100 most used Arabic verbs
to arrive – wasala
to ask – sa’ala
to bathe – istahmama
to become – yusbaha
to begin – yebda
to believe – suddaqa
to break – yastariyyh
to brush – gasala
to buy – istara
to call – ittasala
to be able – istata’a
to close – galaqa
to come – e’ta
to cook – yetboh
to correct – sahhaha
to cry – beha
to cut – qata’a
to dance – raqasa
to do/make – qama
to draw – rasama
to dream – haluma
to drink – shariba
to enter – dahala
to erase – masaha
to exist – yugad
to explain – sharaha
to feel – sha’ar
to finish – yanha
to forget – yansa
to go – thahab
to hear – istama’a
to help – sa’ada
to hold – masaka
to hug – einaq
to learn- ta’allame
to leave -gadara
to like – haab
to listen – istama’a
to love – yuhib
to miss – aktaha
to need – ihteja
to open – fataha
to pay – dafa’a
to pick up – rafa’a
to prepare – yegahhez
to pull – sahabe
to push – dafa’a
to read – qara’a
to remember – tadakkara
to rent – aggara
to repeat – a’eida
to resemble – shabaha
to respect – ihtarama
to rest – istarahah
to return – a’eda
to ride – rakiba
to say – qala
to search – baht
to see – ra’a
to sell – ba’au
to send – yursel
to shop – majar
to sing – gannit
to sleep – nama
to speak – tahaddatha
to stand – waqafa
to stay – yestanna
to study – thakara
to take – ahada
to talk – tahadathe
to teach – deres
Arabic dialects vary
Remember that Arabic has different dialects across the Arabic speaking world. In Wadi Rum we speak a classical dialect that is closer to old Arabic. However this is not well understood throughout the Arabic world. Although modern standard Arabic is widely taught, Egyptian Arabic is most widely understood.
Because Egypt is both the biggest population of Arabic speakers and has the most widely dispersed popular culture it is the most useful to be understood throughout the Arabic speaking world. This is a good place for people to start. If you pick up some basics then when you visit us in Wadi Rum we can give you some Bedouin Arabic to supplement your vocabulary.
Differences in Latin character spelling
Because the alphabets do not overlap phonetically you will see many spelling differences as you travel. This is because for place names there is often not agreed Latin spellings. Likewise you will see some variation in other words as people attempt to represent the sounds differently.
