This lesson teaches you how to express doing one thing in place of another. We will practice this by talking about the modern shift toward remote work, virtual setups, and flexible schedules.
Instead of: بدلاً من
To say "instead of" in Arabic, use the phrase بدلاً من.
| instead of | بدلا منbadalan min |
When substituting one noun for another, simply place the noun immediately after بدلاً من. Since من is a preposition, the noun that follows it will take the genitive case.
Notice that if you want to say "instead of doing" an action, Arabic typically uses a verbal noun (the Masdar, which functions as a regular noun) rather than a conjugated verb.
| I work remotely instead of commuting every day. | أعمل عن بعد بدلا من التنقل كل يوم.a'malu 'an bu'din badalan mina at-tanaqquli kulla yawmin. |
| We hold a virtual meeting instead of in-person attendance. | نجري اجتماعا افتراضيا بدلا من الحضور الشخصي.nujrî ijtimâ'an iftirâdiyyan badalan mina l-hudûri sh-shakhsiyyi |
Instead of It / That
Because من is a standard preposition, you can attach pronoun suffixes directly to it if you want to say "instead of him/her/it." For example, منها means "instead of it" (referring to a feminine noun or a plural non-human noun).
| You have to do without papers and use electronic files instead of them. | عليك أن تستغني عن الأوراق وتستخدمي الملفات الإلكترونية بدلا منها.'alayki an tastaghnî 'ani al-awrâqi wa tastakhdimî al-malaffâti al-iliktrûniyyata badalan minhâ. |
Similarly, you can use demonstrative pronouns like ذلك (that) to say "instead of that" (بدلاً من ذلك) when referring back to a general idea, an entire situation, or a preceding action.
| Do without commuting and focus on productivity instead of that! | استغن عن التنقل وركز على الإنتاجية بدلا من ذلك!istaghni 'ani t-tanaqquli wa rakkiz 'alâ al-intâjiyyati badalan min dhâlika! |
Remote Work Vocabulary
As you practice these grammar structures, you will also learn essential vocabulary for discussing modern work environments, such as "remotely" (عن بعد), "flexible" (مرن), and "productivity" (إنتاجية).
| Flexible work increases productivity instead of exhaustion. | العمل المرن يزيد الإنتاجية بدلا من الإرهاق.al-amalu al-marinu yazidu al-intâjiyyata badalan mina al-irhâqi |
| He still manages the team remotely instead of in-person attendance. | ما زال يدير الفريق عن بعد بدلا من الحضور الشخصي.mâ zâla yudîru-l-farîqa 'an bu'din badalan mina-l-hudûri-sh-shakhsî |