https://youtu.be/DwVJgXuT-KM Arabic Proverbs and Phrases, Part 3 Welcome back! Here are the phrases we talk about in this video: المنحوس منحوس ولو علقوا في ط**ه فانوس يا داخل بين البصلة و قشرتها ما يجيك إلا ريحتها حاوريك نجوم الليل بعِز الظهر اديته كلمتين في العضم يسوي الشي بقفا يده خاف من ظله لا تستعجل على رزقك مغلوب على امره ما يحسد المال إلّا اصحابه ما يحك جِلدك إلّا ظفرك قلل من قيمة نفسه ايش التهزيء…
https://youtu.be/4aLr9UjXaJ0 When I was studying Hijazi Arabic, my teacher gave me a list of proverbs. First: for those of you new to Arabic, what is Hijazi? It refers to a dialect of Arabic spoken in the western (Hijaz) region of Saudi Arabia (Mecca, Medina, Jeddah). It differs from Najdi (Riyadh and surrounding region), southern and eastern region dialects. As with any region, they have their unique idioms and proverbs. While editing this video, I tried…
https://youtu.be/li0ULJwlRwk I was recently asked to take an Arabic proficiency exam. The email stated that I would have the option to test in either "Modern Standard Arabic, General Arabic, Eastern Arabic, or Western Arabic." I was nonplussed. During my 7 years living in Dubai and speaking with native Arabic speakers from all over the region, I had never once heard Arabic dialects categorized this way. In today's video, we try to decipher what they meant…
https://youtu.be/bjY7snmhDZs Ever since I started learning Arabic, I've been getting questions about religion. People would say "well, since you're learning Arabic, have you thought about Islam?" or "now you speak Arabic all you need to do is become Muslim." As I have mentioned before, I'm spiritual not religious and often find these questions a bit personal and/or uncomfortable. I was raised in a religion that I did not choose (Mormon/LDS) and although I'm grateful for…
https://youtu.be/QMPK8KNwc30 Here's What I'd Do Differently. I recently re-visited a video I did back in 2013 about how I learned Arabic in Dubai (this one: https://youtu.be/EpVLQgE6F-0). What are some things I would have done differently? In this video, we talk about patience, reviewing "older" vocab words/making connections, using breaks more efficiently, and the importance of putting yourself 'out there.' I also share my most embarrassing/awful audition story. If you are learning Arabic--or any language or…
https://youtu.be/2O4k80qxu34 What do the two phrases have in common? They both use the verb شاء ! And the noun الله. When we think of "in sha'Allah" - a number of meanings come to mind. The best translation is something like "God willing." But when you break it down, it means "that God willed." Yes, past tense. Why do we use the past tense form of a verb when talking about the future?We talk about that,…
https://youtu.be/rFD6QGtu9Kg Next month marks 10 years from my first Arabic class... Before I began studying the Al-kitaab method, I took an Arabic MSA intensive at Eton Institute. My teacher's name was Raef Mahmoud. He was so great that I stuck with him for my whole MSA education. A couple weeks ago, I got the chance to catch up with him over Zoom. We talked about his advice for Arabic learners, qualities of great Arabic teachers,…
https://youtu.be/e0PLOIjWTiM "Language is a gateway to culture" says Joel Huffman, co-founder of Arabius, a company that connects Arabic learners to native Saudi Arabic speakers. As you know, I love talking to people who are passionate about what they do. My guest in today's video is no exception. In this video, we learn about Joel Huffman's Arabic learning journey as an expat living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As always, please LIKE and SUB <3 شكراً على…
https://youtu.be/-hztPVER6v8 Have you heard of "benign envy"? هل سمعت في "الحسد الحميد"؟ https://youtu.be/irDJY4Z3FXc You may have read that we shouldn't compare ourselves to others. However, in today's video I talk about why comparing myself to others was actually beneficial in my Arabic learning journey--and what happened when I visited Stanford in 2013. السلام عليكم ورحمة الله. في هالفيديو اتكلم عن تجربتي في تعلم اللغة العربية وليش مقارنة نفسي مع الآخرين ساعدتني في التعلم. واحكي لكم…
