Learn how to ask someone what they do and how to answer the question for yourself
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Alisha: In each lesson of this 25 part series, you'll master a common question for Arabic learners, and then learn how to answer it like a native. You'll learn how these key phrases work by breaking them down into each component. Then through repetition and new vocabulary, you'll expand your understanding of the question, its answers, and any variations. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Alisha: In this lesson, you'll learn how to respond to the common question ""What do you do?"" In Arabic this is |
| Carole: ماذا تعمل؟ |
| Alisha: The first word in the question is |
| Carole: ماذا |
| Alisha: ""meaning what"" in English. |
| Carole: (Slow, by syllable) ماذا |
| Alisha: Listen again and repeat. |
| Carole: ماذا |
| {Pause} |
| Alisha: This pattern of first introducing a word at natural speed, providing the translation, breaking it down, and then giving it again at natural speed will be repeated throughout the series. Try to speak aloud as often as possible. The next word in the question is |
| Carole: تعمل |
| Alisha: meaning you work. |
| Carole: (Slow, by syllable) تعمل |
| Alisha: Now repeat. |
| Carole: تعمل |
| {Pause} |
| Alisha: Listen to the entire question and repeat. |
| Carole: ماذا تعمل |
| {pause} |
| ★ Note that this is how you ask “What do you do?” if you are asking a male person. If you are asking a female person, you would say: |
| Carole: ماذا تعملين؟ |
| Alisha: Please repeat. |
| Carole: ماذا تعملين؟ |
| {pause} |
| Alisha: You will hear this common question again and again throughout your studies. Master the following pattern and responses to the question What do you do?? |
| Carole: أنا مدرس |
| Alisha: ""I'm a teacher.. Again, slowly. Repeat the phrase. |
| Carole: (Slow) أنا مدرس |
| {pause} |
| Alisha: Let's break it down from the beginning. The first word: |
| Carole: أنا |
| Alisha: meaning I. |
| Carole: (Slow, by syllable) أنا |
| Alisha: Now repeat |
| Carole: أنا |
| {Pause} |
| Alisha: And next |
| Carole: مدرس |
| Alisha: meaning Teacher. |
| Carole: (Slow, by syllable) مدرس |
| Alisha: Now repeat. |
| Carole: مدرس |
| {Pause} |
| Alisha: Listen to the speaker say, I'm a teacher., and then repeat. |
| Carole: أنا مدرس |
| {pause} |
| Alisha: To expand on the pattern, replace teacher with tour guide. |
| Carole: مرشد سياحي |
| Alisha: tour guide |
| Carole: (slow) مرشد سياحي (regular) مرشد سياحي |
| Alisha: Listen to the phrase again, this time with tour guide |
| Carole: أنا مرشد سياحي |
| Alisha: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace teacher. Say I'm a tour guide. |
| {pause} |
| Carole: أنا مرشد سياحي |
| ★ Now let’s learn how to answer this question as a female speaker. |
| Alisha: To use a different phrase, replace tour guide with doctor. |
| Carole: طبيبة |
| Alisha: doctor |
| Carole: (slow) طبيبة (regular) طبيبة |
| Alisha: Listen to the phrase again, this time with doctor |
| Carole: أنا طبيبة |
| Alisha: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “tour guide”. Say I'm a doctor, in feminine speech. |
| {pause} |
| Carole: أنا طبيبة |
| Alisha: To expand on the pattern, replace doctor with Engineer. |
| Carole: مهندسة |
| Alisha: Engineer |
| Carole: (slow) مهندسة (regular) مهندسة |
| Alisha: Listen to the phrase again, this time with Engineer |
| Carole: أنا مهندسة |
| Alisha: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “doctor”. Say I'm a Engineer, in feminine speech. |
| {pause} |
| Carole: أنا مهندسة |
| QUIZ |
| Alisha: Now it's time for a quiz. Imagine you are visiting Egypt and someone asks what you do. You are a teacher. Respond to the question. |
| Carole: ماذا تعمل؟ (five seconds) أنا مدرس |
| Alisha: Imagine you are a tour guide Respond to the question. |
| Carole: ماذا تعمل؟ (five seconds) أنا مرشد سياحي |
| Alisha: Imagine you are a doctor. Answer the speaker's question, using feminine speech. |
| Carole: ماذا تعملين؟ (five seconds) أنا طبيبة |
| Alisha: Imagine you're an Engineer. Respond to the question , using feminine speech.. |
| Carole: ماذا تعملين؟ (five seconds) أنا مهندسة |
| Alisha: You want to ask that person what they do. Ask the masculine version of the question |
| (5 seconds) |
| Carole: ماذا تعمل؟ |
Outro |
| Alisha: This is the end of Lesson 4 |
27 Comments
HidePlease give your answer to the question below!
Hi Odalis,
That's amazing!
Nora
Team ArabicPod101.com
So excited about this language
Salaam Odalis,
Thank you for contacting us!
The Voice Recording tool is developed by Flash, and you might need to give it access to our site on your PC or Mac to enjoy the feature. If you don't have Flash installed, you should install it first. Also, depending on your browser, our Voice Recorder tool might ask for an authorization to use your microphone.
Hope this helps!
Kind regards,
Levente (ليفينتي)
Team ArabicPod101.com
Recording tool is not working for me, please someone advise!
Hi Ramra,
Thank you for your feedback and your question. We will try to do that as much as we can.
ana tabiba means "I am a doctor." (F)
ana tabib means "I am a doctor." (M)
tabiba=doktorah, and tabib=doktor. They are just borrowed words that mean the same thing :).
Nora
Team ArabicPod101.com
Ahlan wa sahlan, Team ArabicPod101.com
I hope the vocab examples would always give M/F examples for each vocab.😉
That said, one question though.
Q: What's the difference between 'ana tabiba' and 'ana doktoor'?
Shukran
Hello Nurilya,
Nice to meet you!
We hope to see you often at ArabicPod101.com!
Sincerely,
Cristiane
Team ArabicPod101.com
ماذا تعمل؟ ابا مرشدسياحي. و انت؟ انا طبيبة. سررت بلقايك.
Hi Mahima,
Shukran!
Nora
Team ArabicPod101.com
Hi i am Mahima
This is a good website to learn arabic