ausgewählten Personen einen Begabungstest für Fremdsprachen gemacht haben, und von denen keiner Sprachlernerfahrung hat (abgesehen von Schulunterricht). Die fünf, die am besten bei diesem Test abschnitten wurden erneut geprüft: Ihnen wurde an einem … Continue reading →

Yesterday I watched a show called “Hidden Talent” on Channel 4 that used a “Modern Language Aptitude” test on 100 randomly selected individuals who had no prior language learning experience other than at school. The five individuals who scored highest on this test were then given a second test: they … Continue reading →

In this post I’ll share with you how I’d go about learning Arabic, knowing all the things I know now. The Arabic script I would start of by focusing on the Arabic alphabet and the sound system, trying to learn the script as quickly as possible by associating the shapes … Continue reading →

A reader requested that I translate the word “destiny” into Arabic. In fact, there are a number of alternative translations that are all correct, but might have slightly different meaning nuances. al-maSeer The Arabic word المصير al-maSeer can mean both destiny and fate. For example مصير الكون would translate as … Continue reading →

Heute hab ich eine Anfrage von einer Leserin erhalten um ein paar Phrasen für ein Tattoo ins Arabische zu übersetzen: Hallo Max, Ich lese Ihren fantastischen Blog aus Australien und genieße es sehr. Ich habe gesehen, dass Sie eine Übersetzung für einen Ihrer Lesern gemacht haben. Ich frage mich, ob … Continue reading →

Arabische Tattoos können sehr ästhetisch sein wenn der richtige Schrifttyp verwendet wird. Allerdings gibt es haufenweise Fälle in denen weder der Tätowierer noch der Tätowierer die geringste Ahnung von der arabischen Sprache haben. Das Ergebnis ist häufig unschön: falsche oder häßliche Schriftzüge. In diesem Blogpost zeige ich Euch ein paar … Continue reading →

Les tatouages Arabes sont vraiment à la mode dans le monde des célébrités. Et il ne s’agit pas de tatouages temporaires en henné. Récemment, des célébrités comme l’actrice Angelina Jolie, le footballeur Zlatan Ibrahimović, et la pop star Rihanna se sont fait tatouer des mots et phrases Arabes sur leurs … Continue reading →

Los tatuajes árabes definitivamente están de moda en el mundo de los ricos y los famosos. No me refiero a esos tatuajes temporeros y ficticios hechos de alheña (henna). Esto tal vez es sorprendente, pero en el Mundo Árabe es sumamente difícil ver tatuajes. Sin embargo, en el Occidente, los … Continue reading →

Learning Arabic for free is certainly possible, though I would always recommend buying a book or a course that can be used as the main tool of instruction. There are plenty of free resources online that can help you with studying Arabic at all levels, whether you are a beginner … Continue reading →

I wish all my readers a happy and prosperous new year 2011! سنة سعيدة وكل عام وأنتم بخير (sana sa3eeda wa kull 3aam wa antum bi-khayr) sana – year sa3eeda – happy wa kull – and every 3aam – year wa antum – and you (plural) bi-khayr – good

Many modern operating systems come with support for Arabic script. However, often you need to first install or activate this option before you can use the Arabic script on your PC. This article explains how to read and type Arabic on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. Windows XP In … Continue reading →

To help Arabic learners with the pronunciation of the letters and sounds of the Arabic alphabet I have developed the Arabic Letters App. To add to this resource, I have compiled a number of useful videos from YouTube that show how to pronounce each letter. Please take a look for … Continue reading →

In one of my previous articles on this blog I discussed what I considered to be the most embarrassing Arabic tattoo mistakes – disconnected letters, written in the wrong direction and offensive tattoos. I thought it was pretty clear that most people would like to steer clear of these pitfalls. … Continue reading →