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Learn to talk about major life transitions, from celebrations of new beginnings to solemn ceremonies, and how to express your support.

### Engagements and Hosting

When talking about happy life events like an engagement (**خطوبة**), a key verb is **أقام**, meaning to host, establish, or put on an event. For formal dinners or large feasts, you might be invited to a banquet (**مأدبة**).

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### Milestones and Retirement

After a long professional (**مهني**) career, a major life milestone is retirement (**تقاعد**). A person who reaches this stage is a retiree (**متقاعد**). 

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### Ceremonies and Expressing Support

Formal life events are typically accompanied by ceremonies (**مراسم**). This plural noun is frequently used in an *Idafa* construction to specify the type of event, whether for an engagement or a funeral (**جنازة**). 

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To express your support during these transitions, Arabic uses dedicated nouns for offering congratulations (**تهنئة**) or condolences (**تعزية**). You will often see these paired with words like **رسالة** (message) or **كلمة** (word/speech) to form common phrases.

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Life Events and Ceremonies

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
engagement	خطوبةkhutûba
My sister's engagement party is tomorrow.	حفلة خطوبة أختي غدا.haflatu khutûbati ukhtî ghadan
to host (an event, a party)	أقامaqâma
My brother hosted an engagement party.	أقام أخي حفلة خطوبة.aqâma akhî haflata khutûba.
banquet	مأدبةma'duba
The managers hosted a big banquet.	أقام المديرون مأدبة كبيرة.aqâma al-mudîrûna ma'dubatan kabîratan
retirement	تقاعدtaqâ'ud
professional (occupational, relating to a profession)	مهنيmihaniyy
Her retirement began after a long professional life.	بدأ تقاعدها بعد حياة مهنية طويلة.bada'a taqâ'uduhâ ba'da hayâtin mihaniyyatin tawîlatin
retiree	متقاعدmutaqâ'id
The retirees attended the banquet.	حضر المتقاعدون المأدبة.hadara al-mutaqâ'idûna al-ma'dubata.
congratulation	تهنئةtahni'a
The manager sent a congratulation message to the retirees.	أرسل المدير رسالة تهنئة إلى المتقاعدين.arsala al-mudîru risâlata tahni'atin ilâ al-mutaqâ'idîna
ceremonies	مراسمmarâsim
The engagement ceremonies started in the evening.	بدأت مراسم الخطوبة في المساء.bada'at marâsimu-l-khutûbati fil-masâ'.
funeral	جنازةjinâza
The participants attended the funeral ceremonies.	حضر المشاركون مراسم الجنازة.hadara al-musharikuna marasima al-jinazah
The funeral is tomorrow morning.	الجنازة غدا صباحا.al-jinâzatu ghadan sabâhan
condolence (expression of sympathy)	تعزيةta'ziya
We sent condolences after the funeral.	أرسلنا التعزية بعد الجنازة.arsalnâ at-ta'ziyata ba'da al-janâzati
Our professional colleagues sent a condolence message.	أرسل زملاؤنا المهنيون رسالة تعزية.arsala zumalâ'unâ al-mihaniyyûna risâlata ta'ziyatin
The coaches said a word of congratulation before retirement.	قال المدربون كلمة تهنئة قبل التقاعد.qâla al-mudarribûna kalimata tahni'atin qabla at-taqâ'udi
My sister hosted a banquet for the retirees.	أقامت أختي مأدبة للمتقاعدين.aqâmat ukhtî ma'dubatan lilmutaqâ3idîn.

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