Get ready to pack! Moving to a new home requires specific vocabulary for packing up, lifting heavy loads, and handling fragile objects.
Packing and Past Obligations
The verb for moving or relocating is انتقل, and to wrap or pack up items, use غلف. Often, you will wrap things in cardboard (كرتون).
To express a past obligation—something you had to do—use the phrase كان يجب أن followed by a present-tense verb.
| We moved to a new apartment yesterday, so you had to wrap the furniture with cardboard. | انتقلنا إلى شقة جديدة أمس، لذلك كان يجب أن تغلف الأثاث بالكرتون.intaqalnâ ilâ shuqqatin jadîdatin amsi, lidhâlika kâna yajibu an tughallifa al-athâtha bil-kartôni. |
Fragile Items and Precautions
When handling a fragile (هش) object, you need to be careful (حريص).
To express a present obligation, attach a pronoun suffix to the preposition على (on) and follow it with أن. For example, عليك أن means "you must" and علينا أن means "we must".
To explain your precautions, use the phrase حتى لا, which means "so that not" or "in order not to".
| You (f) must be careful so that the fragile cups do not break. | عليك أن تكوني حريصة حتى لا تنكسر الأكواب الهشة.'alayki an takûnî harîsatan hattâ lâ tankasira al-akwâbu al-hashshatu. |
Unloading and Dismantling
Moving trucks carry a heavy load (حمولة). When you arrive, you will need to empty (أفرغ) the vehicle. For large furniture, you might also need to dismantle or take it apart (فك).
| He had to empty the truck's load so the furniture wouldn't break. | كان يجب أن يفرغ حمولة الشاحنة حتى لا ينكسر الأثاث.kâna yajibu an yufrigha humûlata ash-shâhinati hattâ lâ yankasira al-athâthu. |
| She had to dismantle the large bed so it wouldn't take up space. | كان يجب أن تفك السرير الكبير حتى لا يأخذ مساحة.kâna yajibu an tafukka as-sarîra al-kabîra hattâ lâ ya'khudha masâhatan |
Sealing the Boxes
Finally, closing up the boxes securely requires adhesive tape (شريط لاصق) and a label (ملصق).
| You (f) must put the label on the carton. | عليك أن تضعي الملصق على الكرتون.alayki an tada'î al-mulsaqa alâ al-kartûni |
| We must use the adhesive tape so the carton doesn't open. | علينا أن نستخدم الشريط اللاصق حتى لا ينفتح الكرتون.'alaynâ an nastakhdima ash-sharîta allâsiqa hattâ lâ yanfatiha al-kartûnu. |
