Have you ever thought of switching your phone or computer to Arabic? Try it for a day and see what terms you understand such as “username”, “save”, “delete”, etc. In this post, we’ll be looking at technology vocab in Arabic. Keep in mind, some terms are the same used in English. You’ll also find that in colloquial Arabic, you’ll hear a lot more of the English terms being used rather than the formal standard Arabic terms. We’ll also talk about Arabizi, what that is, and how it is used in modern day chatting on social media.

Technology Terms in Arabic

Let’s begin with computer related terms: Computer in Modern Standard Arabic is حاسوب. Which you will find being used in textbooks, but in everyday Arabic, we say كومبيوتر.

Same thing with laptop, keyboard, and mouse.

The official meanings are حاسوب محمول, لوحة المفاتيح, فأرة yet we say لاب توب, كي بورد, ماوس.

 

monitor/screen	شاشة
printer	طابِعة
speakers	سماعات
microphone	لاقِط الصَّوت
hardware	العتاد الصَّلب
software	بَرمَجيات
program	بَرنامج
the internet	الإنترنت
website	مَوقع
link	رابِط
email	بَريد الكتروني
password	كَلمة السرّ | المَرور
account	حِساب
profile	مَلفّ شَخصي
username	اسم المُستَعمَل
comment	تَعليق
home page	الصَّفحة الرَّئيسية
browser	مُتَصفِح
folder	مُجَلّد
to download	حَمّلَ
to upload	رَفَعَ
to search	بَحَثَ
to save	خَزَنَ/حَفظ
to delete	حَذف
to print	طَبع
click here	اضغط هُنا
cell phone	هاتِف مَحمول | خلوي | موبايل
SMS/text message	رِسالة
to copy	نَسَخَ

Arabizi

If you happen to have Arabic speaking friends on social media, you may have noticed them using letters as well as numbers to make words. For example, “mar7aba” instead of “مرحبا” or kul 3am wa inta bi5air” instead of “كل عام وأنت بخير”. Notice the numbers 7,3, and 5. These numbers are used for Arabic sounds that do not exist in English. (See below). This new system of writing is called “Arabizi” hence, Arabic language using English (إنجليزي) letters. It began with text messages when more people started having cell phones. The younger generation did not like switching to the Arabic keyboard. It was easier to type using the English keyboard, yet it was easier to use numbers for the Arabic specific sounds. Why use “kh” for خ when you could just use 5. Or capitalize an “h” for ح or capitalize a “t” for ط when you could use the number 6. Note that you’ll find most Arabizi in Arabic dialects since the language of chatting is in dialect.

Here are all the Arabic letters represented with numbers:

 9’:ء : 2        ع: 3       غ: 3’      خ: 5     ح: 7       ط: 6       ق: 8      ص: 9      ض

Can you make out these Arabizi sentences in (Levantine dialect)?

Mar7aba, sho a5barak? 2y sa3a 3andak mu7a9’ara?

tis3a wanu9.

Hi, how are you? When do you have a lecture?

Nine thirty.

مَرحبا، شو أخبارَك؟ أي ساعة عندك مُحاضرة؟

.تِسعة ونُص

 

2na lazim 2roo7 3lbait.

I have to go home.

.لازِم أروح علبَيت

 

2nta 9alait 2lma3’rib?

Did you pray the sunset prayer ?

إنتَ صلَيت المَغرِب؟

I hope you found this interesting, ma3 salama! 😊