Navigating the gig economy means knowing how to discuss your services, negotiate rates, and sign agreements. Let's learn the essential vocabulary and structures for working as a freelancer.
Roles and Rates
When working independently, you will often act as a مستشار (consultant) doing business with a صاحب (owner/employer).
| Are you an independent consultant or a company owner? | هل أنت مستشار مستقل أو صاحب شركة؟hal anta mustashârun mustaqillun aw sâhibu sharikatin? |
You will need to discuss your أتعاب (fees for professional services).
| The consultant sent his fees invoice to the employer. | أرسل المستشار فاتورة أتعابه إلى صاحب العمل.arsala al-mustashâru fâtûrata at'âbihi ilâ sâhibi al-'amali. |
Before starting a project, it is standard to provide a تسعيرة (quote/pricing) that is تقديري (estimated).
| Did the employer agree to the estimated project quote? | هل وافق صاحب العمل على تسعيرة المشروع التقديرية؟hal wâfaqa sâhibu al-amali alâ tasîrati al-mashrûi at-taqdîriyyah? |
Expressing "Even If" with حتى لو and وإن
When negotiating or committing to work, you may need to make concessions. To express "even if", use either حتى لو or وإن followed by a past-tense verb.
| We will start the work tomorrow even if the pricing is very high. | سنبدأ العمل غدا حتى لو كانت التسعيرة عالية جدا.sanabda'u al-'amala ghadan hattâ law kânati at-tas'îratu 'âliyatan jiddan |
Verbs of Supplying and Attaching
When exchanging materials with clients, use the verb زود (to supply/provide). It takes a direct object for the person receiving the items, and the preposition بـ for the items provided. You can also use the phrase ما عدا to mean "except".
| The employer (f.) provided me with all the data except the old pricing. | زودتني صاحبة العمل بكل البيانات ما عدا التسعيرة القديمة.zawwadatnî sâhibatu alamali bikulli albayânâti mâ adâ attasîrata alqadîmata |
The verb أرفق (to attach) also pairs with the preposition بـ to indicate what a document is attached to (like an email or a message).
To say that someone will have completed an action by a certain time, use the Future Perfect tense. Form this by combining a future-tense form of "to be" (such as سيكون or ستكون) with the particle قد and a past-tense verb.
| The engineer (f.) will have attached the invoice to the email. | ستكون المهندسة قد أرفقت الفاتورة بالبريد الإلكتروني.satakûnu al-muhandisatu qad arfaqati al-fâtûrata bil-barîdi al-iliktrûniyyi. |
| The consultant attached the estimated tasks schedule to the message. | أرفق المستشار جدول المهام التقديري بالرسالة.arfaqa al-mustashâru jadwala al-mahâmmi at-taqdîriyya bir-risâlati |
Negotiating and Contracting
To finalize an agreement, you will likely negotiate (تفاوض) and sign a contract (تعاقد).
The verb تفاوض pairs with مع (with) for people, and على (for/over) for the topic of negotiation. The verb تعاقد simply pairs with مع.
| The freelancers negotiated for a better quote for the service. | تفاوض المستقلون على تسعيرة أفضل للخدمة.tafâwada al-mustaqillûna alâ tas'îratin afdala lilkhidmati |
| The bank contracted with programmers remotely. | تعاقد البنك مع مبرمجين عن بعد.ta'âqada al-banku ma'a mubarmijîna 'an bu'din |
During this process, an employer might stipulate (اشترط) specific terms. This verb can take a direct object (like a condition) or be followed by أن and a present-tense verb in the subjunctive mood. Here is an example of a direct object, which also uses وإن (even if):
| We contracted with them even if they stipulated harsh conditions. | تعاقدنا معهم وإن اشترطوا شروطا قاسية.ta'âqadnâ ma'ahum wa'ini shtaratou shurûtan qâsiyatan |
| The manager (f.) stipulated that you provide her with the project draft. | اشترطت المديرة أن تزودها بمسودة المشروع.ishtaratati l-mudiratu an tuzawwidahâ bimusawwadati l-mashrû'i |