Navigating bureaucracy is easier when you know the right terminology for official paperwork. In this lesson, we will cover vocabulary for processing applications, authenticating documents, and dealing with registries.
Requirements and Superlatives
In Arabic, you can express "one of the [superlative]" by using the preposition من followed by a superlative adjective (like أهم for "most important") and a definite plural noun.
Let's look at this structure using the word for "requirement" (متطلب).
| This is one of the most important requirements. | هذا من أهم المتطلبات.hâdhâ min ahammi al-mutaṭallabât |
Doing It Yourself
When managing paperwork, you often have to complete steps yourself. To express "myself," "yourself," or "herself," Arabic uses the word نفس (self) paired with an attached pronoun.
When describing an action done by oneself, add the preposition بـ to the beginning (for example, بنفسي for "by myself" or بنفسك for "by yourself"). Let's see this used with the verb for "to fulfill" (استوفى).
| I fulfilled the requirement myself. | استوفيت المتطلب بنفسي.istawfaytu al-mutatallaba binafsi |
| You must fulfill the conditions yourself. | يجب أن تستوفي الشروط بنفسك.yajibu an tastawfiya ash-shurûta binafsika. |
Departments and Authentication
A government agency, authority, or department is called a مصلحة. When submitting documents to a department, they often require official "authentication" (توثيق).
| This document needs authentication from the department. | هذه الوثيقة تحتاج إلى توثيق من المصلحة.hâdhihi al-wathîqatu tahtâju ilâ tawthîqin mina al-maslahati |
Similarly, you will often be asked to provide "proof" (إثبات), such as proof of identity. This is especially true at the civil registry, which is called مصلحة الأحوال المدنية (literally, the department of civil "conditions" or "statuses").
| The civil registry department is here. | مصلحة الأحوال المدنية هنا.maslahatu al-ahwâli al-madaniyyati hunâ |
| The employee received an identity card from the civil registry. | استلمت الموظفة بطاقة هوية من مصلحة الأحوال المدنية.istalamati al-muwadhdhafatu bitaaqata huwiyyatin min maslahati al-ahwaali al-madaniyyati |
Ratification and Attachments
Once your file is submitted, it needs to be processed. The verb "to ratify" or "to approve" is صادق على. This is usually done by the "competent" or designated (مختص) official in charge of your case.
| The competent minister ratified the file. | صادق الوزير المختص على الملف.sâdaqa al-wazîru al-mukhtassu alâ al-malaffi. |
Your file might require supporting documents, such as an "attachment" (مرفق) or an official "affidavit" (إفادة).
| This attachment is one of the most important documents. | هذا المرفق من أهم الوثائق.hâdhâ al-murfaqu min ahammi al-wathâ'iqi |
| The official affidavit is in this file. | الإفادة الرسمية في هذا الملف.al-ifâdatu r-rasmiyyatu fî hâdha l-malaffi. |