GRAMMATICAL PROBLEMS

IN TRANSLATION
Translation of verb ‘BE’ .1
2. Translation of verb ‘DO’
3. The translation of verb ‘HAVE’
4. The Translation of Modals
Translation of questions .5
Translation of negation .6
Translation of word order .7
Translation of adjectives .8
Translation of tenses .9
The change of word classes.10
Translation of verb ‘BE’ .1
(am , is , are / was , were / be , been )

am, is, are (present)

.I am a student
X ‫أنا أكون طالبًا‬
.He is eating an apple
X ‫هو يكون يأكل‬
.They are put in the same situation

X .‫هم يكونون يوضعون في الموقف نفسه‬

It is mostly unacceptable and poor in Arabic grammar
to translate the present verb ‘be’ into
‫يكون‬
 Was, were

.The child was ill .‫كان الطفل مريضًا‬

.our guests were praying .‫كان ضيوفنا يصلون‬
:But
.The food was eaten X .‫كان الطعام مأكوًال‬
.The boys were dismissed X .‫كان األوالد مطرودين‬

The past simple of ‘be’ are translated literally into ‫كان‬

Yet literal translation is unfavorable when these verbs are
used as auxiliaries to form the past passive voice.
 been

?Where have you been X ‫أين كنت كائنًا؟‬

be

.He will be with us .‫سوف يكون معنا‬

- The dictionary meaning of ‘been’ as ‫ كائن‬is strictly

not advisable to use.
The full form of the verb ‘be’ is always literally -
.translated
 Translation of verb ‘DO’ .2
(do, does, did)

Do and did in the negative

.That girl doesn’t comb her hair .‫تلك الفتاة ال تمشط شعرها‬
.The horse does not fall down .‫لم يسقط الحصان‬
.The horse did not fall down .‫ما سقط الحصان‬
Do and did in the question

?Do you sleep early ‫هل تنام باكرًا؟‬

?Did Ali wait for you last night ‫هل انتظرك علي ليلة أمس؟‬
 Do as a main verb

.I will do my best .‫سأفعل ما بوسعي‬

Some students do their ‫ يكتب بعض الطلبة‬/‫يعمل‬
.homework quickly .‫واجباتهم بسرعة‬
At translating verb DO, the translators see whether it has a
.grammatical function (i.e. auxiliary), or as a main verb
As an auxiliary, it has no lexical meaning in Arabic, but implies the
grammatical question particle
‫هل‬
.As a main verb, it has a full lexical meaning
 ‫‪Do as an emphatic device‬‬

‫يتلو المسلمون القرآن كل يوم بالتأكيد‪Muslims do recite the Holly .‬‬

‫‪.Koran everyday‬‬ ‫ال شك أن الفتيات قد أحسّن التصرف‪.‬‬
‫‪.The girls did behave well‬‬

‫‪:Arabic emphatic words and phrases‬‬

‫فعًال‪ ,‬حقًا‪ ,‬بالتأكيد‪ ,‬من المؤكد ‪,‬ال شك‪ ,‬مما ال شك فيه ‪,‬ال ريب‪ ,‬وما إلى ذلك‪.‬‬
 The translation of verb ‘Have’ .3
(have, has, had)

Have as an auxiliary

.The worker has left today .‫غادر العامل باكرًا اليوم‬

.The patient has had the medicine .‫ تناول المريض الدواء‬/‫أخذ‬

Verb HAVE used as an auxiliary is meaningless

.in Arabic
 Have as main verb
.She has money .‫ معها نقود‬/‫لديها نقود‬
.She has her breakfast at 7 AM everyday .‫تتناول فطورها عند الساعة السابعة‬
.She has just had the ticket .‫حصلت على التذكرة للتو‬
.She had a telephone call .‫تلقت مكالمة هاتفية‬
.She had a nice holiday .‫قضت عطلة جميلة‬
.Have a good journey
.‫ استمتع برحلة جميلة‬/‫أتمنى لك رحلة ممتعة‬
What helps students to distinguish between these meanings
of " have" is the consideration of the word immediately
after the object. Together with object " have " makes a
special combination in Arabic
The Translation of Modals (can, could, may, might, .4
will, would, shall, should, must, ought to)

will , would , shall can , may , must

)future particles( )literal translation(
!He will forgive me ‫ يجب‬/ ‫ يمكن‬/ ‫يستطيع‬
!‫ يسامحني‬/‫ سوف يغفر لي‬/‫سـ‬ .‫ يمكننا أن نمشي‬.we may walk

Shall , should (Obligation= could , would , might

must) (possibility)
The defendant shall appear before
.she could blame herself
.the court at once
‫يجب على المدعى عليه أن يمثل فورًا أمام‬
.she would blame herself
‫المحكمة‬ .she might blame herself
I should believe my parents ‫ يمكن أن تلوم نفسها‬/ ‫قد‬
‫يجب علي أن أصدق والدي‬
 Must have, should have

They must have finished They should have finished

.work .work
.‫البد أنهم أنهوا العمل‬ .‫كان عليهم أن ينهوا العمل‬

Action which did not took

Action which took place
place
 Translation of questions .5

One word for Yes/No Qs Different words for WH Qs

Are you playing tennis? Why = ‫لماذا‬

‫هل تلعب التنس ؟‬ What = ‫ماذا‬
?Have you played tennis Who = ‫من‬
‫هل لعبت التنس ؟‬ When = ‫متى‬
?Do you play tennis Where = ‫أين‬
‫هل تلعب التنس ؟‬
Translation of negation .6
Negation in English includes the following words "not , do not ,
." does not , did not , never , neither , nor & no

Not’ has more than one‘ Do not, does not, did not
equivalent
.she cannot pay money Do not, does not = ‫ال‬
.‫ال تستطيع أن تدفع النقود‬
.she will not pay money
Did not = ‫لم‬
Many people do not play chess
.‫لن تدفع النقود‬
.‫ال يلعب الكثير من الناس الشطرنج‬
.she has not money
The children did not sleep early
.‫ال تملك نقودًا‬
yesterday
.All that glitters isn't gold
.‫لم ينم األطفال باكرًا باألمس‬
.‫ليس كل ما يلمع ذهبًا‬
 Never Neither…nor, either…or
‫ أبدًا‬+ ‫ لم‬/ ‫ أبدًا‬+ ‫ال‬/ ‫ أبدًا‬+ ‫ لن‬ Neither…nor = ‫وال‬..‫ال‬
.we never give up Either..or =‫أو‬..‫إما‬
.‫لن نستسلم أبد‬
No I like neither lying nor
.cheating
‫ ليس‬/ ‫ال‬/ ‫ممنوع‬ 
.‫ال أحب الكذب وال الغش‬
.No smoking
You can either come with me
.‫ممنوع التدخين‬
.or stay here
.She has no money
.‫ال تملك نقودًا‬/ ‫ليس لديها نقود‬ .‫باستطاعتك القدوم معي أو البقاء هنا‬
Translation of word order .7

: The order of the words of the sentence

.In Arabic: verb + subject + object/complement
.In English: subject + verb + object/complement

Nominal word order Verbal word order

.God likes us The diplomat left for

.‫هللا يحبنا‬ .London
.‫غادر الدبلوماسي إلى لندن‬
 :Translation of adjectives .8

:A. An adjective-noun order

The adjective occurs before the noun in English,

.whereas in Arabic it comes after the noun

.That tall man is my cousin

.‫ذاك الرجل الطويل ابن عمي‬
:B. The ordering of a series of adjectives

Successive adjectives in English can be translated

either from left to right, or from right to left in
.Arabic

.Throw that small, round ball

.)‫ارم تلك الكرة الصغيرة المدورة (المدورة الصغيرة‬
.He read a big, popular, useful book
.)‫قرأ كتابًا كبيرًا شعبيًا مفيدًا (مفيدًا شعبيًا كبيرًا‬
:C. Imitation of the English sequence of adjectives

When ‘and’ is used before the last adjective in English,

.it is repeated before every adjective in Arabic

.Her dress is blue, soft, comfortable and cheap

.‫ثوبها أزرق وناعم ومريح ورخيص‬
:D. The use of adjectives as nouns

Adjectives used as collective nouns are translated

into plural nouns in Arabic, not into adjectives or
.singular nouns

.The rich should help the poor

.‫يجب على األغنياء أن يساعدوا الفقراء‬
Translation of tenses .9

:Simple present and present progressive

.The wend is blowing now

‫تهب الرياح اآلن‬

Present simple
present
Present progressive
:Past simple, present perfect and past perfect

.We heard the news

.We have heard the news
.We had heard the news
.‫ لقد سمعنا) األخبار‬/‫سمعنا (قد‬
Past simple
Present perfect Past
Past perfect
 Past progressive, present perfect progressive and past
:perfect progressive
.The horses were jumping
.‫كانت الخيول تقفز‬
.The soldiers have been fighting
.‫كان الجنود يقاتلون طوال اليوم‬
.The tailor had been sewing all night
.‫كان الخياط يخيط طوال الليل‬
Past progressive
Present perfect progressive‫مضارع‬+ ‫كان‬
Past perfect progressive
:The change of word classes.10

Adjectives as nouns Nouns as adjectives

adj → adj / N N → N / adj

The president palace Nerve cell

‫ قصر الرئاسة‬/ ‫القصر الرئاسي‬ ‫ خلية عصبية‬/‫خلية أعصاب‬
 Nouns as verbs Verbs as Nouns

N→N/V V→V/N

They gave their English is easy to

.agreement .understand
‫ وافقوا‬/ ‫أعطوا موافقتهم‬ ‫ أن تفهم‬/‫االنجليزية سهلة الفهم‬