In this post, we’ll be looking at items you’ll find at any stationery store or bookstore in Arabic. In the Arab world, you can find separate stationery stores usually called “مَكتبة”. This word, as you may already know is also used for “library”. These stores sell stationery items الأدوات المكتبية such as school and office supplies and sometimes books as well.

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Below are the main stationery items in Arabic followed by a dialogue.

notebook دَفْتَر         pencil قَلَم رَصاص         eraser مِمحاة

pen قَلَم حِبر                 ruler مِسْطَرة                 glue صَمْغ

tape لاصِق                 stapler دَبّاسة           sketch book َدفتَر رَسم

colored pencils  أقلام التَلوين           marker قَلَم فُلوماسْتَر         folder مَلَف

Here is a dialogue between a student who is buying school supplies for the new school year and the man who works at the stationery store.

.الوَلَد: مَرحباً

الرَّجُل: أهلاً وسَهلاً، كَيفَ مُمْكِن أن أُساعِدُكَ؟

الوَلَد: أنا أبحَثُ على أدوات مَدرَسية. هل عِندُكَ دَفاتِر ذو ٨٠ صَفحة؟

الرَّجُل: نَعم، بالطَبع. كَم دَفتَر؟

.الوَلَد: دَفترين مِن فَضلُكَ

الوَلَد: مُمكِن أيضاً مِمحاة وأربعة أقلام رَصاص وقَلَم أزرَق وقَلَم أسوَد ومِسطرة وخَمس مَلَفات؟

الرَّجُل: هَل بِهِم ما ألوان المَلَفات؟

.الوَلَد: أُريدُهُم بألوان مُختلفة مِن فَضلُكَ

الوَلَد: كَم سِعر أقلام التَلوين؟

.الرَّجُل: العُلبة الكَبيرة بِثلاثة دنانير والعُلبة الصَّغيرة دينار ونِصْف

.الوَلَد: سَوفَ آخذُ العُلبة الكَبيرة

الرَّجُل: أي شيء آخَر؟

الوَلَد: لا، هذا كُل شيء. كَم المَجموع؟

.الرَّجُل: أربعة دنانير وعَشرون قَرشاً

.الوَلَد: شُكراً، مَع سَلامة

Boy: Hello.

Man: Welcome, how can I help you?

Boy: I’m looking for school supplies. Do you have notebooks with 80 pages?

Man: Yes, of course. How many notebooks?

Boy: Two notebooks please.

Boy: Could I also get an eraser, four pencils, a blue pen, a black pen, a ruler, and five folders please?

Man: Does it matter what colors the folders are?

Boy: I want them in different colors, please.

Boy: How much are the colored pencils?

Man: The big pack is three dinars and the small pack is one fifty.

Boy: I’ll take the big pack.

Man: Anything else?

Boy: No, that’s all. How much is the total?

Man: Four dinars and 20 qirsh.

Boy: Thank you, goodbye.

Next time you take things out of your pencil case or organize your desk, try to name all the items in Arabic. 🙂

As always, happy practicing! 😎