Arabic is the richest language in the world.

With 12,300,000 words, Arabic blows other languages out of the water.

Luckily, with the rise of technology, people tend to take a lazier approach to everything—including communication.

As fewer and fewer words are being used, the number of words that language learners need to memorize continues to reduce. 

Starting out with Arabic could be a little bit difficult, especially when you’re presented with a new script and totally different sentence structures than what you’re used to in your native language. Assuming you’ve passed the beginner level, your next step is to learn some intermediate Arabic words and phrases to help you press forward. 

Learning vocabulary is the most important variable once you have the basics down. 

And as with everything in life, you’ll have to go through all the necessary steps to reach your end goal. In other words, achieving fluency means working your way up by first tackling the beginner and intermediate levels in Arabic. 

That’s why we’ve put together this article. 

Below, we’ve broken down the most important intermediate words by category, including the parallel translations and romanizations for every word.

→ In addition to memorizing these words, we recommend you check out our Lower Intermediate series to continue building your language skills!

Table of Contents

1. Large Numbers – الأَعداد (al-ʾaʿdād)
2. Nouns – الأَسماء (al-ʾasmāʾ)
3. Verbs – الأَفعال (al-ʾafʿal)
4. Adjectives – صِفات (ṣifāt)
5. Adverbs – أَحوَال (ʾaḥwal)
6. Prepositions – ظُروف (ẓurūf)
7. Conjunctions – حُرُوفُ العَطْف (ḥuruūfu al-ʿaṭf)
8. Particles – الحُروف (al-ḥurūf)
9. Conclusion

1. Large Numbers – الأَعداد (al-ʾaʿdād)

The first set of intermediate Arabic vocabulary words we’ll cover are those we use for numbers. We already went over the numbers 1-10 in our Beginner Words article, so here we’ll focus on the numbers from ten onward. 

Number	Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
10	عَشَرَة	‘ashra	“Ten”
11	إحدى عَشَر	aḥada ‘ashar	“Eleven”
12	إثنا عَشَر	iṯnā ‘ashar	“Twelve”
13	ثَلاثَةَ عَشَر	ṯālatha ‘ashar	“Thirteen”
14	أَرَبَعَةَ عَشَر	arba’ata ‘ashar	“Fourteen”
15	خَمسَةَ عَشَر	ḫamsata ‘ashar	“Fifteen”
16	سِتَّةَ عَشَر	sittata ‘ashar	“Sixteen”
17	سَبعَةَ عَشَر	sab’ata ‘ashar	“Seventeen”
18	ثَمانِيَةَ عَشَر	ṯamāniyata ‘ashar	“Eighteen”
19	تِسعَةَ عَشَر	tis’ata ‘ashar	“Nineteen”
20	عِشرون	‘ishrun	“Twenty”
30	ثلَاثون	ṯālaṯun	“Thirty”
40	أَربَعون	arba’un	“Fourty”
50	خَمسون	ḫamsun	“Fifty”
60	سِتّون	sittun	“Sixty”
70	سَبعون	sab’un	“Seventy”
80	ثَمانون	ṯamānun	“Eighty”
90	تِسعون	tis’un	“Ninety”
100	مِئَة	mi’a	“A hundred”
1,000	أَلف	alf	“A thousand”
10,000	عَشَرَة آلاف	’ashratu alaf	“Ten thousand”
100,000	مِئَةُ أَلف	mi’atu alf	“A hundred thousand”
1,000,000	مِليون	million	“A million”

2. Nouns – الأَسماء (al-ʾasmāʾ)

Time – الوَقت (al-waqt)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
القَرن	al-qarn	“Century”
الصَباح	al-ṣabāḥ	“Morning”
المَساء	al-masāʾ	“Evening”
الفَصل	al-faṣl	“Quarter”
الفَصل الدِراسي	al-faṣl al-dirāsī	“Semester”

Places – الأَماكِن (al-ʾamākin)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
المِنطَقَة	al-minṭaqah	“Region”
الإدارَة	al-ʾidārah	“Department”
القَريَة	al-qaryah	“Village”
الحَديقَة	al-ḥadīqah	“Park”
البَنك	al-bank	“Bank”
الصَيْدَلِيَّة	al-ṣaydaliyyah	“Pharmacy”
المُستَشفى	al-mustašfā	“Hospital”
المَخبَز	al-maḫbaz	“Bakery”
الجَرف	al-ǧarf	“Cliff”
الشاطِئ	al-šāṭiʾ	“Beach”
الجَزيرَة	al-ǧazīrah	“Island”
التَل	al-tal	“Hill”

Technology – التِكنولوجيا (al-tiknūlūǧīā)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
الشاشَة	al-šāšah	“Screen”
لَوْحَةُ المَفاتيح	lawḥaẗu al-mafātīḥ	“Keyboard”
الفَأرَة	al-faʾrah	“Mouse”
الجِهاز اللَوْحي	al-ǧihāz al-lawḥī	“Tablet”
التِلِفِزيون	al-tilifizīūn	“TV”
وِحدَةُ التَحَكُّم	wiḥdaẗu al-taḥakkum	“Console”
الشاحِن	al-šāḥin	“Charger”
مَوْقِع الوِيب	mawqiʿ al-wib	“Website”
حِساب	ḥisāb	“Account”
كَلِمَةُ المُرور	kalimaẗu al-murūr	“Password”
مَلف	malaf	“File”
مُجَلَّد	muǧallad	“Folder”
بَرنامَج	barnāmaǧ	“Software”

Home – المَنزِل (al-manzil)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
الغُرفَة	al-ġurfah	“Room”
الطابَق	al-ṭābaq	“Floor”
غُرفَةُ الجُلوس	ġurfaẗu al-ǧulūs	“Living room”
الحَمّام	al-ḥammām	“Bathroom”
الثَلّاجَة	al-ṯallāǧah	“Fridge”
خِزانَةُ المَلابِس	ḫizānaẗu al-malābis	“Wardrobe”

City & Transportation – المَدينَة والمُوَاصَلات (al-madīnah walmuwaṣalāt)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
الضَوَاحي	al-ḍawaḥī	“Suburbs”
الجِوَار	al-ǧiwar	“Neighborhood”
الطَريق السَريع	al-ṭarīq al-sarīʿ	“Highway”
الزُقاق	al-zuqāq	“Alley”
المَيدان	al-maīdān	“Roundabout”
مُفتَرَق طُرُق	muftaraq ṭuruq	“Crossroad”

People – الناس (al-nās)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
العَم	al-ʿam	“Uncle”
العَمَّة	al-ʿammah	“Aunt”
الحَفيد	al-ḥafīd	“Grandson”
الحَفيدَة	al-ḥafīdah	“Granddaughter”
الرَضيع	al-raḍīʿ	“Baby”
الجَد	al-ǧad	“Grandfather”
الجَدَّة	al-ǧaddah	“Grandmother”

Body Parts – أَجزاءُ الجِسم (ʾaǧzāʾu al-ǧism)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
إصبَع	ʾiṣbaʿ	“Finger”
ظَهر	ẓahr	“Back”
بَطن	baṭn	“Belly”
صَدر	ṣadr	“Breast”
كَتِف	katif	“Shoulder”
ساق	sāq	“Leg”
فَخذ	faḫḏ	“Thigh”
مُؤَخِّرَة	muʾaḫḫirah	“Butt”
قَدَم	qadam	“Foot”
خَد	ḫad	“Cheek”
ذَقن	ḏaqn	“Chin”
جَبين	ǧabīn	“Forehead”

Food – الطَعام (al-ṭaʿām)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
سِكّين	sikkīn	“Knife”
شَوْكَة	šawkah	“Fork”
مِلعَقَة	milʿaqah	“Spoon”
نَبيذ	nabīḏ	“Wine”
طَبَق	ṭabaq	“Dish”
مُقَبِّلات	muqabbilāt	“Starter”
حَلوَى	ḥalwa	“Dessert”
مَشروب	mašrūb	“Drink”
قَهوَة	qahwah	“Coffee”

Work & Studies – العَمَل والدِراسَة (al-ʿamal waldirāsah)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
مُمَرِّضَة	mumarriḍah	“Nurse”
ضابِط شُرطَة	ḍābiṭ šurṭah	“Police officer”
مُحامي	muḥāmī	“Lawyer”
نادِل	nādil	“Waiter”
جامِعَة	ǧāmiʿah	“University”

Clothes – المَلابِس (al-malābis)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
بَنطَلون	banṭalūn	“Pants”
كَنزَة	kanzah	“Sweater”
تي شيرت	tī šīrt	“T-shirt”
قَميص	qamīṣ	“Shirt”
مِعطَف	miʿṭaf	“Coat”
جَوْرَب	ǧawrab	“Sock”
حِذاء	ḥiḏāʾ	“Shoe”
فُستان	fustān	“Dress”
قُبَّعَة	qubbaʿah	“Hat”

3. Verbs – الأَفعال (al-ʾafʿal)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
خَدَمَ	ḫadama	“To serve”
غادَرَ	ġādara	“To leave”
سَمَحَ	samaḥa	“To allow”
أَرسَلَ	ʾarsala	“To send”
اِستَقبَلَ	istaqbala	“To receive”
عاشَ	ʿāša	“To live”
اِتَّصَلَ	ittaṣala	“To call”
تَذَكَّرَ	taḏakkara	“To remind”
قَدَّمَ	qaddama	“To introduce”
قَبِلَ	qabila	“To accept”
رَفَضَ	rafaḍa	“To refuse”
عَمِلَ	ʿamila	“To work”
لَعِبَ	laʿiba	“To play”
تَعَرَّفَ	taʿarrafa	“To recognize”
اِختارَ	iḫtāra	“To choose”
لَمَسَ	lamasa	“To touch”
شَرَحَ	šaraḥa	“To explain”
نَهَضَ	nahaḍa	“To get up”
فَتَحَ	fataḥa	“To open”
أَغلَقَ	ʾaġlaqa	“To close”
فازَ	fāza	“To win”
خَسِرَ	ḫasira	“To lose”
وَجَدَ	waǧada	“To exist”
نَجَحَ	naǧaḥa	“To succeed”
غَيَّرَ	ġayyara	“To change”
أَتى	ʾatā	“To come”
دَرَسَ	darasa	“To study”
نامَ	nāma	“To sleep”
مَشى	mašā	“To walk”
حاوَلَ	ḥāwala	“To try”
تَوَقَّفَ	tawaqqafa	“To stop”
اِستَمَرَّ	istamarra	“To continue”
طَبَخَ	ṭabaḫa	“To cook”
اِنتَمى	intamā	“To belong”
خاطَرَ	ḫāṭara	“To risk”
تَعَلَّمَ	taʿallama	“To learn”
اِلتَقى	iltaqā	“To meet”
أَنشَأَ	ʾanšaʾa	“To create”
حَصَلَ	ḥaṣala	“To get”
دَخَلَ	daḫala	“To enter”
خَرَجَ	ḫaraǧa	“To exit”
عَرَضَ	ʿaraḍa	“To offer”
قَدَّمَ	qaddama	“To bring”
اِستَخدَمَ	istaḫdama	“To use”
وَصَلَ	waṣala	“To reach”
حَضَّرَ	ḥaḍḍara	“To prepare”
أَضاف	ʾaḍāf	“To add”
دَفَعَ	dafaʿa	“To pay”
اِعتَبَرَ	iʿtabara	“To consider”
اِشتَرى	ištarā	“To buy”
دَفَعَ	dafaʿa	“To push”
تَسَوَّقَ	tasawwaqa	“To shop”
سافَرَ	sāfara	“To travel”

4. Adjectives – صِفات (ṣifāt)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
رائِع	rāʾiʿ	“Awesome”
فَظيع	faẓīʿ	“Horrible”
غَريب	ġarīb	“Weird”
مُعَقَّد	muʿaqqad	“Complicated”
سَميك	samīk	“Thick”
رَقيق	raqīq	“Thin”
قَريب	qarīb	“Near”
بَعيد	baʿīd	“Far”
ضَيِّق	ḍayyiq	“Narrow”
عَريض	ʿarīḍ	“Wide”
ناعِم	nāʿim	“Soft”
صَلب	ṣalb	“Hard”
مُمتَلِئ	mumtaliʾ	“Full”
فارِغ	fāriġ	“Empty”
خَفيف	ḫafīf	“Light”
ثَقيل	ṯaqīl	“Heavy”
فَريد	farīd	“Unique”
خاص	ḫāṣ	“Special”
جَديد	ǧadīd	“New”
قَديم	qadīm	“Old”
فَقير	faqīr	“Poor”
غَني	ġanī	“Rich”
نَظيف	naẓīf	“Clean”
قَذِر	qaḏir	“Dirty”
ضَعيف	ḍaʿīf	“Weak”
قَوِي	qawi	“Strong”
نَحيف	naḥīf	“Slim”
سَمين	samīn	“Fat”
مُثير لِلشَفَقَة	muṯīr lilšafaqah	“Cute”
مُتَوَسِّط	mutawassiṭ	“Mean”
مُضحِك	muḍḥik	“Funny”
لَطيف	laṭīf	“Nice”
سَعيد	saʿīd	“Happy”
حَزين	ḥazīn	“Sad”
هادِئ	hādiʾ	“Quiet”
مُتَحَمِّس	mutaḥammis	“Excited”
خَطير	ḫaṭīr	“Dangerous”
مُمِلّ	mumill	“Boring”
حار	ḥār	“Spicy”
ثاني	ṯānī	“Second”
التالي	al-talī	“Next”
السابِق	al-sābiq	“Previous”
ما قَبل الأَخير	mā qabl al-ʾaḫīr	“Second-to-last”
بُرتُقالي	burtuqalī	“Orange”
وَردي	wardī	“Pink”
رَمادي	ramādī	“Gray”
بَنَفسَجي	banafsaǧī	“Purple”
أُرجُوَاني	ʾurǧuwanī	“Magenta”
فَيْروزي	fayrūzī	“Turquoise”

5. Adverbs – أَحوَال (ʾaḥwal)

When – مَتى (matā)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
بِالفِعل	bilfiʿl	“Already”
وَقت طَويل	waqt ṭawīl	“A long time”
الآن	al-ʾān	“Now”
مَرَّةً أُخرى	marraẗan ʾuḫrā	“Again”
أَخيراً	ʾaḫīran	“At last”
ثُمَّ	ṯumma	“Then”
بَعدَ ذَلِك	baʿda ḏalik	“Thereafter”

How Often – كَم مَرَّة (kam marrah)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
أَحياناً	ʾaḥyānan	“Sometimes”
نادِراً	nādiran	“Rarely”
عادَةً	ʿādaẗan	“Usually”
بِشَكلٍ عام	bišaklin ʿām	“Generally”
طَوالَ الوَقت	ṭawala al-waqt	“All the time”

Where – أَيْنَ (ayna)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
لا مَكان	lā makān	“Nowhere”
في مَكانٍ ما	fī makānin mā	“Somewhere”
في مَكانٍ آخَر	fī makānin ʾāḫar	“Elsewhere”
أَعلى	ʾaʿlā	“Up”
أَسفَل	ʾasfal	“Down”
فَوْقَ	fawqa	“Over”
تَحتَ	taḥta	“Under”
بَعيد	baʿīd	“Far”
قَريب	qarīb	“Close”

How – كَيْف (kayfa)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
بِهُدوء	bihudūʾ	“Softly”
بِبُطء	bibuṭʾ	“Slowly”
بِسُرعَة	bisurʿah	“Quickly”
بِهُدوء	bihudūʾ	“Calmly”
بِسُهولَة	bisuhūlah	“Easily”
لِحُسنِ الحَظ	liḥusni al-ḥaẓ	“Luckily”
بِبَساطَة	bibasāṭah	“Simply”

How Much – كَم (kam)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
كافي	kāfī	“Enough”
خاصَّةً	ḫāṣṣaẗan	“Especially”
تَقريباً	taqrīban	“Almost”
بِكَم	bikam	“How much”
الكَثير	al-kaṯīr	“So many”
القَليل	al-qalīl	“So few”
حَوَالَي	ḥawalaī	“About”

6. Prepositions – ظُروف (ẓurūf)

Time – الزَمان (al-zamān)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
قَبل	qabl	“Before”
بَعد	baʿd	“After”

Space – المَكان (al-makān)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
بِجانِب	biǧānib	“Next to”
إلى اليَمين	ʾilā al-yamīn	“To the right”
إلى اليَسار	ʾilā al-yasār	“To the left”
عِندَ	ʿinda	“At”
أَمام	ʾamām	“In front of”
خَلف	ḫalf	“Behind”
تَحت	taḥt	“Under”
فَوْق	fawq	“Over”

Other – أُخرى (ʾuḫrā)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
بَيْنَ	bayna	“Between”
بِفَضل	bifaḍl	“Thanks to”
رَغم	raġm	“Despite”
بِدون	bidūn	“Without”
مَع	maʿ	“With”

7. Conjunctions – حُرُوفُ العَطْف (ḥuruūfu al-ʿaṭf)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
لا هَذا وَلا ذاك…	lā haḏā walā ḏāk…	“Neither…nor…”
وبِالتالي	wabittalī	“So”
غَيْرَ ذَلِك	ġayra ḏalik	“Otherwise”
مُنذُ ذَلِك الحين	munḏu ḏalik al-ḥīn	“Since (as)”
مَتى	matā	“When”
لِذَلِك	liḏalik	“Therefore”

8. Particles – الحُروف (al-ḥurūf)

Arabic Word	Romanization	English Translation
مِنْ	min	“From”
إلى	ʾilā	“To”
عَنْ	ʿan	“From” / “About”
عَلى	ʿalā	“Upon” / “Over”
إلّا	ʾillā	“Except”
لَكِنْ	lakin	“However”
إنَّ	ʾinna	“Indeed”
أَنْ	ʾan	“To (do something)”
بََلى	balā	“Certainly”
بَلْ	bal	“Rather”
قَدْ	qad	“Might”
سَوفَ	sawfa	“Will”
حَتَّى	ḥattā	“Until”
لَمْ	lam	“Not”
لا	lā	“No”
لَنْ	lan	“Will not”
لَوْ	law	“If”
لَمّا	lammā	“Not yet”
ما	mā	“Not”
لا	lā	“Not”
إنْ	ʾin	“If”
ثُمَّ	ṯumma	“Then”
أوْ	ʾaw	“Or”

Conclusion

Congratulations on getting this far. Too many words to learn at once, I know. 

Do you have any techniques in mind for memorizing all of this vocabulary? 

I’ve got a few.

Try using flashcards, word lists, or mnemonics.

Lucky for you, ArabicPod101 is an Arabic learning resource that integrates each of these tools into its system. 

With ArabicPod101 (mobile app or desktop), you can save new vocabulary words in your online flashcard deck or word lists. Moreover, you get to study with content that is best for your language level, with the possibility to request a personalized learning plan from an experienced, native Arabic-speaking language expert.

You can access all of this (and more) by signing up for free on ArabicPod101.com! 

اِستَمتِع بِالتَعَلُّم!
istamtiʿ biltaʿallum!
Enjoy learning!