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### News words you can already spell

The news is full of words whose letters you already know with another meaning. The short vowels are not written, so the sentence has to tell you which word it is.

| you know | the new word |
|---|---|
| عَام *year* | عَامّ *general, public* |
| وَضَعَ *to put* | وَضْع *state of affairs* |
| مَجْلِس *seating area* | مَجْلِس *council, board* |
| دَعَا *to invite* | دَعَا إِلَى *to call for* |
| ذَكَر *male* | ذَكَرَ *to mention* |
| أَمْر *matter, order* | أَمَرَ *to order (someone)* |
| حُمَّى *fever* | حَمَى *to protect* |
| حَكَم *referee* | حَكَمَ *to rule, to judge* |
| عِلْم *knowledge* | عَلَم *flag* |

مَسْؤُول, *an official*, is new: the person in charge.

### Noun or verb?

{{item:1217306}}

صعب is the predicate, so وضع is a noun: *the state of the economy*.

{{item:1217335}}

Colours describe it, so علم is a thing: *the flag*.

{{item:1217324}}

A subject and an object follow, so أمر is the verb: *ordered*.

### عامّ after a noun

عامّ has a doubled م that is not written. After a noun it is an adjective and agrees with it:

{{item:1217316}}

{{item:1217317}}

### Ruling and judging

حكم with an object means *to rule*; حكم على someone بـ a punishment means *to sentence*:

{{item:1217330}}

{{item:1217331}}

In the news (مجلس، مسؤول، وضع)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

interrogative

noun

numeral

particle

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The definite article and locatives (الـ)

Basic noun gender (ة)

Sun and moon letters

Singular subject pronouns (أنا، أنت، هو، هي)

Indefinite nouns and nominal sentences (ـٌ)

Demonstrative pronouns for 'this' (هذا / هذه)

Separate prepositions (في، من، إلى، على)

Attributive adjectives

Predicative adjectives

Yes/No questions (هل، أ)

Basic questions (من، ما، أين)

Singular possessive pronouns (ـي، ـك، ـه، ـها)

Plural subject pronouns (نحن، أنتم، هم)

Plural possessive pronouns (ـنا، ـكم، ـهم)

Noun possession

Attached prepositions (بـ، لـ، كـ)

Pronouns with prepositions

Having and possessing (عند، لـ، مع)

Regular plural nouns (ـون، ـين، ـات)

Broken plurals

Dual nouns (ـان / ـين)

Plural and distant demonstratives (هؤلاء، ذلك، تلك)

Non-human plural agreement

Present tense singular verbs

Verbal sentences (VSO)

Present tense plural verbs

Topicalized sentences (SVO)

The indefinite accusative case (ـاً)

Verb object pronouns (-ني، -ك، -ه)

Present tense negation (لا)

Question words with verbs (متى، كيف...)

Adverbs of time and place

The future tense (سـ / سوف)

Intentions and desires (أن)

Negating states and possession (ليس)

Past tense singular suffixes

Past tense plural suffixes

Negating past events (ما)

Singular commands

Numbers 1 to 10

Number agreement for 1 and 2 (واحد، اثنان)

Asking how many (كم)

Numbers 3 to 10 (ثلاثة إلى عشرة)

Ordinal numbers 1 to 10 (الأول، الثاني)

Basic conjunctions (فـ، أو، لكن)

Ordering at a café (واحد، اثنان)

Food and drink with conjunctions (و، ف، أو، لكن)

There is and there are (هناك / ليس هناك)

Direct address (يا)

Giving reasons (لأنّ)

Relative pronouns (الذي / التي)

Quantifiers (كل / بعض)

The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

Past possession

Numbers 11 to 19 and tens to 80

Telling time (الساعة)

This book vs this is a book (هذا الكتاب، هذا كتاب)

Greetings (مرحبا، السلام عليكم)

How are you? and goodbye (كيف حالك، مع السلامة)

Nationalities (مصري، مصرية)

Roots and patterns (كتب، كتاب، مكتب)

Politeness (من فضلك، آسف)

Complex possession chains

Colors and traits (أفعل / فعلاء)

Plural colors and traits (فُعْل)

Comparative adjectives (أفعل من)

Superlative adjectives (أفعل)

Adverbs of manner (ـاً)

The nominative case (ـُ)

The genitive case (ـِ)

The accusative case (ـَ)

Dual noun cases (ـان / ـين)

Masculine plurals and 'the best of' (أفضل النجارين)

Emphasizing sentences (إنّ)

Connecting clauses (أنّ)

Reporting speech (قال إنّ)

Expressing contrast (لكنّ)

Comparison and probability (كأنّ, لعلّ)

Distant plural pointing (أولئك)

Plural relative pronouns (الذين, اللواتي)

Past habits (كان + present)

Ongoing actions (ما زال)

Masculine plurals online (مبرمجون، مؤثرون)

Perfective past (قد)

Probability (قد)

The subjunctive mood (أن)

Question	Answer
an official (person in charge)	مسؤولmas'ûl
The journalist talked with an official in the government.	تحدث الصحفي مع مسؤول في الحكومة.tahaddatha as-sahafiyyu ma'a mas'ûlin fî al-hukûmah
The official refused to speak with the journalists.	رفضت المسؤولة الكلام مع الصحفيين.
state of affairs	وضعwad'’
A senior official said that the situation is stable.	قال مسؤول كبير إن الوضع مستقر.
The state of the economy is difficult this year.	وضع الاقتصاد صعب هذه السنة.
How is the situation in your country now?	كيف الوضع في بلدك الآن؟
council, board	مجلسmajlis
The city council discussed the new budget.	ناقش مجلس المدينة الميزانية الجديدة.nâqasha majlisu-l-madînati-l-mîzâniyyata-l-jadîdah
My sister became a member of the company's board of directors.	أصبحت أختي عضوة في مجلس إدارة الشركة.asbahat ukhtî 'udwatan fî majlisi idârati sh-sharikah
to call for, to urge	دعا إلىda'â ilâ
The minister called for calm.	دعا الوزير إلى الهدوء.da'aa al-wazeeru ilaa al-hudoo'
The parties are calling for new elections.	تدعو الأحزاب إلى انتخابات جديدة.
The council called for the protection of the environment.	دعا المجلس إلى حماية البيئة.
general; public	عامâmm
Public opinion changed after the war.	تغير الرأي العام بعد الحرب.taghayyara ar-ra'yu al-'âmmu ba'da al-harbi
My mother became the general manager of the company.	أصبحت أمي المديرة العامة للشركة.asbahat ommî al-modîrata al-'ammata lishsharikati
The public library is open on Saturday.	المكتبة العامة مفتوحة يوم السبت.
to mention	ذكرdhakara
The report mentioned that prices rose.	ذكر التقرير أن الأسعار ارتفعت.dhakara at-taqrîru anna al-as'âra irtafa'at
The minister did not mention the crisis in his talk.	لم يذكر الوزير الأزمة في حديثه.lam yadhkuri l-wazîru l-azmata fî hadîthihi
The journalist mentioned my name in the news item.	ذكرت الصحفية اسمي في الخبر.dhakarati as-sahafiyyatu ismi fil-khabari
to command, to order (someone)	أمرamara
The police ordered the people to leave the street.	أمرت الشرطة الناس أن يغادروا الشارع.amarati ash-shurtatu an-nâsa an yughâdirû ash-shâri'a
The doctor ordered the patient to stay at home.	أمر الطبيب المريض أن يبقى في البيت.amara at-tabibu al-marida an yabqâ fi al-bayti
to protect	حمىhamâ
We must protect the environment.	يجب أن نحمي البيئة.
The law protects the workers' rights.	يحمي القانون حقوق العمال.yahmî al-qânûnu huqûqa al-'ummâli.
to rule; to judge (pass sentence)	حكمhakama
The king ruled the country for thirty years.	حكم الملك البلد ثلاثين سنة.hakama al-maliku al-balada thalâthîna sanatan
The court sentenced the minister to prison.	حكمت المحكمة على الوزير بالسجن.
Who rules this state now?	من يحكم هذه الدولة الآن؟
flag	علم'alam
The students raised the flag above the school.	رفع الطلاب العلم فوق المدرسة.
My country's flag is red, white and green.	علم بلدي أحمر وأبيض وأخضر.'alamu baladî ahmaru wa-abyadu wa-akhdaru

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