Archive for December, 2018
What can Arabic Proverbs tell us about Arab Culture? Posted by yasmine on Dec 26, 2018
You can learn a lot about a culture when you know some of its proverbs مَثل/حِكمة or wise sayings. Here are some Arabic proverbs with their English translations. I have all the English translations at the bottom of the post, so you can first try to understand the meaning in Arabic or at least the…
Jesus is born, Hallelujah! ! ولد المسيح هللويا Posted by Anastasia on Dec 24, 2018
Today is December 24th, a very special day in the Christian calendar المسيحيون, for today, Jesus (يسوع المسيح) the savior (المخلص) was born. This holiday is one of the most anticipated holidays throughout the year. During this time, all family members gather under the Christmas tree (شجرة عيد الميلاد) to share gifts (هدايا) and laughs…
Envy and the Evil Eye in Arab and Islamic Culture الحسد Posted by yasmine on Dec 19, 2018
What do you know about the “evil eye” العين الحسود in Arab and Islamic culture الثقافة العربية والإسلامية? Like many people in the Middle East, I grew up believing in the power of envy الحسد and the existence of the evil eye. That one could envy intentionally and unintentionally, therefore, it’s always best to say…
CAPHARNAÜM (کفرناحوم) : The Lebanese Movie Nominated for a Golden Globe. Posted by Anastasia on Dec 17, 2018
Capharnaüm (کفرناحوم) is a Lebanese drama film (فيلم) written and directed by Nadine Labaki. The movie follows the life (حياة) of young Zain, a Syrian refugee (لاجئ سوري) living on the streets of Beirut (بيروت) for 9 years, without identification papers or even an identity card (بطاقة هوية). The movie is very relatable and dives…
How to pronounce the letter “ق” when SPEAKING Arabic Posted by yasmine on Dec 12, 2018
So, you’ve learned to read in Arabic and you’ve practiced how to pronounce the “ق” which is a “Q” sound in the back of your throat. Then, you hear Arabic speakers talk and realize that sometimes the letter “ق” is being replaced with another sound. Why is this so? Before reading this post, did you…
Marhaba!مرحباً It’s Anastasia, the new Arabic blogger! Posted by Anastasia on Dec 10, 2018
Marhaba!مرحباً My name is Anastasia Ibrahim and I’m the new Arabic language blogger for Transparent Language! But before our journey through the Middle East starts, let me tell you a bit about myself. LEBANESE BORN AND RAISED I was born in 1995 in a small town by the sea called Chekka in North Lebanon(لبنان)…
Jordan’s Melting Pot Posted by yasmine on Dec 5, 2018
مرحباً! If you’re studying Arabic, then you probably have Jordan as one of the Arab countries on your list to visit. Of course, if you are interested in Arab culture, Jordanians for the most part are Arabs, yet Jordan is also home to a few non-Arab ethnic minorities (أقليات عرقية) who have adapted to Arab…