BARRONS LEARN ARABIC THE FAST AND FUN WAY ‘The book that makes learning a language quick and easy! (enna aT en te ad a ce Based on widely spoken Egyptian Arabic eae Munther Younes, Consultant10 Camping ...... I1_Days of the Week, Sound and Light Show ........ 22... 14 Sports . © Copyright 2009 by Barron's Educutional Series, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or buted inany form ar by any means without the written permission of the copyrightowner. All inguiriex shoul be aueieesced t= Brion’ Educational Series. Inc. 23501 Wireless Boulevard Hauppauge. NY L788 www barronseduc.com ISBN. 13: 978.0-7641 124-7 (book only) Sxbook only) ISBN. 13: 978.0-7641.9503-5 thook and audio package) ISBN. 10: 0-761-0507-7 (book and audio package) ibrary of Congress Control Number: 20080127 ‘Typescniing formating: ArabScript.com, Tampa, FL Library of Congress Cataloging-in-ublication Data Ibrahim, Ragy H. Leam Arabic the fasta fun way / Rapy H. Ubeahinn, consultant. Mumber Younes p.cm ISBN-13-978.0-764) 4024. ISBN. 10: 0.7641 402) 19 Pharmacy 20 Laundry, Dry Cleaners . 22 The Newsstand, Stationery Goods Office Supplies. ....... 00.02.22... 6 49 23 Bazaars, Souvenirs, and Photo Shops... 152 24 The Shoe Repair Shop and the Optometrist Shop . bees ISBN- 13: 9780-764 1-9807-5 (book and saidiob ISBN- 10:0-7641-9807-7 (book ard audiok Arabic 1, Younes, Munther Abst 19 Ps6307.127 2009 492,722 Title. 2008027082 Printed in the 9ATHSAIIL ed States nf Amnctica Photo Credits Page 36: ww sravelad vem or .peramigs3 sha Page (9: hap arwn meainevalley-edu el Middle aaimages Step Page 10S; hip) wr Abi comm web 1S9NSTO poe Page 100: hp "egypiammelacy cam en glieh’aperapmegrar ant rage spraphice FPaandeich joe Page 118: by blogzer cm .jaltF W NIG SAO) Kishary Jog age 120 op: rtp nd Blogspot. samy 20071 sachsen hap www mariah op wey cake wah roe ham ero WU Elfen Vn aN Page 133 left: hepa virwallkhan com/index asp'Page Action NTS&Catepory= 306 (oerer- bup ww sirealbhan poPage Action=VIEWPRODSPradiDi=621 a 120 18 Groceries and Food Stores (Supermarkets) 126 pee! 32) 138 21 Beauty Salon, BarberShop ........-.. M3 inguuage — Textbooks for foreign speakers —Engtish, lex aspPape Act son VIEWPROUM& ProtED=S¢¢ rghit hap eww vimualkhan conve asINTRODUCTION Arabic is spoken by over 300 million people who live in 22 countries that make up the Arab world. Some of these countries are well known, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Iraq, and others are less known, such as Djibouti and the Comoros. In addition to being the official lan; guage of these countries, Arabic is also the relig ious language of over 1.2 bi i the language of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, and other classical Muslim literary and religious works, Arabic is also.one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Like any other language with a long history that is spoken over a large area, Arabie has many varieties. For the purposes of this book, a major distinction can be made between the literary language, known in Arabic as Fusha and referred to in English as Classical Arabic or Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), and the regional dialects, Classical Arabie generally refers to the older farm of the (literary) language, and MSA to its modern form. Classical Arabic will not concern us here, since this book is designed for users of Arabic in its modern context. This rich language uation is described by linguists as “diglossic.” Arabs from different pars of the Arab world use a regional variety or dialect, i.e, Egyptian, Iraqi, Syrian, etc., for conversation, and MSA for reading. writing. and formal speaking. For example, when an Arab man reads a newspaper, he reads MSA, but when he discusses its contents with his friends, the discussion takes place in the regional variety. While the different dialects differ from one region to another, MSA is virtually the same everywhere. This is one reason why the majority of Arabic books written for foreigners introduce MSA. However, people who learn to speak only MSA will nat be able to use it in conversation; not only will they sound ludicrous, but they will also find it difficult to understand what is being, said to them. This book, which is intended as a basic introduction to Arabic using simple, practical dialogues as its main linguistic component, presents a colloquial dialect, i.e, Egyptian, for conversation in conformity with Arabic sociolinguistic realities. Why Egyptian? Egyptian is the most widely used and understood of all Aral dialects, For one thing, Egyptians constitute between a quarter and a fifth of the total population of the Arab world. In addition, Egypt, in particular Cairo, has for a long time served as an important, probably the most important, culwral center of the Arab world. More publications come out of Cairo than any other Arab city, and Egyptian movies and soap operas are watched all over the Arab world. Students from many Arab (and Muslim) countries study at Egyptian universities, and hundreds of thousands of Egyptian teachers, doctors, engincers, and farm workers live all over the Arab world. In addition to learning to converse ata basic level, you will also learn to read Arabic ata level that will enable you to understand the names of people and places, road signs, restaurant menus, and travel schedules. Since words will be presented as pronounced in an Egyptian Arabic context, the Egyptian pronunciation will be adopted throughout the book. Munther Younes