To talk about building and construction in Arabic, you will need a specialized set of vocabulary to describe the structures, materials, and equipment found on a site.
Structures and Foundations
When talking about building, a common verb is شيد (to construct or build).
| The contractors constructed a new building. | شيد المقاولون مبنى جديدا.shayyada al-muqâwilûna mabnan jadîdan. |
Every building starts with an أساس (foundation) and is supported by structural elements like a عمود (column).
| The engineer constructed a high column. | شيدت المهندسة عمودا عاليا.shayyadati al-muhandisatu amoodan aaliyan. |
| The worker laid the foundation yesterday. | وضع العامل الأساس أمس.wada'a al-'âmilu al-asâsa amsi. |
Raw Materials
Construction relies heavily on raw materials. Words for materials such as خرسانة (concrete) and أسمنت (cement) are treated as mass nouns (uncountable).
| The engineers poured the concrete in the morning. | صبت المهندسات الخرسانة في الصباح.sabbati l-muhandisâtu l-kharasânata fi s-sabâh. |
| The contractors bought a lot of cement. | اشترى المقاولون أسمنتا كثيرا.ishtarâ al-muqâwilûna asmantan kathîran |
Similarly, the word for "bricks" (طوب) is a collective noun. When referring to the material as a whole, it is treated grammatically as a singular masculine noun.
| Are the red bricks cheap? | هل الطوب الأحمر رخيص؟hal at-tûbu al-ahmaru rakhîs? |
Equipment and Finishing
To move heavy materials and reach high places, workers use specific equipment. A رافعة (crane) does the heavy lifting, while a سقالة (scaffold) provides a temporary platform for workers to stand on.
| The contractor stood on the scaffold. | وقف المقاول على السقالة.waqafa al-muqâwilu 'alâ as-saqâlah |
| The crane moved the heavy materials. | نقلت الرافعة المواد الثقيلة.naqalati r-râfi'atu l-mawâdda th-thaqîlata |
As the building takes shape, you will see materials like حصى (gravel) being mixed, allowing the structural pieces to come together until the final حائط (wall) is complete.
| The worker mixed the gravel with the cement. | خلط العامل الحصى مع الأسمنت.khalata al-aamilu al-hasâ maa al-'ismanti |
| The engineer checked the wall. | فحص المهندس الحائط.fahasa al-muhandisu al-hâ'ita |