General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumsanyone ever tried to learn Arabic?
I am bilingual (english and spanish). I know Arabic is hard and I am really just aiming for a basic conversational ability. I have ordered the Pimsluer basic CDs and I have a friend who is fluent and has lots of beginning books. If it just overwhelms me I will go back to my original learn French plan
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)speaking right to left.
JCMach1
(27,559 posts)Gulf Arabic is different from Egyptian is different from Lebanese, etc.
I gave up and since everyone basically spoke English in the UAE, it was just fine...
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)I have read it is widely understood because of it use in movies but mainly because I have access to a fluent speaker of it.
Warpy
(111,277 posts)and find out if they're hungry, thirsty, anxious, or in pain, then you can tackle Arabic.
I couldn't do it to save my life now, I'm 25 years out of practice, but I shocked the shoes off a lot of people back home when they heard Chinese coming out of an Irish mug.
shenmue
(38,506 posts)It wasn't easy. I still would like to try again someday. The alphabet still seems the toughest part for me.
Madam Mossfern
(2,340 posts)so I thought I would try Arabic too.
The alphabets are similar as are some words.
I gave up on both, although I can still sort of sound out Hebrew words. Not having vowels really makes it tough though.
I
Timez Squarez
(262 posts)They're underneath the letters... if there are any...
Madam Mossfern
(2,340 posts)I know there are vowels, but quite often they're omitted. I'll look for some Israeli signs.
Madam Mossfern
(2,340 posts)no vowels
http://www.haaretz.co.il/
Historic NY
(37,451 posts)arely staircase
(12,482 posts)xocet
(3,871 posts)It will be difficult to memorize things, but with enough repetition, it will come to you. Also, Spanish has its share of Arabic words, so you already approximately know something - arroz, etc.
Here is an introduction to the Arabic influence on the Spanish language:
http://books.google.com/books?id=V4f8ZpJAhgIC&pg=PA81#v=onepage&q&f=true
Here is a nice introduction to a lot of the language and more (namely, Arabic's close relationship to Hebrew):
Good luck.
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)Ojala.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)That's the reason why, it turns out, that nobody actually knows it. Apparently it was a mass phenomenon of everyone in Arabic speaking cultures believing that everyone else knew how, when in fact, nobody did.
Kinda amazing.
Response to jberryhill (Reply #10)
arely staircase This message was self-deleted by its author.
NuclearDem
(16,184 posts)Beautiful language, but the grammar, morphology, and vocabulary can be a shock to English speakers (anywhere from between six and twelve different ways to write verbs, all with different meanings, for example).
It's ultimately simpler than English, though, since there aren't any notable exceptions to the rules of grammar and vocabulary. Once you practice for a few months, the rules come second nature.
If you're interested, Al-Kitaab is a terrific program for Arabic. Also remember to pick up a Hans Wehr dictionary, which is probably the single best A-E and E-A dictionary out there. (Most bookstores will have one in the language section; big thick green book, impossible to miss). Mine's nearly in tatters it's seen so much use.
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)Thanks
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)A brilliant, JEWISH friend...
She loves the Arabic language
Silent3
(15,231 posts)That wasn't enough to get any real conversational ability at all, just a few friendly phrases, learning the alphabet and how to write it. Some of the sounds of the language are very hard for English speakers (and most other non-Arabic speakers) to get right. I never really got a handle the Ayn sound.
Still, it that little bit of study was enough to make the trip more enjoyable, to be able to recognize what a few signs were saying, to be amused at how some things were transliterated from English into Arabic (like Beeza Hoot for Pizza Hut, which is what the Sphinx is staring at on the opposite side of a large, sandy parking lot).